FTP Access for USB Mass Storage Devices connected to the USB Port

A USB storage connected to your FRITZ!Box can be accessed from any Internet browser via the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Optionally, FTP access can also be granted to users on the Internet in order to make private music files and photos available for download.
Here we describe how to configure FTP access for a USB storage and how to access the data on the USB storage with an Internet browser.

Preparations

  1. Install the current version of the firmware for your FRITZ!Box from our download area.
  2. Open the FRITZ!Box user interface
  3. Firstly, click "Settings" and then "Advanced Settings".
  4. "USB Devices" > "Mass Storage Devices"
    or
    "Storage (NAS)"
  5. Check option "Enable USB mass storage device FTP access" and click "Apply".
  6. Verify that the USB storage is formatted with the file system FAT or FAT32.
    NOTE:
    Please contact the manufacturer of the USB storage device on information regarding the file system.
  7. Connect the USB storage to the USB port of the FRITZ!Box.
    Anschluss-USB-Host_7270
    Abb.: Connecting a USB storage to FRITZ!Box

Now, the USB storage device can be accessed via an Internet browser from within the FRITZ!Box network.

Configuring the FRITZ!Box for FTP access via the Internet

Only follow the steps in this section if you intend to grant access to the USB storage to users on the Internet:
Configuring a dynamic DNS domain name
Configure a dynamic DNS domain name in the FRITZ!Box so that the FRITZ!Box is accessible on Internet via a fixed name:
  1. Open the FRITZ!Box user interface
  2. Click "Settings".
  3. "Advanced Settings" > "System" > "Expert Mode".
  4. Check option "Show expert settings" and click "Apply".
  5. "Internet" > "Permit Access" > "Dynamic DNS" > "Help"
  6. Configure a dynamic DNS domain name in the FRITZ!Box as described in the help.
FTP access for users from the Internet
Enable the password protection for the USB storage and grant access to it for users from the Internet:
  1. Open the FRITZ!Box user interface
  2. Click "Settings".
  3. "Advanced Settings" > "System" > "Expert Mode".
  4. Check option "Show expert settings" and click "Apply".
  5. "USB Devices" > "Mass Storage Devices"
    or
    "Storage (NAS)"
  6. Check option "Enable password protection".
  7. Enter an optional password for "Password" and "Password confirmation".
  8. Check option "Grant access to USB mass storage device to users from the Internet" and click "Apply".
Now, users on the Internet are able to access USB storage devices.

Accessing the USB storage via an Internet browser

FTP access from within FRITZ!Box network
From within the FRITZ!Box network, it is possible to access the USB storage by FTP via the hostname of the FRITZ!Box (fritz.box):
  1. Open an Internet browser on a computer in the FRITZ!Box network.
  2. Enter the FTP address of the USB storage in the address bar:
    With deactivated password protection:
    ftp://fritz.box/
    With activated password protection:
    ftp://ftpuser:PASSWORD@fritz.box/
    (e.g. ftp://ftpuser:secret@fritz.box)
  3. Press the ENTER key.
FTP access via the Internet
From the Internet, it is possible to access the USB storage by FTP via the dynamic DNS domain name of the FRITZ!Box:
  1. Open an Internet browser on a computer with Internet access.
  2. Enter the FTP address of the USB storage in the address bar:
    ftp://ftpuser:PASSWORD@fritz.box/
    (e.g. ftp://ftpuser:secret@fritz.box)
  3. Press the ENTER key.