I have an Airport Extreme with a Western Digital hard drive attached via USB that I use as a media server for my Macbook and AppleTV. I would like to put a password on the hard drive so that others sharing the wireless network cannot access said drive. How do I do that?
Airport Extreme-OTHER, w/ latest software
Hi - many of the WD drives can be password protected using the Western Digital Security Feature - to see which drives are covered, got to the WD website - http://wdc.com/en/products/external/desktopformac/
You can also try by going to Disk Utility on you Mac and configure it as an encrypted drive.
I would like to put a password on the hard drive so that others sharing the wireless network cannot access said drive. How do I do that?
This can be accomplished by using AirPort Utility. By default, the password used to access an attached hard drive is the same password as the AirPort Extreme device.
You can change that to a Disk Password, which would mean that users who wanted to acccess the hard drive would need to know the Disk Password.
Assuming that you are running Lion or Mountain Lion on the MacBook.....
Open Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility
Click on the AirPort Extreme icon, then click Edit
Click the Disks tab
Click on the Secure Shared Disks selection box and change that from "With device password" to "With a disk password"
Click Update to save the changes
I thought this would do the trick, and after enabling a simple 4-digit code to protect it and saving it to my keychain I was pleasantly surprised at my MBA having no issue logging into it and using it, however I then tested using another computer and it logged right in as well. As did my AppleTV. What's the deal?
Anyone? Like, shouldn't other computers on my network have to put in the 4-digit code as well?
I cannot duplicate the error that you are reporting.
Other Macs must enter the disk password the first time that they connect. If KeyChain Access on the Macs saves the password, then the Mac will not have to enter the password again when it connects to the drive the next time.
If the Mac does not save the password in KeyChain Access, then it must enter the disk password each time that it connects.
I can assure you that after doing as instructed above and setting a 4-digit password that I currently have the above setting and no other macbook (or my AppleTV) on my network has been asked for said password when attempting to access the drive.
If I can create the "error", then maybe I can find a way to fix it. But, I cannot create the error. Maybe another user will be able to do this and report.
I think a fair number of users protect their attached drive with a disk password, and I've never seen a post from any other user about this issue, nor can I find one using a forum search.
If it were me, I would re-install AirPort Utility again.
I am still having this issue. I just tried a different USB drive and even changed the password, but I can still access it on a second Macbook. Help?
Remove the check mark from the box next to Remember this password in my keychain.
Change the password
Then, any Mac that wants to connect to the disk must enter the disk password to establish a connection......correction.....I should say that any Mac here that wants to connect must enter the disk password to be able to access the drive.
I just did that, changed the password again, restarted my Macbook and it logged me right in without asking this time as well. Other Macbook gets access as well.
Sorry, I cannot duplicate the error. We'll have to wait for another user to reply.
Further, I tried to set it up to only allow accounts, set one up with my initials, restarted AE and now it allows me to sign in as a guest but I cannot see any of my files.
It is only showing the available space left on the drive? Connected as guest:
Connected as user 'gsb':
Further, I tried to set it up to only allow accounts, set one up with my initials, restarted AE and now it allows me to sign in as a guest but I cannot see any of my files.
You have to set up Accounts before you place any data on the drive.
Gotcha. Man, I'm trying everything. I turned off all my file sharing in the System Preferences. Turned off "Remember password in my keychain" in Airport Utility under Base Station pane and under Disks pane, and enabled File Sharing "With device password". And it allows guest read and write access still.
No other users have answered this thread, so your best bet might be to contact Apple support directly.
There is likely a corrupted Preference file somewhere, and Apple support might know where it is.
How can I password protect my Airport Extreme hard drive?
