Using a external HD with Airport Extreme

I just purchased the Airport Extreme and am using an external HD with it, mostly for my iTunes collection so I can access it even when I am wireless. I am wondering if the HD needs to be spinning all the the time though, even when I am not using the HD (like when my laptop is off). It seems as though the HD is spinning as long as it is connected to the Airport Extreme. Is there anyway to have it stop spinning when not in use? I have tried using the disconnect feature and although it removes it from my desktop, the HD is still spinning. Please help.
Macbook Pro   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

I don't think it needs to be spinning all the time, others disagree with me, whatever is the correct answer it doesn't matter as there is no way to stop it. Hopefully we will at least have the option at some time in the future to let it spin down.

Similar Messages

  • Use an external HD with Airport Extreme to access it for data storage from computers  connected to the WiFi network?

    Can I connect My Passport HD into my Airport Extreme's USB port to access it from my computers (27" iMac 2012 now using Yosemite) on that Wifi network for data storage and retrieval purposes?

    Yes, if the AirPort base station's hardware supports 802.11n. The drive needs to be formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled), FAT16, or FAT32, and may need to be connected through an USB hub with its own power supply.
    (117777)

  • Can I use powerline wireless adapters with airport extreme

    can I use power line wireless adapters with airport extreme?

    Can this work?
    Yes
    I read somewhere that powerline adapters are not compatible with Airport.
    That information is not correct.
    If the AirPort Extreme is already set up as your "main" router, you would connect a short Ethernet cable from one of the LAN <-> ports on the Extreme to the power line adapter.
    Locate another adapter in the area where you want to use the AirPort Express and connect a short Ethernet cable from the adapter to the Express.
    Configure the Express to "create a wireless network" using the same wireless network name, same security settings and and same password as the AirPort Extreme network and select the Bridge Mode setting for the Express so that it work correctly on the network.

  • Using an External HD, via AirPort Extreme, with Time Machine

    I just picked up one of the new airport extreme base stations today so I could wirelessly back up my MBP via time machine. When I got the airport it self working and plugged in my external HD it said the back up was "delayed" and it "could not connect to disk." I called apple to ask them what I need to do and they told me that the airport extreme is not made to backup to time machine. You can only backup the old fashioned way by manually moving files to the disk. About to pack it up and take it back to the store I thought I would do a quick google search and see if anyone found a way around it. Oddly enough they have and it is very easy. I'm not sure why apple couldn't tell me/ didn't know. I want to preface this with I already had a time machine back up on the same HD that I connected to the airport extreme (im not sure if it made a difference or not). Here are the steps I followed:
    1) Open "Time Machine Preferences"
    2) Open the "finder" and your external HD should be listed under the "shared" tab
    3) Open the file "Time Machine Backups"
    4) Go back to your "Time Machine Preferences" and click "Select Disk"
    5) Select your external HD from the list. It should have an icon with a wireless symbol in it
    6) Start your backup
    Oddly it did not work when i just clicked on the "shared disk." I had to open the file that said "Time Machine Backups" and then Time Machine recognized it.
    Also, it backed up from scratch so it takes forever. Mine has been going at a rate of about 12GB per hour. I am not sure why couldn't recognize the other file (from the USB backup on the same HD).
    I hope this helps. I thought I would make a post because Apple told me they don't support it and it does work!

    This is very helpfull.
    I consider buying the Airport Extreme. I currently use a Lacie 500GB external HD. I partitioned the HD and use one part for Time Machine Backups and one part for my iTunes and Iphoto libraries (so Music and photos are on the HD, as well as the iTunes Library file).
    If I connect the HD to the Airport Extreme, can I use the iTunes Libray and Photos through the wireless network? And perhaps soem movies? It then will be much like a Time Capsule. The reason I don't want to but a TC is that I already have a HD and I could save money buying an Aitport Extreme instead of a Time Capsule.

  • External HDD with Airport Extreme gets stuck

    Hi guys,
    I hope you can help me. I bought an Airport Extreme last december.
    The problem is that I can enter my External HDD via Windows 7. After reading and writing at the HDD, Windows Explorer get stuck, and it will say it couldn't find the path Z:\ ..... My Airport Extreme also gets stuck. I lose my signal (still connected to Airport, but not to internet) and I have to unplug it. After it the Airport will start up again and everything works.
    I tried several things but it didn't work:
    - Hard reset
    - Different hard disk (with external power supply)
    - Today I went to the Apple Store in Haarlem, and I got a new Airport, but this one has the same problem!
    I formatted the hard disk to FAT32.
    Please help me!

    Thank you for your reply!
    My problem is slightly different. The hole AirPort is stuck, it won't do anything. Wifi stays connected, but there's no Internet connection. Also my iPad and iPhone don't have internet connection anymore.
    The problem arise also when I'm just viewing pictures at the external hard disk, or just browsing through folders. The only way to get all working again is to unplug the AirPort from electricity.
    It's kind a weird that Apple uses this feature as unique selling point, but unfortunately it doesn't work for PC!
    Simple and secure file sharing.
    AirPort Extreme can turn your external USB hard drive into a secure drive you can share across your Wi‑Fi network and access securely over the Internet. All the documents, videos, photos, and other files instantly become available to anyone on the network, Mac and PC users alike. It’s perfect for file sharing, collaborative projects, and more.

  • Using an UMTS stick with airport extreme

    Hallo,
    my internet access is actually working only via an umts stick. Can i put this stick into airport express or extreme in order to have a kind of airport wlan for two macs or do i have to connect one of theme and get access via internet sharing?
    Thanks in advance
    Matthias

    The USB port on the AirPort Extreme will support a hard drive and/or a printer while the USB port on an AirPort Express will work only with compatible printers (and a Keyspan remote for PowerPoint presentations), so you will not be able to use your "stick" with the AirPorts.

  • Can airport express be used as a repeater with airport extreme?

    Can Airport Express be used as a repeater with an Airport Extreme?

    Hi, it can but i have lots of problems because my mac keeps switching between the express and the extreme. This causes that my connection goes every time down and i have to switch off my airport (in my mac) off and on again.
    Do you know how or where i can stop this from happenig?

  • IP address not being set using Win XP Pro with Airport Extreme

    Hi,
    I'd appreciate any information on this subject. I got a new Airport Extreme on Friday to replace my DLink G router. Basically is blew up. So I've got it set up and my Vista laptop is running just fine. However, my work laptop which is a Win XP Pro machine can not aquire a network address. It continually says "Aquiring Network Address" and then times out and disconnects. After a lot of looking around and checking out blogs I took a look and it seems that I cannot get an IP address. When ipconfig in cmd it shows not IP address and subnet, etc as 0.0.0.0. OKay, so I try to reboot, I've also tried release renew and still no go. I can connect with a cable to the Airport and receive an IP immediately and obviously I can get directly on the cable modem I am using with Rogers with no issue. So can anyone tell me why over the air I can't get an IP? Did I set something up with this XP Pro machine that doesn't seem to have a problem with Vista?
    Any help would be greatly appreciated...I haven't been wired and years, slightly unsettling!
    Thanks!

    Okay I got it. I couldn't get an IP address and so I found another discussion. One person said to do this:
    The "Limited or No Connectivity" indication is because the network adapter has failed to get its IP address by DHCP from the router and Windows has defaulted to allocating a "169.254" IP address.
    Try repairing the TCP/IP stack and Winsock. Open a Command Prompt window ("Start > Run", type cmd and click OK).
    To repair the TCP/IP stack, at the prompt, type...
    netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt
    ...and press Enter
    (note the spaces in the command line). The original prompt will reappear.
    To reset Winsock entries, at the prompt, type...
    netsh winsock reset catalog
    ...and press Enter
    Exit the Command Prompt window and reboot the PC.
    Well that did it! Off I go!

  • Using a second router with airport extreme

    I have hooked up a second router to my airport extreme for the purpose of providing more ethernet ports. When I do this I disable the wifi on the second router and place it in a bridge mode to let the airport do DHCP.
    However none of the PC's in the house can access the internet when plugged into this second router. My mac can access the internet through this second router, however. If I enable the second router's distributions of DHCP, the PC's can access the internet. I an certain this is wrong, however because if my mac is hooked up to this second router my "back to my mac tab" in System Preferences > Mobile me gives me the Double NAT error.
    I have tried two different routers attached to the Airport Extreme with the same results. What do you think?

    I don't think it needs to be spinning all the time, others disagree with me, whatever is the correct answer it doesn't matter as there is no way to stop it. Hopefully we will at least have the option at some time in the future to let it spin down.

  • Help using Windows XP netbook with Airport Extreme

    I just brought home a Toshiba N205 netbook running Windows XP. When I try to use my Airport Extreme to get on the internet, the laptop does not see my wireless network, or any wireless network in range for that matter. I have my network protected by WPA2 Personal and I can see about a dozen other wireless networks within range when I'm on my Mac (I live in an apt building).
    This is why I hate Windows! It doesn't work I don't know why and I doesn't tell me how to make it work. Help!!

    Ok, I found the software toggle and turned on the wireless card. Funny, I thought it was turned on when I ENABLED the device but that's just Windowspeak for "Don't you know the function key idiot?"
    The netbook now sees all the wireless networks in range...except my Airport Extreme network. I tried typing in the network name but no go.
    What is the Network name (SSID)? Please help

  • Trouble using open NAT Settings with Airport Extreme

    I recently got an Xbox 360 and Xbox live. I have the Xbox wired directly to the Airport. Although the Xbox can connect to the internet, the process of finding other players is extremely slow. It can take up to ten minutes to find a game on Halo 3 for example. I quickly figured out that this problem is a result of the NAT settings on my Airport being set to strict by default. The Airport Admin Utility does not allow me to change the NAT settings to Moderate, it simply allows me to turn off NAT altogether. When I do that, it prompts me to manually enter several IP addresses, none of which I know. I have tried several addresses, and the Airport admin utility will accept them, but after I do this I am unable to connect to the internet at all, so my only option is to turn NAT back on.
    It doesn't make sense to me that a device as well designed as the Airport would not at least give the user the option of changing their NAT settings to moderate or turn NAT off completely. I'm sure there is a way to accomplish this, does anyone know how?

    Having similar problems, mine is XBox Live kicking me out during Halo games and showing a red connection (low). The Xbox seems to be connecting fineto eth airport (802.11n), so I think it has somethignto do with teh connection settings from the airport to the Internet (Comcast). It also takes a long time to set players. I have been looking for a good website for setting Airport configurations for XBox 360 and XBox Live. Has anyone found one?

  • Using Seagate Backup Plus with Airport Extreme

    I just purchased the AE to replace an old wireless router.  I connected right away and that has been seemless.  However, I had received a Seagate backup plus HD as a gift and would like to hook that up via USB 3 to the AE.  When i plug it is I hear the drive start up, but from the Airport Utility, i can't seem to recognize the hard drive.  Is there more configuration necessary, or shoudl this be "plug and play".  Using a Mac Book Pro  and don't see it in finder or hte Airport Utility.  Note - I am not very technical so likely something very straightforward that i am missing.  Thank you!

    Unfortunately I don't have one of these drives to verify, but one of the first things that you need to determine is what it is formatted as. The AirPort's print server cannot handle drives formatted in either ExFAT or NTFS. What works best would be HFS+.
    If you have already verified that the drive is formatted properly and it is still not recognized by the AirPort Utility, then its power requirements at the USB port may be too high and, possibly, by using a powered USB hub may resolve that.

  • Is there some magic to using a USB HDD with Airport Extreme?

    I've gone into the airport utility and I the drive shows up there. So I messed with the settings because I want to share this 1TB Fantom USB v.2.0 drive that was formatted with NTFS and has about 2/3 TB of data stored on it. It has to be accessed by my Windows XP Thinkpad via wireless network as well as my XP desktop via my home ethernet network. The drive does not show up on my desktop or in finder. So I'm wondering what else needs to be done to have it show up as a shared device. I intend to install VMFusion and XP soon because I have a few Windows-specific programs that I own and need to run (Corel, Visio, etc.). But I should be able to see/access this drive right now on my iMac...maybe?

    Well... I guess that solves that . Hmmmm... I'll probably have to put all that stuff on another drive, then reformat. What is HFS+? I have several of my DVDs backed up on the Fantom and they exceed the FAT32 size limits. Is HFS+ something that will work with Windows XP, Vista, and OS X without a hitch?

  • Can I use my iPad with airport extreme to retrieve files from a USB connected hard drive?

    Can I use my iPad with airport extreme to retrieve files from a USB connected hard drive?

    Yes, I believe so. Please check out the NetPortal app. I don't have an iPad, but I use it on my iPod Touch to access files on my Time Capsule. It is available from the iTunes App Store.

  • Is anyone successfully using Netgear WN3000RP with Airport Extreme?

    Got a brand new WN3000RP wifi range extender. I went through the installation several times myself and several times with tech support to no avail. Tech support told me to return it for a new one.
    Everything is connected and the install process goes smoothly but I ultimately cannot ever use the extended network to connect to the Internet. I can see the range extender's mac address on the router but the two devices don't seem to talk to each other.
    I'm just wondering if I'm going to have the same problem with a new one or not and wondering if it's even compatible with Airport Extreme routers.
    I'm using Airport Utility version 6.1.
    Can someone out there can let me know if they got this device working with their Airport Extreme?
    Also, what are my other options to extend my range?

    I know this answer is likely too late to help but it may help users in the future. In the situation where you are using a range extender there are a few things you need to confirm to make sure it is going to function properly and also some best practices to make sure your network is running smoothly.
    1. Is the range extender using the router for DHCP? I have found in my experience is that the router should "reserve" a MAC Address and IP for the the Range Extender. Most times it is 192.168.1.2. I would first set up the router to have the range extender have a set IP Address of 192.168.***.2 and add the MAC Address to the list so that the Range Extender has a Static IP Address in the private network.
    2. Initially set the range extender to have an SSID(Wireless Network Name) different than the Router's(Airport) SSID. This will allow you to determine if the Extender is functioning normally without it interfering with your existing network.
    3. At this point it is important to set the Range Extender DHCP. What this will do is let the range extender request IP Addresses, DNS(Domain Name Servers), and UPNP Requests. This is where I feel that a lot of people are having issues and assume that the router will still resolve DHCP. If the SSID and Wireless Channel are the same your network will work intermittently with internet access until it is configured correctly.
    4. For Devices that will stay on your network such as NAS(Network Storage), Smart TVs, Apple TVs I would recommend setting Static Private IP Addresses for each of them. Such as 192.168.1.3(NAS), 192.168.1.4(Apple TV), 192.168.5(Smart TV). Also if you enter the MAC Address for each device when you set this up it would be recommended.
    5. If devices are having issues connecting to internet or certain web services are having issues. It may be necessary to set the Extender(Which is now handling DHCP with IP, DNS, and UPNP passed through from the router) as the Gateway for which device may be having issues. For instance if the Apple TV is having issues communicating on the network(Air Play, Sharing, Streaming) set or configure the network settings manually on the Apple TV. The IP Address would be the one your reserved on your router. The Subnet Mask would likely be 255.255.255.0 by default unless you have changed the amount of potential "Hosts" on your network. The Gateway would be the IP Address of the Extender(Which is paired with your router). DNS servers should be handled automatically. In some situations with certain devices you may need to use a DNS Service for Streaming, but this generally isn't needed.
    A Visual Representation would be
    ISP>Modem if needed>Router(DHCP Enabled and MAC Addresses Reserved)>Localized Devices<Range Extender(DHCP Enabled and Static IP Address 192.168.***.***)<Apple TV(Manually Configured IP Settings and Range Extender set as Gateway)<Other Devices Localized to Range Extender but not in range of Router(AirPort).
    In this representation you should be able to have the router and range extender broadcast Identical SSID and Channels(Radio Frequency). This also allows for advanced settings to be put in place such as LAN networks or Subnets.
    An issue that may come up is communicating with the range extender or router while setting up the network. A simple workaround that will allow you to configure either if the network doesn't let you connect on a MacBook is to go to System Preferences>Network>Wifi or Ethernet>Advanced>TCP/IP in configure IPv4>Set Using DHCP with Manual Address> Then IP Address that corresponds with your current network 192.168.***.*** but is not the same as the gateway, router, or reserved devices. This will allow you to connect and configure devices even if router or extender is not assigning IP addresses or operating properly.
    Disclaimer* This advice is only for informational purposes with no warranties expressed or implied.

Maybe you are looking for