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New Time Machine/AirPort Extreme + MobileMe Feature: Personal File Server

ericelben

ericelben

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 21, 2008
34
0
Iowa
It appears there is a new Time Machine feature that isn't getting a lot of attention just yet. From Apple:

Access your drive over the Internet.
Say you’re traveling and you need a file on your Time Capsule back at home. If you’re a MobileMe member using a Mac with Mac OS X Leopard, no problem. You can now access all the files on your Time Capsule drive over the Internet. Simply register your Time Capsule with your MobileMe account, and its drive appears in the Finder sidebar of your Mac just like any other attached drive. It’s like having your own personal file server wherever you go.

I wasn't able to find any reference to this new feature in the updated Time Capsule Setup Guide.

I hope this feature is compatible with the previous generation Time Machine via update.

If anyone else can find more information on this new feature, please share.

Thanks.


UPDATE 1

This feature is also supported by the new AirPort Extreme. From Apple:

Access your drive over the Internet.
Say you’re traveling and you need a file on the hard drive connected to your AirPort Extreme back at home. If you’re a MobileMe member using Mac OS X Leopard, no problem. You can now access all the files on your shared drive over the Internet. Simply register your AirPort Extreme with your MobileMe account, and your drive appears in your Finder sidebar just like any other attached drive. It’s like having your own personal file server wherever you go.


UPDATE 2

I found instructions for setting up Back to My Mac on an AirPort network in AirPort Utility 5.4.1 Help. (See attached image.)


UPDATE 3

The following updates should also be available in Software Update:

AirPort Utility 5.4.1 for Mac OS X 10.4 or later

AirPort Utility 5.4.1 for Windows

AirPort Client Update 2009-001 for Mac OS X 10.5.6

About AirPort Client Update 2009-001
This update is recommended for all Intel-based Macintosh computers running Mac OS X 10.5.6.

It addresses issues with roaming and network selection in dual-band environments.


UPDATE 4

The Time Capsule and AirPort Base Station Firmware Update 7.4.1 is now available via the AirPort Utility application.
 

Attachments

  • Time Machine + MobileMe.jpg
    Time Machine + MobileMe.jpg
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  • AirPort Extreme.jpg
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  • Back to My Mac.jpg
    Back to My Mac.jpg
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I think thats a feature for the new time capsule. I dont know if an update will make it available to the older one. That would be awesome though as i've been looking for something like this. But I wouldn't buy a new time capsule for it though as mine is working perfectly.
 
I don't see why it can't be a software update. The dual bands and guest networking I can see as a hardware update (assuming the guest network is the spare 2.4GHz band being used as that) but the MobileMe functionality seems like it's just like Back to My Mac but for hard drives.
 
There are many, many updates that "could" be a software update but seldom does Apple do it. Why? So you buy the new one. I very much doubt that file sharing via Time Capsule will be added to the old ones although like you said it is likely a software issue that "could" be added.
 
Sorry, But...

... this is stupid.

We published here a year ago (over in the MacBook Air section) how to set up your AEBS+HDD or Time Capsule to be accessed over the Internet. You don't need MobileMe at $99/year to do this. All you need is to open a port on your firewall and point it at the AEBS or Time Capsule and make sure your AEBS/Time Capsule hard drive is set to be shared.

http://guides.macrumors.com/Using_Remote_File_Access_to_Save_Disk_Space_on_Your_MacBook_Air
 
I noticed this too and have been trying to find out how to "register my Airport extreme with MobileMe". No instructions on their site (MobileMe or Airport).

Edit: Just FYI their site says it works with Airport extreme and attached drives too which is what I was referring to:

"Say you’re traveling and you need a file on the hard drive connected to your AirPort Extreme back at home. If you’re a MobileMe member using Mac OS X Leopard, no problem.* You can now access all the files on your shared drive over the Internet. Simply register your AirPort Extreme with your MobileMe account, and your drive appears in your Finder sidebar just like any other attached drive. It’s like having your own personal file server wherever you go."
 
clayj said:
... this is stupid.

We published here a year ago (over in the MacBook Air section) how to set up your AEBS+HDD or Time Capsule to be accessed over the Internet. You don't need MobileMe at $99/year to do this. All you need is to open a port on your firewall and point it at the AEBS or Time Capsule and make sure your AEBS/Time Capsule hard drive is set to be shared.

http://guides.macrumors.com/Using_Remote_File_Access_to_Save_Disk_Space_on_Your_MacBook_Air
Click to expand...

Add Dynamic DNS to that and you're set.
 
Yeah it's possible without it, but it's nice to have thing done easily. They gave AEBS owners who share hard drives the ability to play nicely with Time Machine so I'm optimistic about this feature. Also it's a nice feature to sell MobileMe accounts.
 
Software update

...just posted for AirPort Extreme but without mention of MobileMe. I searched around AirPort Utility and MobileMe preferences after install but couldn't find any changes yet...
 
Details

from Apple:

About AirPort Client Update 2009-001
This update is recommended for all Intel-based Macintosh computers running Mac OS X 10.5.6.

It addresses issues with roaming and network selection in dual-band environments.

About AirPort Utility 5.4.1
AirPort Utility v5.4.1 is the simple to use, setup and management utility for the AirPort Express Base Station, the AirPort Extreme Base Station and Time Capsule.

Use AirPort Utility to setup and manage the following products:

AirPort Express Base Station
AirPort Extreme Base Station
Time Capsule
--

AirPort Guest Disk is now active. Anyone have any luck with MM and these updates?
 
fightthefad said:
from Apple:

About AirPort Client Update 2009-001
This update is recommended for all Intel-based Macintosh computers running Mac OS X 10.5.6.

It addresses issues with roaming and network selection in dual-band environments.

About AirPort Utility 5.4.1
AirPort Utility v5.4.1 is the simple to use, setup and management utility for the AirPort Express Base Station, the AirPort Extreme Base Station and Time Capsule.

Use AirPort Utility to setup and manage the following products:

AirPort Express Base Station
AirPort Extreme Base Station
Time Capsule
--

AirPort Guest Disk is now active. Anyone have any luck with MM and these updates?
Click to expand...

I've installed both and no luck registering it to MM. I'm not sure if we are waiting for a MM server/client update or what. Maybe it won't even work with older Extremes but I sure hope so.
 
Just saw this over at TUAW - looks like we will get it

Update: the Apple Sales internal site (thanks Mr. X) is listing the following... looks like that feature is going to work on the older gear!

Note for existing AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule customers
Existing AirPort Extreme (MA073 and MB053) and Time Capsule (MB276 and MB277) customers can access their AirPort Disk / Time Capsule disk through Mobile Me over the Internet by upgrading to AirPort Utility 5.4.1 and AirPort firmware 7.4.1. Subscription to Mobile Me online services is required for this feature. Simultaneous dual-band Wi-Fi and Guest Networking features are only available to new AirPort Extreme (MB763) and Time Capsule (MB764 and MB765) customers
 
Maintenance window on MobileMe 1700-1930 PST tonight. Might be to implement the update? Doesn't sound like it's related but you never know...

Mar 3 – Maintenance - 3/3/2009, 17:00-19:30 PT
MobileMe members may be unable to sync new, edited, or deleted contacts, calendars, and bookmarks over the air between computers and mobile devices (iPhone and iPod Touch). Normal service is expected to be restored at the end of the maintenance window.
 
ross.32 said:
So where can we download firmware 7.4.1?
Click to expand...

Not sure if it's even out yet. When I was home over lunch it wasn't but if you open your Airport Utility and check for updates it should appear there once it's released. Still seems like a MM update of some sort is needed. I dunno.
 
Wouldn't need a MobileMe update if you handle all the set up through AirPort I don't think.
 
I have updated my TC and I can locate that same Help layout in AirPort Utility except that when you go through Manual Setup to Advanced there is no MobileMe to click on...Anyone having any luck? Maybe this will be resolved with the scheduled MM outage this evening.
 
Waiting for AirPort Firmware 7.4.1

fightthefad said:
I have updated my TC and I can locate that same Help layout in AirPort Utility except that when you go through Manual Setup to Advanced there is no MobileMe to click on...Anyone having any luck? Maybe this will be resolved with the scheduled MM outage this evening.
Click to expand...

Now that we have the new AirPort Utility update, I think we're just waiting for AirPort Firmware 7.4.1 to enable the relevant MobileMe configuration settings. Hopefully it won't be long now.
 
Anyone figure this out? I installed the new firmware this morning and setup my MM account in the Airport Utility.

Joe
 
I tried using MM Back to my Back chat support, but they told me to call Applecare.

Joe
 
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