setting up time capsule

[swmr]

Hi everyone, Questions on Time Capsule...basically for $200-250 or so I am finding 2TB hardrives since prices have been driven up. Just got a new iMac, so I need a backup. For $300 I can get a Time Capsule and be wireless.

For wireless storage and backup, does it need to be connected to my Airport Extreme? (which is in another room, and already has an HDD connected for media storage for my whole family). Can it just sit on my desk plugged into the wall, nothing else.

Can it be partitioned for backups and storage, all wirelessly?

With the USB port can it be expanded to larger size with another external drive, and still backup as if it was one drive? (I think the term I'm looking for is slave drive, but I don't know).

Can it double as a wireless signal extender for the already existing network set up in my home? (while still acting as storage and backup available to me, but not my brother or father on their macs).

I hope some of you have some answers. I couldn't find too much on Apple page that spelt it out clear for me. Thanks All!!!

 

[dickdaney]

The time capsule is basically and airport extreme with a hdd built in. You can you the time capsule as your main base station. You can then extend you network with your existing airport extreme somewhere else in the house.

 

[swmr]

Ok sorry for being dumb...can I do all of the above at basically the same time.

So I can set it up so that its never hard wired to my router or modem or iMac, and it plays with all of them wirelessly? And a second external HDD is hardwired to TC to simply expand the size, not add a second drive/partition? That is I guess my biggest question. If nothing else works out the way I expect the drive would still work, but I need it expandable.

Sorry if im sounding stupid, its still early and I'm trying to make sure I don't waste 300 bucks.

 

[johnhurley]

Hi everyone, Questions on Time Capsule...basically for $200-250 or so I am finding 2TB hardrives since prices have been driven up. Just got a new iMac, so I need a backup. For $300 I can get a Time Capsule and be wireless.

For wireless storage and backup, does it need to be connected to my Airport Extreme? (which is in another room, and already has an HDD connected for media storage for my whole family). Can it just sit on my desk plugged into the wall, nothing else.

Can it be partitioned for backups and storage, all wirelessly?

Another option is just getting an external drive and directly attaching it.

You can then use it for time machine backups and "share it" from your new iMac so that the other machines ( wireless ) can back up to it "thru" your iMac.

Depends on how much you want to spend for one variable.

I like having an external usb drive caddy ( like the thermaltake ones ) where you can easily pull drives out and put other ones in. That allows you to rotate multiple drives and have a more flexible backup and recovery strategy.

 

[mfram]

Adding external drives will appear as separate shared drives to the clients. It does not 'extend' the storage of the internal drive.