Apple Time Capsule - yay or nay?

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nickb800

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#91610 17-Oct-2011 16:54

Ive been considering getting an apple time capsule to complement my MBP, especially since my d-link nas doesnt play nicely with os x lion for time machine backups.

Ive read plenty of threads of problems with the time capsule, particularly the 2008-ish models. Some of it seems to be specific manufacturing defects (dodgy capacitors), others about the inherent nature of having an hdd, router & power supply in a non-vented enclosure.

With regards to the latest generation, what are your thoughts? Are you happy with yours? How much do you trust it for your backups (c.f. a standard external usb hdd)?

Cheers

vectran

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#534396 17-Oct-2011 17:42

I have two now. They are more expensive than slapping a NAS together (or an Airport Express and USB HD) but they are really simple.

No problems with them at all. The oldest capsule is just about two years old now.

Dunnersfella

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#534402 17-Oct-2011 17:48

Personally, I prefer the flexibility of an Airport Extreme + a 2TB HDD.
It's easy to swap out drives etc, whereas the drive in the Time Capsule doesn't afford you that luxury.

corksta

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#534405 17-Oct-2011 18:12

Mine is the 2011 version and it works fine, no problems at all with it.

nickb800

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#534415 17-Oct-2011 18:32

Thanks guys, useful stuff

Dunnersfella: Personally, I prefer the flexibility of an Airport Extreme + a 2TB HDD.
It's easy to swap out drives etc, whereas the drive in the Time Capsule doesn't afford you that luxury.

More flexible, but that setup is unsupported by apple right?

corksta

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#534417 17-Oct-2011 18:38

It is supported. He means you can attach a 2TB external drive to the USB port of the Extreme. In this situation you can put whatever size external HDD you want and change it whenever you want.

With the TC you can't change the internal drive without voiding the warranty, but you can still attach a USB drive to the USB port.

alasta

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#534421 17-Oct-2011 18:45

For me the problem with using the Time Capsule as a backup device is that you can't really keep it off-site, especially if you intend to use it as your main network router.

With that in mind I'm inclined to agree with the suggestion above that using a standalone router and a dedicated USB hard drive for backups is far more flexible and practical.

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nickb800

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#534423 17-Oct-2011 18:46

corksta: It is supported. He means you can attach a 2TB external drive to the USB port of the Extreme. In this situation you can put whatever size external HDD you want and change it whenever you want.

With the TC you can't change the internal drive without voiding the warranty, but you can still attach a USB drive to the USB port.

I was meaning time capsule on an external hdd off an airport extreme was unsupported officially, in that apple could remove support at any time, just got me concerned that i might find myself unable to restore one day. Should i worry about this?

corksta

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#534427 17-Oct-2011 18:53

You've lost me a bit, not sure what you mean exactly.... Do you mean Time Machine backing up to an external HDD connected to an AirPort Extreme??

The whole point of the USB port being there is so you can add your own printer/HDD, etc.

http://www.apple.com/nz/airportextreme/features/harddrivesharing.html

nickb800

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#534433 17-Oct-2011 19:04

Sorry, i should have referenced this earlier
http://tidbits.com/article/9547

While its supported as a hard drive over the network, apple avoids mentioning time machine specifically on their pages about the airport extreme, whereas its listed as specifically as a feature for the time capsule.

Id written off the airport extreme + external solution for this reason, but if you guys reckon its fine then i might go that route - it will be way cheaper as i already have externals HDDs and there are a few AEs on trademe

Dunnersfella

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#534440 17-Oct-2011 19:21

If Apple was (for whatever reason) to remove the ability to use the Airport Extreme's Time Capsule capability, you could still get a previous backup off the drive by connecting the USB HDD directly to your computer.
Easy.
I use the Airport Extreme for Time Capsule, as basic NAS and to serve media to my jail broken Apple TV2 (via XBMC). If I could critique it, I'd like eSata, USB 3.0 or Firewire connectivity to HDD's - not just USB 2.0.

wellyg33k

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#535106 19-Oct-2011 12:21

Dunnersfella: Personally, I prefer the flexibility of an Airport Extreme + a 2TB HDD.
It's easy to swap out drives etc, whereas the drive in the Time Capsule doesn't afford you that luxury.

Yep this is what I do, easy to access and upgrade when data requirements move with it

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jonherries

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#536739 23-Oct-2011 16:24

I believe you can also add a USB hub to the airport extreme and run multiple drives off it.

Jon

wellyg33k

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#537252 25-Oct-2011 11:52

jonherries: I believe you can also add a USB hub to the airport extreme and run multiple drives off it.

Jon

That's a good idea actually

AKT

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#543309 9-Nov-2011 20:16

wellyg33k:
Dunnersfella: Personally, I prefer the flexibility of an Airport Extreme + a 2TB HDD.
It's easy to swap out drives etc, whereas the drive in the Time Capsule doesn't afford you that luxury.

Yep this is what I do, easy to access and upgrade when data requirements move with it

I went for this option and after many issues with the HDD needing to be repaired constantly (it is currently unrepairable on my mac, but I can read it just fine on my PC??!?!) I bought a TC, which works just fine so far (about 3 weeks).

HTH

A