External hard drive lifespan when connected to AirPort Extreme?

[kylera]

I notice that every now and then, my Mac slows down because it needs to fire up my external hard drive connected to USB, even if I'm not accessing a file that is there to begin with. This has made me consider moving my hard drive to my AirPort Extreme, since I don't use my external hard drive that often.

My question is, should I anticipate any effects on the hard drive's lifespan as it is connected to the Extreme? Or will it remain mostly on standby?

 

[Nermal]

Mine spins down when I'm not using it; it really only spins up for Time Machine backups. The AirPort won't leave it running 24/7

 

[Altemose]

My question is, should I anticipate any effects on the hard drive's lifespan as it is connected to the Extreme? Or will it remain mostly on standby?

The AirPort Extreme will always spin disks down if not in use similar to how a Mac will. There is no lifespan change with it plugged into the Extreme vs. a Mac.

 

[kylera]

The AirPort Extreme will always spin disks down if not in use similar to how a Mac will. There is no lifespan change with it plugged into the Extreme vs. a Mac.

Thanks for your reply!