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Apple Tested USB Hard Disk Support for 2012 AirPort Express

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Apr 12, 2001
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Apple may have considered including USB hard drive support in the AirPort Express initially released in June of 2012, according to an early support manual unearthed by French site Journal Du Lapin (via iPhone in Canada).

Available in PDF format, the older manual references a section suggesting a USB hard disk or USB hub could be connected to the AirPort Express, allowing all computers on the network to access those devices.

airport_express_2012.jpg
Connect a self-powered USB hard disk to your AirPort Express. All of the computers on the AirPort network can access the information on the hard disk.

Connect a USB hub to your AirPort Express, and then connect multiple USB devices, such as printers or hard disks. All of the computers on the AirPort network can access those devices.
Click to expand...
These references are not found in the final product's manual [PDF], which only includes a section on connecting a USB printer to the device. USB hard disk compatibility would have potentially allowed the lower-cost AirPort Express to function in the same way as the more expensive AirPort Extreme, suggesting Apple possibly once considered merging these two products before making the decision to release the AirPort Express without external hard drive compatibility.

While Apple's AirPort Extreme retails for $199 and includes the ability to connect to a USB hard drive that can be accessed by all computers on the network for sharing and storing files, the AirPort Express, priced $100 less at $99, remains a no-frills entry level WiFi solution for consumers for the time being.

Article Link: Apple Tested USB Hard Disk Support for 2012 AirPort Express
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/05/27/apple-airport-express-hard-disk-support/
I wish!

That'd be a great way to be able to network drives within homes as most consumers are looking to drop Airport Extreme prices! :mad:
 
That's a shame

Even with that functionality, the Airport Extreme is a cleaner, more integrated solution so most people would have bought the Extreme anyway.
 
It would have also been nice for Apple to include Airplay and stereo audio output on the Extreme and Time Capsule.
 
I have one of these, great product. Would be wonderful if I could attach a USB hard disk to it for time machine backups!
 
Icaras said:
It would have also been nice for Apple to include Airplay and stereo audio output on the Extreme and Time Capsule.
Click to expand...

Copy that...

I've also thought a combo AppleTV+Airport device would be useful. At least for the house I'm currently in, it turns out that my WiFi and AppleTV sit within a couple feet from each other.
 
arkmannj said:
Copy that...

I've also thought a combo AppleTV+Airport device would be useful. At least for the house I'm currently in, it turns out that my WiFi and AppleTV sit within a couple feet from each other.
Click to expand...

Hey, I am in UT too, Murray/Cottonwood Heights. Where are you approx?
 
Configured right, it might've given okay performance. I wouldn't expect anything great though, smaller antennas for one.
 
It pisses me off that they crippled the Airport Express. I imagine a firmware update would allow network disk access from an Airport Express.
 
TheDoctor1010 said:
totally agree but how would they sell Apple TV then? That's what I had to do to stream music. Oh well...
Click to expand...

The Apple TV would still retain it's strength of being able to Airplay both audio and video. The Airport Express allows only audio because of just the 3.5mm stereo output which is nice when you have an available stereo system near it.

But I guess it's sort of getting insignificant now anyway since you can now get amplifiers and receivers with airplay built in.
 
tliede20 said:
That'd be a great way to be able to network drives within homes as most consumers are looking to drop Airport Extreme prices! :mad:
Click to expand...

How can you make a claim like "most consumers are looking to drop Airport Extreme prices", and be mad about it? Just because there are cheaper routers on the market doesn't mean that the Airport routers are equal on all fronts, but at a higher price. The hardware and software is generally superior to many third-party options, even from a pure integration with Macs and iOS devices standpoint.

Apple is a hardware company and needs to make money. The "bargain" they offer (and there is one!) is the longevity of their hardware and software. You get more than you paid for it, easy. If you want a cheaper router, get a cheaper router.

----------
street.cory said:
It pisses me off that they crippled the Airport Express. I imagine a firmware update would allow network disk access from an Airport Express.
Click to expand...

Crippled? That's a bold claim. You do realize that these devices are mini-computers, right? They do a lot of work beyond just routing your network traffic. The Airport Express is a tiny device, and to cram even more functionality and demands into it may have exceeded processing and heat thresholds beyond Apple's quality of standard. What if they decided to roll out that Network Disk feature to the Express and it performed poorly? How pissed would you be then?
 
OriginalMacRat said:
Huh?

Functionally, the only thing the Extreme has is extra ethernet ports.
Click to expand...

"USB hard disk compatibility would have potentially allowed the lower-cost AirPort Express to function in the same way as the more expensive AirPort Extreme."

But yeah, I was mixing up the Airport Express/Extreme with the Time Capsule.
 
How about adding Airplay to Airport Extreme instead of making people double dip to get a Airport Express at the same would be the smartest move for Apple.
 
Strange story to surface now.

Unless it hints at some hybrid Apple TV/Airport Express combo. (Just kidding)
 
Kilamite said:
Bigger, more powerful antennas too.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if this is true. I have one of each at home and was looking to swap them to improve signal strength where it's needed, but from what I was able to gather from the Internet, the output signal strength is identical between the two.
 
OriginalMacRat said:
Huh?

Functionally, the only thing the Extreme has is extra ethernet ports.
Click to expand...

And 802.11ac w/BeamForming tech plus USB HDD Access, which is what the article is all about...

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Nikiaf said:
I'm not sure if this is true. I have one of each at home and was looking to swap them to improve signal strength where it's needed, but from what I was able to gather from the Internet, the output signal strength is identical between the two.
Click to expand...

No it's not. You have to use 802.11ac ready equipment to see the BeamForming tech advantage.
 
arkmannj said:
Copy that...

I've also thought a combo AppleTV+Airport device would be useful. At least for the house I'm currently in, it turns out that my WiFi and AppleTV sit within a couple feet from each other.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't that be a welcoming product! How about a Time Capsule with ATV built in?

----------
Icaras said:
The Apple TV would still retain it's strength of being able to Airplay both audio and video. The Airport Express allows only audio because of just the 3.5mm stereo output which is nice when you have an available stereo system near it.

But I guess it's sort of getting insignificant now anyway since you can now get amplifiers and receivers with airplay built in.
Click to expand...

True.
 
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