Using Time Capsule As A Wireless Hard Drive ONLY

I already have a wireless network at it works well.
I like the idea of having a wireless hard drive for backup.
Is it possible to set up Time Capsule to function as a wireless hard drive for backups only?
Is it as easy as just not pluging it into the DSL or cable modem or will that show up as a setup error.
Please help with instructions.

The Time Capsule (TC) has the option to "join an existing wireless network." Configured this way, the TC will perform as a wireless client that you will be able to access for backups when connected to your wireless network.
To set up the TC as a "Wireless Client," using the AirPort Utility, either connect to the TC's wireless network or temporarily connect your computer directly (using an Ethernet cable) to an available LAN port of the TC, and then, try these settings:
o AirPort Utility > Manual Setup > AirPort > Wireless tab
o Wireless Mode: Join a wireless network
o Network Name: <type in the network name/SSID of the wireless network that you want to join or select it from the pop-up menu>
o Wireless Security: <Select the appropriate level of security for the existing wireless network>
o Password: <enter your wireless network security password>
o Verify Password: <re-enter the same security password>
o Click Update to write the new settings to the TC.

Similar Messages

Just want to use Time Capsule as a wireless hard drive?

I thought I was computer savvy until now.
I just want to use Time Capsule as a wireless hard drive. I do not want to connect my Internet to it whatsoever. I realize this would involve disconnecting from Time Capsule and reconnecting to my Internet every time.
The settings for Time Capsule are just mind-boggling.
Is there any easy way to set it up as a password-protected wireless hard drive?
I am so lost with all the settings.
Please help! I will provide points!

First, you don't need to use Time Capsule with Time Machine. It can be used as a manual file storage or file exchange drive.
Where do you have the Ethernet cable placed on the Time Capsule. Is it the WAN port or one of the network ports?
If you are attempting to set-up the Time Capsule as your wireless router, it will need to be connected to the wired modem from your service provider through the WAN port for configuration. The Time capsule should then appear as a configurable Airport device.
To start, turn off your cable or DSL modem and the Time Capsule. Turn them both back on with the Time capsule connected to the wired modem via of the WAN port so the modem can grab the TC's MAC address.

Is there a way to use the time capsule as an external hard drive only and disable the wi-fi function ?

Is there a way to use the time capsule as an external hard drive only and disable the wi-fi function ?

Yes.
1) Connect an Ethernet cable from one of the LAN <--> ports on your existing wireless router to the WAN "O" port on the Time Capsule
2) Go through the standard configuration suggested by the setup "wizard"
3) Then manually turn off the wireless function using AirPort Utility

How do I use Time Capsule as an external hard drive?

How do I use Time Capsule as an external hard drive? I want to remove photos & music from my laptop and store them in Time Capsule only.

lyperez wrote:
How do I use Time Capsule as an external hard drive? I want to remove photos & music from my laptop and store them in Time Capsule only.
Apple has specific instructions on moving libraries.
eg itunes.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
You simply follow those instructions..
TC is a network drive.. nothing more.
To move individual files, just copy and paste to a new directory.. not inside a TM sparsebundle please.
BUT.. TC only worries me.. deeply.
It is relatively easy to corrupt a library when you copy to it.. library as a whole is then corrupted and will need to be restored from backup.. wops.. no backup. You are putting at risk all your files.. don't do it.. make sure you backup..
And here is the rub.. TC cannot back itself up.. TM cannot backup network drives.
And where are you going to backup.. to... an external drive on the computer.. in that case, that is where the library should be and the TC used as normal.. ie backup target for TM.
Please read Pondini on how to do it properly though.
Q3 http://pondini.org/TM/Time_Capsule.html

Can u use time capsule as a normal hard drive and don't activate the time capsule in my macs?

can u use time capsule as a normal hard drive and don't activate the time capsule in my macs?

Yes, but it will be slow and expensive compared to just buying an external and plugging it in locally.

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

Using time Capsule to replace new hard drive on MacBook Pro?

I am replacing the internal hard drive on my MacBook pro (early 2008). I have a time capsule that I would like to use to restore the entire back-up on the time capsule to the new hard drive. What is the procedure to do this? Thanks.

First, prep the new drive:
Drive Preparation
1. Boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
Steps 4-6 are optional but should be used on a drive that has never been formatted before, if the format type is not Mac OS Extended, if the partition scheme has been changed, or if a different operating system (not OS X) has been installed on the drive.
Second, install Snow Leopard on the new drive.
Third, after Snow Leopard starts for the first time you will be in the Setup Assistant. When you complete the registration you will be presented with the options for continuing or restoring from a TM backup or another Mac. Select the TM option and restore your data.

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)

Is possible to use Time Capsule as a external hard drive for my MA ?

Hi,
I wondering to know if i can use the time capsule as a external hard drive for my MACBOOK AIR i mean i dont want a backup i just want to be connected when i'm at home and transfer the data to the time capsule or simply uses data from there.
Thanks!

Yes, you can.
(60321)

How do I use time capsule as a direct backup drive only connect to my macbook pro via ethernet cable

I have recently abandoned my cable internet service provider and am using my iPad as a hotspot via verizon wireless service. I am trying to reconfigure my time capsule as a back up drive only connected by an ethernet cable.
I was able to set it up on my new hotspot wireless net, but do not want to use it that way because of the data usage impact on my verizon wireless account.
Hopefully there is an easy answer, but it is not intuitively obvious to me.

Well I have to say you can do it.. but if you are plugging and unplugging ethernet, you could just as easily plug and unplug an external USB drive.. and it will be faster and more reliable than the TC.
I explained how to do the TC as a secondary network in the posts here. Look down the bottom of the discussion.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4817218?tstart=30
If any of that doesn't make sense just post again here..
You can also do it with wireless if you accept using a USB wireless stick plugged into the Mac.. then you have two wireless clients and can connect simultaneously to two different networks.. using the same principles as above that you remove the gateway and dns problems that arise by manual settings.

Help needed setting up 5th Gen Time Capsule as a wireless hard drive with Windows

I've got hold of a Time Capsule as I managed to snag it for a decent price and, to be honest, it looks better than other options out there, but I'm having some issues setting it up how I want it. My wireless router is downstairs and I connect to it from my desk on the first floor, which is where the Time Capsule will be as well. I basically just want to use it as a wireless hard drive to store movies and the odd document. I really need some guidance on how to go about setting it up, as Apple don't seem to provide any user guides for Windows at all and the Airport Utility is essentially a very broken piece of software - all I've managed to do so far is run into a series of blinking light warnings and errors.

You cannot setup the new Gen5 TC from windows. It is clearly stated in the specs that it requires v6 utility which has not as yet.. and perhaps never will be made available in windows. In other words this is now an Apple device and almost exclusively for apple. Or at least a mixed network. Without Apple clients you will have continual issues.
If you have iphone or ipad or even an ipod with iOS v6 or later.. you can download the iOS version airport utility for setting up the TC. Once setup windows can use it.. with some issues.
I don't know if you can return it.. but if possible I would. You can buy a wireless synology or WD or lots of other brands now. what they might lack in looks they make up for in functionality.. sadly in the end.. functionality is essential whereas good looks are merely that.. good.

I already have a router and I'd like to use Time Capsule just for its hard drive capacity right now. Is this possible? It keeps asking me to plug an ethernet cable into it.

So I live with 3 others who already had a router running. So for ease Id like to use this device as purely an external hard drive and occasionally back-up my files and store photos/video etc. Is it possible to use this device strictly for that or do I need to constantly give it an internet connection and back-up over wifi that way...?

Suggest that you consider the option to configure the Time Capsule to "join" the existing wireless network there and backup over the wireless. The Time Capsule functions simply as a wireless hard drive in this type of configuration.
Open AirPort Utility and click Continue to to follow the guided setup to configure the Time Capsule. Select the "Join a current network" option when it appears and then choose the option to have the Time Capsule "wirelessly join the network" on the next configuration page.
Continue to follow the prompts to complete the configuration.

Time Capsule as a wireless hard drive - partitioning?

I have just got my 1tb time capsule, connected it wirelessly to my wi-fi network and run all the updates on it.
I can now back up to it via time machine, and see it under my shared devices but I want to partition it in two so I can have half as a TM back up and the other half as a wireless drive.
How can I do this?
Thanks, Lucas

Not too sure if I can help you with this because I am trying to do it myself but...
When I purchased my TC I asked the assistant in the Apple store if I could do this they said yes and proceeded to show me. Along the line I got a bit confused and didn't want to ask them to go over the whole thing again.
But they wrote on a business card "NTFS" partition??? I have emailed them to see if they will elaborate on this and I am waiting for an answer. But maybe you can take something for this?
If I get any more info I will post it
L

How to use Airport Time Capsule as a wireless hard drive?

I have purchased the Airport Time Capsule 3TB but I really don't need a backup disk, so I want to use it as a wireless hard disk to be used in my network, how can I do this? Can someone give me a clear step by step guide of how I can do this?
I appreciate your help and support.

There is no difference between using the TC as a backup or as a network disk.
Mount the disk in finder.
Copy files to it and from it.. in exactly the same way you copy files between disks in a Mac.
As a file store the TC is not good.
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

Using time capsule as a wireless storage drive on MacBook Pro with Tiger

I'm getting a time capsule 1Tb for xmas, do I just plug it into one of the ethernet ports on my wireless router/modem? What I plan to do is take all my data (itunes files, invoices, pictures etc) off my MacBook Pro (which only has a 150 Gb hard drive) and use the time capsule as wireless data storage. I will obviously need to back up the original data on the TC to another storage drive. Can I use the usb port on the TC to connect another external hard drive to back up to, or do I need a external hard drive with an ethernet port? And do some hard drive manufacturers ship their drives with software which automatically backs up data from other external drives even when the computer isn't turned on? Thanks for any answers.

No idea on TC at all.
And do some hard drive manufacturers ship their drives with software which automatically backs up data from other external drives even when the computer isn't turned on?
Yes & no, the Computer has to be on, but these drives come with several Backup tools...
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/
Like on the bottom of this page...
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/eSATAFW800_FW400USB

Using Time Capsule As A Wireless Hard Drive ONLY

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for