KAdamsInCo

Q: Airport Extreme REQUIRES powered USB hub for external HDDs

Just bought an Airport Extreme Wireless dual-band N router (January 2012).  It works very well and having the separate 2.5 and 5 GHz bands is a fantastic feature.  Setup was really easy and it essentially worked 'out of the box'.  The one issue I had is attaching a USB Western Digital 1 TB HDD to share on the network and use for Time Machine backups from multiple MacBook Pro laptops.

 

The drive would appear in the Aiport Utility's "Share Hard Drive" tab, but it was listed as zero bytes and wasn't available to actually share out over the network.  I formatted it as a single volume to make sure there wasn't an issue with the drive itself (although it should support multiple partitions on a drive), and it mounted to my Mac just fine, but it still would not work with the Airport Extreme.

 

After reading several posts on these Apple forums I picked up the fact that the only way most people get their hard drives to work is by purchasing a powered USB hub and connecting that between the Extreme and the hard drive.  Some hard drives do appear to work plugged directly into the Airport Extreme, but that seems to be more of the exception than the rule. 

 

The reason given is that the USB port on the Airport Extreme was originally designed for printers and is basically underpowered for proper HDD connections. Adding a powered USB hub not only allows USB hard drives to work, but you can connect multiple USB devices (hard drives and printers) to share over the Airport Extreme through the powered hub, so you do get that added feature.

 

So if you have plans to upgrade to the incredibly fast and efficient Airport Extreme and plan to do your Time Machine Backups wirelessly (which works very well), add a powered USB hub to your purchase to avoid some frustration.  I picked up a four-port powered USB hub at Staples for $30.

 

It's a great purchase otherwise.  Four out of five stars in my review.

Airport Extreme, iOS 5.0.1

Posted on Jan 29, 2012 9:22 AM

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Q: Airport Extreme REQUIRES powered USB hub for external HDDs

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  • by ellenbogen,

    ellenbogen ellenbogen Jul 13, 2012 2:35 PM in response to Pondini
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 13, 2012 2:35 PM in response to Pondini

    Thank you for your reply Pondini - if you read at the top of the thread, one poster was able to run multiple printers/scanners through the Airport Extreme USB using a powered 4-port USB Hub. My question is, which brand will work in this way? I am aware that we are warned that printers/scanners are unreliable using the Airport USB, but perhaps there is an exception?

     

    Does anyone know if/how I can contact the poster above to find out if he had long-term luck with his set-up (KAdamsinCo) ?

    Thanks for any help.

  • by Pondini,

    Pondini Pondini Jul 13, 2012 4:08 PM in response to ellenbogen
    Level 8 (38,747 points)
    Jul 13, 2012 4:08 PM in response to ellenbogen

    ellenbogen wrote:

     

    Thank you for your reply Pondini - if you read at the top of the thread, one poster was able to run multiple printers/scanners through the Airport Extreme USB using a powered 4-port USB Hub.

    We must be reading different posts.  If you're talking about this paragraph:

     

    The reason given is that the USB port on the Airport Extreme was originally designed for printers and is basically underpowered for proper HDD connections. Adding a powered USB hub not only allows USB hard drives to work, but you can connect multiple USB devices (hard drives and printers) to share over the Airport Extreme through the powered hub, so you do get that added feature.

     

    That's speculation about the reason the port is underpowered; there's no mention of scanners, or of KAdminsInCo actually using a printer, much less scanner, there.

     

    Since Epson has said your printer won't work that way, that's probably the case.

     

    My question is, which brand will work in this way? I am aware that we are warned that printers/scanners are unreliable using the Airport USB, but perhaps there is an exception?

    Some printers will, but from everything I've read here, scanning is not supported.

     

    The Apple tech article http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2421 says printers may be used, not printer/scanners.

     

    And, the Apple Store page for the Airport Extreme only mentions printers:  http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD031LL/A/AirPort-Extreme?fnode=MTY1NDA0Mg

     

    Message was edited by: Pondini

  • by ellenbogen,

    ellenbogen ellenbogen Jul 13, 2012 4:37 PM in response to Pondini
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 13, 2012 4:37 PM in response to Pondini

    Thanks again for your quick reply, and for the links.

     

    So my last question would be, if I want to use a powered USB hub to the AE for more than one printer, then which is a reliable brand of hub to buy? If anyone has a recommendation of one that works in this set-up, I'd love to hear about it. Thanks!

  • by Pondini,

    Pondini Pondini Jul 13, 2012 7:26 PM in response to ellenbogen
    Level 8 (38,747 points)
    Jul 13, 2012 7:26 PM in response to ellenbogen

    Any should work, as long as it's powered.  USB is USB is USB. 

     

    I have a 3-year old Belkin.  I don't know the model, but it's probably obsolete by now anyway.

  • by ellenbogen,

    ellenbogen ellenbogen Jul 13, 2012 10:24 PM in response to Pondini
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 13, 2012 10:24 PM in response to Pondini

    Pondini - Hehe, well the reason I asked is because there is a thread here somewhere about a Belkin hub that was giving people problems (interfacing with Lion I think) and I am trying to avoid rather than invite any more complications!

    If a USB hub is a USB hub, then how does one become obsolete? (serious question) - thanks for help.

     

    (I had an Imac G5 for many years running smoothly with 2 Epson printers and 1 Epson scanner connected on a D-Link USB 2. hub to the Imac, and everything worked just fine. Now I have a spankin' new Imac w/ Lion and a TimeCapsule/wifi, and ENDLESS device/connection problems. Tonight I even got the Time Capsule "...not connected" message that I saw you addressed to someone in another thread. Was able to fix it quickly, but honestly I am spending far too much time trying to get this all to work. Wish I had my old computer back! grumble grumble) thanx

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Jul 14, 2012 5:50 AM in response to ellenbogen
    Level 10 (105,268 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 14, 2012 5:50 AM in response to ellenbogen

    For years, I have been using a "no name" Dynex 4 port hub available at Best Buy.

     

    You have thousands invested in your equipment...and you seem to be having problems with a $20 decision.

     

    Even if we gave you a list of exact model numbers, you still will not know if it will work for you until you try it.

     

    Ask the store if you can return the hub if it does not work correctly for you...and try it out.

  • by Pondini,

    Pondini Pondini Jul 14, 2012 6:38 AM in response to ellenbogen
    Level 8 (38,747 points)
    Jul 14, 2012 6:38 AM in response to ellenbogen

    ellenbogen wrote:

    . . .

    If a USB hub is a USB hub, then how does one become obsolete? (serious question) -

    Most manufacturers make "new and improved" models.  Sometimes they're really improved in some way, but often the improvements are cosmetic, or more for marketing.  I did just check, and sure enough, Belkin no longer makes the one I have.  But it works fine.

     

    (I had an Imac G5 for many years running smoothly with 2 Epson printers and 1 Epson scanner connected on a D-Link USB 2. hub to the Imac, and everything worked just fine. Now I have a spankin' new Imac w/ Lion and a TimeCapsule/wifi, and ENDLESS device/connection problems.

    I hope you know, scanners won't work on the TC's USB port. 

     

    Without details, we can't help with the connection problems.  You'd be better off to start a new thread for that.

  • by ellenbogen,

    ellenbogen ellenbogen Jul 14, 2012 10:42 AM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 14, 2012 10:42 AM in response to Bob Timmons

    Hi Bob - no I am nowhere near a store to run in and out with sampled parts so I want to avoid purchasing (have to do over the internet or drive an hour) anything that is already deemed unreliable.

     

    But that is not my question: for 7-8 years I had all my devices/peripherals (2 Epson printers, 1 scanner etc) connected to a D-Link USB2 hub connected to USB port at Imac G5 and it all worked fine.

     

    Now as I set up each device, they are unstable/not found until I connect them DIRECTLY into the Imac, not the hub. I am not talking about the Time Capsule/wifi unit - just the D-Link hub which I always used. Should I replace the D-Link, or is there something about the IMac/Lion/TimeCapsule/AirportExtremeWifi set-up that requires that all devices/peripherals go directly into the USB ports of the Imac??????

     

    Thank you.

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Jul 14, 2012 10:55 AM in response to ellenbogen
    Level 10 (105,268 points)
    Wireless
    Jul 14, 2012 10:55 AM in response to ellenbogen

    Should I replace the D-Link

    Yes. It sounds like you have had good service from your previous D-Link device, so you might want to try another. 5 years use for small accessories like this is about all that you can expect.

  • by ellenbogen,

    ellenbogen ellenbogen Jul 14, 2012 11:12 AM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 14, 2012 11:12 AM in response to Bob Timmons

    Thanks! Gotcha.

  • by ellenbogen,

    ellenbogen ellenbogen Jul 15, 2012 11:50 AM in response to ellenbogen
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 15, 2012 11:50 AM in response to ellenbogen

    I don't know how often people come on here and say "I am an idiot!" - but I'm going to say it now, because yesterday I replaced the 7-year-old D-Link powered USB2 Hub (which connected all my devices/peripherals via USB port on my IMac Lion) - with a new $29.99 Staples powered USB2 Hub - and now everything works: the iMac sees the peripherals, the wifi printing via AirExtreme works properly, Epson scan can find the scanners, etc. Thanks Bob + Pondini for suggesting I test the smallest part of the puzzle - I guess I thought a hub would either work totally or totally go bust, but the D-Link was apparently just mis-functioning some of the time, in other words, slowly deteriorating.    T H A N K  Y O U!

  • by egonvd,

    egonvd egonvd Sep 21, 2012 8:12 AM in response to Pondini
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 21, 2012 8:12 AM in response to Pondini

    I backup just fine with windows backup to airport extreme, with selfpowered HD (passport) connected.

     

    The reason i arrived here, is because i have issues when my WIFI security cameras record to the HD.

    Then it seems indeed the USB port is underpowered which creates recording problem.

    will buy oen of those usb hubs as suggested here, and see if it does the trick!

     

    cheers

    Egon

  • by totalkaos04,

    totalkaos04 totalkaos04 Feb 5, 2013 3:51 PM in response to KAdamsInCo
    Level 1 (2 points)
    Feb 5, 2013 3:51 PM in response to KAdamsInCo

    I dont know if anybody is still watching this thread but last week I bought a brand new Extreme and I cannot get it to recognize my 1TB Western Digital HDD. It was suggested to me to try a USB hub with it's own power supply (the HDD has it's own) and it should work. Well I just got a 4 port hub from Radio Shack and it still won't see it. I know it isn't the port because I have 2 flash drives plugged into it and I see both of those. Should I just trash this HDD and get a new one?

  • by Pondini,

    Pondini Pondini Feb 5, 2013 3:55 PM in response to totalkaos04
    Level 8 (38,747 points)
    Feb 5, 2013 3:55 PM in response to totalkaos04

    How is it formatted?  

     

    Neither NTFS or ExFAT will be recognized.  See AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule: USB storage device supported formats and protocols.

     

    If it's either of those, connect it to your Mac and reformat it.

     

    Just so you know, Time Machine backups to a USB drive connected to an Airport Extreme are not supported, even if the drive is formatted properly.

  • by totalkaos04,

    totalkaos04 totalkaos04 Feb 5, 2013 4:59 PM in response to Pondini
    Level 1 (2 points)
    Feb 5, 2013 4:59 PM in response to Pondini

    The drive is formatted to Mac OS Extended (Journal). I went on WD's website and downloaded a firmware updater and a driver installer. I did those and it still isn't working. I downloaded WD's formatting tool so now I am pulling the important files off and I'm going to use it to reformat it again.

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