Apply TV + Airport Express + External Hard Drive- How do I get this to work

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Apply TV + Airport Express + External Hard Drive- How do I get this to work

I bought the Apple TV, Airport Extreme and a USB expansion port (Powered 2.0). Apple TV can pull my music and pictures (photo stream) from iTunes when the external hard drive is plugged directly in to my 2007 Mac Book Pro, but when I attempt to hook the hard drive to the airport extreme and wirelessly access my iTunes library on Apple TV in the Computers Menu, iTunes can't find any of the songs because iTunes on my computer can't link any of the songs.

I tried changing the default iTunes library in preferences to reflect the external hard drive as it's hooked up to the Airport Extreme but it still won't link the songs in iTunes to the new library location. Or maybe I didn't link it right, not sure.

Bottom line, how can I get Apple TV to pull from music and photos (iPhoto) from iTunes when the library is linked from my external hard drive plugged into my Airport Extreme. Apple Support says they can't support an external hard drive hooked to the airport extreme. Why then, does all advertising for the Airport Extreme tout it's ability to have an external hard drive hooked up to it for easy access?

Does anyone have a work around for this?

Posted on Sep 23, 2012 6:53 PM

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Answer 1

eshiu

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Feb 16, 2013 10:29 PM in response to TJBiedz33

I have to enable the photo sharing from my MacBookPro. I used iTunes->File->Home Sharing->Chooese photo to share with Apple TV->select the external HD connected to Airport extreme.

It's not ideal as I often power down the MacBookPro.

I guess the fundamental limit of "Home Sharing" is that apple ID is tied to an iOS(iPad/iPhone) or OS X(iMac/MBP/Mini) device. However, airport extreme+the external HD is not iOS/OS X equipped.

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Answer 2

Nov 30, 2013 12:30 AM in response to TJBiedz33

Hi,

I've got a problem that fits into this category as well.

I have an airport extreme (last gens model) with a 1tb hard drive connected (in fat 32). I also have a jailbroken atv2 with atv black installed.

I want to access my content from my hard drive via my apple tv, and I have technically done this... after messing around with a whole bunch of share settings i managed to access my 1tb hard drive via my macbook pro.

So in my 'sharing' window from preferences I could add my hard drive as an option under the file sharing box. The only annoying thing is that my macbook must be on and connected to my wi-fi network..... In my sharing window my hard drive appears as an option to select, but is faded so i cant select it. see below

So i cannot select 'svens 1tb' which is connected to my AE, but i can select 'Sven Morrison's Airport Extreme' and then select my hard drive, but to clarify then forced to connect via my computer and to have my macbook on and connected to my wifi.

Is there anyway I can make the haze disspear and make it so i can select my hard drive directecly, without going via my macbook?

cheers, im a rookie poster by the way

running os X 10.9

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