Ethernet external drive vs USB via time capsule?

Gigabit Ethernet, as it can provide up to 125 MB/s, but in reality more around 70 to 90 MB/s, if your TC is connected via a Gigabit Ethernet cable to the Mac. While USB 2.0 offers up to 37 MB/s, a USB device connected to an AEBS or TC will be limited to 10 MB/s somehow.

 

Do you mean ETHERNET or INTERNET?

Anyway, if the MBA will connect to the TC wirelessly, a USB HDD might suffice, unless you get more than 15 MB/s wirelessly and always have to backup lots and lots of data. I don't know the price difference between an enclosure with USB 2.0 port or an enclosure with Ethernet port, thus it may not make a difference during the purchase, but if it has an Ethernet port it most probably has a USB 2.0 port.

 

Works Well For Me

Hi

I am running a Drobo 12TB NAS from an ethernet port on my Time Capsule and it wirelessly stream my massive (more than 2tB) iTunes to two Apple TVS (One upstairs and one downstairs) with out any hitches or problems.

 

music doesn't need a very high data stream, compressed video neither does. so its not miraculous that using it for iTunes works.

 

The USB option would be faster as you're limited to 150MBits via ethernet and USB2 is 480Mbits. If you were to hook up a tb display to your MBA to get gigabit ethernet then it would be about twice as fast AS LONG AS you have a gigabit router. If your router isn't gigabit then it's pointless because every time you transfer a new file the NAS has to communicate with the router which communicates with the MBA so you are slowed to 100Mbit. Only if the file on the NAS is large will you see an improvement if you're using Gigabit wiring with a 100Mbit router because the NAS and MBA will just communicate together.

We had this problem and even tried to use a Gigabit switch to bypass the router but no improvements there either as the switch didn't allow for direct communication between two devices on it unless the router had granted it.



EDIT: Scrap that, it doesn't apply for you. simsaladimbamba is right with his post as time capsule supports ethernet. You will still be limited by the n wireless card on your MBA (or any laptop) so ideally you want a tb->gigabit (via TBDisplay of belkin's hub when it comes out) otherwise it will be slower than USB to your MBA