Time Machine with Netgear Router

[moos71]

Dear Community,

I'm using an Apple iMac and I just purchased a Netgear Router (model R7800 - Nighthawk X4S AC2600) and I connected to it an external USB Harddisk to be used for Time Machine.

The setup was ok and the first back up started as expected. Unfortunately, after several hours from the start of the first backup (at about 1,3Tb of a total of 2,5Tb), I received an error message explaining Time Machine was not able to proceed and a new back up is needed.

I repeated the procedure already 4 times, changing each time some router functionalities (like excluding the Media Server function) but the problem is still there.

Any similar experience? Anyone how could used this router properly for Time Machine?

Thanks a lot

Kind regards

Andrea



PS

I'm using Osx Sierra and Time Machine is working properly if I connect the HD directly to my iMac USB port

 

[LarryJoe33]

Hi Andrea,

Is your iMac connected to the netgear router via Ethernet or WiFi?

 

[LarryJoe33]

I am no expert but have done similar research recently. I believe a TM backup is very much different to a network drive vs a direct connection. If you are trying to update a TM already created from a USB connection it won’t work over a network connection. I would wipe the drive clean and reinitionalize a new TM by selecting the drive now networked. I would do this first one with an Ethernet connection and after that WiFi should be fine to incrementally TM.

 

[moos71]

I am no expert but have done similar research recently. I believe a TM backup is very much different to a network drive vs a direct connection. If you are trying to update a TM already created from a USB connection it won’t work over a network connection. I would wipe the drive clean and reinitionalize a new TM by selecting the drive now networked. I would do this first one with an Ethernet connection and after that WiFi should be fine to incrementally TM.

Thanks a lot, LarryJoe, for your recommendations. Actually I id additional tests and it seems my iMac (connected to the router through wifi) is loosing access right to the external HD and can't proceed with the back up...
Keep trying
Thanks
Andrea

 

[lemonkid]

I am using a netgear R7000. One of the things it should be able to do to allow backing up with TimeMachine. But because I am not able to do so without all kinds of complications, I never use the USB connection on the Netgear. It is too unstable under critical conditions. So I just don't trust it.
It is my belief that this is due to the firmware. Netgear may be able to build routers, but their skills in creating firmware is most likely another story. Recently I flashed DD-WRT to my R7000. And it transformed itself into a nice piece of equipment. It has more capabilities and I perceive it as much more stable. When streaming Hi-Res audio from my NAS it suddenly really sounds much better. The whole experience is such a huge difference that I advice you the same.
Now I still haven't tried the USB connection. Because my Synology-NAS can do much better. But you could try the free DD-WRT 'Kong' software from myopenrouter.com.
Please do choose the right version for your router.

 

[Significant1]

I would use a network cable for the first backup. I also wonder what format your usb-drive is. I have a router which only supports fat32 and that limit maximum file-size it can handle to 4GB. But that does not explain, why it would work directly attached. As has already been said, Time Machine handle network attached storage differently than direct attached storage. On NAS it stores them inside a sparse bundle, while on DAS it is inside a folder (never used DAS for Time Machine, so only what I have read).

 

[moos71]

T

I am using a netgear R7000. One of the things it should be able to do to allow backing up with TimeMachine. But because I am not able to do so without all kinds of complications, I never use the USB connection on the Netgear. It is too unstable under critical conditions. So I just don't trust it.
It is my belief that this is due to the firmware. Netgear may be able to build routers, but their skills in creating firmware is most likely another story. Recently I flashed DD-WRT to my R7000. And it transformed itself into a nice piece of equipment. It has more capabilities and I perceive it as much more stable. When streaming Hi-Res audio from my NAS it suddenly really sounds much better. The whole experience is such a huge difference that I advice you the same.
Now I still haven't tried the USB connection. Because my Synology-NAS can do much better. But you could try the free DD-WRT 'Kong' software from myopenrouter.com.
Please do choose the right version for your router.

Thanks a lot, appreciate your recommendation. I'll check DD-WRT option
[doublepost=1503124169][/doublepost]

I would use a network cable for the first backup. I also wonder what format your usb-drive is. I have a router which only supports fat32 and that limit maximum file-size it can handle to 4GB. But that does not explain, why it would work directly attached. As has already been said, Time Machine handle network attached storage differently than direct attached storage. On NAS it stores them inside a sparse bundle, while on DAS it is inside a folder (never used DAS for Time Machine, so only what I have read).

Hi. Up to now, the only way to have astable backup was through USB. If I connect the router through a network cable, I could get a good first back up but still the same issues when moving to wifi

 

[lemonkid]

I would use a network cable for the first backup. I also wonder what format your usb-drive is. I have a router which only supports fat32 and that limit maximum file-size it can handle to 4GB. But that does not explain, why it would work directly attached. As has already been said, Time Machine handle network attached storage differently than direct attached storage. On NAS it stores them inside a sparse bundle, while on DAS it is inside a folder (never used DAS for Time Machine, so only what I have read).

I think it is not a good idea to attach your drive for first time back up! Please don't do that! ONLY when you plan to use the drive WIRED all the time you can do this. But when you use the back-up with WiFi you will get a different back-up exactly as Significant says. This also means that you can't switch from one to the other e.g. from wireless to wired or the other way around.

Read all about TM here: https://goo.gl/o5N4w

When your mac is High on Sierra, I would also consider extra bugs introduced by the new MacOs beta....... So you have double hassle. Maybe it is extra fun but sometimes extra fun can cause extra headaches........!

 

[Cougarcat]

I have a similar problem with this router(my first backup finished, but upon the subsequent one, it said it was unable to verify it and had to start over, but it would always fail). I also have an additional problem in that Finder will spit out an error if I try to delete the first backup that was created. I'm on a wired connection and the drive is connected via eSata.

Has anyone found a fix for this, or used alternative firmware (as was suggested) with success?