Can Time Capsule act as just a network hard drive?

I need a hard drive somehow just "on" our home network. I.e. I need to be able to access files wirelessly that are too many to be on my laptop (i.e. a seperate repository).
Does Time Capsule do this, or is it really just for backup? If the latter, can anyone please recommend a solution? I, of course, would not like to have to invest in computer that is always on just to get at files on a drive.
Thanks.

Time Capsule is a NAS. You can use it as such. The advantage of TC over a regular NAS is that is is Apple-supported for use with Time Machine.
Note that TC is not easy to partition without removing the HDD from the case. Therefore, if you paln to use it for backups and other file storage, they will share the same partition and will be formatted HFS+.

Similar Messages

  • Can Time Capsule Be Used Only as a Hard Drive, Not as a Router?

    I have been using a Time Capsule as a router and as a wireless backup system for a year, but had endless trouble with the dual use, since my personal Macbook is on the second floor of my house and the router must reside in the basement, where we have other computers. Wireless backups are much too slow. So I replaced the Time Capsule with an Airport Extreme Base Station, which works fine. I'd like to continue using the Time Capsule, but solely for backups and not as a router, and connect the TC by ethernet or usb directly to the MacBook. Can this be done, and if so, how? Thanks!

    Hello JohnFrancis. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
    I'd like to continue using the Time Capsule, but solely for backups and not as a router, and connect the TC by ethernet or usb directly to the MacBook. Can this be done, and if so, how?
    Yes it can. You would just need to disable its wireless radio. You will also need to connect it by Ethernet as the TC's USB port is only for connecting it to USB hard drives, printers, and/or hubs.
    To disable the radio: AirPort Utility > Manual Setup > Time Capsule > Wireless tab > Wireless Mode = Off

  • Can time capsule be used as an external hard drive for storing media

    Can you use it in such a way that you put movies and music and home vidoes on there to be accessed on when on the network along with using it for backing up data.  Could it be used in such a way that you  can access your files when on wifi from anywhere?

    TC is not designed to be a NAS.. principally it is lacking any means to back itself up. And TM cannot backup a network drive.
    If you put data on it like your movies and music in raw format that is fine.. if you put your itunes or iphoto etc library on it.. you will find it is slow to start, quick to stop, stutters and has issues. Also wireless frankly is just not that good.
    I am not sure how far away is anywhere?? Do you mean remote access? That is possible via btmm using icloud.
    The problem is, TC is not a media player.. it is a dumb as a board hard disk in a router.
    How are you going to play your videos or music unless you move itunes library onto the TC??

  • How can I move (copy) my Time Capsule date to a new 2T hard drive and then wipe the TC and start as a new (clean) Time MACHINE backup?

    How can I move (copy) my Time Capsule date to a new 2T hard drive and then wipe the TC and start as a new (clean) Time MACHINE backup?

    Just use the archive utility on the disk page of the airport utility manual setup..
    If you have lion and v6 airport utility.. it missed out. On lots of things.
    Download and install the real.. UTILITY
    5.6 http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1482

  • Can Time Machine back up a second external hard drive that is attached via usb to a Time Capsule?

    Can Time Machine back up a second external hard drive that is attached via usb to a Time Capsule?
    I have a iMac with 10.7.4

    I want to back up the data on the external Hard Drive that is attached to the Time Capsule to the Tim Capsule using Time Machine.
    Thanks for the clarification.  Unfortunately, that will not work.  You will need to connect the drive directly to your Mac if you want Time Machine to backup the drive to the Time Capsule.

  • How to use AirPort Time Capsule 2TB as an external storage hard drive only?

    I have a new AirPort Time Capsule 3TB, now I want to use my AirPort Time Capsule 2TB as an external storage hard drive only, how do I it? 
    I would like to  connect the AirPort Time Capsule 2TB directly to my Mac Pro. using OS X 10.7.5.
    I have erase disk and reset the 2TB to factory default, after that, I cannot make it to connect to my Mac.  Please help.

    The 2TB Time Capsule needs to connect to your 3TB Time Capsule using a wired Ethernet connection.
    Connect from a LAN <--> port on the 3 TB Time Capsule to the WAN "O" port on the 2 TB Time Capsule and configure the 2TB Time Capsule in Bridge Mode and turn off the wireless function on the device as well.
    Once that is done, you can connect your Mac directly to the 2TB Time Capsule using another Ethernet cable, or your Mac can connect to the network using the normal wireless network, if you prefer.

  • Creating Encrypted Time Machine Back Ups to a Network Hard Drive

    Hello all, I can't seem to create an encrypted Time Machine back up on a network hard drive.  Can this be done?  And if not, why not?  It seems that Macs have all the necessary functionality already available in Mac OS. Time Machine can create encrypted backups with multiple computers so what's the difference if it is to a network backup drive, honestly?  Any suggestions?
    My Set up:  Three Macs, Airport Extreme Base Station, Seagate 3 TB HD (with separate partitions for each computer's backups).  2 of the Macs use ethernet to connect to the network and one uses wireless regularly.  Basically, I'm trying to encrypt my family's backup drive and I don't know how or why I can't.
    Thanks in advance for the help.
    Appleguy514

    First, you need to know that backing-up that way is unreliable and not supported by Apple.   See:  Using Time Machine with an Airport Extreme Air Disk.
    Second, no, you cannot encrypt a network backup on Lion or earlier.  Only Mountain Lion.

  • After I configure my time capsule to my newly replaced macbook hard drive, are my old backups still available?

    After I configure my time capsule to my newly replaced macbook hard drive, are my old backups still available?

    How old was this backup? It sounds like it was at least several weeks old.
    You can look directly in the TM backup for the music.
    1. Connect to the external HDD the backup is kept on.
    2. Open a Finder window and select the backup drive in the left hand panel. Double click into the folders until you see a list of folders with dates.
    These are the incremental backups. You can start at the top or the bottom of the list but I suggest you double Latest/<HDD Name>/Users/<Account Name>/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music. From this location you can start looking for the "missing" music. When/if you find it you can simply drag-n-drop to ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music on the internal HDD.
    If the music is actually not in the backups (for whatever reason) then you've got a problem.
    You can download the uploaded files from the cloud by deleting the affected tracks from the iTunes library (but not the cloud!), highlighting multiple tracks at once, right-clicking and choosing "download."

  • Can the time capsule be used as an external hard drive

    Can the time capsule be used as an external hard drive

    If you mean by usb to a computer no.. it is a network device only and has to be used via ethernet or wireless.
    It can be used standalone,, ie not plugged into an existing network.. but there are some steps required to make it work if you want internet connection at the same time. It is generally much easier to have the TC bridged into the network.

  • Can you use TC as just an external hard drive

    Can a TC be set up as just an external hard drive?

    Yes, as long as you use ethernet or wireless.. not USB.
    Then you do have some setup issues. Because for instance if you use ethernet for network, it is much better to put the TC onto the network.. just use bridge modem.. or you can use wireless.. but it is hard to use the same service for both internet and the TC connection if they are separate.
    Beaten by Bob.. BBB.. second time this week.. (in Maxwell Smart voice).
    Good point he makes.. you can use a straight external disk at half the price. USB direct to the computer is much faster than wireless and not that much slower than ethernet. Maybe even same.

  • Time Machine back up to a network hard drive

    I have just upgraded to leopard and I'm trying to set Time Machine up with my network hard drive. I have a network of a few macs so I have a Lacie 1TB ethernet drive which all machine back up to. It seems when I mount the drive in Leopard, the Time Machone does not recognise it to back up to. Any suggestions please?

    This works for me.
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1221879&tstart=30

  • How do I get Time Capsule to back up an external hard drive?

    I need Time Capsule/Time Machine to back up my external hard drive. How do I do this?

    The external drive is plugged into the Mac??
    Just open the Time Machine preferences, Options, and include the external drive.. done!! (The menu is exclude.. so just ensure it is not excluded.. don't use no double negatives.. is grammar rule apple could learn).
    You cannot backup the external drive if plugged into the TC directly.

  • Lion - can no longer connect to WD wireless network / hard drive.

    I upgraded to Lion and now I am unable to connect to my WD wireless network hard drive.  it tells me that the version of the server I am trying to connect to is not supported and to contact your system administrator to resolve the problem.  Suggestions?

    See #C16 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.

  • Can Time Capsule be used just for backups -- without being connected to a wireless network?

    I have a second-generation Time Capsule that I no longer need as a wireless router. However, I'd like it to wirelessly (and automatically) backup our family's iMac and MacBook Pro. Is that possible? 

    Thanks very much, Bob and LaPastenague,
    I ended up replacing the wireless Netgear Router (which Time Warner installed last May) with my older (second-generation) Time Capsule -- and it works flawlessly.
    I guess I was afraid that since it's a few years old that it wouldn't work -- or work as well, as the new Netgear wireless router.
    In fact it works better - the range is much better. And the issue my new iMac had, of losing connection with the network (though the little wifi icon never indicated it had in fact dropped) has evaporated.
    Thanks for the help! Just shows that Apple rocks in every way.

  • Can Time Capsule acts as a wireless extender from a base router

    I have a Verizon FIOS base wireless router in my home --- and need to boost the signal to another area - can the Time Capsule be an extender to that base router?

    Sorry, but the Apple products are not compatibe with FIOS routers for this type of purpose. Check with FIOS to see if they have any "extenders" or "repeaters" that they can provide.

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