Hardware:
- Airport Extreme 802.11ac
- Transcend StoreJet 250GB HDD
- Belkin 4-port, powered USB hub
Configuration:
- HDD formatted as MS-DOS (FAT32) via Disk Utility
- HDD connected to USB hub
- Airport Extreme connected to USB hub
Problem:
I cannot see the drive from the Airport Utility -> Disks tab. I want to be able to do this to setup backups over the wireless network. When I connect the HDD directly to my MBP, it auto-mounts and I can utilize it without any problems.
Solution:
I ended up calling Apple support and they advised that the Airport should have sufficient power for the drive. They had me switch to a normal USB 2.0 cable instead of the Y adapter. Further, they had me reformat (again) to Mac OS Extended (case-insensitive). Magically, this combination works.