AT&T Router and using USB Connections

The USB ports on the AT&T-provided Gateway may be used to provide power to low wattage devices.  

At this time, the usb ports are disabled.  I have googled and read this forum - nobody can use these ports on their personal network.  There are several people/users who want access to these ports.

I am unsure what you mean by low wattage devices.  An external hard drive is a low-wattage device.

Gary

An external hard drive is likely a low power device.  So if you had a Y cable that draws power from one device and does signal to another, you could connect the power connector to the Gateway and the signal cable to your PC and your PC would not be powering the hard drive.

More useful may be a novelty device such as a USB Fan to keep the Gateway from overheating.

The USB port is a potential vector for malware, etc.  AT&T has no interest in that.  They've never advertised that you could use the USB port for anything, and they're not likely to start anytime soon.

JefferMC,

Do you actually read the questions and your own answers?  First, my question is that I want to use the AT&Ts router USB ports to add an external hard drive to my network.  There is nothing complicated to my request and question.  Currently, those USB ports are blocked and disabled.

Your answers make zero sense...An ext hard drive is a low-power device.  There is not any relevance to your Y cable connection etc. Why would I connect a Y cable from the router to my computer --- hint...wireless network.  Who cares about the gateway heat and ext USB fan for cooling. What difference does it make that AT&T has no interest in malware...It's my network, I rent the router -- I want to make my own network cloud by using the USB ports on the router -- that is all. 

Now, if you want to provide truly relevant input, great.  If not, and you'd rather just babble, seemly think you are providing a service, then move on. 

Yes, I read your question.  Maybe I was being a little cutesy and possibly unclear about my answes, so let me spell it out very clearly:

AT&T's firmware does not give any access to the USB for data storage.  Not to save or retrieve configurations.  Not to serve content to the Network.  Na da.  Nothing.

The only possible consumer use of the USB ports on AT&T Gateways at this time is as a power source for things that don't need more than 5.0 V / 1.0 AMP.

The possible uses for this power source are limited to things that can accept 5V/1A via a USB A connector.  There are novelty devices such as fans, lights, rocket launchers, etc. that will use USB power from such a source.  Some older cell phones can viably charge off of 1A.  The AT&T U-verse RF remote dongle used the front-side USB port to power the device, but signaled to the TV Receiver via IR.

Not that long ago, it was not uncommon to use a cable that had two USB A to 1 USB micro to connect an external hard drive to a device that didn't produce enough power to run the external hard drive.  So one USB A would go to a power source (e.g. hypothetically your AT&T Gateway) and the other to the device that wanted to communicate with the external hard drive (e.g. a laptop with a limited power output), and the USB micro to the hard drive. 

So, yes, this was a "cute" answer, which served to confuse, for which I should, and do, apologize.  It was technically correct, but not very useful.

@JefferMC - Thank you for your very clear & constructive second response. It's understandable that AT&T doesn't want users messing with the USB ports. But it sounds like the ports can already be shorted out as is. By definition external hard drives are self-powered as opposed to portable hard drives that depend on power from the USB port(s). It seems most other commercially available retail routers have USB ports that are usable to attach external hard drives for use as network attached storage.

It seems safe to assume the cable companies' routers also have functional USB ports to attach external drives. If so it would appear to be a competitive advantage worth advertising. If everyone else can handle the incremental cost of technical support for USB ports it would follow that could AT&T too.

An External hard drive is one that is outside the case of the computer.  A portable hard drive is a smaller external hard drive.

I rather doubt that functional access to the USB port would be a useful competitive advantage at this point.  The part of the market that would care is too small.

Every computer and many router manufacturers have usable USB ports. 

"It seems most other commercially available retail routers have USB ports that are usable to attach external hard drives for use as network attached storage,  Acarolinensis."  

Why would AT&T care about what anyone does with those USB ports?  I bought the router off Amazon, it's mine and not AT&T.  Yes, I use the router for AT&Ts internet services. To include, this router has two (2) USB ports.  By the illogical words mentioned above, there is not any need for 2 ports for firmware updates.  

For my question and ask is I want the use of these USB ports for shareable network storage.   How do I enable the use of these ports?  I am open to true offers of suggestion to my simple question.  

JefferMC - your answers are not cute, nor relevant. You only answer questions thinking you are smarter than everyone else - you are not.  You go out of your way in trying to insult and talk down to people.  That too, you seem to get some type of tracked checkmark by the number of responses. 

 (Edited per community guidelines)

[EDITED]

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