Time Capsule Confusion

[BoxerBoy]

Apologies for raising a topic which is well covered elsewhere, however it is that coverage that has left me, a Mac novice, totally confused.

I just want to know if it is worth buying the Apple Time Capsule to back up my laptop, I don't envisage having huge numbers of files, I just want a system that is no hassle, which is what Apple imply it is.

The reason for my question is that all the forum threads I have read on the subject, leave me with the impression that the Time Capsule is nothing but trouble.

 

[satcomer]

Save your Money. Just buy an Airport Extreme and get a USB2 external because in the article Update allows Time Machine backups on AirPort Extreme says you now can with the proper update. This way you can change out that external in the future in case something goes wrong with the external's hard drive. IMHO with time Capsule you can't do this in something goes wrong with the Time Capsule drive. If you don't believe it, it took a HUGE push for Apple fix (like this). So save your self any future headaches and be in charge of your external backups yourself and it will act over wireless just like a Time Capsule.

 

[BoxerBoy]

Thanks for the information satcomer. I am aware that there are alternatives to Time Capsule.

I was really trying to find out if many people had a positive experience using Time Capsule , in view of the number of posts I have read saying negative things.

 

[satcomer]

Only if your afraid of networking or think networking is some kind of voodoo. Besides if the hard drive goes bad, just get another cheap external. With Time Capsule you would be really being DIY.

 

[Bazzy]

Save your Money. Just buy an Airport Extreme and get a USB2 external because in the article Update allows Time Machine backups on AirPort Extreme says you now can with the proper update. This way you can change out that external in the future in case something goes wrong with the external's hard drive. IMHO with time Capsule you can't do this in something goes wrong with the Time Capsule drive. If you don't believe it, it took a HUGE push for Apple fix (like this). So save your self any future headaches and be in charge of your external backups yourself and it will act over wireless just like a Time Capsule.

Hi satcomer!

You have really made my day - I was thinking of getting a 2TB TC as I just could not find any other wireless back up alternatives & no one could give me a definitive answer as to whether a AEBS+ Ext-HDD would work wirelessly with Time Machine.

I need to ask you, does the Ext-HDD have to be a "Network Drive" or Just any HDD that has a USB Port? Again, I have been given conflicting info on this! I wanted the same form factor as the TC & was looking at the iOmega Minimax Ext-HDD's but iOmega have informed me that these will NOT work with Time Machine. Do you know of any others? Because this will be a Wireless Back-Up Drive, it has to also be reliable & I would like the option of being able to add additional Hard Drives for future-proofing.

Many Thanks for Making My Day!

Bazzy!

 

[satcomer]

Just be careful. Time Machine will only work with Mac formatted drives (Mac OS Extended).

After the format just make sure you use a power USB2 hub when connecting a hub to the Extreme.

The drive just has to be shared from the Extreme (and mounted on the OS X desktop) and you do this with the Airport Utility (/Applications/Utilities/Airport Utility). Just in the Airport Utility to share the drives connected to it by selecting to Manually configur it. Then you can select the Disks tab and choose to share the connected disk over the Extreme's network.

I do this with a drive connected to my gifted Time Capsule for my network video drive to host movies and music all over my network (HTPC 2010 Mac Mini to my TV). In the N frequency it works great!

 

[Bazzy]

Just be careful. Time Machine will only work with Mac formatted drives (Mac OS Extended).

After the format just make sure you use a power USB2 hub when connecting a hub to the Extreme.

The drive just has to be shared from the Extreme (and mounted on the OS X desktop) and you do this with the Airport Utility (/Applications/Utilities/Airport Utility). Just in the Airport Utility to share the drives connected to it by selecting to Manually configur it. Then you can select the Disks tab and choose to share the connected disk over the Extreme's network.

I do this with a drive connected to my gifted Time Capsule for my network video drive to host movies and music all over my network (HTPC 2010 Mac Mini to my TV). In the N frequency it works great!

Hi,

Many thanks for the help so far! May I ask, does the external HDD have to be a "normal USB HDD", "Network HDD" or a "Multi-Media HDD"? I do not know much about these things & what the differences are or what makes one HDD better/more suitable than the other! Any you can recommend that work with the AEBS well & that have good form factor to match the AEBS aesthetics?

Many Thanks,
Bazzy!