Network setup help needed

[dazed]

Hi,

I'm looking for advice about setting up a network when i move to my new house soon.

I currently have a mac mini with several external drives (Time Machine, Media etc) but when I move i will replace that with an imac and will also be getting a macbook (I may also eventually connect the old mac mini up to the plasma tv as some sort of media pc)

Ideally Id like all machines to have their own time machine partitions as well access to the media drives and printer.

What's the best way of doing this ? would a time capsule work with a usb hub with everything connected to that ?

Would I be better off hiding the mac mini in a closet as some sort of network server ?

Thanks

 

[bobjob186]

Time capsule would for sure work for that....super easy.

 

[jdechko]

Unless you are willing to take the Time Capsule apart, there is currently no way of partitioning the internal drive. However, you can limit the maximum size of the disk image used for each machine, effectively limiting the size of the backups for a given machine.

A usb hub off the back could hold your media and a printer, though.

 

[dazed]

Thanks for the feedback. so a powered usb hub would allow me to connect a bunch of external disks and a printer ?

Can anyone recommend a usb hub which would suit my needs ?


Thanks

 

[jdechko]

The hub itself doesn't necessarily need power as long as the attached devices have their own powered supplies.

Belkin makes good, reliable accessories, but really any hub should do.