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Time Capsule Replacement

richard13

richard13

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 1, 2008
1,002
710
Odessa, FL
Hey all.

After many years of faithful service my Time Capsule seems to be done. Recently the LED had been flashing orange and the Airport Utility said to check for overheating. After taking the unit apart to check on the fan it will now no longer power up.

Anyway, I replaced the WiFi duties of the Time Capsule years ago but have continued using it as a NAS and in this capacity it has been invaluable, working with Time Machine for both my iMac and MBP.

Considering something like this could happen I bought an external SSD. The thought being I'd just attach it to my more modern laptop for Time Machine and then share out the device so my iMac could use it as well. However, this isn't working so well. I cannot make a connection to my MBP to use the SSD for Time Machine for the iMac. Keep getting different errors about permissions. My guess is this because the MBP is running Big Sur and the iMac is stuck on Catalina.

Long story short, what is the best solution for my situation? I really liked the networked backup that the Time Capsule provided. But willing to change to using a shared SSD if necessary. What are you folks doing for this type scenario?

Thanks for your help!
 
You want a smart NAS today to save you music/video libraries on it as well as backup in case of hard drive failures! Today’s Smart NASes are almost a full home server that will make upgrading less of a hassle!
 
Hey guys! Thanks for your help. I definitely considered the EX2, even before this problem with my old Time Capsule. Ultimately I decided to try the Synology DS220j with a couple 4TB HDs. Probably way overkill for my needs but thought it would be kinda fun.
 
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If you are backing up only one Mac, I'd suggest trying CarbonCopyCloner.
Fast and easy, particularly if your backup drive is an SSD...

CCC is free to download and use for 30 days.
If you don't like it, just erase the drive and start over.
 
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Fortunately, my time capsule is still working, but I am not looking forward to replacing my AirPort Extreme. St up on wireless routers is not as simple as Apple's former solution.
 
I'am wondering if my Time Capsule is dying? Recently have noticed greatly reduced internet speeds as in 1.85 MPS down & 8.30 Up. Finally I broke down and called Sux.Net (Cox) and they off course immediately said I should buy a New Modem and a they would charge for a Service Visit if it was my fault!

This morning first thing everything seemed fine ran speedtest and was getting 176 Up and 10.16 Down but an hour later it was down to 1.85 Down!

So called Cox again and they suggested doing a hard connection from Cable modem direct to Mac and just like that Happiness was restored!

Is there any way I can test the Airport time Capsule? Or is it time to look for a "new" one or a repeplacement altogether?
 
bladerunner88 said:
I'am wondering if my Time Capsule is dying? Recently have noticed greatly reduced internet speeds as in 1.85 MPS down & 8.30 Up. Finally I broke down and called Sux.Net (Cox) and they off course immediately said I should buy a New Modem and a they would charge for a Service Visit if it was my fault!

This morning first thing everything seemed fine ran speedtest and was getting 176 Up and 10.16 Down but an hour later it was down to 1.85 Down!

So called Cox again and they suggested doing a hard connection from Cable modem direct to Mac and just like that Happiness was restored!

Is there any way I can test the Airport time Capsule? Or is it time to look for a "new" one or a repeplacement altogether?
Click to expand...
What speed are you paying for with Cox? As far as I am aware, there is no test per se, that will say the TC is yea or nay.

TC is decent but, it is old tech especially with today's hardware. You can buy your own modem and save yourself a service fee from Cox. All you should have to do is call and have Cox add the new router to their system.
 
Apple_Robert said:
What speed are you paying for with Cox? As far as I am aware, there is no test per se, that will say the TC is yea or nay.

TC is decent but, it is old tech especially with today's hardware. You can buy your own modem and save yourself a service fee from Cox. All you should have to do is call and have Cox add the new router to their system.
Click to expand...
Hey _Robert a laughable $83.95 pie month for supposedly 150 down and barely 10 up. they are a monopoly in my area so frankly they don't give a damn.Fios and Metro are coming but not yet.
I just find it very odd that one minute the TC is fine and am getting 176 down and 10.17 up at 7 in the am and an hour later its down to 1.85 down and 8.30 up. Perhaps i will try again with the TC see if I can do a re-set or firmware check.
 
Well you have to take stock of what you have! If it’s an M1 then you have Wi-Fi 6! Older Macs only have AC!

AC router that’s really advanced with bean forming (same speeds to each device connected) is called the Synology AC RT2600 that you connect an external and use it as Time Machine ready!

If it’s an M1 then get a Wi-Fi router and some MacRumors love the Amplifi Alien Router!
 
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bladerunner88 said:
Hey _Robert a laughable $83.95 pie month for supposedly 150 down and barely 10 up. they are a monopoly in my area so frankly they don't give a damn.Fios and Metro are coming but not yet.
I just find it very odd that one minute the TC is fine and am getting 176 down and 10.17 up at 7 in the am and an hour later its down to 1.85 down and 8.30 up. Perhaps i will try again with the TC see if I can do a re-set or firmware check.
Click to expand...
Unless you have Fiber internet, your Cox speed is going to vary day to day, especially if there are a lot of people on the service in your area. What you described, in and of itself, does not necessarily denote a problem with TC. You would need to do more focused testing to find out if there is in fact a problem with TC as to packet loss etc.
 
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About a month or so ago Cox started warning me that they would be making some changes in my area, and that the modem I was currently using at that time would no longer be compatible. I waffled around for a while and then finally bit the bullet and went out and bought a new Surfboard modem which would work (I don't rent the modem or router, I prefer having my own).....and it did as promised, moved my speeds from "up to 300 mbps" to "up to 500 mbps" and that was nice. Of course during all of this I started thinking about my router as well, an Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBS) that I think I bought in 2014 or 2015. Eh......while it has been rock-solid, absolutely stellar over these past several years, I decided that it might be a good idea to just go ahead and replace it as well. Better to do it now while I had the time to review and consider options than to have the thing die on me at an inconvenient time and be rushed into picking out something just to be able to be wirelessly online again.

I am now using an AmpliFi Alien 6 and it's terrific! There are a lot of traits about it which remind me of Apple -- the guy who developed the Ubiquiti and AmpliFi mesh system and routers is a former Apple employee -- and the thing is definitely well worth the move! It is definitely taking advantage of the increase in speeds provided by the ISP (although, yeah, still not reaching that "up to 500 mbps", which is not a surprise, and overall I am more than pleased). It also, being at the WiFi 6 standard, is already moving ahead into the future of WiFi and I know that my beloved AEBS would not have been.

I am in a multifamily dwelling -- condominium apartment building where every unit has an internet hookup of one sort or another -- and I'm really pleased with how well the AmpliFi Alien 6 is handling that. Aside from that, the thing is just so darned cool looking...... LOL!!
 
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Apple_Robert said:
Unless you have Fiber internet, your Cox speed is going to vary day to day, especially if there are a lot of people on the service in your area. What you described, in and of itself, does not necessarily denote a problem with TC. You would need to do more focused testing to find out if there is in fact a problem with TC as to packet loss etc.
Click to expand...
I think you've hit on something there are 15 Units in this Building, and at least 25 Routers sometimes I see as many as 30! And as far as I can tell everyone is siping from the same pipe as Cox is too cheap to wire everyone properly.
 
satcomer said:
Well you have to take stock of what you have! If it’s an M1 then you have Wi-Fi 6! Older Macs only have AC!

AC router that’s really advanced with bean forming (same speeds to each device connected) is called the Synology AC RT2600 that you connect an external and use it as Time Machine ready!

If it’s an M1 then get a Wi-Fi router and some MacRumors love the Amplifi Alien Router!
Click to expand...
Satcomer,

Thanks for the Info!
Current Daily Driver is a Trash Can but also have 16 MBP and various iPads etc etc..
 
Definitely get a router with the new WiFi 6 standard -- and 6e will be along in another year or so, too.....

In my condominium building, which was built before there was any dream of wireless internet, and the internet itself was still in its very earliest stages, it wasn't until I think the mid or late 90's that the cable company before Cox came in and set up cable for the internet; later Cox took over that company. In the beginning few people had a computer at home; I think I was one of just a handful here in the building. As time went on, Cox ruled the roost as far as cable connections went, and then Verizon came along with its FIOS and some people opted to switch over to that. A few of us stayed with Cox Cable, though. As people moved out and new people moved in they tended to choose FIOS as their internet/TV/phone provider, and I think now I'm probably only one of a very few who are still using cable connectivity rather than FIOS. Cox has been fine, and I have no urgent reasons to make a switch to FIOS at this time, but yes, if I were newly moving into a building that offered FIOS I'd probably go with it.
 
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So all bit of an update: Was getting ready to hunt down my ole Airport Express as an interim stopgap and thought why not try the TC before i do, got it all hooked up to the Cat-6 Fired it up played a bit with Airport Utility and Lo and Behold got a decent (for Cox) down Speed and its been Stable all day......

Wonders will never cease....

Thanks for all the suggestions will certainly take them to heart if need be.

Cheers.
 

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Clix Pix said:
About a month or so ago Cox started warning me that they would be making some changes in my area, and that the modem I was currently using at that time would no longer be compatible. I waffled around for a while and then finally bit the bullet and went out and bought a new Surfboard modem which would work (I don't rent the modem or router, I prefer having my own).....and it did as promised, moved my speeds from "up to 300 mbps" to "up to 500 mbps" and that was nice. Of course during all of this I started thinking about my router as well, an Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBS) that I think I bought in 2014 or 2015. Eh......while it has been rock-solid, absolutely stellar over these past several years, I decided that it might be a good idea to just go ahead and replace it as well. Better to do it now while I had the time to review and consider options than to have the thing die on me at an inconvenient time and be rushed into picking out something just to be able to be wirelessly online again.

I am now using an AmpliFi Alien 6 and it's terrific! There are a lot of traits about it which remind me of Apple -- the guy who developed the Ubiquiti and AmpliFi mesh system and routers is a former Apple employee -- and the thing is definitely well worth the move! It is definitely taking advantage of the increase in speeds provided by the ISP (although, yeah, still not reaching that "up to 500 mbps", which is not a surprise, and overall I am more than pleased). It also, being at the WiFi 6 standard, is already moving ahead into the future of WiFi and I know that my beloved AEBS would not have been.

I am in a multifamily dwelling -- condominium apartment building where every unit has an internet hookup of one sort or another -- and I'm really pleased with how well the AmpliFi Alien 6 is handling that. Aside from that, the thing is just so darned cool looking...... LOL!!
Click to expand...

Yep you choose wisely, however as a Mac user you need bookmark the Apple Support document TCP and UDP ports used by Applications in case you find an app not communicating with Apple!
 
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