An app must be capable of mounting the drive itself on the Fire TV 3 to access data on the drive. That device does not mount external drives in a way that all apps can access files on the drive. Mounting and making the USB drive universally accessible by all apps on the Fire TV Cube is very different from the behavior of the Fire TV 3. If you connect a USB drive formatted with FAT32, the Fire TV Cube will immediately mount the drive and display a message in the lower right saying “Limited Drive Access.” I’ll explain the message shortly, but the FAT32 drive is now mounted and accessible by any app, including media player apps like Kodi. It makes no difference which you connect, as they’ll all be treated the same by the Fire TV Cube. This can be a flash/thumb drive, a spinning external hard drive, an external SSD, or a memory card in a card reader. Something a lot of people will want to do is connect a USB drive to the Fire TV Cube. Among the accessories are USB hubs with built-in Ethernet ports, like this Smays USB Hub + Ethernet adapter, that allows you to easily connect USB devices to the Fire TV Cube while retaining Ethernet connectivity. Whether you just want to connect one thing, a few things, or everything all at once, there’s an OTG adapter that fits each scenario. See this article for a list of great options. Now that you know what the Amazon Ethernet adapter can and can’t do, let’s move on to other options. Not having this extra functionality out of the box is my only complaint with the Amazon Ethernet adapter, but I suspect it was probably necessary to ensure that the same Ethernet adapter works with the Fire TV 3 and Fire TV Stick. Connecting Ethernet and other USB devices to the Fire TV Cube simultaneously is possible, just not with the included Amazon Ethernet adapter. The micro USB port on the Amazon Ethernet adapter also cannot be used to daisy-chain other USB devices to achieve both Ethernet and other expansion/peripherals.
(Yes, I did actually risk damaging my Fire TV Cube to test this first hand, so, you’re welcome.) If you do connect power to the Ethernet adapter while being used with the Fire TV Cube, it will not damage the Fire TV Cube, nor will it power the Fire TV Cube in place of the main power adapter. That port serves no purpose for the Fire TV Cube and is only used to provide pass-through power to the Fire TV 3 and Fire TV Stick 2.
This is the exact same Amazon Ethernet adapter that is sold separately for $14.99 for use with the Fire TV 3 and the Fire TV Stick 2, so it is interchangeable among those 3 devices.Įven though the Ethernet adapter has a micro USB port on it, you do not need to connect USB power to the Ethernet adapter when it is used with the Fire TV Cube. This is not true for the micro USB OTG capabilities of the Fire TV 3, so it’s a good indication that Amazon has heard our complaints and put in the effort to address them.Īt the most basic level, the Fire TV Cube’s micro USB port can be used to connect the included Ethernet adapter to achieve a wired network connection. However, all functionality that those built-in ports on the Fire TV 2 provide is available through the Fire TV Cube’s micro USB port. Come with me on a magical voyage as I explain in excruciating detail how wonderful the Fire TV Cube’s micro USB port is and how it shows that Amazon is listening to our feedback.įirst and foremost, yes, the Fire TV Cube’s expandability options through its micro USB port are not as ideal as the built-in Ethernet port, standard USB port, and micro SD card slot found on the Fire TV 2. I’m sure most Fire TV Cube reviews will quickly dismiss the port as simply where you connect the included Ethernet adapter, but, if you’re reading this, you probably already know better. Something that greatly differentiates the Amazon Fire TV Cube from the Fire TV 3 is the Cube’s Micro USB port and the official support for expandability that comes with it.
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