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Which is faster? Time Capsule via Wifi or Lacie via USB 3

Hog Milanese

Hog Milanese

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 19, 2012
199
201
Austin
Wondering which is a faster way to do regular Time Machine backups ...

A Time Capsule (AirPort Extreme) via wireless AC, or a Lacie external HDD (7200 RPM) via USB 3.0/Thunderbolt?
 
Direct connection will always be faster than wireless by far, I can't think a single case where it wouldn't be.
 
It's a bummer, because I only plug into the external HDD once every other week or so (when I plug into my larger monitor). The rest of the time, I just use the laptop by itself.
 
Hog Milanese said:
It's a bummer, because I only plug into the external HDD once every other week or so (when I plug into my larger monitor). The rest of the time, I just use the laptop by itself.
Click to expand...

The Time Capsule will offer decent performance for Time Machine, but the speed is not as quick as USB hard drives. That being said, Time Machine is an entirely background process so it will not matter. You could also get an AirPort Extreme and plug a USB hard drive into the back and use it for Time Machine. The speeds will be about 25 MB/s that way which is plenty fast for Time Machine and basic NAS tasks.
 
I would recommend AirPort Extreme with USB drive because the real reason you need the fastest speed is when you restore from a backup. In this case, you could just disconnect the USB drive from Airport Extreme and then connect it directly to your laptop.

Please you can upgrade your router more often than the drive. AirPort routers from my experience tend to die out every 2-3 years.
 
Altemose said:
The Time Capsule will offer decent performance for Time Machine, but the speed is not as quick as USB hard drives. That being said, Time Machine is an entirely background process so it will not matter. You could also get an AirPort Extreme and plug a USB hard drive into the back and use it for Time Machine. The speeds will be about 25 MB/s that way which is plenty fast for Time Machine and basic NAS tasks.
Click to expand...

I have an AirPort Extreme already, but my Lacie drive is USB3 or Thunderbolt only. Will that work with the USB2 port on the Extreme?
 
Why is the length of time for writing backups important? That is a background process.

The I/o speed would be more important if you have to restore from it....not doing routine backups.
 
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