How are refurb Apple Routers? Good buys like their laptops?

[pgharavi]

What do you guys think of a Refurbished AirPort Time Capsule - 2TB for $179? Our old Airport Extreme is dead and while they did have a refurbished Airport Extreme at $119, it's gone now.

The non-refurbished is $199. With the time capsule model I get that extra HDD plus routing. but I've never bought a refurbished router before (though I know Apple's refurbished laptops are awesome).

link: http://www.apple.com/shop/product/F...eecb4c348553120c1e04c044093858e7472553fd8e29d

It's a 2013 model, FWIW. So it's either $200 for current gen Airport Extreme or $179 for a 2013 refurbished Time Capsule...

 

[kohlson]

I've bought all of our AP Expresses and ATVs as refurb's through the online store. Glad I did -- saved a few bucks and they work perfectly (in most cases for several years so far).

 

[Richdmoore]

I did have a time capsule that arrived broken once (hard drive, might have been during shipping.). They offered to either refund, or take care of it over AppleCare.

 

[talmy]

The Time Capsule will use more electricity, run hotter, and be more likely to fail. If you don't need the HDD you are probably better off with the new Airport Extreme.

That said, I've been using a refurbished Airport Extreme for I guess about 5 years now, and it has run flawlessly. If you can only hold out a while I'm sure the refurb will reappear. Use the refurb.me site to get a notification when it reappears.

 

[NorCalLights]

I always buy Apple products refurbished. I have 4 AP base stations of various vintages... all were refurbished. I have never had a single problem with a refurbished device from Apple.

 

[OllyW]

It's a 2013 model, FWIW. So it's either $200 for current gen Airport Extreme or $179 for a 2013 refurbished Time Capsule...

The mid 2013 model is the current generation, that was the last time it was updated.

I bought a refurb 2TB Time Capsule with 40% off making it £20 cheaper than a new Airport Extreme (and only £4 more expensive than a refurb Airport Extreme) and I'm really pleased with it.

 

[Reason077]

I bought a refurbished Airport Express a couple of years back, and it's been excellent. No difference at all from the "new" product as far as I can tell, except that it comes in a white box.

 

[Le Big Mac]

I wouldn't worry a bit - refurb apple products really seem to be just as good as the new ones. OF course some don't work, but that's true of new products too.

All my airport expresses are refurb. My original TC was not, and that needed to be replaced after a year (the 1st gen with the cooling problem). I would go ahead, unless you think $20 savings isn't worth it (and that's not a huge discount - I've usually gotten AExpress for $30 or $40 off, which is a bigger percent.

 

[pgharavi]

Thanks guys. I got it up and running. Quick question:

Would plugging an external HDD into the USB port of the Time Capsule allow me to transfer files USB to USB, so to speak?

previously I had the Airport Extreme + an external HDD for Time Machine and various files. Last night I tried to transfer those files to the Time Capsule and it gave me an error for the Time Machine backups and is estimating a week (!) to transfer everything else via my home network. I left it going overnight and it got as far as 26.5GB...so ya.

 

[Starfia]

Um… I remember researching all that stuff once – I think I tried to use a connected HDD *as* my Time Capsule backup in that instance, which was… successful but weirdly only partially supported somehow. I do remember they delineate all this in the documentation or online support, though, so I'd just recommend reading carefully.