FRITZ!Box 3490 Service - Knowledge Base

FRITZ!Box 3490 Service
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USB storage device is not detected by FRITZ!Box

The FRITZ!Box does not detect a USB storage device. After connecting it to the FRITZ!Box, the USB storage device is either not displayed at all under "Home network > USB Devices > Overview of Devices" in the user interface, or it is displayed as an "unknown" device.

Note:The configuration procedure and notes on functions given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS for your FRITZ!Box.

Simply proceed as described below. After each measure, check whether the issue persists.

1 Restarting the FRITZ!Box

Restart the FRITZ!Box while the USB storage device is connected to it:

  1. Click "System" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Backup" in the "System" menu.
  3. Click on the "Restart" tab.
  4. Click the "Restart" button.

2 Installing the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box

3 Testing functionality of a USB storage device

  • For testing purposes, connect the USB storage device to the USB port on a computer.
    • If the computer also does not recognize the USB storage device, then either the USB storage device or the USB cable is defective. In this case, contact the manufacturer.

4 Connecting the USB storage device directly to the FRITZ!Box

The following step is only necessary if the USB storage device is connected to the FRITZ!Box by means of a USB hub:

  • For testing purposes, connect the USB storage device directly to the FRITZ!Box (i.e. without a USB hub).
    • If the USB storage device is now detected, then the USB hub is defective or it does not support the USB storage device you connected.

5 Using an external power supply

The FRITZ!Box supplies USB devices with a maximum of 500 mA in accordance with the USB specification. Perform the following step if the USB storage device's power consumption exceeds this:

Note:USB hard drives that are larger than 2.5" in size normally require more than 500 mA and often come with a Y cable in order to attach them to two USB ports to supply sufficient power. However, they can still often be used on a single USB port because many computers are equipped with USB ports that supply more than 500 mA.

  • Use the USB storage device's power supply unit (if available) to plug it in,
    • or:
  • Connect the USB storage device to the FRITZ!Box by means of a USB hub with its own power supply (active USB hub).
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