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.

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