GT-AX6000: USB Drive size limitation?

[Deparko]

Greetings,

Just purchased a GT-AX6000 router and would like to add an external USB drive. Just wondering if there is any size limitation. I somewhat remember a 4 Terabyte limit? I'd like to add an 8 Terabyte drive.

any guidance greatly appreciated.

-D

 

[ColinTaylor]

The router itself can't partition a drive that large so you'll need to do so on another device. Once it's partitioned and formatted the router should be able to use it. Whether it's a good idea to try and use a drive that large on a router is another question.

 

[Adooni]

info for Asus routers
https://www.asus.com/us/support/FAQ/1047043/

 

[Tech9]

I'd like to add an 8 Terabyte drive.

Don’t keep any valuable data on this drive if you proceed further with the idea. The router is not a NAS.

 

[bavnhoej]

Hi
I just bought ASUS RT-AX1800U and was hoping to connect my 4TB WD passport to it. It has HFS+ and not partitions. From their site with the plug n play compatibilities they dont mention this model, and I am really in the dark here. When plugged into the router, it is left "unmounted" but it is recognized. The following system logs are written:

Feb 17 14:14:52 kernel: [ 9566.726664] scsi 0:0:0:0: Direct-Access WD My Passport 260F 2007 PQ: 0 ANSI: 6
Feb 17 14:14:52 kernel: [ 9566.729024] sd 0:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg0 type 0
Feb 17 14:14:52 kernel: [ 9566.740353] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Spinning up disk...
Feb 17 14:14:52 kernel: [ 9566.741425] scsi 0:0:0:1: Enclosure WD SES Device 2007 PQ: 0 ANSI: 6
Feb 17 14:14:52 kernel: [ 9566.755044] scsi 0:0:0:1: Attached scsi generic sg1 type 13
Feb 17 14:14:57 kernel: [ 9567.755380] .....ready
Feb 17 14:14:57 kernel: [ 9571.796714] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Very big device. Trying to use READ CAPACITY(16).
Feb 17 14:14:57 kernel: [ 9571.797077] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] 7813969920 512-byte logical blocks: (4.00 TB/3.64 TiB)
Feb 17 14:14:57 kernel: [ 9571.797095] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] 4096-byte physical blocks
Feb 17 14:14:57 kernel: [ 9571.797597] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
Feb 17 14:14:57 kernel: [ 9571.798089] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] No Caching mode page found
Feb 17 14:14:57 kernel: [ 9571.803383] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Assuming drive cache: write through
Feb 17 14:14:57 kernel: [ 9571.811802] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Very big device. Trying to use READ CAPACITY(16).
Feb 17 14:14:58 kernel: [ 9571.997491] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Very big device. Trying to use READ CAPACITY(16).
Feb 17 14:14:58 kernel: [ 9572.000607] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Attached SCSI disk

- Does anyone have any suggestions or maybe bad news about the hardware I am attempting to use?

 

[Tech9]

This entry-level model with MediaTek MIPS 880MHz CPU and 256MB RAM is perhaps the worst place you can plug your USB HDD into.

 

[bavnhoej]

This entry-level model with MediaTek MIPS 880MHz CPU and 256MB RAM is perhaps the worst place you can plug your USB HDD into.

So does that mean it will never work? Dont know how to interpret your comment. Thanks for the reply.

 

[ColinTaylor]

There's a note in the Asus FAQ that HFS+ encrypted drives are not supported. Is your drive encrypted by iOS?

Can you copy your data elsewhere, reformat the drive as NTFS (verify that it now mounts OK) and then copy the data back?

 

[Tech9]

So does that mean it will never work?

You have to reformat the drive to standard NTFS. The speed to/from this HDD will be slow and your router's main duties may suffer due to low specs hardware.

 

[bavnhoej]

You have to reformat the drive to standard NTFS. The speed to/from this HDD will be slow and your router's main duties may suffer due to low specs hardware.

Many other posts are mentioning HFS+ as being supported by Asus, so this is not the case?

 

[bavnhoej]

There's a note in the Asus FAQ that HFS+ encrypted drives are not supported. Is your drive encrypted by iOS?

Can you copy your data elsewhere, reformat the drive as NTFS (verify that it now mounts OK) and then copy the data back?

The drive is not encrypted. I will acquire a seperate HDD to make a copy of the data and then reformat. Thank you for the reply

 

[Tech9]

supported by Asus, so this is not the case?

Asus brand router may not be enough. What is supported is often model specific too. Lower specs devices may have additional limitations.

 

[bennor]

I just bought ASUS RT-AX1800U and was hoping to connect my 4TB WD passport to it. It has HFS+ and not partitions.

Its possible HFS+ may not be supported on that router. The English User Manual for the RT-AX1800U does not appear to mention HFS+, rather it states the following on page 24 under Monitoring your USB device:

The wireless router works with most USB HDDs/Flash disks (up to 2TB size) and supports read-write access for FAT16, FAT32, EXT3, and NTFS.

Copy the data, if any, off the drive and reformat the hard drive to NTFS. Then connect the drive to the router and see if it's recognized.

 

[bavnhoej]

Its possible HFS+ may not be supported on that router. The English User Manual for the RT-AX1800U does not appear to mention HFS+, rather it states the following on page 24 under Monitoring your USB device:

Copy the data, if any, off the drive and reformat the hard drive to NTFS. Then connect the drive to the router and see if it's recognized.

I had read through everything I thought. Thank you! Would it be enough to just make a partition with 2TB? Or would it have to be a HDD with no more than 2TB?

 

[Tech9]

You can try with full 4TB capacity first. If not recognized - shrink the partition to 2TB and try again.

Not sure what you need this drive attached to the router for. Make sure you always have a second copy of your valuable data.

 

[bavnhoej]

You can try with full 4TB capacity first. If not recognized - shrink the partition to 2TB and try again.

Not sure what you need this drive attached to the router for. Make sure you always have a second copy of your valuable data.

Roger, I will try that

 

[bennor]

Would it be enough to just make a partition with 2TB? Or would it have to be a HDD with no more than 2TB?

Start with a single partition the full size of the hard drive and format it for NTFS. Then connect it to the router and see if it's mounted and seen by the router. If so then try using it. If not then repartition the hard drive to 2 x 2TB partitions both formatted for NTFS and reconnect to the router and see if mounted and recognized.

 

[glens]

Why always "format it with NTFS" and not EXT3 (since that's what's native to the router)? I guess maybe I could better understand it if the advisee was a Microsoft sufferer, but this time at least it appears not the case...

 

[Ripshod]

Why always "format it with NTFS" and not EXT3 (since that's what's native to the router)? I guess maybe I could better understand it if the advisee was a Microsoft sufferer, but this time at least it appears not the case...

NTFS is best if there's problems. The drive can be accessed directly by both windows and Linux machines. Windows won't see an ext3 partition without some fiddling.
That's why I'd recommend NTFS generally, even though I'd use ext3 myself.

 

[bennor]

Why always "format it with NTFS" and not EXT3 (since that's what's native to the router)? I guess maybe I could better understand it if the advisee was a Microsoft sufferer, but this time at least it appears not the case...

Basic troubleshooting step and for compatibility reasons. If one isn't using Asus-Merlin firmware then using the stock Asus firmware to format the USB drive may limit them to NTFS or FAT (or on certain routers HFS). EXT may not be a format option on stock Asus firmware even though the firmware may support externally EXT3 or EXT4 formatted hard drives. If the drive is properly seen and mounted and one is using Asus-Merlin firmware then one can decide if they want to reformat the drive using EXT4 via AMTM.

Removing an EXT3 or EXT4 formatted drive and connecting it to a Windows PC (which likely many people have access to) will require the use of 3rd party drivers or software, or using a Linux boot disc, on that Windows PC to read that EXT formatted drive. Using NTFS or FAT just makes things easier for troubleshooting and compatibility reasons.