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Knowledge document #1466

FRITZ!Box recognizes a USB 3.0 storage device as a USB 2.0 device

Although you do not experience any functional limitations when using a USB 3.0 storage device connected to the FRITZ!Box, the FRITZ!Box only recognizes the storage device as a USB 2.0 device. "Connection: USB 2.0" is displayed for the storage device under "Home Network > USB / Storage" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.

Simply proceed as described below. After each measure, check whether the problem is solved.

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

  1. Install the latest FRITZ!OS on the FRITZ!Box.

2 Enabling USB 3.0 mode

  1. Click "Home Network" in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "USB / Storage" in the "Home Network" menu.
  3. Click on the "USB Settings" tab.
  4. Enable the option "Power Mode" (USB 3.0) for the USB port.
  5. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

    Important:If the FRITZ!Box no longer detects the USB storage device when "Power mode" is enabled, then your USB storage device does not correctly identify itself as a USB 3.0 device. In this case, re-enable the option "Green Mode".

3 Using a USB 3.0 cable

The following step is only necessary if you used a USB cable to connect the USB 3.0 storage device to the FRITZ!Box:

  1. Use a USB 3.0 ("super speed") cable to connect the USB storage device to the FRITZ!Box. If you use a different type of USB cable, the storage device cannot be integrated as a USB 3.0 device.

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

The following step is only necessary if you connected the USB storage device to the FRITZ!Box via a USB hub:

  1. For testing purposes, connect the USB storage device directly to the FRITZ!Box (i.e. without a USB hub).
  2. 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.

    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).

5 Restarting the USB storage device

Some USB storage devices can only be integrated as USB 3.0 devices if you restart them after connecting them to the FRITZ!Box.

  1. Restart the USB storage device connected to the FRITZ!Box.

6 Checking whether the computer detects the USB storage device

Some USB 3.0 storage devices (for example My Passport hard drives from Western Digital) do not correctly identify themselves as USB 3.0 devices, which means that FRITZ!Box cannot integrate them as such. Therefore, check whether the USB storage device is detected correctly when you connect it to your computer:

  1. For testing purposes, connect the USB storage device to a USB 3.0 port on your computer.
  2. If the computer also does not recognize the USB storage device as a USB 3.0 device, then the USB cable is defective or the storage device does not correctly identify itself as a USB 3.0 device. In this case, contact the manufacturer.
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