Time Capsule Questions

[johnsmith153]

I think I know most of what I need to know, but a couple more things would help...

(1) Can you backup two different Macs to the same Time Capsule? I think you can but want to make sure. Would all this be automated through the relevant Time Machine app on each of the Macs?

(2) How noisey is the Time Capsule (based on people who have used the newest version). I was thinking originally of Airport Extreme but thought I'd get the backup facility as extra. I know it's not going to be very noisy but considering my Mac is an SSD it seems that putting this close to it loses the noise-less SSD benefit.

(3) Does it slow down your Mac at all (whilst backing up)?

(4) I use an online backup (BackBlaze) for my PC and was thinking of using that for my Mac. I'm quite happy with it. What experiences have people had with TC and any of the online backups (so I can get an idea which to use).

 

[flynz4]

I have been using a pair of 2TB TCs to back up several Macs. One is dedicated to my 2TB iMac which is about 1/2 full. The second backs up all of our MBAs and perviously also our MBP before we decommissioned them. No problem at all.

They are not noisy, but I keep both in another room away from iMac. It is hard wired to my main router (Airport Extreme). I prefer to keep my backup in a different room than the iMac as an extra precaution against theft. The notebooks back up wirelessly. The iMac is also direct connected to the main router.

For online backup, I use Crashplan+. It is probably the best available for Macs per my research.

/Jim

 

[johnsmith153]

Thanks for the reply.

Aybody know about q3 and maybe other opinions and experience on the other q's?

I will have the TC right next to the iMac as I want it as an ethernet hub as well (there is an ethernet cable coming through the floor which goes to where the broadband comes in so the idea is that TC extends this as a hub).

I used to have everything wireless but now I want everything in that one room wireless (using TC as an ethernet hub) and allow other things in the house to connect without wires (iPad, mobiles, laptops etc.)

 

[Brian33]

(3) Does it slow down your Mac at all (whilst backing up)?

I've been running a 1st-gen TC for over three years now, and have been very happy with it. I notice absolutely no slow-down of my 2008 C2D iMac while Time Machine is backing it up to my Time Capsule. In fact, I would never even know it was happening except that the (optional) menu bar icon animates and I just barely hear the TC spin up. (It's about six feet from my desk.) I rather like that TM runs every hour -- it's a little reassuring.

I'm mostly a light user, though -- YMMV. I do a fair amount in iPhoto and iMovie and have never noticed a slowdown, though I can't say for sure that backups have happened while I was in those programs...