As a backup device, the Time Capsule drive can fail and you haven't lost any data because it's still on your Mac. You replace the TC drive, and off you go.
Stating "Home Server" clearly indicates I want more than just a network Time Machine drive from Apple.
Airport Extreme does not support Time Machine. As for Time Capsule, I guess some fail and some don't. But why do you say it's not upgradeable? Apple has updated the software several times, and you can easily swap the hard drive.
AirPort Extreme does support Time Machine! If you attack extern HD it's possibel to runt Time Machine to them. We do daily on at least three sites.
Airport Extreme does not support Time Machine. As for Time Capsule, I guess some fail and some don't. But why do you say it's not upgradeable? Apple has updated the software several times, and you can easily swap the hard drive.
Thanks for the link. I assume that this voids the Apple warranty.
As for the failure of some Time Capsules, please see this link:
Stating "Home Server" clearly indicates I want more than just a network Time Machine drive from Apple.
Sorry. I missed your title. I have a 13" MacBook connected to a Drobo. My Drobo has all of the media on it, and the MacBook is the home server. It works great.
Note that a Drobo (or other RAID device) only protects against drive failures, and still needs to be backed up if you value the data on it.
AirPort Extreme does support Time Machine! If you attack extern HD it's possibel to runt Time Machine to them. We do daily on at least three sites.
Thanks for that. I set one up a while back (at least two years ago I think) but discontinued it. I recall managing to do a back up locally then with some hacking getting the back up to continue wirelessly. Reading all the 'definitive you can't' messages I thought Apple must have changed something. Out of curiosity are you backing up multiple Macs to the same external drive on the AE?
Please link to the "how", as Apple doesn't support it.
Found this using google . This is how I did it a few years back. The trick is getting the sparse file started locally I think or was back in 2008.
This is what I did (advice taken from the Apple Support Discussion Forum)
1. Plug external HDD to Mac computer via USB 2.0
2. Once the Volume has "mounted" - proceed to format it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) using AirPort Disk Utilities
3. If you want to partition this external HDD, make sure it's Map Partition Scheme is GUID (and not the external HDD's Master Boot Record - which is used for Windows).
4. Once everything is done, proceed with setting up TM under System Preferences. It should read that there is an external HDD connected and you let it connect to that.
5. TM should recognise this and "Prepare for backup"
6. Let TM run for a minute (when you can see it is actually transferring files to the external HDD - through it's progress bar).
7. STOP TM.
8. Eject Volume
9. Hook it to the back the AirPort Extreme Base Station and make sure you see it being mounted in the Finder window.
10. Enter TM SYSTEM PREFERENCES and "Change Disk" to point to the volume connected to the AEBS.
11. START TM.
12. It should resume from the last backup (which was the interrupted 1 minute backup).
And presto! You're done. I've had this set up and still chugs along just fine.
Netgear "soursa" is a dual raid drive w Ethernet port. It supports time machine and is cheap at (from memory) $169 at Best Buy. It's really a NAS with a simplified interface. Wasn't quite what I was looking for, so no hands on experience. Seems they made some interface trade offs regarding music streaming (browser). But... you said RAID backups were you key need.
My Book Live II also does two drive RAID fairly inexpensively - Frys at $199
Note that a Drobo (or other RAID device) only protects against drive failures, and still needs to be backed up if you value the data on it.
Sure, I back my data up to external HDDs which then get shipped to an underground bunker in the heart of a mountain. I also burn Blu-ray discs of my backups to protect against EMPs. Just in case that isn't enough I also have employee a team of craftsmen to chisel my OS contents in binary onto stone tablets.
In all seriousness, my longterm desire is to have an iOS-based Apple Home Server with 3-4 drives that can be made into one using RAID or used as a single drive. I want this to be the hub so iDevices can truly become post-PC insofar as the "PC" is no longer the central hub within a household, the Home Server is. So far we have iOS 5.0 becoming untethered from iTunes, iCloud as the conductor of your content, and rumors of an iOS/ARM-based TC and impending update so at least part of my wish is coming to a head.
Found this using google . This is how I did it a few years back.
I researched this last year. As I recall, Apple said at the introduction of Time Machine that Airport Extreme would support it. But that didn't happen when Leopard was released. I think I found some information on the net that suggested Apple left the feature out because it wasn't reliable.
I won't be satisfied until there are more-than-one RAIDed drives for redundancy. It doesn't have to be hot swappable, have dual power supplies, or other enterprise-level requirements, just multiple drives so that no single drive can cause the failure of all data.
My feeling exactly! In fact I took the path of creating my own TIme Machine based on a DLINK DNS-323 (linux based) ext drive enclosure running a very custom of software that fully implements Apple's AFP protocol including the extensions required for proper Time Machine operations. I run the DNS-323 (two drives) in RAID 1 (mirrored) using enterprise class server drives. It has been rock solid. The path to convert a bare DNS-323 to a "roll your own" TM is convoluted and involves a LOT of effort, but I and many others have tested the setup time and again and it has saved my butt on several occasions when for whatever reasons, I needed to fall back to a previous version of a file.
BTW, as the DNS-323 is GigE only, I have it connected to a GigE switch that is in turn connected to my Airport Extreme which in turn connects to my MBP via 802.11N running @ 5GHz. I did connect my MBP directly to the switch for the initial backup, but since, wireless mode is used.
I have also implemented the same software setup using a 4 drive Drobo enclosure (linux based) for my sister. This solution is more expensive (approx $1000), but offers even better drive failure support as the Drobo implements pooled drive management with hot swap capability/recovery. Their setup supports two Macs backing up alternately (15 and 45 minutes after the hour...yes it is possible to force TM into a set time of the hour start). As with the DNS-323, this setup has been rock solid (18 months of operation).
As a sidenote, the Airport Extreme with an attached disc drive WILL support TM functionality, but there are some key cache flushing capabilities that are missing from the AE AFP implementation. So, while use of the AE as a TM is NOT supported by Apple, it does work, but with some risk (ie all the risks of a TM plus a few additional ones due to unsupported APF functionality in the AE)
If Apple implemented anything along the lines of what I described above, I would be all over it.
Perhaps I'm old, but it seems even with the cloud one still needs to have an onsite physical backup or two. In the past I've always had things on iDisk, drop box and everything on an ext. HD. I even made sure I had two macs sync'd with eachother. A desktop iMac and a MB. If one broke, I wasn't dead in the water.
It's hard to let go of having the desktop iMac being the Hub as Stevo suggested, but I'm going to try. An ip4, an iPad 2, ATV, iCloud, iOS5 and that's it! I'm really going to pare down my digital footprint. I'm sorry I won't take advantage of a new timecapsule or Lion!
and want to give a sarcastic "thanks" to those here.
Before I bought this I posted a question: Will Apple be updating these soon? Or is it safe to buy? I got a resounding "NAAAAH.. there's nothing to update... blah blah." I even pointed out that the ship times were getting long usually indicating an end of life. Sheesh.
and want to give a sarcastic "thanks" to those here.
Before I bought this I posted a question: Will Apple be updating these soon? Or is it safe to buy? I got a resounding "NAAAAH.. there's nothing to update... blah blah." I even pointed out that the ship times were getting long usually indicating an end of life. Sheesh.
Where is this post of yours? Who made a comment 2 months ago about information that is only just surfacing? Have you not get 2 months of utility out of the device? Why did you buy it if you thought an update was imminent?
I researched this last year. As I recall, Apple said at the introduction of Time Machine that Airport Extreme would support it. But that didn't happen when Leopard was released. I think I found some information on the net that suggested Apple left the feature out because it wasn't reliable.
I was simply responding to your request :"Please link to the "how", as Apple doesn't support it."
Am I reading your post correctly...you can already use TC as a cable modem?
Sorry if I was unclear, there are so many possible configurations it is difficult to put into words.
Normally if you are setting up wireless (in the UK at least) there are two types of wireless router you can purchase:
1) A cable router like Apple provides (the cable modem is separate and comes from your supplier).
2) An ADSL modem router (this includes the modem and can plug directly into the phone line.)
Apple devices like the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule, don't include the ADSL modem, so like option 1, have to be plugged into a separate router/modem for use with ADSL, when modem routers from other manufactures, wouldn't have to.
I hope that is clear, like I said it is difficult to explain.
My suggestion was for an Apple device that could function on any type of connection, in the simplest way possible.
In a lot of markets the subscriber owns the DSL modem, it would be a waste of money to rent one, they are dirt cheap. And who cares about what the service provider wants on their setup, that's why you set them up when you get them. It makes sense for Apple to release a unit with built in dsl modem.
No it doesn't make sense. At all.
What doesn't make sense is:
a) that you have said that you're a home user,
b) a knowledgeable post has been written why it's not feasible... and,
c) YOU ARE still bleating about wanting one with dsl and claiming Apple should waste thier money just for you?
Found this using google . This is how I did it a few years back. The trick is getting the sparse file started locally I think or was back in 2008.
This is what I did (advice taken from the Apple Support Discussion Forum)
1. Plug external HDD to Mac computer via USB 2.0
2. Once the Volume has "mounted" - proceed to format it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) using AirPort Disk Utilities
3. If you want to partition this external HDD, make sure it's Map Partition Scheme is GUID (and not the external HDD's Master Boot Record - which is used for Windows).
4. Once everything is done, proceed with setting up TM under System Preferences. It should read that there is an external HDD connected and you let it connect to that.
5. TM should recognise this and "Prepare for backup"
6. Let TM run for a minute (when you can see it is actually transferring files to the external HDD - through it's progress bar).
7. STOP TM.
8. Eject Volume
9. Hook it to the back the AirPort Extreme Base Station and make sure you see it being mounted in the Finder window.
10. Enter TM SYSTEM PREFERENCES and "Change Disk" to point to the volume connected to the AEBS.
11. START TM.
12. It should resume from the last backup (which was the interrupted 1 minute backup).
And presto! You're done. I've had this set up and still chugs along just fine.
Thanks for sharing this great tip! I was waiting for a TC update to purchase one solely for the reason that I thought using TM to backup to NAS was not possible (unless the NAS happened to be TC).
Question - does the router have to be an apple router (airport/AE), or any router will work?
I have 3 Macs backing up to an AirDisk connected to an Airport Extreme (N, not dual-band), and they've been working fine for over a year. I think the process I followed was this:
Connect drive to Airport extreme
Mount AirDisk on computer
Direct Time Machine to use AirDisk as backup drive
Start Time Machine
It wasn't any more complicated than that. It takes a hell of a long time to backup initially, but then it's fine. I only backup once a day (around 3 am) using "Time Machine Editor" and I haven't had any problems.
Comments
As a backup device, the Time Capsule drive can fail and you haven't lost any data because it's still on your Mac. You replace the TC drive, and off you go.
Stating "Home Server" clearly indicates I want more than just a network Time Machine drive from Apple.
Airport Extreme does not support Time Machine. As for Time Capsule, I guess some fail and some don't. But why do you say it's not upgradeable? Apple has updated the software several times, and you can easily swap the hard drive.
AirPort Extreme does support Time Machine! If you attack extern HD it's possibel to runt Time Machine to them. We do daily on at least three sites.
Airport Extreme does not support Time Machine. As for Time Capsule, I guess some fail and some don't. But why do you say it's not upgradeable? Apple has updated the software several times, and you can easily swap the hard drive.
Thanks for the link. I assume that this voids the Apple warranty.
As for the failure of some Time Capsules, please see this link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...-replace-fault
Has Apple changed the design of the Time Capsule to allow it to run cooler and not burn up?
AirPort Extreme does support Time Machine! If you attack extern HD it's possibel to runt Time Machine to them. We do daily on at least three sites.
Please link to the "how", as Apple doesn't support it.
Stating "Home Server" clearly indicates I want more than just a network Time Machine drive from Apple.
Sorry. I missed your title. I have a 13" MacBook connected to a Drobo. My Drobo has all of the media on it, and the MacBook is the home server. It works great.
Note that a Drobo (or other RAID device) only protects against drive failures, and still needs to be backed up if you value the data on it.
AirPort Extreme does support Time Machine! If you attack extern HD it's possibel to runt Time Machine to them. We do daily on at least three sites.
Thanks for that. I set one up a while back (at least two years ago I think) but discontinued it. I recall managing to do a back up locally then with some hacking getting the back up to continue wirelessly. Reading all the 'definitive you can't' messages I thought Apple must have changed something. Out of curiosity are you backing up multiple Macs to the same external drive on the AE?
Please link to the "how", as Apple doesn't support it.
Found this using google
This is what I did (advice taken from the Apple Support Discussion Forum)
1. Plug external HDD to Mac computer via USB 2.0
2. Once the Volume has "mounted" - proceed to format it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) using AirPort Disk Utilities
3. If you want to partition this external HDD, make sure it's Map Partition Scheme is GUID (and not the external HDD's Master Boot Record - which is used for Windows).
4. Once everything is done, proceed with setting up TM under System Preferences. It should read that there is an external HDD connected and you let it connect to that.
5. TM should recognise this and "Prepare for backup"
6. Let TM run for a minute (when you can see it is actually transferring files to the external HDD - through it's progress bar).
7. STOP TM.
8. Eject Volume
9. Hook it to the back the AirPort Extreme Base Station and make sure you see it being mounted in the Finder window.
10. Enter TM SYSTEM PREFERENCES and "Change Disk" to point to the volume connected to the AEBS.
11. START TM.
12. It should resume from the last backup (which was the interrupted 1 minute backup).
And presto! You're done. I've had this set up and still chugs along just fine.
My Book Live II also does two drive RAID fairly inexpensively - Frys at $199
Note that a Drobo (or other RAID device) only protects against drive failures, and still needs to be backed up if you value the data on it.
Sure, I back my data up to external HDDs which then get shipped to an underground bunker in the heart of a mountain. I also burn Blu-ray discs of my backups to protect against EMPs. Just in case that isn't enough I also have employee a team of craftsmen to chisel my OS contents in binary onto stone tablets.
In all seriousness, my longterm desire is to have an iOS-based Apple Home Server with 3-4 drives that can be made into one using RAID or used as a single drive. I want this to be the hub so iDevices can truly become post-PC insofar as the "PC" is no longer the central hub within a household, the Home Server is. So far we have iOS 5.0 becoming untethered from iTunes, iCloud as the conductor of your content, and rumors of an iOS/ARM-based TC and impending update so at least part of my wish is coming to a head.
Found this using google
I researched this last year. As I recall, Apple said at the introduction of Time Machine that Airport Extreme would support it. But that didn't happen when Leopard was released. I think I found some information on the net that suggested Apple left the feature out because it wasn't reliable.
I won't be satisfied until there are more-than-one RAIDed drives for redundancy. It doesn't have to be hot swappable, have dual power supplies, or other enterprise-level requirements, just multiple drives so that no single drive can cause the failure of all data.
My feeling exactly! In fact I took the path of creating my own TIme Machine based on a DLINK DNS-323 (linux based) ext drive enclosure running a very custom of software that fully implements Apple's AFP protocol including the extensions required for proper Time Machine operations. I run the DNS-323 (two drives) in RAID 1 (mirrored) using enterprise class server drives. It has been rock solid. The path to convert a bare DNS-323 to a "roll your own" TM is convoluted and involves a LOT of effort, but I and many others have tested the setup time and again and it has saved my butt on several occasions when for whatever reasons, I needed to fall back to a previous version of a file.
BTW, as the DNS-323 is GigE only, I have it connected to a GigE switch that is in turn connected to my Airport Extreme which in turn connects to my MBP via 802.11N running @ 5GHz. I did connect my MBP directly to the switch for the initial backup, but since, wireless mode is used.
I have also implemented the same software setup using a 4 drive Drobo enclosure (linux based) for my sister. This solution is more expensive (approx $1000), but offers even better drive failure support as the Drobo implements pooled drive management with hot swap capability/recovery. Their setup supports two Macs backing up alternately (15 and 45 minutes after the hour...yes it is possible to force TM into a set time of the hour start). As with the DNS-323, this setup has been rock solid (18 months of operation).
As a sidenote, the Airport Extreme with an attached disc drive WILL support TM functionality, but there are some key cache flushing capabilities that are missing from the AE AFP implementation. So, while use of the AE as a TM is NOT supported by Apple, it does work, but with some risk (ie all the risks of a TM plus a few additional ones due to unsupported APF functionality in the AE)
If Apple implemented anything along the lines of what I described above, I would be all over it.
david
It's hard to let go of having the desktop iMac being the Hub as Stevo suggested, but I'm going to try. An ip4, an iPad 2, ATV, iCloud, iOS5 and that's it! I'm really going to pare down my digital footprint. I'm sorry I won't take advantage of a new timecapsule or Lion!
Best
Before I bought this I posted a question: Will Apple be updating these soon? Or is it safe to buy? I got a resounding "NAAAAH.. there's nothing to update... blah blah." I even pointed out that the ship times were getting long usually indicating an end of life. Sheesh.
and want to give a sarcastic "thanks" to those here.
Before I bought this I posted a question: Will Apple be updating these soon? Or is it safe to buy? I got a resounding "NAAAAH.. there's nothing to update... blah blah." I even pointed out that the ship times were getting long usually indicating an end of life. Sheesh.
Where is this post of yours? Who made a comment 2 months ago about information that is only just surfacing? Have you not get 2 months of utility out of the device? Why did you buy it if you thought an update was imminent?
I researched this last year. As I recall, Apple said at the introduction of Time Machine that Airport Extreme would support it. But that didn't happen when Leopard was released. I think I found some information on the net that suggested Apple left the feature out because it wasn't reliable.
I was simply responding to your request :"Please link to the "how", as Apple doesn't support it."
It worked fine for me BTW.
Hopefully the next generation of Time Capsule will serve as an iTunes & AppleTV server.
If it moves beyond simply backing up files and becomes a media server, I hope it contains twin drives so a failure doesn't result in data loss.
Am I reading your post correctly...you can already use TC as a cable modem?
Sorry if I was unclear, there are so many possible configurations it is difficult to put into words.
Normally if you are setting up wireless (in the UK at least) there are two types of wireless router you can purchase:
1) A cable router like Apple provides (the cable modem is separate and comes from your supplier).
2) An ADSL modem router (this includes the modem and can plug directly into the phone line.)
Apple devices like the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule, don't include the ADSL modem, so like option 1, have to be plugged into a separate router/modem for use with ADSL, when modem routers from other manufactures, wouldn't have to.
I hope that is clear, like I said it is difficult to explain.
My suggestion was for an Apple device that could function on any type of connection, in the simplest way possible.
In a lot of markets the subscriber owns the DSL modem, it would be a waste of money to rent one, they are dirt cheap. And who cares about what the service provider wants on their setup, that's why you set them up when you get them. It makes sense for Apple to release a unit with built in dsl modem.
No it doesn't make sense. At all.
What doesn't make sense is:
a) that you have said that you're a home user,
b) a knowledgeable post has been written why it's not feasible... and,
c) YOU ARE still bleating about wanting one with dsl and claiming Apple should waste thier money just for you?
Geez! Extreme-Ego-spastik!
Found this using google
This is what I did (advice taken from the Apple Support Discussion Forum)
1. Plug external HDD to Mac computer via USB 2.0
2. Once the Volume has "mounted" - proceed to format it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) using AirPort Disk Utilities
3. If you want to partition this external HDD, make sure it's Map Partition Scheme is GUID (and not the external HDD's Master Boot Record - which is used for Windows).
4. Once everything is done, proceed with setting up TM under System Preferences. It should read that there is an external HDD connected and you let it connect to that.
5. TM should recognise this and "Prepare for backup"
6. Let TM run for a minute (when you can see it is actually transferring files to the external HDD - through it's progress bar).
7. STOP TM.
8. Eject Volume
9. Hook it to the back the AirPort Extreme Base Station and make sure you see it being mounted in the Finder window.
10. Enter TM SYSTEM PREFERENCES and "Change Disk" to point to the volume connected to the AEBS.
11. START TM.
12. It should resume from the last backup (which was the interrupted 1 minute backup).
And presto! You're done. I've had this set up and still chugs along just fine.
Thanks for sharing this great tip! I was waiting for a TC update to purchase one solely for the reason that I thought using TM to backup to NAS was not possible (unless the NAS happened to be TC).
Question - does the router have to be an apple router (airport/AE), or any router will work?
Connect drive to Airport extreme
Mount AirDisk on computer
Direct Time Machine to use AirDisk as backup drive
Start Time Machine
It wasn't any more complicated than that. It takes a hell of a long time to backup initially, but then it's fine. I only backup once a day (around 3 am) using "Time Machine Editor" and I haven't had any problems.