Can I use Time Capsule as an external drive to store iTunes files, photos and to back-up my MacBook Air?

I need an external drive to back-up my MacBook Air. In addition, my iTunes library of music, TV shows & movies is pretty enormous and I'd like to move it from my MacBook to an external drive to free up space on the laptop.
I will need to access my iTunes library from my Apple TV and the MacBook. I also have an iPad which will need to sync with the external drive.
I would prefer the external drive to be wireless as I am very rarely docked when at home.
Is the Time Capsule the right piece of kit for the job?
Thanks.

Is the Time Capsule the right piece of kit for the job?
Not really, no.
TC is a dumb as board hard disk in an airport extreme router. It has no media servers.. no backup.. it is slow and designed for TM target for laptops. The major one here is lack of backup. Any files you put on the TC can and will be lost at some point.. and to backup you need to have a computer connected to it with an external hard disk.. and a 3rd party backup because TM is too dumb to back up network drives.
TC is designed to spin up slow and spin down quickly at the end of backup. You will have issues when you stream media from it.
ATV needs to connect to itunes server.. not the library. You will still need a computer running. Same for lots of things.. since apple designed their system to be dependent on itunes.
The best idea is a media computer.. a mac mini is ideal. Don't need the latest greatest.. but an actual mac running itunes. Unfortunately it doesn't have large internal drives.. so it is still a bit kludgy in needing a fast external drive.. but at least you have automatic backups.

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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

Can i use time capsule as a external hard

can i use time capsule as a external hard

Yes, if you intend to use it to store back up files that you will leave alone.
But, you should not try to place "active" files on the Time Capsule.....things like an iPhoto Library, iTunes Library, Movies, Music or other files that you will be using actively on a regular basis.
Apple designed the Time Capsule for your backups. If you use it that way, things will be OK.

Can I use Time Capsule as an external HD? In this case to edit movies in FinalCut.

Can I use Time Capsule as an external HD? In this case to edit movies in FinalCut.

Yes, but it depends on the setup if you should or not.. not everything you can do you should do.
Are you connected by ethernet?
If you use wireless this can be super slow.. and also subject to corruption of the file.
You cannot use USB to connect.
If you are using a desktop computer, then an external drive is cheap, fast and reliable.
TM can also backup your work.
Using the TC as external drive.. Time Machine (TM) no longer has the ability to backup your work.. it can use TC as a target only.
How is the TC now setup? Did you want to setup in complete isolation to existing networking? If so how are you going to get network connection to internet etc. ??

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!

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??

Can i use time capsule as another hard drive?

Can I use time capsule as another hard drive?

You can, but it was not really designed for that purpose. Access to files will be quite a bit slower than a drive that is directly attached to your computer.
The Time Capsule's main function is as a back up device using the Time Machine application.
If you are using it already for Time Machine, it is generally not a good idea to mix Time Machine backups and regular files on the same drive as there will be struggle for space when the drive starts to fill up.

Can I use time capsule as an external disk only (not as a wireless router)

how can I use my time capsule as an external disk only. I have had problems with time capsule as a wifi router.

Sure.. but it is still a network drive and must use wireless or ethernet.. the best way is plugged into the main router in bridge mode.. but you can use it in secondary network.. although the setup is more complicated.
It is also less good than a simple external drive.. which is cheaper, faster and more reliable. Consider if the TC doesn't suit your needs get rid of it and opt for simple external drive.

Can I extend time capsule by adding external drive connected TC via USB?

Hi,
I use my TC drive for backups, i's now full. Can I extend time capsule backup drive by adding external drive connected TC via USB? If yes, how do I his? I have 1TB WD external drive connected via the TC's USB, I can see the WD drive in the finder and the TC set-up...but I don't know where to go from here...
Thanks for your help
Steveru

Welcome to the discussions, Steveru!
I think what you are asking is can you simply continue Time Machine backups by adding the new USB drive, correct? The answer is not exactly. See below for details.
To use the new USB drive for Time Machine backups, you'll need to Open System Preferences (gear icon) on the dock and open Time Machine. Click on Select Disk and click your USB drive to highlight it, then click Use for Backup. Here's the rub....Time Machine will make a new full complete backup of everything on your Mac's hard drive. There's no way to avoid this. After that, it will continue to make scheduled incremental backups just like it did before on the Time Capsule.
If you ever need to go back to your original backups on the Time Capsule, you'll need to right-click the Time Capsule icon on the dock and choose Browse Other Time Machine Disks.
When the USB drive start to fill, you may decide that you no longer need all the old backups on the Time Capsule disk since you should have a good history of backups on the USB drive at that point.
So, you could erase the Time Capsule disk and then start backing up to the Time Capsule disk again. At that time, it will also make a complete backup on the first pass and then normal incremental backups from that point forward. When the TC begins to fill again, then you could erase the older backups on the USB drive and start backups again on that drive. Then switch to the other drive in the future to keep things going indefinitely. If you go with this type of flip flop plan, you should always have a solid history of many months of backups at any given time.
Will a plan like this work? I don't answer a question on the forum unless I've done it myself. This has been working well for me for almost 3 years.
Pondini, the resident expert on Time Machine and Time Capsule affairs, may have some comments on this as well. If you haven't already seen his excellent guide, Using Time Machine with a Time Capsule or +Time Machine FAQ+, these are the best available sources of information on this subject on the Internet.
Or, if you don't want to erase any your backups, you could of course keep adding a new USB drive when the current drive is about to fill.

Can I use time capsule as a network drive?

I want to use the HD in my time capsule as a network drive in addition to backing up my macbook pro and imac desktop. I also have a couple of PCs anda yamaha tuner/amp on the network. Can this be done?

Click here and follow the instructions.
(66659)

Can I use Time Machine on an external drive that has files already on it.

Please excuse the silly question. New to mac, from PC.
I have a 200g external hard drive that has my itunes library, photos and other assorted files on it.
If I use time machine on this drive will it delete everything that is there, or can I use it in conjunction with the other files that are there?

You can use a Time Machine drive to save other files on it but I think time machine formats the drive when you first activate it so you will have to temporarily move your files while that happens. You best bet would be to partition the drive into a time machine portion and another for your files.
Steve

Can I use time capsule as an external hard drive

I have a MacBook Pro that came loaded with 500Gb storage and I had another 750Gb storage added and the disc drive removed. I have now filled both HD's and want to move the data to an external device. I have a 2TB Time Capsule just sitting here doing nothing at the moment but am wondering if I can just use it as an external HD instead of just backup? Also, I don't want to backup/sore anyone else's info and we are already running a wireless network in the house that I don't want to itnerfear with...

It is possible to use the TC as a file store albeit a very unsafe one..
If you off load files you will not want to use Time Machine. Either just directly copy the files or use another backup utility.
The reason I say the TC is unsafe,, once you copy the files to the TC. and then delete them from your computer.. you have no backup.. the TC is a backup device NOT a file store. It has only the most primitive backup, via USB connected drive, to manually do a full backup of the TC. In terms of reliability.. TC are very prone to failure after 2years.. they are sealed and no parts are made available.. In Apple's understanding it is a consumable.. when it breaks, buy a new one.. it only has backups on it not your only source of files.
Having said all that,, if you are prepared to use a USB drive and setup some sort of backup software on a computer it can be used. It is slow.. it is dumb.. ie it has no servers other than basic network file serving.. and you should not then use it as Time Machine target at all.. as you will have 1.2TB of files sitting on it.

1. Can I use Time Capsule as an external hard drive, remove wifi feature?

Hi there -
My Time Capsule contains my iPhoto library, and I had used it in the past as my wifi router, backup AND external hard drive for the iPhoto library. Now I must use AT&T's wireless router, and would still like to use the TC for the backup and iPhoto library storage. Is there a way to do that?
Also, the Apple deviced prefer to connect to Time Capsule (which is no longer connected to the internet) as their first choice for the wifi internet connection. Is there a way to change that preference?
Thanks in advance for all your help!

Only one setting needs to be checked to make sure that the Time Capsule will connect to your ATT router correctly.
To do that, you need to use AirPort Utility, but we do not know what version that you might have. Please open AirPort Utility, click on the AirPort Utility menu, and then click About AirPort Utility and post back with the version number that you see there.
My Time Capsule contains my iPhoto library, and I had used it in the past as my wifi router, backup AND external hard drive for the iPhoto library.
Sorry, maybe I do not understand this. If you have your "main" iPhoto library on the Time Capsule, you cannot also have the backup of the iPhoto library on the same Time Capsule. What would happen when.....not if.....the Time Capsule fails?
For the record, the experts in the iPhoto support area strongly recommend that you do not locate your main iPhoto library on the Time Capsule.....but that is probably another discussion and post in the iPhoto support community.
Also, the Apple deviced prefer to connect to Time Capsule (which is no longer connected to the internet) as their first choice for the wifi internet connection. Is there a way to change that preference?
The Time Capsule will be connected to the Internet when it is configured correctly to connect your ATT router, so your devices can continue to use the Time Capsule wireless if you want.
Or, are you saying that you want to turn off the wireless function on the Time Capsule and use the ATT wireless?
The Time Capsule will run circles around the ATT router as far as wireless performance, but you may have your reasons for wanting to use the ATT wireless.
Please clarify on what it is that want to do.

Can i use time capsule as an external hard drive and stream stuff?

hey i am thinking of purchasing a 2TB time capsule because its soo annoying getting stuff from my external putting them onto my mac then putting them into itunes then streaming them from my itunes to my xbox, is their no way i can just put all my films and music onto the time capsule and stream them to my xbox and macbook without all the wires and hassle, i am also wondering if i could do this would i be able to stream music from the time capsule (external harddrive) to my iphone. The main reason why i would like to know this is because my mac is only 150Gb and i have over a 1TB of films would be soo much easier if someone could give me some answers thank you

Here's my set up:
Mac only>TC is my main router>wired with Cat 6 ethernet cable>set up for wireless also.
My other Macs wired or wireless can detect the 500 gig hard drive so I use it as storage and sync it to my Apple TV for movie watching.
You can do this on PC.

Can I use time capsule as an external HDD to free up memory on my comuter along with the time machine backups?

I currently am considering a WD My Book Live Home Network Drive for 189.00 but would consider a time capule if it will allow me to rid my iMac of all the pictures and videos to free up my memory and store it on the time capsule for easy access on my 2 mac computers and apple TV. The WD also will allow me to access my itunes library via wireless connection without going through my computer. Please help.

The Time Capsule is for your backups.
You always want to keep "original" copies of your media on one drive, and backups on another drive. In case one drive fails....or rather I should say when...not if...a drive fails.....you still have copies on the other hard drive.
While you could move your images and media files to the Time Capsule from your Mac...and then delete the files on your Mac to free up space....you may not have considered that you have no backups if you do this.
If the Time Capsule has a problem....rather I should say....when the Time Capsule has a problem.....you lose all of your images and media. The same would apply if you use the WD drive just for images and media.
Given the investment in images, time and money for your data, only the most foolhardy of users would consider something like this.
Bottom line...you need two drives...the WD drive and a Time Capsule. They you can add the WD drive directly to your Mac and move the images and media there. Then, the Time Capsule will backup the files on your both your Mac and the WD drive.
So, you have "original" files and data on one drive and backups for that data on another drive. That's a bare minimum backup plan. Many of use use a dual backup and plan and keep an extra copy of backups offsite, in case of theft, fire or flood.

Can I use Time Capsule as an external drive to store iTunes files, photos and to back-up my MacBook Air?

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