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Knowledge document #26

Configuring a USB storage device connected to FRITZ!Box

You want to set up a hard drive or another USB storage devices as a NAS on the FRITZ!Box? ✔ Find out how to do that here.

The FRITZ!Box allows you to use connected USB storage devices as a central storage location ("Storage (NAS)") in the home network. You can then easily access your files with all of the computers, smartphones, and other devices connected to the FRITZ!Box with a web browser, or also via the Server Message Block protocol (SMB), for example with the Windows Explorer on Windows computers.

In addition, you can set up a secure internet sharing for the USB storage devices so that you can always access your files over the internet.

Requirements / Restrictions

  • The USB storage device must be formatted to the NTFS, exFAT, FAT/FAT32 or ext2/ext3/ext4 file system and may have a maximum of four partitions, each up to 4 terabytes in size.

Note:All instructions on configuration and settings given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box.

1 Connecting a USB storage device to the FRITZ!Box

  1. Connect the USB storage device to a USB port on the FRITZ!Box.

    Note:In accordance with the USB 3.0 specification, the FRITZ!Box supplies USB devices with a total of up to 900 mA. If more power is needed, connect the devices to the FRITZ!Box via a USB hub with its own power adapter (active USB hub).

2 Setting up FRITZ!Box users

To access storage (NAS) contents, you need a user account with a username and password. Set up a FRITZ!Box user in the FRITZ!Box for this purpose:

  1. Click "System" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "FRITZ!Box Users" in the "System" menu.
  3. Click the (Edit) button for the user who should be allowed to access the storage (NAS) or set up a new user for access to NAS contents:
    1. Click the "Add User" button.
    2. Enter a name and password for the user in the corresponding fields.
  4. Enable the option "Access to NAS contents".
  5. Click the "Add Directory" button.
  6. If the user should be allowed to access all storage available on the FRITZ!Box, enable the option "All storage available on the FRITZ!Box".
    • If the user should only be allowed to access a specific storage or folder, enable the option "Select folder".

      ATTENTION!If you grant access to all folders, the user will also have access to all of the faxes, answering machine messages, and any online storage you have configured.

  7. In the section "Directory", assign the user read and write permission to the storage.
  8. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

3 Setting up storage (NAS)

  1. Click "Home Network" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "USB / Storage" in the "Home Network" menu.
  3. Enable the storage (NAS) function of the FRITZ!Box.
  4. Enable the option "Access via network drive (SMB) enabled" in the section "Home Network Sharing".
  5. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

4 Accessing USB storage devices

There are several ways to access USB storage devices connected to the FRITZ!Box. Which means of access is most appropriate depends on whether you are in your home network or want to access the storage device when you are away from home, and whether you are using a computer or a smartphone or tablet:

Accessing storage (NAS) in the home network

In the home network, you can easily access USB storage devices connected to the FRITZ!Box by calling up http://fritz.nas in a web browser.

If you prefer to use the Windows Explorer, macOS Finder, or another application that uses the Server Message Block protocol (SMB), you can also configure the USB storage device connected to the computer as a network drive.

On smartphones or tablets with Android or iOS, you can not only use MyFRITZ!App to access USB storage devices, but also to check calls, voice messages, and other events, control your smart home devices, and check the power consumption of the connected devices with it at any time.

Accessing storage (NAS) over the internet

When you are away from home, you can always access USB storage devices connected to the FRITZ!Box over the internet through a secure internet sharing, although using MyFRITZ!App with a smartphone or tablet is recommended.

If you only want to grant other people access to certain files or folders, you can easily share them using a download link. This way you can give friends and relatives access to your pictures and videos from your last vacation without allowing them to change or delete files from the USB storage device, for example.

If you prefer to use an FTP client such as Cyberduck, FileZilla, or WinSCP instead of a web browser, you can also access USB storage devices connected to the FRITZ!Box via FTP/FTPS when you are away from home.

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