Time Capsule vs. any external USB harddisk

I am new to Mac, and currently learning how to switch from PC to Mac. I have my newly bought MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone3G and also two PCs running on a Linksys Wireless N router. I use a Seagate External Drive to periodically backup my PC via eSATA.
I began purchases HD videos from iTunes store (watching them on MacBook and iPad only, Apple TV could be the next step). These files are HUGE and I need a device to backup videos that I already watched. For this purpose, should I go for Time Capsule, or any external harddisk?
I understood that Time Capsule also serves as a wireless router. Does it have to be wired with my existing router? Will I be getting too many wireless connections at home?

Unless you're looking for a new router, purchase an external drive and use it with Time Machine.
(51676)

Similar Messages

  • Using Airport Time Capsule with an external usb hard drive - how to connect

    I have 2TB Airport Time capsule which is connected to my iMac by an ethernet cable and which I use for T.Machine backups - No problems here.
    I have an old MacBook Pro running 10.6.8  and which is also connected to my T/C via wi-fi - again no problems.
    But I understand I can use an external hard drive via usb cable connected via a powered hub, to the T/Capsule and which I wish to do certain backups from my MBP (I have no wish to update the MBP as it runs certain apps no longer available on the iMac (10.9.2)
    Now the problem I have is trying to set it up,  the MBP has Airport Utility 5.6.1 and I can’t continue as it says I need a newer version. As I see it,  the newer version doesn’t work on the MBP only  the iMac.
    A catch 22 situation. If I continue and and go to “manual setup” then try  update, all I get is “correct the problem before updating”  (Allow setup over the internet using Bonjour).
    Anyone have any ideas or images that I can view to try and get things going?
    I should add that I wish to use my external hard drive not as a time machine backup but only for certain items using say, Super Duper, but am unable to get the disk to mount on the MBP
    Alan

    I still can't use it the way I was hoping because it then becomes a T/M back-up disk and not a normal usb/firewire disc.
    You are first mounting the drive on the desktop, correct?
    Not sure what you mean here.
    You can drag/drop files normally or copy/paste files to the drive icon on the desktop, just as you would a normal drive that is displayed on the desktop.
    Or, double click the drive icon on the desktop and drag/drop files into the open window there.
    Tell us the steps that you are using to mount the drive on the desktop. What happens after each step?

  • Time Capsule with two external USB harddrives (only 1 is recognized).

    I have a 1TB Time Capsule with two MacBooks, a Mini, an AppleTV, and 1 Vista PC, connected to it without any problems. I've also added a USB2 hub where I have plugged in a Canon printer, 1 500GB Seagate drive, and 1 1TB Lacie (BigDisk) drive. For some reason the 1TB Lacie drive does not appear as an available drive on the Time Capsule but the Seagate drive works fine.
    I've formatted the Lacie drive multiple ways (currently it is Mac Extended (Journaled) with a single partition) but this did not change anything. I can plug the Lacie directly into any of the MacBooks or Mini and it appears as an available drive. What gives? Does Time Capsule only support 1 external drive? Thanks for any assistance.

    Thanks for your post. I did as you suggested and plugged the problem drive directly into the TC and sure enough the drive appeared and was accessible. It appears that the problem follows the USB hub. I tried a second hub (but it was only USB1.1 capable) and it had the same problem. I will take this up with LaCie.
    Thanks again for the response.

  • Will the USB port from the Time Capsule power an external hard drive?

    I am interested in purchasing an external hard drive (Iomega 1TB Helium Portable or G-Technology 750GB G-DRIVE mobile)
    to connect to my time capsule, expanding my wireless storage, but I want to know if the Time Capsule has a powered USB port or does the drive I purchase need to have its own power source? Also, Is there any compromise to using a drive that is USB powered, vs one that requires a power source?
    Thanks!

    Even if the hard drive that you choose has its own power supply, you usually need to use a powered USB hub with the Time Capsule.
    Reason....the USB port on the Time Capsule is under powered. You should not really rely on this port to power anything except a single printer.

  • Can I use time capsule as an external harddisk?

    Can I use time capsule as an external harddisk? I mean does my mac see it as an wireless harddisk unit that I can put photos, documents, etc without using back up function?

    of course! that's what it is and what it's for!

  • HT201250 How to backup the Time Capsule to an external drive using Time Machine?

    Most of my data is on my Time Capsule since the hard drive on my iMac is too small for my music/movies/pictures and also so multiple devices can wirelessly access the data. I want to back up the files from my iMac and the Time Capsule on an external hard drive using the Time Machine. However, it seems that the Time Machine ignores the Time Capsule as a data source. How can I get this to work?

    No, I don't believe this solves your problem.
    TIme Machine can be used with a Time Capsule as a backup solution from connected macs and their drives but not from network drives, NAS or Time Capsules.
    Thus, if you store files for LAN access on a TC internal drive, and want to back them to the USB/external drive attached to that TC, you cannot use Time Machine to do so.
    Time Machine has not way of backing up ANY Time Capsule or NAS or WInPC or other networked drive, as far as I can tell. You will have to use some other backup software.
    This is exactly what I bought the TC for myself (tried to use the internal drive on the TC as a NAS for my LAN, storing my music and photos and documents and bought a LaCie 2TB USB3 extneral drive to connect to the TC and hoped to be able to use Time Machine to backup the internal drive to the LaCie drive....but this does not work, as TM cannot backup from a network drive or TC device.

  • Can i use time capsule as a external hard drive

    can i use time capsule as a external hard drive

    Not plugged in by USB if that is what you were thinking.
    You can store files on the TC but you should NOT.
    Store files on the TC.
    This is asked several times a day.. obviously people are struggling with their latest SSD being too small.
    The TC is not suitable for network file server.. but many people having no choice press it into service as such.
    Major issues.
    1. No backup.. no way Time Machine can backup a network drive. No place to backup to.. So all your files will be at risk. And you will need to buy a third party like CCC to do backup.
    2. The TC cannot be partitioned and mixing TM backups and data is not great. It was and is and ever shall be a backup device for Time Machine.
    3. The drive is slow to spin up and quick to spin down.. there is no control. In fact the TC is so lacking in controls for even the router side.. that you cannot do more than the most basic of setups.
    The following are controls on the hard disk side.
    Reformat it. You can name the share. You can do a full archive of the whole disk. This will go at a speed of aprox. 30-50GB/Hr so calculate how long an archive of a full 2TB will take.
    4. iPhoto in particular can easily corrupt its entire library with wireless networking causing a disconnection to one photo. Even if you do this;;; do not move your photo library... you have been warned!!
              Even apple btw say don’t do it.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5168 Although mostly about FAT32           it adds network drives.
    5. iTunes can constantly lose connection to the library. The disk is slow to respond.. itunes on the computer will constantly spit out errors. Even in the midst of streaming the TC can spin down the disk due to caching.
    6. Do not use any live files on the TC no matter what else you do.. if you edit files in whatever program the file must be on the local hard disk.
    7. The only suitable location for most libraries is a computer. You can plug in an external hard disk.
    Read pondini for some work arounds.
    Q3 here. http://pondini.org/TM/Time_Capsule.html

  • Will Time Machine Back Up Data on a Networked Time Capsule to an External HD?

    Situation: I use my time capsule as a "network server". This is where all my files, music and movies are located. These files need to be backed up regularly. The Time Capsule is connected to my MacBook Pro via ethernet.
    Question: Can I use Time Machine to back up my files on the networked time capsule to another external hardrive?
    Goal: Data from TIME CAPSULE backed up to an EXTERNAL HD via time machine. I can have the external HD on the network or via USB to the Macbook Pro.
    Any help is appreciated. I've been trying to do this off an on for a few years with no luck.
    Thanks!

    Can I use Time Machine to back up my files on the networked time capsule to another external hardrive?
    No, but ChronoSync can do this and I believe that Carbon Copy Cloner can now do this as well.
    http://econtechnologies.com/pages/cs/chrono_overview.html
    http://www.bombich.com/

  • How can I use my Time Capsule as an external Hard Drive for my PC?  My PC can't find it.

    Hi, I just bought this Time Capsule for my home.  I've got the internet access for all my devices (Mac, iPad, PC, iPhone) and I've got the Mac backup working through Time Machine.  I'm supposed to be able to use the Time Capsule as an external drive for my PC, but I can't figure it out.  My PC doesn't recognize the Time Capsule as a Network Place.  I called AppleCare, but they don't have all the answers for "PC issues."  They tried to get me to Map a Network Drive, but my PC popped up a window asking for a Username and Password.  It looks like something similar to when I VPN into my company network from home.
    I'm using Windows XP Professional, Version 2002, Service Pack 3.
    Any help would be appreciated.
    Thanks!

    Download and install the airport utility for windows.. it isn't strictly necessary but the bonjour service makes life easier.
    The request for username and password is correct. Username is whatever you like.. but windows needs it.. so admin.. being the common router one.. password by default is public unless you changed it.
    Now to get the TC to work properly..
    1. The names should be SMB compliant.. by default they are wrong.. use short names, no spaces no special characters.. pure alphanumeric. That is for TC name and wireless names.
    2. Wireless passwords should also be same use WPA2 private.
    3. In the disk sharing page.. manual setup.. put in the windows workgroup name.. ie WORKGROUP.. this helps the discovery process.
    4. In the same area, turn on the guest account to read and write.. not necessary but helps with later versions of windows particularly.
    5. Access the drive by using the direct IP address. ie in Windows Explorer address bar, \\10.0.1.1 (or whatever IP the TC is at).

  • Can I use my time capsule as a external hard drive as well

    I want to use my time capsule as a external hard drive as well as a back up disk. Is that possible?

    You Can!! But Should you??
    Can and Should are different.
    Here are the issues.
    Store files on the TC.
    https://discussions.apple.com/message/24380694#24380694
    This is asked several times a day.. obviously people are struggling with their latest SSD being too small.
    The TC is not suitable for network file server.. but many people having no choice press it into service as such.
    It cannot be partitioned. It was and is and ever shall be a backup device for Time Machine.
    Major issues.
    1. No backup.. no way Time Machine can backup a network drive. No place to backup to.. So all your files will be at risk. And you will need to buy a third party like CCC to do backup.
    2. The TC cannot be partitioned and mixing TM backups and data is not great.
    3. The drive is slow to spin up and quick to spin down.. there is no controls.
    4. iPhoto in particular can easily corrupt its entire library with wireless networking causing a disconnection to one photo. Even if you do this;;; do not move your photo library... you have been warned!!
    5. iTunes will constantly lose connection to the library. The disk is too slow to respond.. itunes on the computer will constantly spit out errors. Even in the midst of streaming the TC can spin down the disk due to caching.
    6. Do not use any live files on the TC no matter what else you do.. if you edit files in whatever program the file must be on the local hard disk.
    7. The only suitable location for most libraries is a computer. You can plug in an external hard disk.
    Read pondini for some work arounds.
    Q3 here. http://pondini.org/TM/Time_Capsule.html

  • Windows not recognizing my time capsle - I just purchased a new computer that runs windows 8 and it doesn't want to recognize the time capsule as an external hard drive (ie doesn't show up under my compter).  I've downloaded airport utility...

    I just purchased a new computer that runs windows 8 and it doesn't want to recognize the time capsule as an external hard drive (ie doesn't show up under my compter).  I've downloaded and run airport utility, but it seems to have a hard time finding the time capsule...maybe one out of 10 times it will find it.
    What's more, when I look under network infrastructure under the control panel, it shows my Broadcom ADSL centurylink Router...so I'm wondering if my modem/router combo is overriding the router function on my timecapsule and the time capsule is not being used as a router...
    Any help much appreciated!

    In this case the TC should be in bridge mode.
    Win8 is still problematic. Try using ethernet instead of wireless. I think the drivers are poor still and it is well worth having a try via ethernet if you haven't already.
    Otherwise you will need to wait for apple to release bonjour for windows 8 and airport utility.. which is not out yet.
    Also make sure the windows is set to home, not work or public.. even turn off the firewall.
    Open windows explorer and type the TC ip address into the address bar.. (none of which is perhaps the same.. I gave away windows at vista.. shudder)
    \\TCIPadderss.

  • Using AirPort Time Capsule as an external drive with access to files by guest account

    Is it possible to use my AirPort Time Capsule as an external drive with access to files by a guest account?
    I would like to store a large number of folders containg photographs on my AirPort Time Capsule and allow anyone with a password to access the photographs - at the time of viewing the Time Capsule would be connected to the internet but I wouldn't want users to actually access anything other than the files on the Time Capsule - is this possible?  if so any help in configuring it would be really helpful.

    No it is not possible.. Guest is just that.. a guest that is allowed permission to access the internet but none of the local files.
    To give a person access to the TC they must have password to access your normal network..
    From there it is up to you how you do this.. people cannot actually access files on your computers unless you give them share and password permissions for that.. you can even setup accounts on the TC although I recommend against it.. if you want shared photos anyway. All security on a TC is illusion.. merely pressing the reset and it is all blown away.. so if you are concerned about security don't put stuff on the TC people should not access.. or like your TM backups ensure they are encrypted.
    A person can then access you TC and the photos.. but what else on the network??

  • How To Use Time Capsule As An External Hard Drive?

    I backup my computer onto the time capsule using time machine.
    After that I want to have more space on my computer (becasue my hard drive is almost full) (I still want to have my local snapshots and daily backups) so I want to delete some of my files but I still want them on my time capsule and I know after I back my computer the files will be deleted so I go to finder/my time capsule (under shared)/data/my macbook pro/ then I go to my destop and see; 1: time machine backups 2: data... I go to data and create a new file that will contain everything that I wanted deleted off my macbook so the when the next backup comes, I will still have (in data on time capsule) my time machine backups and my deleted things... will this work? why or why not? I heard people saying that you have to choose the time capsule between a external hard drive or with time machine... but will this attempt work with both>???

    It will work but shouldn't be done, as the Time Capsule's internal drive may fail at any time. Anything you want to keep shouldn't be on only one drive.
    (80321)

  • To add a 6 TB G-Raid (Mac os extended) ext drive to a 2Tb time capsule, using a powered usb with the TC usb port. Using the airport utility 5.6 on iMAC (10.7.3). Went to manual setup,then disk. Have options of the TC

    Want to add a 6 TB G-Raid (Mac os extended) ext drive to a 2Tb time capsule, using a powered usb with the TC usb port. Using the airport utility 5.6 on iMAC (10.7.3). Went to manual setup,then disk. Have options of the TC or 6TB. Won't allow update to the 6TB

    4Buck5 wrote:
    Want to add a 6 TB G-Raid (Mac os extended) ext drive to a 2Tb time capsule, using a powered usb with the TC usb port. Using the airport utility 5.6 on iMAC (10.7.3). Went to manual setup,then disk. Have options of the TC or 6TB. Won't allow update to the 6TB
    I am not 100% what isn't allowed.. but I am assuming you want to spread the backup across the two disks.. internal TC and 6TB external.. this is not possible.. It has to be one or the other. TC has no way to build a raid JBOD or anything else. Nor would you want to as that is the most likely to fail and kill your data.
    Let me add, backing up 6TB over USB on TC.. will be the most excruciating experience of your life.. cf child birth or passing kidney stones.. large ones.. being the male equivalent.

  • Time Capsule connected to External Hard Drive

    I haven't seen a definitive answer to this question.
    I want to plug an external hard drive directly into the Time Capsule so that the Time Capsule backs the external drive up. Is that possible?
    Thanks!

    I wonder if the question was in relation to backing up the Time Capsule back up?
    If not, that's still a good question. Any idea if an external drive plugged into the TC would be able to back up either the Time Machine copy/ies and/or the network hard disk?
    The idea here is to create a redundant copy of my back ups for that added layer of protection.
    Thanks!

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