Ext. hard drive for Dish VIP211k?

I received the VIP211Z a couple of days ago with the Winegard X2 package. It took THREE attempts to get DISH to activate the external hard drive option. First person said it didn't have that ability and disconnected from chat while I was looking for information. Second person (I contacted them by phone) said I did not need to do anything, it would just work. I explained that there was a one time charge of $40 dollars, and he said not to worry, it would work--it didn't. Third person asked me for the S/N of my hard drive, I told her that that didn't matter, as I should be able to use any compatible hard drive, so she transferred me to advanced technical support. They knew exactly what I was asking, and although it took some time, I at least left with a VIP211Z that now will record externally.