Can I attach an external HDD to USB port on Airport Time Capsule and use it as a NAS?

Only if this is one of the latest tower shaped models. I'm not sure which generation off the top of my head.

Only if this is one of the latest tower shaped models. I'm not sure which generation off the top of my head.

This is not the case.. in fact I think the earlier models are more reliable.. If you plug any HFS formatted disk into any model of Time Capsule or the Airport Extreme it can be used as a (poor sort of) NAS.. see more below.

What you are thinking perhaps is the use of the USB disk on an Airport Extreme for Time Machine.

See http://pondini.org/TM/Airport.html

That problem was never on the earlier Time Capsules.. which do handle USB drives better than the Airport Extreme.. although the exact difference escape me.

tonyphanusa wrote:

Can I attach an external HDD to USB port on Airport Time Capsule and use it as a NAS?

The answer is yes.. but.

It is slow.

It has limited protocols.

It is without most normal NAS functionality.. ie no backups and no media extensions.

But worst of all..

It is unreliable on the latest Gen 5 (tower) TC.

See Re: External backup disk drops out regularly

external hard drive connection

For TC as NAS media server.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7506717?answerId=29974071022#29974071022

Only if this is one of the latest tower shaped models.

This is correct if you are thinking about Time Machine, but the OP asked about using the attached drive as a NAS for media files and possibly other types of files.

I'm not sure which generation off the top of my head.

Apple stopped using the "Generation" naming convention when they introduced the current "ac" version about 3 years ago, so it's officially known at Apple as the AirPort Extreme 802.11ac. Previously there were five different Generation names for the earlier 802.11n versions of the AirPort Extreme, so the current 802.11ac version has become unofficially known among users as the "6th Generation" product.