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Time Capsule - buy or not

M

majkom

macrumors 68020
Original poster
May 3, 2011
2,045
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Hi there, I would like to buy Time Caspule, but as I went through user ratings on apple store, I am not sure if to buy or not, so my actual setting is:
2 computers connected via apple airport extreme (5th gen) - each of them time machined on own external disk (connected through cables) - I would like to solve that - no more external HD... but:

1. Those user ratings are hororous - some say TC died after 18 months, som e say that wifi connection is too slow, others that connection slows down each day - are these stories true??

2. TC - is it same wifi router as airpot extreme (which is cool) just with internal HD?

3. Can I divide internal HD in TC into one for Time Machine and second for data/movies share over wifi/ethernet (would my aTV see movies if connected via ethernet)?

4. Can I back up more computers on the same HD in the TC?

Thx
 
1. The newer version of the Time Capsule has supposedly fixed the flaw that was causing premature failure of the early models. User reports of new model failures seem to be rare.

2. Yes. It is pretty much an Airport Extreme with a hard drive built in.

3. You can use the Time Capsule both for backup of multiple computers and also to share files. Just drop the files onto the Time Machine drive or a folder you create on the drive and you can share them with other users and/or other computers over the network. There is currently not a way to share a movie from the Time Capsule directly to an Apple TV.

4. Yes. Time Machine will make a separate backup for each computer backed up to the Time Capsule.
 
Oh, thx for reply...

ad 3) I meant, my aTV 2 is Jailbroken so now it can see external HDD connected to airport extreme, would it be possible with internal HD within TC?
 
majkom said:
Oh, thx for reply...

ad 3) I meant, my aTV 2 is Jailbroken so now it can see external HDD connected to airport extreme, would it be possible with internal HD within TC?
Click to expand...

I am not familiar with that you are doing with the jailbreak, but if it can see a drive attached the the AE, it should be able to see the TC drive the same way.
 
I have been very happy with mine and like not having extra drives and cables around required by other backup solutions.
 
I am afraid that NAS wont solve problem with wifi Time machine back ups
 
majkom said:
I am afraid that NAS wont solve problem with wifi Time machine back ups
Click to expand...

All disk drives will eventually die - just like light bulbs. It's just a matter of time. So, while I'm sure there are many content TC owners out there the risk is that once your drive dies so does the rest of the device.

Some NAS' - like the Netgear ReadyNAS series - are Time Machine compliant, with integral iTunes Server on board. Best of all you can either rely on one hard drive, or back it up to a second drive - so that when the one drive fails you don't lose all your precious files because you have already automatically backed it up.

There's a wide variety ReadyNAS devices to suit your needs and budget - and it's cheaper than buying a TC.
 
SpinalTap said:
All disk drives will eventually die - just like light bulbs. It's just a matter of time. So, while I'm sure there are many content TC owners out there the risk is that once your drive dies so does the rest of the device.

Some NAS' - like the Netgear ReadyNAS series - are Time Machine compliant, with integral iTunes Server on board. Best of all you can either rely on one hard drive, or back it up to a second drive - so that when the one drive fails you don't lose all your precious files because you have already automatically backed it up.

There's a wide variety ReadyNAS devices to suit your needs and budget - and it's cheaper than buying a TC.
Click to expand...

well, tu put it simply, my demands on shared disk are not so big to think about NAS - all i need is reliable time machine device, wifi router and shared disk - if TC can do that, i prefer this solution (one device instead of two)...

i know that any disk can die, but probability that TC disk will die at same moment as disk in computer is pretty low (I suppose).. so, if TC are no more low reliable devices as they were before (dead hard disk, slow wifi...) then I would prefer this
 
I've had a 2 TB TC for about 2 years. I don't need backups as often as the TC makes them, so I wish there were a way to have more control over the timing and frequency of backups. It sometimes seems to take a lot of wifi bandwidth that I'd rather use for other operations. That said, I am waiting for Apple to update the TC so I can get a 4 TB model. My 2 TB model is almost full of backups for a MBP, a Mini, and an external HD. The reliability of the TC as a router has been tremendous. The indicator light just stays green (unless there's a problem with the modem). In all, I do recommend it.
 
I like mine. Very fast. Love the dual-band aspect of it (MBP and ATV are on 5 gHz, iPhone, iPad, iTouch, Wii, etc on 2.4). Have restored from a backup to my MBP once already and was pretty seamless. I keep nothing critical there as a sole storage solution. I have a separate HD connected via USB as well. All in all, very solid, very happy.
 
Yeah, my 1st-Generation Time Capsule just died. Frustrated, but I suppose I knew this day was coming. Now the question is whether the 4th-Generation TC has been improved and it sounds like some of you are saying exactly that. Although it was only released in June 2011, so it'll likely take several more months to show it's true lifespan.

It's probably been already mentioned elsewhere, but the pricing is odd; I would have thought the 3TB would provide better bang-per-buck, but instead it cost more per TB.

Anyway, I think I'll go with the 2TB and add AppleCare to my next Mac purchase, at least I'll be covered for the next 2-years.
 
So turns out that my TC hasn't died. Strange; but it now suddenly works again. Did anybody experience this prior to it dying? I'm guessing it's on its last legs...?


Thanks.

tee-tz
 
sbk1799 said:
I've had a 2 TB TC for about 2 years. I don't need backups as often as the TC makes them, so I wish there were a way to have more control over the timing and frequency of backups. It sometimes seems to take a lot of wifi bandwidth that I'd rather use for other operations. That said, I am waiting for Apple to update the TC so I can get a 4 TB model. My 2 TB model is almost full of backups for a MBP, a Mini, and an external HD. The reliability of the TC as a router has been tremendous. The indicator light just stays green (unless there's a problem with the modem). In all, I do recommend it.
Click to expand...

Use TimeMachineEditor to change the timing and frequency of backups.
 
tee-tz said:
So turns out that my TC hasn't died. Strange; but it now suddenly works again. Did anybody experience this prior to it dying? I'm guessing it's on its last legs...?


Thanks.

tee-tz
Click to expand...

That's exactly what happened to my first Time Capsule before it finally gave up the ghost. It started by requiring periodic restarts due to it dropping from my network. Then it started to completely shut off and if I waited long enough it would work again. Then finally it wouldn't turn on at all. I used that window of opportunity before it completely died to pull everything off of it and erase the hard drive. Then when it completely died, I took it in to the Apple Store and they replaced it under the replacement policy they had for first gen Time Capsules.
 
majkom said:
Hi there, I would like to buy Time Caspule, but as I went through user ratings on apple store, I am not sure if to buy or not, so my actual setting is:
2 computers connected via apple airport extreme (5th gen) - each of them time machined on own external disk (connected through cables) - I would like to solve that - no more external HD... but:

1. Those user ratings are hororous - some say TC died after 18 months, som e say that wifi connection is too slow, others that connection slows down each day - are these stories true??

2. TC - is it same wifi router as airpot extreme (which is cool) just with internal HD?

3. Can I divide internal HD in TC into one for Time Machine and second for data/movies share over wifi/ethernet (would my aTV see movies if connected via ethernet)?

4. Can I back up more computers on the same HD in the TC?

Thx
Click to expand...


The ratings that say they died are early batches, they were replaced and are quite old... Surprised they are still there. Same as A extreme w/ hdd.



You can store other things on it, just find it in "Shared" in Finder.

If you get enough storage, you can backup multiple computers.
 
Using TC with wired and wireless netowork

I have an office environment with 4 iMacs hardwired to the router and 2 MBP on wireless. I want to know if I can use TC for backup and file sharing for all machines even though they connect differently?
Thanks

EDIT_ I should also tell you I am currently using a Cisco EA4500 and we have a switch because we use IP phones and have a couple crappy PCs. So from what I am hearing I just plug it in and I am good to go? Or should I prepare for a couple of hurdles in set up?
Thank You all for your help!!!!
 
Last edited:
macgoskone said:
I have an office environment with 4 iMacs hardwired to the router and 2 MBP on wireless. I want to know if I can use TC for backup and file sharing for all machines even though they connect differently?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Time Capsule only has 3 additional ethernet ports besides the WAN port. So one of your hardwired machines will have to get connected over wifi.

Another option is to keep your router and "extend" your network with the Time Capsule. That way your wired iMacs still have fast internet and can network to each other fast, but you can still do your Time Machine backups wirelessly with the Time Capsule.

Regardless of what you do, you should do your initial backup of your MBPs over ethernet to speed up the process, and then do the incremental backups over wi-fi.
 
Holding Reservation of Time Capsule

I have a new time capsule. 3 months old.

I'm not impressed. the router works great.

the backup process not so much. see my previous new thread.

I've used the air port utility to erase the drive 2 times now because of failures.

Certainly not the mantra of Apple... it works. well it doesn't.

I may be to blame but.... it doesn't work. not with out some effort on the user's part anyway.

I'm still working on the issues. trying to identify what i'm doing wrong.

Will report my success or failure.
 
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