Do I have to use AirPort to use the Time Capsule with Mac & PC

I want to buy one so the whole family can share, but can I just plug it into my existing router?
also,  I was told that the drive can be partitioned so that there can be an area for the time machine backup for my mac, but also additional storage areas like external drive space.  Is this true and can other users on the network access those files?
Thanks,
a

You might do better with a synology or qnap NAS.. they are true NAS.. not like the TC.. they are designed for file sharing.. the TC is not a file share device.. it is a backup target for Time Machine.
You can use Mac or PC with them and TM will also backup to either of those brands. (And many other NAS available with Time Machine extensions).

Similar Messages

  • Using the Time Capsule with a Mac OS X 10.4.10

    I'm sure this post has turned up often, but I've searched Google high and low and cannot find an easier solution to my problem.
    Basically, I bought the Time Capsule because I wanted to use the wireless router and I wanted an external hard drive. I've read articles stating that, even though I don't have Leopard and thus don't have Time Machine, I can still use the Time Capsule's storage to manually back up files (MP3s, photos, movies, etc.). However, I cannot find anywhere to tell me exactly how to do this (and it's making me feel rather illiterate when it comes to Macs)...
    Could someone help me out?

    All you need to do is follow the Time Capsule setup guide. I believe the 1st gen. TC setup guide is non-specific for Leopard/Tiger OS.
    http://www.apple.com/support/airport/
    Perhaps you need to describe your setup, what you want, what you've done, and what doesn't work yet.

  • How to use the time capsule with my existing router?

    Here is my situation. I have Alltel PCD UM185 USB modem for their mobile broadband internet. I have a Cradlepoint MBR1000 router which I plug the usb modem into to share the internet through a wireless network which has WPA security on it. I want to use my 1TB time capsule to backup the computers in my house wirelessly and not as a router. What connection do I need to make and how to do I setup the time capsule this way? I can't figure it out. Thanks for any help in advance. If you need more information just ask.
    Thanks,
    John

    Steven's solution will work just fine if you want to connect the Time Capsule using ethernet.
    You might also consider configuring the the Time Capsule to "Join" the wireless network. In this type of configuration, backups would occur only over wireless and you could locate the Time Capsule virtually anywhere it can receive a good, strong wireless connection. Important Note...the ethernet ports on the Time Capsule are not enabled in this type of configuration, so you will not be able to connect using ethernet.
    Open AirPort Utility and click Continue
    Then select the option to "Join a wireless network" and follow the prompts

  • Can i use the time capsule as just an external hard drive for music or does it have to be used soley as a backe up?? im thinking for music and photos

    Can I use the time capsule as just an external hard drive for music or does it have to be used soley as a back up?  I'm thinking for music and photos

    Nickles96 wrote:
    Hello friends.. I have a similar question, in that I would like to purchase the 2TB TC for use as a NAS device, in addition to taking advantage of the Air Port extreme.. Then I could dump my Linksys router.
    I was originally looking at a Synology NAS solution, but the TC seems like it can meet my needs.
    I have a Synology NAS as well as the Time Capsule.  If you look at the 3.2 beta program, the Synology actually attempts to replicate TC functionality in that you can use it with Time Machine on your Mac.
    I must say, Airport on the TC is definitely a nice feature!
    Nickles96 wrote:
    In addition to the obvious feature of the backup, can I indeed also use the TC as a NAS drive to access from remote locations (example from the office)?
    I'm surprised more people aren't using the TC as a dedicated NAS deviced.. I've searched high and low on forums around the web, and don't seem to see many people trying to use it as I've outlined.
    I can't see why this wouldn't fufill my needs, and take the place of a separate NAS solution (like the Synology, or iOmega, Seagate, etc....)
    Has anyone used this TC as such?
    Yes, you can do this and it's something I've been trying to do, but I'm currently having issues.  I have another thread stating I consistently get "connection failed" messages.  I'm basically storing my music/photo/video files on the TC and keeping my Mac hard drive fairly lean.  In terms of NAS functionality, the TC is very basic.  Synology/QNAP and others have a lot more features so don't rule them out.

  • I want to set up the Time Machine and I would love to use the Time  Capsule but since I already have a wireless router I need suggestions on  what other external disks Apple could recommend to use with the Time Machine and  how to configure that disk

    I want to set up the Time Machine and I would love to use the Time
    Capsule but since I already have a wireless router I need suggestions on
    what other
    external disks Apple could recommend to use with the Time Machine and
    how to configure that disk.
    A complication that I need to resolve is the fact that I am using Vmware
    Fusion to be able to use Windows on my Mac. Now it seems that Time
    Machine is not backing up my files
    on that virtual Windows without additional configuration and my question
    is whether you can advise me here or whether this is only a matter for
    the Fusion virtual machine.

    If you want to use Time Capsule you can.. you simply bridge it and plug it into the existing router.. wireless can be either turned off or used to reinforce the existing wireless.. eg use 5ghz in the TC which is much faster than your 2.4ghz.
    You can also use a NAS.. many brands available but the top brands are synology, qnap and netgear readynas  series. These will all do Time Machine backups although how well always depends on Apple sticking to a standard. There are cheaper ones.. I bought a single disk zyxel which was rebadged and sold through my local supermarket. It actually works very well for TM at least on Snow Leopard. Major changes were made in Lion and again ML so do not instantly think it will work on later versions. I haven't tried it yet with those versions.
    Any external drive can be plugged into the mac. Use the one with the fastest connection or cheapest price according to your budget. USB2 drives are cheap and plentiful. But no where near as fast as USB3 or FW800. So just pick whichever suits the ports on your Mac. Interesting Apple finally moved to USB3 on their latest computers.
    TM should exclude the VM partition file.. it is useless backing it up from Mac OS side.. and will slow TM as it needs to backup that partition everyday for no purpose.. TM cannot see the files inside it to backup just the changes.
    You need to backup windows from windows. Use MSbackup to external drive.. if you have pro or ultimate versions you can backup to network drive. But MSbackup is a dog.. at least until the latest version it cannot restore the partition without first loading windows. There are about a zillion backup software versions for windows.. look up reviews and buy one which works for you. I use a free one Macrium Reflect which does full disk backups and is easy to restore.. to do incremental backups though you have to pay for it.

  • I have a Time Capsule with 2tb of storage, and an I-Mac with 500Gb. (which is at capacity) Can I use the Time Capsule to store data in addition to backing up the hard drive?

    I have a Time Capsule with 2tb of storage, and an I-Mac with 500Gb. (which is at capacity) Can I use the Time Capsule to store data from my hard drive that I want to access later in addition to backing up the hard drive?

    Can I use the Time Capsule to store data from my hard drive that I want to access later in addition to backing up the hard drive?
    Yes, but if you move the "original" data on your iMac to the Time Capsule....then the "original" data is now on the Time Capsule disk. 
    When...not if...the Time Capsule disk has a problem, you have no backups for this data.
    Perhaps a much safer plan might be to add an external hard drive attached directly to your iMac. Then, move the data to that drive from the iMac.
    Now, Time Machine will back up both your iMac and the external hard drive so you have "originals" on one drive and backups on another. Would that plan work for you?

  • Can I use the Time Capsule strictly for system backup and continue to use my Airport Extreme for all my wireless needs

    I want to use the Apple Time Capsule as an external drive and continue to use my Airport Extreme for all my wireless needs. Can I do that? The reason I ask is that my Time Machine utility cannot find the TIme Capsule - it only shows me the Airport Extreme, even when I "Rescan". SO I am unable to use the Time Capsule.

    You will need to connect an Ethernet cable from one of the LAN <-> ports on the AirPort Extreme to the WAN "O" port on the Time Capsule.
    Perform a "hard reset" on the Time Capsule by holding in the reset button for 9-10 seconds, then give it another minute to restart to a slow, blinking amber light.
    Open AirPort Utility, select the Time Capsule, and click Manual Setup
    Click the Time Capsule tab located below the row of icons to assign a name to the Time Capsule, a device password, and adjust Time Zone settings.
    Next, click the Wireless tab located to the right of the Time Capsule tab
    Change the setting for Wireless Mode to Off
    Click the Internet icon, then click the Internet Connection tab
    Connect Using = Ethernet
    Connection Sharing = Off (Bridge Mode)
    Click Update at the lower right to save the settings and allow 30 seconds for the Time Capsule to restart to a green light.
    You are all set

  • I have not used my time capsule as a back up in a while

    I have not used my time capsule as a back up in a while & I would like to start using it again, but it give me the following error...
    "This backup is too large for the backup disk. The backup requires 195.55 GB but only 93.26 GB are available."
    Can I delete the old files form the b/u disk to make more room for my new back-ups?

    Yes, for sure.. if you only have the 500GB TC, and you don't need the old backups.. or if you have stored files on it copy them some place else and then erase the drive. It will fill up again quick enough anyway.

  • I have 2 different MacBooks (owned by 2 people) connected to my Time Capsule. I want to use the Time Capsule to back up both MacBooks separately from each other. Can one person access the hard drive of the other person, on the same Time Capsule?

    I have 2 different MacBooks (owned by 2 people) connected to the same Time Capsule over a wifi network. I want to use the Time Capsule to back up both MacBooks separately from each other. Can one person access the hard drive of the other person, on the same Time Capsule? Is there a way to ensure that the files on the 2 laptops are kept private from each other? Thanks!

    If someone really wants to do something, it won't take them long to find out how to do it. 
    http://pondini.org/TM/17.html
    Security on a Time Capsule is a bit like installing a lock on a tent. It will keep the honest folks out, but probably not the others.

  • How can I use the Time Capsule in only 802.11b/g?

    I think I am getting interferences on my 5GHz phone from the time capsule, which I have running in 802.11n mode with b/g compatitibility. I assume if the Time Capsule was running in 802.11b/g mode I would not get the intereferences?
    The Airport utility does not seem to have a setting to use the Time Capsule in 802.11b/g only. Is there a way to accomplish this?
    Message was edited by: Karl R.

    Duane wrote:
    Then the Time Capsule's 5 GHz network should not interfere with the phone since it operates a long way from the phone's frequency.
    Not necessarily. In the US 802.11n channels appear to go up to at least 5.805 GHz, if I interpret this chart
    http://www.networkdictionary.com/Wireless/Wi-Fi-Wireless-LAN-Frequency.php
    correctly.
    It would seem that the best way to avoid interference with 5.8 GHz cordless phones is to avoid channels above 153.

  • I have an Ipad, I activated the time capsule with no issues. I added the airport Utility application without issue.  However, I do not know how to access the hard drive with either my Windows computer or the Ipad.  Does someone know how?

    I have an Ipad, I activated the time capsule with no issues. I added the airport Utility application without issue.  However, I do not know how to access the hard drive with either my Windows computer or the Ipad.  Does someone know how?

    On windows load the airport utility .. latest correct version as possible.. there is no windows 8 but win7 works after a fashion.
    Make sure the TC is using SMB compatible names.. short no spaces and pure alphanumeric.
    Type the name directly into windows explorer.
    \\TCname or \\TCIPaddress
    If no luck turn off all the firewalls.. internal windows plus security software plus whatever other gargyoles and other rubbish AV software you have running.
    Ensure windows is able to at least ping the TC by IP address and name..
    Use the utility in windows to set file sharing to guest account on with full read and write access.. and set workgroup to WORKGROUP.

  • How do I use the time capsule to share itunes music between multiple apple devices? Also, is it possible to control the music on one device using another, and how do you set this up?

    How do I use the time capsule to share itunes music between multiple apple devices? Also, is it possible to control the music on one device using another, and how do you set this up?

    unless i'm missing something, i think you got mixed up, this is easy google for walk throughs
    i'm assuming this is the new 3tb tc AC or 'tower' shape, if so, its wifi will run circles around your at&t device
    unplug the at&t box for a minute and plug it back in
    factory reset your tc - unplug it, hold down reset and keep holding while you plug it back in - only release reset when amber light flashes in 10-20s
    connect the tc to your at&t box via eth in the wan port, wait 1 minute, open airport utility look in 'other wifi devices' to setup the tc
    create a new wifi network (give it a different name than your at&t one) and put the tc in bridge mode (it may do this automatically for you, but you should double check) under the 'network' tab
    login to your at&t router and disable wifi on it
    add new clients to the new wifi network, and point your Macs to the time machine for backups

  • How can I use my time capsule with Ethernet cable? How is it also possible to use time capsule as a normal external hard drive?

    My problem is that I don't know how to use my Time Capsule with Ethernet Cable, as when I use wireless it is really slow.

    Make sure that there is an Ethernet cable from one of the LAN <-> ports on your modem/wireless router to the WAN port on the Time Capsule
    Click on the Wireless tab at the top of the page
    Change the setting for Wireless Mode to Off (I assume that you do not want the Time Capsule to provide a wireless network since you already have a wireless network)
    Next, click the Internet icon at the top of the screen, then click the Internet Connection tab
    Connect Using = Ethernet
    Connection Sharing = Off (Bridge Mode)
    Click the Update button at the bottom and wait 30 seconds for the Time Capsule to restart and display a green light
    Then, you must power off your entire network...all devices....in any order that you want
    Wait a minute
    Start your modem/router first and let it run a minute
    Start the Time Capsule and let it run a minute
    Keep starting devices one at a time until everything is powered up
    If you are using Time Machine for backups, you will need to reset the connection because you have changed the way in which the Time Capsule connects to your network
    Open System Preferences (gear icon) on the dock
    Open Time Machine
    Click Select Disk
    Click the Time Capsule to highlight it
    Click Use for Backup or, it might be Use Disk
    Now you can connect your Mac using an Ethernet cable to one of the LAN <-> ports on the Time Capsule to back up using Ethernet. Be sure to turn off the wireless on your Mac before you start the backup.
    If you want to backup using wireless, disconnect the Ethernet cable from the Mac to the Time Capsule and turn on the wireless and connect to your wireless network. Your computer will now backup using wireless.

  • How can I use my time capsule with windows7

    How can I use my time capsule with windows7?

    This is asked regularly.
    https://discussions.apple.com/message/10978060#10978060
    Look at the more like this. On the right column next to the post.
    Load airport utility for windows.. which will also load bonjour for windows.
    In windows explorer type \\TCname or \\TCipaddress (replacing with the actual values.. names with spaces will give you trouble so change all names in the TC to SMB compatible or actual ip address).

  • How to use my Time Capsule with my Router?

    My Time Warner Cable HS connection uses a specific modem, the Motorola Surfband SBG6580.
    I was currently using my Tiem Capsule as my router and just a Cable Modem from Time warner, but this particular service uses this wireless router. I need to get my Apple Time Capsule back into my netowrk.
    I would either like to understand how to use the Motorola as a switch or just as a modem so I can use the Time Capsule as my router or vica versa, use my Time Capsule as just a back up drive and leave the Motorola as my rwireless router. The onyly thing about this second configuration is that I need to connect to the Time Capsule wirelessly with one of my computers for back up, the other two are both on an ethernet port hard wired.
    So this is what I have to put in place:
    Motorola Wireless Cable Modem
    Time Capsule
    5 Port EasyNet Switch
    iMac Desktop (Ethernet hardwired)
    Macbook (Ethernet hardwired)
    MacBook (wirelessly connected to the network)
    Any thoughts great appreciated.
    Henry

    It's likely that your ISP will require that the Cable Modem is the first device in the chain. You do need to set the Time Capsule to Bridge mode, disabling the DHCP. Now, the Cable Modem is providing DHCP to devices that connect to it, and devices that connect to the Time Capsule.
    You will be able to wirelessly connect to the Time Capsule and network.
    Here is a simple article explaining:
    http://www.ehow.com/how5309467bridge-time-capsule-mac-pc.html

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