External hard drive for dish hopper?

AFWS

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Feb 9, 2020
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Arkansas
How hard is it to hook up a external hard drive to dish hopper? Just tried two and had no luck with either. After reading the dish external requirements and reading online this is what I have tried.

1:
I tried a WD my passport 2tb My Passport . The hopper detected it when I plugged it in and ask to format it. I went through the steps and it said it was successful. I then noticed it was listed when I went to DVR , but it showed the available space and spaced used as being 0. When all the other tvs was turned on, they also gave the format message, even though I already did that. I then unplugged it and plugged it back in. The hopper no longer detected it and tried to go through the format process again ,but eventually returned back to tv without formatting. I went through this like 20 times before giving up. I then plugged it into my computer and was gonna to try to reformat it for the computer and then try again ,but everything I tried gave error messages. I finally figured out the hopper corrupted the hard drive and it was useless. I returned this hard drive back and got a my book.

2:
I tried the WD my book 4tb My Book even though the limit is 2tb. Read a thread on here where someone was able to format it and then hook it up to a computer and delete space to get it to work. Plugged this one in the hopper and it won’t detect it to format ,so I shrink the volume down to 1.5 tb and the hopper still will not detect it. Gonna have to return this one too.

How hard it to find a hard drive and hook it up to the hopper? With the requirements it’s nearly impossible to find a hard drive that works. My guess is dish wants you to buy there hard drives.
 
I have had success using a USB3 My Passport on my 612's, and zero success using a USB2 My Passport which would cause the 612 to crash and reboot. I have not tried those on my Hopper3 at all. It is advisable to go with a self-powered (not bus powered) external hard disk to avoid such flaky behavior. Dish states that it's mandatory to use a self-powered disk.

Your My Passport drive was probably just fine and your computer didn't know how to reformat it after it had been formatted by the Hopper. If the formatting is now what it was back in my 612 days, it's a GPT partitioned ext3 (Linux) file system. Older Windows versions don't know what GPT is.

That said, I have several My Book EHDs working fine. They are 1.5TB disks, though.
 
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How hard is it to hook up a external hard drive to dish hopper? Just tried two and had no luck with either. After reading the dish external requirements and reading online this is what I have tried.

1:
I tried a WD my passport 2tb My Passport . The hopper detected it when I plugged it in and ask to format it. I went through the steps and it said it was successful. I then noticed it was listed when I went to DVR , but it showed the available space and spaced used as being 0. When all the other tvs was turned on, they also gave the format message, even though I already did that. I then unplugged it and plugged it back in. The hopper no longer detected it and tried to go through the format process again ,but eventually returned back to tv without formatting. I went through this like 20 times before giving up. I then plugged it into my computer and was gonna to try to reformat it for the computer and then try again ,but everything I tried gave error messages. I finally figured out the hopper corrupted the hard drive and it was useless. I returned this hard drive back and got a my book.

2:
I tried the WD my book 4tb My Book even though the limit is 2tb. Read a thread on here where someone was able to format it and then hook it up to a computer and delete space to get it to work. Plugged this one in the hopper and it won’t detect it to format ,so I shrink the volume down to 1.5 tb and the hopper still will not detect it. Gonna have to return this one too.

How hard it to find a hard drive and hook it up to the hopper? With the requirements it’s nearly impossible to find a hard drive that works. My guess is dish wants you to buy there hard drives.
The passport doesn't have an electrical source and the My Book is too big. Read this: Request Rejected
 
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Aren't the kinds of drives Dish lists quickly going the way of the dinosaurs?
Yes and no. Yes, in terms of "in the box" EHDs, but with a cradle or dock, there are still of plenty bare bones 1T internal drives, and that is how I have used them. No sleep modes or other nonsense that can cause problems communicating with the Hopper. I have two that have been powered on and working perfectly for over 10 years.
 
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Never would have thought about doing something like this. Was hoping Office Depot had this in store ,but looks like you have to order it online.
If they did have it, it would be twice the price. I have not been there in years. I have two of the Orico docks and they work great. Dual Docks weren't on the market yet when I bought them.
 
Dish says USB powered hard drives aren't supported and 2 TB is the maximum size supported. I have a Hopper 3 and bought a USB powered WD Easystore 2 TB portable hard drive from Best Buy back in 2018. It has worked just fine. I also bought a USB hub that can be powered if needed. So far, I haven't needed to attach the power cord to the USB hub. Hopper 3 seems to have a sufficient power supply. I added spacers under the Hopper 3 feet and it is placed on an open shelf where it gets good air circulation.

Using a USB powered 2 TB hard drive should meet Dish requirements if it is attached thru a powered USB hub.
 
Dish says USB powered hard drives aren't supported and 2 TB is the maximum size supported. I have a Hopper 3 and bought a USB powered WD Easystore 2 TB portable hard drive from Best Buy back in 2018. It has worked just fine. I also bought a USB hub that can be powered if needed. So far, I haven't needed to attach the power cord to the USB hub. Hopper 3 seems to have a sufficient power supply. I added spacers under the Hopper 3 feet and it is placed on an open shelf where it gets good air circulation.

Using a USB powered 2 TB hard drive should meet Dish requirements if it is attached thru a powered USB hub.

That depends on what else you draw from the USB power...a cooling fan, an OTA adapter. Still safer to have self or USB power .
 
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If they did have it, it would be twice the price. I have not been there in years. I have two of the Orico docks and they work great. Dual Docks weren't on the market yet when I bought them.
Yeah, even online the price is higher. I ended up ordering what you recommended from Amazon. Will let you guys know how things go when it arrives.
 
Yeah, even online the price is higher. I ended up ordering what you recommended from Amazon. Will let you guys know how things go when it arrives.
You should have no problems. Like you said , let us know.
 
I purchased this setup and hooked it up today. When I turn it on I get this error message which says "This is not an active feature" . Please help.
What is "this setup"? The WD Blue? :confused: That bare drive needs a self-powered USB enclosure... If you turn on an EHD connected via USB, it should offer to format a brand new disk for the Hopper. Is your enclosure powered?
 
What is "this setup"? The WD Blue? :confused: That bare drive needs a self-powered USB enclosure... If you turn on an EHD connected via USB, it should offer to format a brand new disk for the Hopper. Is your enclosure powered?
Yea sorry...tried to attach pics. It is the WD Blue 4TB with an Orico enclosure the enclosure is powered. When I turn it on, the error message is the first thing I get.
 
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