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Time Capsule backing up for first time. How do i know if it's using ethernet?

J

jawad7

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 8, 2003
72
0
Hi

I'm currently using a MBP and doing an initial backup onto my time capsule. it was recommended that i connect using an ethernet cable for the first time which i have plugged into one of the ports on the time capsule and plugged into my MBP. I know the first backup takes a long time but i didn't expect it to take this long. I'm backing up 74gb in total and it has taken about 2 hours to backup 5gb - surely it doesn't take this long.

it has led me to believe that it maybe using wi-fi to do the backup as opposed the ethernet cable. how would i find out if this was the case?
 
Make sure that you aren't doing much of anything over the net, like downloading a file or whatever, and then open up the program called Activity Monitor. Click the "network" tab button. If you see more than a couple of kb/s of data going in or out, then you may be backing up over wifi. If you see more than 50 kb/s and no other net applications are running then you are almost definitely backing up over wifi.
 
motulist said:
Make sure that you aren't doing much of anything over the net, like downloading a file or whatever, and then open up the program called Activity Monitor. Click the "network" tab button. If you see more than a couple of kb/s of data going in or out, then you may be backing up over wifi. If you see more than 50 kb/s and no other net applications are running then you are almost definitely backing up over wifi.
Click to expand...

thanks for the info. quite confusing but this is what it says"

Data Received/sec - averaging about 90kb but it is fluctuating loads
Data Sent/sec - 1.9mb average

keeps going up and down.

does this sound like wi-fi or ethernet?
 
jawad7 said:
thanks for the info. quite confusing but this is what it says"

Data Received/sec - averaging about 90kb but it is fluctuating loads
Data Sent/sec - 1.9mb average

keeps going up and down.

does this sound like wi-fi or ethernet?
Click to expand...

I'm way too tired, I think I just gave you a wrong answer. I don't think you'll be able to differentiate it using the method I described.
 
just want to make sure before i do it.

if i turn of wi-fi and it is using wi-fi for the backup will it just stop and i'll have to start from scratch if i am using wi-fi?

just that i am 8gb through and can't afford the time to wait again if i need to start from scratch.

cheers
 
jawad7 said:
just want to make sure before i do it.

if i turn of wi-fi and it is using wi-fi for the backup will it just stop and i'll have to start from scratch if i am using wi-fi?

just that i am 8gb through and can't afford the time to wait again if i need to start from scratch.

cheers
Click to expand...

Don't turn off your wifi! I've heard of people having difficult to resolve problems when they interrupted their initial backup. How long does it say is remaining? There's nothing really wrong with just letting it run for a couple of days.
 
it's been going for about 2 and a half hours and it's backed up 9.5gb out of 78gb. i just wasn't expecting it to take this long at all. i guess i'll just have to let it run. going to take forever.........
 
motulist said:
Don't turn off your wifi! I've heard of people having difficult to resolve problems when they interrupted their initial backup. How long does it say is remaining? There's nothing really wrong with just letting it run for a couple of days.
Click to expand...

That's insane.
 
koobcamuk said:
That's insane.
Click to expand...

What makes you say that?

jawad7 said:
it's been going for about 2 and a half hours and it's backed up 9.5gb out of 78gb. i just wasn't expecting it to take this long at all. i guess i'll just have to let it run. going to take forever.........
Click to expand...

As long as it's not slowing your system down and you aren't on a laptop you need to take out soon, then there's really no problem about just letting it run.
 
motulist said:
What makes you say that?
Click to expand...

The fact I did a time machine backup over firewire 400 (slower than ethernet I think...?) of 120GB in about 3 hours.

motulist said:
As long as it's not slowing your system down and you aren't on a laptop you need to take out soon, then there's really no problem about just letting it run.
Click to expand...

I didn't see this when responding earlier somehow, because you're right. Desktop - OK. Laptop - nuts. I still think it's too long.

Time machine annoys me when working on a laptop though. I just backup weekly using SuperDuper!.
 
may seem like a stupid question but can i let my display go to sleep and the backup will still continue?
 
it's been 13 hours and i've done 58gb of 78gb.

i think it is safe to say that the backup is being done over wi-fi.
 
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