Main network for backups, Guest for iTunes

I have a 2T TC (4th gen) up and running with both a main network (192...) and a guest network (172...) connected to DSL modem for high-speed internet access.
I want to dedicate the main network for use by family members - computers (4 Macs, 2 PCs), printers, etc. I wish to use the guest network for the kids and their friends to access the internet with their iPods/Pads/Phones, etc. So far so good.
I currently have the kids controlling iTunes/AirPlay into my whole house audio system. I configured an old PC configured as a music server connecting wirelessly to the main (192) net of the TC. It runs iTunes and sends its Apple Lossless CD files to an AirPort Express (wireless OFF, hardwired to Ethernet backbone) which converts them to optical and sends them to an audio receiver for D/A conversion and amplificaiton. The kids have the "Remote" app on their handhelds which allows them to either operate iTunes on the music server (with Dad's old crummy music) or to play their own iTunes music (term used loosely) via the same route (TC main net-> backbone -> AirPort -> receiver). OK, so far so good.
The question is how do I put the music server, AirPort Express and kids' handhelds on the guest network so I don't have to give out access to my main network to "friends of friends of friends"? It seems the Guest Network is only available wirelessly from the TC (on second floor). If i need to add wireless capability where the TC can't provide it (walkout level pool and patio), how can I extend the guest network? I have an older Netgear Wireless Routher that could be used. Also, I have ready acess to the ethernet backbone. Any ideas? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

This is a fairly complex setup so let me toss in a hint.. and you will need to see if you can pursue it. Your ethernet backbone, so called, can run multiple IP address ranges or subnets. It is not obvious but the setup will require you to set addresses manually in the computer.
In OSX Just click the + in the network box and a dialogue box will pop up allowing you to set a secondary connection to either airport or ethernet. Select the one to use and then give the connection an obvious name.. eg secondaryeth1
In Windows PC you can setup secondary IP, but the first connection needs to be manually set as well. ie you cannot do dhcp and then add a secondary IP.
Then select that connection and give it a new IP in the secondary network using manual IP.. only give ip and subnet.. do not use a gateway (router) or dns address.. that will confuse the main gateway of the computer. You can then lose internet connection, and is not required for local LAN connection.
.. end of hint.
Pure speculation.. you might be able to setup a secondary IP on the airport and connect to the guest network. But you will need to be careful that the server pc doesn't simply become a bridge between the two networks.
Or the connection to secondary IP via ethernet might allow it connect to the wireless connection on the TC if it isn't isolated.
The other method is to use your "I have an older Netgear Wireless Routher that could be used."
The trick here would be to use this as a WAP connected directly to the music server, via ethernet, on a secondary IP address. Don't use the guest network on the TC at all.
Whether this would then work to control music to the airport express.. that is where I get lost. And your setup is outside of my experience..

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Advice needed for backup strategy for office

My office is switching from PC to Mac (yay!) and I'm in charge of setting up the system. We'll be using 4 iMacs and a Mac Mini Server with ethernet connections. I'd like to ask what is recommended for backing up these computers.
My thought would be to back up the iMacs separately from the server - is this definitely the way to go?
I'm thinking to get a 3TB Time Capsule for the 4 iMacs so that Time Capsule will do automatic backups.
- Is it OK to have 4 iMacs backup to one Time Capsule like this?
As for the Mac Mini server, I'm not sure how to best back it up.
Since it has two 1TB drives, I'm thinking of using one drive for data and having it automatically backup to the other internal drive. Any thoughts on this idea?
Or, it is possible to connect an external USB drive to the Time Capsule's USB port, and have Time Machine backup the server to the external drive?
Any advice is greatly appreciated!

The TC is really a home solution.
For business I think you should consider something extra.
Although 4 computers and a server is not a big setup, it is worthwhile doing a more professional backup and use something more professional than Time Machine.
For instance..
http://www.retrospect.com/au/products/mac
I have not used it.. but I see it recommended in business / larger installs. It is not cheap but well worth considering.
I would not use the internal disk of the server for backup.
As for the Mac Mini server, I'm not sure how to best back it up.
Since it has two 1TB drives, I'm thinking of using one drive for data and having it automatically backup to the other internal drive. Any thoughts on this idea?
You can raid the two disks if you don't need the capacity.
But backup to a USB drive plugged in.. USB3 drives are cheap and speedy. Much more reliable than using network drives.
Raid for integrity of working data.. backup to separate change over disks.
So weekly you change over the USB drive for backup and store the other one at home.
I'm thinking to get a 3TB Time Capsule for the 4 iMacs so that Time Capsule will do automatic backups.
- Is it OK to have 4 iMacs backup to one Time Capsule like this?
You can do this.. It is fine to have 4 Macs backup to it. But if you are not using the wireless router it is a waste.. you can just backup over network to the server.. TM works fine on network.
You can buy another 3TB USB drive for backup of the clients.. normally though you want all the working data on the server and back that up. You are thinking a more peer to peer model.. once you introduce the server you can work on a more server client model where the current files are held on the server.

Time Capsule just for backups, not for wifi.

I used to use my Time Capsule for both backups and wifi but constantly had issues, so I just disconnected it in favor of a simple Airport Express. No issues since switching, but now I have this Time Capsule just sitting here and don't do automatic backups any longer...I would like to use solely for back ups, I don't need these backups to be wireless, just for use with Time Machine. I can't find the answer by google, any suggestions?

I am trying to do the same thing but I am having an issue.
I, too, was having issues with using the Time Capsule (new one-2T) as a router and for backup (the Internet was dropping all the time). So I bought a separate router (ASUS RT-N56U) and have that plugged into my Motorola modem. The Time Capsule I have plugged into the router.
Airport Utility and I have become best friends as of late with all the problems I am having and my TC keeps getting lost-AU says that it was part of my network and now can't be found. Strangely, if I go to Open Network Settings from the menu bar and select Assist Me--->Diagnostics--->Select my network--->Continue and when the window pops up about Always Allow Keychain, I click on Always Allow. And that seems to correct the problem with my TC not being found/part of the network. This happens all the time lately.... Ever since I got the new router.
So if you or anyone have any insight into what is going on.... I will try it! Thanks for the help, Judy

Format external hard drive for backup drive for Mac Pro

How do you format an external portable hard drive to work as a backup drive for the Mac Pro?

If you plan to use Time Machine then Time Machine will take care of that for you once you choose the drive as your backup destination. If you want to do it yourself then you need to attach the drive; once it is mounted, open Disk Utility and select your drive from the left hand side bar. Once highlighted go to the main window and click on the subheading "Erase". The format needs to be "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)". Click Erase and wait for the operation to complete. Now that you have a freshly prepared volume it can be used for Time Machine back up. Time Machine will recognize the disk and ask you if you would like to use this volume at which point you should follow the prompts to begin your back up.

Can I use Airport TimeCapsule's internal hard drive as a network-based backup solution for both windows and mac?

Does the following scenario work??? :-
A Windows PC is connected to Airport TimeCapsule (ATC) wifi.
A Mac is connected to the ATC wifi.
The Mac's Time Machine software is set up and automatically backs up to the internal HDD.
The Mac can browse files on the internal HDD, and drag and drop files to and from.
The PC can easily see the internal HDD as a device on the network. The PC can drag and drop files to the internal HDD. The PC can read and write to the files that the MAC has placed on it. The PC has some automated backup software installed, which recognises the ATC internal HDD as a backup storage device.

You are right.. you cannot partition a TC.
Nor can you use NTFS..
And you can corrupt the TM backup but you can do that from Mac just as well.. the TC is better with one disk used for data or TM and another disk.. a USB plugged in for the other.
Windows compatible means.. all names are short, no spaces and pure alphanumeric.
You used to be able to set workgroup but Apple haven't bothered with that of late.. there is no upgrade to the airport utility for windows.. although one should be coming. Windows can have issues.. it was no problem on the older 5.6 utility and that still partly works but I have no idea if it will work on the AC model.

Suggestion for backup drive for Air

I've enjoyed getting to know my MacBook Pro this past year or so, but I'm still new to the Airbook and need some assistance. I'm going to help an elderly friend move data from her old iMac to her 1st Gen. Airbook. I'm insisting she get a backup drive, but the Seagate Free Agent I recently bought won't work for her, because it is either FireWire, which Airbooks don't have, or it requires two powered USB ports. Given that the Air has one USB, would we be able to get around it by using a powered USB hub? Is there a specific drive that anyone can suggest? I'd prefer Mac formatted/ready to go, but not absolutely necessary. An external drive with a built in power supply tends to be bigger than we'd prefer. What about a USB flash drive? I don't think she's filled the 80 GB solid state drive on the Air so she doesn't likely need a huge capacity drive. Any help you can give would be most welcome.

Hi SFMacNewbiew,
Happy to hear that you're enjoying your MacBook Pro.
I have the following drive currently:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/TR043ZM/A
What's nice about it, is that I have FW flexibility. The cable for the USB has the double USB cables and I've been backing up to it using the single USB (power & data) without problems for 4+ months now.
I've also used this one as well:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/TV523VC/A
When you think about it, the second one is a better bang for the buck. It is, however, USB only.
One thing you mentioned is that she has an older iMac, so getting a drive with a FW interface wouldn't be all that bad and with enough storage she could theoretically use the HD with both machines. I've yet to come across a reasonable priced portable HD that I've had to use with a powered USB-hub.
Regarding the thumb drives, I'd recommend against them. Even a "base install" with some data is 12-19 GB on most MacBook Airs unless she did a custom installation.

Is time machine what I want for backup??

I've tried several external drives for my mac and the first one crashed after a year, the second one (ClickFree Backup) doesn't work the way we'd like. It requires connection by the main computer to back up both computers which isn't how it was sold to me.
Ideally I'd like a wireless backup that can be used by both the Mac and PC in our household, and be able to access files between the two. If that can't happen (and I'm assuming it cannot), then I'd like something just for my Macbook Pro. I'd like to put all music and photos on it rather than on my hard drive, so not sure if it's okay to go with Time Machine or if Time Capsule is necessary. I use my laptop all over the house so it's only in the evenings when I dock it and would plug in to back up. So Time Machine, Time Capsule, or something else you'd recommend for backup?

heather713 wrote:
Ideally I'd like a wireless backup that can be used by both the Mac and PC in our household, and be able to access files between the two.
That can probably be done, depending on your router. It can be done with a Time Capsule.
I'd like to put all music and photos on it rather than on my hard drive, so not sure if it's okay to go with Time Machine or if Time Capsule is necessary.
You're talking about two very different things: extra space for originals vs. backups.
Time Machine is a backup app; their whole role in life is to keep extra copies of your originals, in case something awful happens to the originals. Those copies can't be used by most apps; they must be restored somewhere to be used.
You can use a Time Capsule for backups, or for originals, but it's not a good idea to try to use it for both. This is partly because Time Machine will use all the empty space available to it; and partly because Time Machine can't back up the originals that are on a network.
I use my laptop all over the house so it's only in the evenings when I dock it and would plug in to back up.
With a Time Capsule, Time Machine can make quick backups of whatever's changed every hour, via your network, as long as your Mac is awake and in range.
The closest you could get to everything you want would be to get a Time Capsule and a USB drive to connect to it. Use the TC's internal HD for your Mac's backups and the USB drive for the shared data. But you'd need some way (and some place) to back up the shared data.
The shared data on the USB drive presents another problem. Macs can't read and write to most drives formatted for a PC, and vice-versa. Both can use the +MS-DOS (FAT)+ format, but Time Machine can't back that up, even if you connect it to your Mac. There are some 3rd party apps (I think one is named MacDrive) for a PC that will read and write Mac-formatted drives, and one for Macs that will read and write NTFS (PC) formatted drives.

TimeCapsule Won't Mount for Backup

My TimeCapsule is running on automatic for backups but for the past several days, I get a message that the disk won't mount. It worked flawlessly for months. I can connect to the capsule through the finder for manual storage and the wireless works very well. Restarted everything including the ADSL modem that links our network to the internet (and TimeCapsule). Ran Airport Utility several times with no luck. Help!

I bought a Time Capsule when they first were released. Have and iMac and Macbook Pro. I never could get it to work, so I returned it. I recently bought another one feeling that the bugs were finally worked out and I should have no problems. I was able to get it to work properly and used it for Time Machine backups. Two weeks after I purchased it and after my alloted time to return was over, it has gone haywire and i cannot for the life of me get it to perform as it did when I first purchased it. I went back to my old hard drive I was using for backup and have had no problems. The computer can see the disk but cannot mount it. I erased my backups and was able to perform an initial backup, but after that, it would not mount the disk. I give up. $500 dollars and what? Now and hour on the phone with support? Give me a break. Apple products should work with Apple products. This is totally unacceptable, but what can I do? There is no answer to my problem that I can find through support or on the discussion forums. I think I have a real "Apple" on my hands.

How can i retrieve my password to access my backup restore for my iphone

how can i retrieve for backup password for my iphone

If you use a Mac, when you set a password you can select to store the password in the keychain for retriever.
Warning: If you encrypt an iPhone backup in iTunes and then forget your password, you will not be able to restore from backup and your data will be unrecoverable. If you forget the password, you can continue to back up and use the device, however you will not be able to restore the encrypted backup to any device without the password. You do not need to enter the password for your backup each time you back up or sync.
If you cannot remember the password and want to start again, you must perform a full software restore and when iTunes prompts you to select the backup from which to restore, choose set up as a new device.

Time Capsule "looking for backup disk" problems, running Lion on 24" iMac

Hi,
I'm having problems with my Time Capsule. I can't get the backups to run for about a week. The backup just says "looking for backup disk" for ever. This is a first gen Time Capsule, and it's still working fine for two MacBooks in the house. I have all the Apple updates installed, and I'm running 10.7.2. In Preferences, Time Capsule, I can see the available/of space and there is plenty left. It's not showing any Oldest and Latest date info for backups.
If I go to "select disk" and choose the Time Capsule, I'm prompted for the password. When I press "Connect", the message changes to "Stopping Backup" and this will run for ever. I have plenty of disk space available, have repaired permissions, have booted in safe mode, reset pram and nvram and probably a few other options to no avail. I can enter the Time Machine and see all of my backups without problem.
As a side note, I have also noticed instability whereby various programs have been 'not responding' of late, and need to be force quit. Once that happens, the iMac won't properly shut down and restart; I usually need to how down the power button.
Thanks in advance for your help.

I'm having the same problem. Anyone have a fix?
Nozz

Best backup drive for college student

Need recommendation for backup drive for college student using MacBook Pro.

Basic Backup
For some people Time Machine will be more than adequate. Time Machine is part of OS X. There are two components: 1. A Time Machine preferences panel as part of System Preferences; and, 2. A Time Machine application located in the Applications folder. It is used to manage backups and to restore backups. Time Machine requires a backup drive that is at least twice the capacity of the drive being backed up.
Alternatively, get an external drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
Carbon Copy Cloner
Data Backup
Deja Vu
SuperDuper!
Synk Pro
Tri-Backup
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore. Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.
Although you can buy a complete external drive system, you can also put one together if you are so inclined. It's relatively easy and only requires a Phillips head screwdriver (typically.) You can purchase hard drives separately. This gives you an opportunity to shop for the best prices on a hard drive of your choice. Reliable brands include Seagate, Hitachi, Western Digital, Toshiba, and Fujitsu. You can find reviews and benchmarks on many drives at Storage Review.
Enclosures for FireWire and USB are readily available. You can find only FireWire enclosures, only USB enclosures, and enclosures that feature multiple ports. I would stress getting enclosures that use the Oxford chipsets especially for Firewire drives (911, 921, 922, for example.) You can find enclosures at places such as;
Cool Drives
OWC
WiebeTech
Firewire Direct
California Drives
NewEgg
All you need do is remove a case cover, mount the hard drive in the enclosure and connect the cables, then re-attach the case cover. Usually the only tool required is a small or medium Phillips screwdriver.

Compatible Backup battery for Iphone 3G ?

Hi, I've been looking around for backup battery for Iphone 3G and have no luck at all since most of them are for Ipods and Iphone 2G. Then I bought one that was made for Ipod and tried it on my Iphone, it worked perfectly. The question is: Is it ok to keep using it eventhough it's not made for 3G ? Is it gonna damage the Iphone 3G in someway ? Thank you.

I just ordered this one on the 13th
It can fast charge the iPhone 3G and it works with the first generation iPhone.
it might work with iPods too maybe check it out.
http://mobile.brando.com.hk/proddetail.php?prodid=03499

Backup Exec for NetWare - Replacement?

Since Symantec has discontinued support for Backup Exec for NetWare and we have dozens of tapes we will need access to for years and we do NOT want to buy a Windows Server just to read those tapes, is there any vendor selling backup software that can read those Backup Exec for NetWare tapes?
We don't care if the extended attributes can't be restored as long as we can get the data files.

dsqrd wrote:
> Since Symantec has discontinued support for Backup Exec for NetWare and
> we have dozens of tapes we will need access to for years and we do NOT
> want to buy a Windows Server just to read those tapes, is there any
> vendor selling backup software that can read those Backup Exec for
> NetWare tapes?
>
> We don't care if the extended attributes can't be restored as long as
> we can get the data files.
>
>
http://laytongraphics.com/mtf/MTF_100a.PDF
implies that since the BENW stored stuff in Microsoft Tape Format,
anyone supporting this MIGHT be able to access it.
I doubt it's that easy though. Software compression, proprietary blocks.
Meanwhile SBACKUP, Syncsort and other seem to have chosend SIDF, wwhich
was Novell's solution.
I suspect you have to call everyone, ask, and test. And I'd still guess
you have a 90% chance of being screwed. Backup software has never played
nice.

How to configure Time Capsule etc as a local network server with remote access server and for backups

I'm trying to set up new 3TB Time Capsule as a wireless network server (with remote access) and for backups for use in a small office (of two Macs). We have a late 2011 Intel MBP and a brand new MBA both running 10.8.3. We have two external 1TB hard drives that until now have been attached the MBP for storage and backing up that computer, which up until now was the only machine in use. The MBA is for a new employee and we need to share and work on the same files, both here in the office and ideally remotely too via Back to my Mac. The MBP needs constant access. The MBA only occasional. The TC has 7.6.3 firmware and we've set it up using AirPort Utility 6.2. It is currently attached to the MBP via ethernet and it has internet access via a Sagemcom router attached to TC's WAN port.
We've managed to set up a wireless network and both have wireless internet access through the TC
But there are so many issues I don't know where to begin - so I'll start with a description of what we're trying to achieve:
I planned to use the TC as the main server drive and place all the key folders and files there so that both of us can access them wirelessly and remotely. The MBP would back up to the TC and to one or two of the external hard drives - one being attached to the Mac via USB and the other being attached to the TC's USB port. We would back up the important data on the TC using SuperDuper and copy it to both external USB drives.
So , first of all, is that a sensible configuration? Should the 'server' be the one of the external hard drives attached to the TC USB port, backed up regularly to the TC using SuperDuper?

But when you say 'So using USB drive does make sense if you want to use it as a file store', do you mean a USB drive plugged into the TC? I hope that I can attach an external drive to the TC so we can all access and read/write the content wirelessly via the TC network or remotely.
Yes, USB.. as it prevents the sparsebundle mixing with data files. I guess it does depend on how much data you are talking about.. you can use the TC internal disk if you are careful and setup the sparsebundle with fixed sizes once you create them..
And to be clear, I wasn't planning on backing up remotely via BTMM - only to access the shared folders on the TC data drive or USB external drive attached to it. I'm assuming that's ok?
Yes, that is fine. Sorry I got the impression you were going to do backup over internet.
What is the alternative? Having a Mac Mini that's always on? Do I need OS X Server etc.?
A mini would be great.. you don't need server edition.. but I would see how the TC goes.. since you have it and it is much lower power consumption device. It is just that its design is not really for file storage.
One big problem I have is to do with the sharing permissions. For everything on the TC or attached external drive attached to it, it says I have only custom access and every time I try to change permissions it says I don't have the permission to do that. And if I try to change the owner it says my user name is not valid.
How is the security setup on the TC?
The security is a bit tricky.. I must admit since I run windows computer in the network, that I simply turn on the guest account to read and write access. For a business setup that might not be adequate but it allows me full access to all the files.
If you setup the TC with user accounts then you are in trouble. That makes it very difficult to access, especially if one person already has the file open you may find a second user cannot login. I am not sure as I have avoided the security. IMHO it is meaningless.. since anyone with physical access to the TC can press the reset for one second and has full access.. and can add or change passwords.

Can i sync my mac pro with my mac book? i mainly want to do this for iTunes and iPhoto? I also have an iPhone and an iPad.

can i sync my mac pro with my mac book? i mainly want to do this for iTunes and iPhoto? I also have an iPad and an iPhone.

Do you have a local network setup either wired or wireless? If so, then have both computers connected to the network. Enable File Sharing on both computers in Sharing preferences. Select the startup drive on each computer. Press COMMAND-I to open the Get Info window and check the box labeled, Shared Folder.
You can now keep both computers in sync by using a third-party backup/sync utility that will work with a network setup such as:
Data Backup
Deja Vu
Silver Keeper
Retrospect
Super Flexible File Synchronizer
Synchronize Pro! X
Synk Pro
Synk Standard
Tri-Backup
Others may be found at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore. Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.

Main network for backups, Guest for iTunes

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