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AirPort Time Capsule

22 'AirPort Time Capsule' stories June 2011 - July 2021
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The most elaborate option in Apple’s AirPort family of wireless routers is AirPort Time Capsule, a hard drive-equipped version of the AirPort Extreme that includes 2TB or 3TB of storage for backup purposes, selling for $299 or $399 respectively. Apple first released this product as Time Capsule in January 2008 with lower hard drive capacities, 802.11n support, and a much larger footprint that resembled the Mac mini.

Introduced in June 2013, the current AirPort Time Capsule looks identical to the AirPort Extreme: all white, glossy plastic that resembles a milk carton in size and shape, akin to a 6.6″-tall version of the AirPort Express. The height accommodates all of the large antennas required for 802.11ac wireless support, as well as enough space to hold the hard drive.

On back, AirPort Time Capsule has the same ports as AirPort Extreme: three inbound Ethernet ports, plus one for communication with a broadband modem, and one full-sized USB port that can be used with either a printer or a second hard drive.

In our experience, AirPort Time Capsules are great routers and eventually problematic storage solutions. Almost any wireless issue you might experience with a less expensive router disappears with an AirPort device, particularly when you set up a dual-band network. However, Time Capsule hard drives are prone to failure over time due to frequent network access, and are generally not fast enough to be used for anything beyond backup purposes. We would recommend the $199 AirPort Extreme instead, as it has all of the router goodness and none of the hard drive headaches.

Need extra cash to upgrade? Sell your Time Capsule to Gazelle.

UK High Court ruling effectively outlaws ripping CDs into iTunes, Time Machine, iTunes Match and Apple Music

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 6 2015 - 5:17 am PT
37 Comments

It appears it’s not just governments who shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near technology – it’s also courts. The UK’s High Court recently overturned legislation permitting citizens to duplicate copyrighted material for their own private use, and TorrentFreak confirmed with the UK Intellectual Property Office that the ruling really is as dumb as it sounds.

“It is now unlawful to make private copies of copyright works you own, without permission from the copyright holder – this includes format shifting from one medium to another,” a spokesperson informed us.

The IPO specifically notes that copying a CD to an MP3 player is not permitted. This means that iTunes’ popular ripping feature, which Apple actively promotes during the software’s installation, is illegal.

The ruling would also effectively outlaw Time Machine (as it copies music files), and the current behaviour of both iTunes Match and Apple Music, each of which copies music to a cloud server. And it’s not just citizens who fall foul of this law – Apple does too … 
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9to5Toys Last Call: Time Capsule 3TB refurb $299, iPad mini 2 128GB LTE $430, JayBird Bluetooth in-ears $119, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Mar 23 2015 - 9:01 am PT
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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Apple’s refurbished 3TB Time Capsule drops to $299 shipped (25% off original)

Daily Deals: iPad mini 2 128GB LTE $430, ZAGGkeys iPad Air keyboard case $29, Toshiba Canvio 1TB HDD $50, more

JayBird BlueBuds X Sport Bluetooth Headphones $119 shipped (Reg. $170)

Exclusive: Incase 13-inch MacBook Air Hardshell Cases for $25 shipped (50% off)

Small States Review: Grado’s GR10e in-ear headphones hit every note, $299 giveaway

More new gear from today:

Amazon’s best selling HDTV: LG Electronics 55-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED for $500 shipped (Reg. $800)

More deals still alive:

Modern Combat 5: Blackout for iOS goes free for the first time (Reg. $4+)

iTunes Free App of the Week: Dark Echo ($2 value)

Apple extends deeper discounts to its refurbished store: AirPort Extreme $129, 13″ MacBook Air from $719, more

Apple laptops up to 25% off: MacBook Air from $750 w/ .edu, Pro w/ Retina display from $1,100 w/ .edu

Updated Apple TV pricing gets passed down as players refurbished by Apple hit a new low of $59

New products & more:

Atari’s new Fit app for iOS and Android rewards users w/ classic arcade games

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9to5Toys Last Call: iPhone 6/Plus (refurb, no contract) $498/$598, 11-inch MacBook Air (newest) $149 off, more

Avatar for Jan 26 2015 - 9:05 am PT
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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

Apple iPhone 6: $498 off contract, (iPhone 6 Plus: $598) refurb at Walmart (23% off)

Apple 11.6-inch MacBook Air (newest version) 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB $750 (Reg. $899)

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro w/ Retina display (newest) 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB: $1,599 ($200 off)

Apple 13.3-inch MacBook Air (newest) 1.4Ghz/4GB/256GB: $1,000 ($199 off)

Apple 11.6-inch MacBook Air (mid 2013) 1.3GHz/4GB/256GB: $849 (orig. $1,099)

Apple 3TB AirPort Time Capsule (newest version) w/ 802.11ac Wi-Fi: $349 shipped (13% off)

Toshiba Canvio Connect 1TB Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive: $50 shipped (Reg. $75)

More new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/ongoing promos/info:

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Want a Time Capsule but find it a bit pricey? Create a DIY version with $35 Rasberry Pi

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 29 2014 - 7:47 am PT
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I’m a huge fan of my Time Capsule. Once an hour, both my MacBook Pro and Air machines are backed-up automatically via wifi without me having to do a thing. As a wise friend once observed, the only 100 percent reliable backup system is one where you don’t have to do a thing – not even plug in a drive.

But there’s no denying that at $299 for the 2TB model or $399 for the 3TB model, the Time Capsule isn’t cheap. You can buy a 2TB external hard drive for well under $100 or a 3TB one for slightly more. You’d normally need a more expensive NAS system to make it work via wifi, but Remy van Elst has created an instructible enabling you to do it with nothing more than a $35 Raspberry Pi.

You’ll need to be comfortable with command lines, and it will take you a little time to get it all configured, but at the end of it all you’ll have a working Time Capsule – that looks to OS X just like the real thing – for somewhere around $120.

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Apple releases Heartbleed bug fix for 2013 AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Apr 22 2014 - 2:22 pm PT
5 Comments

Apple has released a bug fix patch for its 2013 AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule, fixing the OpenSSL ‘Heartbleed’ vulnerability. The update does not apply to the AirPort Express.

Firmware update 7.7.3 is recommended for all AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule base stations with 802.11ac. It provides security improvements related to SSL/TLS. Other AirPort base stations do not require this firmware update.

Amusingly, when Heartbleed made headlines earlier this month, Apple said that no key software or services were affected. They conveniently forgot to mention that their latest router hardware was susceptible to the flaw.

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Original Lisa mouse used by Steve Jobs dug up from buried time capsule [Video]

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Feb 12 2014 - 4:49 am PT
10 Comments

A Lisa mouse used by Steve Jobs to give a presentation at the Aspen International Design Conference in 1983 and then buried in a time capsule has been dug up, reports CNET.

The capsule was originally due to be unearthed in 2000, but landscaping work meant that conference organisers lost track of its position and had to call in help from the National Geographic Channel show Diggers to locate it.

The capsule was retrieved back in September, but the video has just been made available.

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9to5Toys Last Call: Seiki 4K UHDTV from $404, Slingbox SOLO $40, Time Capsule 2TB/3TB $50 off, AP Extreme $165, more

Avatar for Jan 16 2014 - 10:35 am PT
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Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

 

Seiki 4K Ultra HD TVs: 39″ $404 (Reg. $699), 50″ $607 (Reg. $1,500)

Sling Media Slingbox SOLO Media Streamer Refurb $40 shipped

Apple Time Capsule AC wireless router/backup device (newest version): 2TB $250/3TB $350, AirPort Extreme $165

Other great deals from today:


More great deals still alive:

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Apple issues AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule firmware update with fixes for WAN connectivity and USB hard drives

Avatar for Michael Steeber Nov 21 2013 - 12:37 pm PT
10 Comments

Apple issued a minor firmware update today to address issues specifically related to customers using USB hard drives with their routers, and fixes for intermittent loss in WAN connectivity as well as issues that may cause a network loop. You can view the full release notes below:

  • Addresses an issue that prevents a USB hard drive connected to an AirPort Extreme from appearing as an available disk in Time Machine
  • Resolves an issue that may intermittently cause a loss in WAN connectivity
  • Resolves an issue that may result in a network loop

If you own an AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule, you can view more information about grabbing new firmware updates here. 

Online backup services: why, how & which?

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Oct 7 2013 - 7:03 am PT
57 Comments
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Macs make automated backup childishly easy: simply plug in an external hard drive and OS X will ask whether you want to use it as a Time Machine disk. Say yes, and you’ll then get fully-automatic, hourly, versioned backups without doing anything further.

Unplug it to take your MacBook out & about, and it will catch up as soon as you return and plug it back in. Even easier, get a Time Capsule, and those backups take place over wifi, so you don’t even have to connect a drive.

But I’m a belt-and-braces chap. I like multiple backups, and I like one of those backups to be off-site. That way, if the house burns down, or a burglar takes both my Macs and my backup drives, I still have access to my data. Which is where online backup services come into play. Think of them as your backup of last resort.

iCloud, covered in my cloud storage roundup last week, already backs up quite a lot of your data – but nothing like all of it. The services covered here are ones that backup either your entire Mac, or a large proportion of it …


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How-to: Set time limits on your Wi-Fi network using AirPort Utility

Avatar for Sarah Guarino Oct 6 2013 - 2:00 am PT
26 Comments
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AirPort Utility is a built-in Mac app that is used to configure and control Wi-Fi networks using Apple’s AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and Time Capsule. The AirPort Extreme is a base station router like you would use when setting up your Wi-Fi network. An AirPort Express is used to extend a Wi-Fi network to a larger area, or can be used to stream audio using AirPlay. A Time Capsule is a combination of an AirPort Extreme and an external hard drive, and comes in 2 TB or 3 TB. It automatically backs up all Macs on your network.

AirPort Utility has the ability to set limits on what time of day the network (and therefore the internet) can be accessed from specific wireless devices. This can be helpful in situations where parents want to keep kids off of the internet after a certain time. Time limits can be set for different times on different days of the week.


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9to5Toys Last Call: iPhone 5c unlocked $535, Time Capsule from $170, deals on monitors up to 27″, more

Avatar for Oct 4 2013 - 3:00 pm PT
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From 9to5Toys.com:

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.

Today’s featured deals:

Discounted Displays: 20″ LED $75, 27″ LED $185, 27″ IPS $205


Other great deals from today:

The best deals that are still alive:

Mac software bundles:

New product announcements & reviews:

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9to5Toys Last Call: $279 Time Capsule 2TB (Newest), $15 credit for a new Incase iPhone case, games/apps, more

Avatar for Sep 12 2013 - 3:00 pm PT
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From 9to5Toys.com:

A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours. We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to round up the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+.

Today’s featured deals:

Apple Time Capsule 2TB (newest version) 802.11ac wireless router/backup device $279 shipped (Reg. $299)

Trade in ANY old iPhone case and get $15 credit towards a new one from Incase

Other great deals from today:

The best deals that are still alive:

New product announcements & reviews:

  • Steam Family Sharing lets you share and borrow full game libraries, launches next week
  • Infinity Blade 3 debut trailer, coming September 18
  • Sony launches new mini home console, the Playstation Vita TV
  • Amazon announces the all-new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader, now available for preorder starting at $119
  • Western Digital fills out its NAS-optimized RED hard drive line with new 2.5 inch versions
  • Review: The Just-Mobile UpStand, a functional iPad stand wrapped in a beautiful design
  • Sony officially begins serving up 4K Ultra HD video downloads with one big caveat

Stock shortages suggest possible new iMac and Airport Express on the way

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Sep 3 2013 - 7:15 am PT
13 Comments
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MacRumors is citing low stocks of Airport Express base stations as suggesting that a faster 802.11ac model is expected soon to match the capabilities of the latest Macs. This would offer wifi speeds almost three times faster than current 802.11n models, a capability that has already been incorporated into the current Airport Extreme and Time Capsule models.

We’re also hearing similar whispers about constrained supplies of iMacs, alongside price-cuts by resellers … 
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Synology launches new 8-bay DS1813+ NAS with 4 GbE ports for $1099

Avatar for Jordan Kahn May 28 2013 - 7:01 am PT
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If you’re fed up with Time Capsule and looking for a reliable, feature-filled NAS solution that also packs in some killer iOS companion apps and AirPlay support, we’re huge fans of Diskstation NAS Enclosures from Synology. We’ve reviewed the Synology NAS experience in the past, such as the two bay SD212 Diskstation, but today the company has announced its latest 8-bay unit with the launch of the new “DS1813+” model.

The new unit is similar to the 5 bay DS1513+ model it launched earlier this month, features the same screwless drive bays supporting 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch drives, but also includes four GbE ports and speeds up to 350 MBps reads and 200 MBps writes. On top of some nice iOS, web, and Android apps for managing all of your content, Synology also offers apps for printer sharing, VPN server, ERP software, mail server, web server, anti-virus, and network video surveillance built-in. 
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2012 Mac Mini found to support 450 Mb/s Wi-Fi

Avatar for Jake Smith Nov 21 2012 - 8:04 am PT
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Past the new Fusion Drive, upgraded RAM, and speed, French publication Macg.co found the 2012 Mac Mini introduced in September also boasts upgraded Wi-Fi antennas. The upgraded antennas brings the desktop to a maximum Wi-Fi speed of 450 Mb/s, now up-to-par with the 2011 MacBook Pro and iMac.

Of course to reach 450 Mbits/s you need a router to support it, and luckily, both Apple’s latest Time Capsule and Airport Extreme. There’s also other factors such as room configuration, interference and so forth. As to why Apple isn’t advertising the speeds is unknown.


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Apple’s Time Capsules go missing from retail stores globally

Avatar for 9to5 Staff Feb 14 2012 - 8:28 am PT
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Shipping times for Time Capsules are increasing steadily across regional online Apple stores in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, France and other territories. While the 3TB version of Time Capsule is in stock at certain online Apple Stores, most now list the wireless backup appliance with up to one to three weeks delivery time. Meanwhile, 2TB Time Capsules in some stores take one to two weeks. Over at Amazon (temporarily out of stock) and Best Buy (sold out) things are not looking peachy either.

This is similar to the AppleTV shortages we noted over the weekend but may not be for the same reason.

Time Capsule constrains could be linked to the Thai floods that have led to global shortages of hard drives and subsequent jacked prices by as much as 28 percent. A disruption in the hard drive supply already affected the 27-inch iMac. That, plus the fact that other AirPort-branded products stay in stock only reinforce the notion that constrained supplies of Apple’s Time Capsule is likely caused by global hard drive shortages.

According to an unnamed tip that 9to5Mac received this morning, several Apple outlets in Australia no longer have Time Capsules in stock:


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Time Capsules accept user 3TB drives?

Avatar for 9to5 Staff Jun 27 2011 - 3:22 am PT
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Apple last week bumped up its Time Capsule wireless backup appliance to 2TB and 3TB models, priced the same $299 and $499, respectively. In addition, Apple appears to be now using consumer public drives from Western Digital (bumped up from Hitachi Deskstar drives). That, plus the $499 price point puts the new 3TB Time Capsule pretty much out of reach on price-conscious buyers. In fact, you’re better off, as we explained, hooking up an external USB drive to your 1TB Time Capsule.

But if you hate the clutter and yearn for a sealed, elegant solution with only one plug, you needn’t pony up $200 extra for a 3TB Time Capsule: It would seem that the wireless gizmo accepts 3TB internal drives, if properly partitioned. According to a HardMac reader:

I personally installed a 3 TB WD Caviar Green 3To (by chance!), when it came out 5 months ago, in a 1 TB Time Capsule that I bought around that time as well. I formatted it with Airport Utility to have the 3 partitions that are necessary for Time Machine and it was immediately recognized as a 3 TB disk. I’ve been using it ever since without any problem.

One caveat…


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Time Capsule doesn’t have server hard drive as advertised

Avatar for Jake Smith Jun 25 2011 - 8:25 pm PT
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French website Macbidouille has published a teardown of the new $299 Time Capsule announced last week. Contrary to some rumors, it doesn’t have an A4 or A5 chip, and it doesn’t run a stripped down version of iOS.

The not so big surprise is that Apple is still using the $80 Western Digital Caviar Green HDD –what most would consider a ‘consumer grade hard drive’.  ($80!) What’s weird, and a little sketchy, is that Apple continues to advertise their Time Capsule having a ‘server grade hard drive.’

And for those scoring at home, the 3TB equivalent of the above drive costs a whopping $133, a whole $67 less than the cost to upgrade to a $499 3TB Time Capsule (never mind the 2TB drive already thrown in).  Full rant on that here.

Hopefully Apple isn’t filling up North Carolina with these for iCloud.
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Why buying the 3TB Time Capsule is crazypants

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Jun 21 2011 - 1:34 pm PT
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We know Apple charges a premium on storage.  That’s why many people buy RAM and HDD/SSD storage for their Macs from third party retailers, saving lots of money.   With iOS devices, however, Apple is able to keep out third party upgrades because the devices are sealed shut.  That’s why a device with 16GB costs $100 less than a device with 32GB of RAM, which in turn costs $100 less than a device with 64GB of flash storage.  Apple buys Flash for less than anyone else on earth but mere mortals can get storage for a fraction of what Apple charges.

So here’s this Time Capsule thing.

.

 $299 for 2TB.  To upgrade to a 3TB drive, you’ll need $200 more.  How absurd is this?  The difference between a 2TB and 3TB drive is like $40.

Not only is this beyond the call of the “Mac Tax” but it is crazy easy to get around.  For an extra $150 (Still $50 less than the 3TB model) you can buy a perfectly good 3TB USB Seagate or Western Digital hard drive from Amazon.  Then just plug it into the back of the 2TB model and you have 5TB of addressable space.    You’ve been able to use USB drives since 2008 as Time Machine backups or Network Attached Storage.

.

Of course it is nice to have the drive in a convenient little package with only one plug, but for $200, only getting an extra TB seems a little absurd.  
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More on Apple's Airport/Time Capsule and a possible refresh

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Jun 2 2011 - 6:36 am PT
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Image via Amazon

We’ve been tracking Time Capsule/Airport shortages reported earlier for about a week. Our sources noted that Airport Express has been plentiful but supplies of TimeCapsule and Airport Extreme have been tightening globally the way products usually do before a refresh.

What we do know is that Apple has been internally testing Time Capsules to cache Software Updates for both Mac and iOS devices.  The way we’ve heard it works is that the new Time Capsule learns which devices connect to it via Wifi.  It then goes out to Apple’s servers and downloads Software Updates for those products.

When the user wants to install the software update, the Time Capsule, which is also the router, routes you to the locally stored update, rather than downloading the whole thing over the Internet.  This works for iOS updates as well, though the updating still happened via the Mac.

Apple’s Mac OSX Servers currently do this for Mac businesses, so the technology already exists externally (though Mac OSX Server just downloads everything – without knowing which devices will be connected).

With Apple’s new iCloud component, we believe Apple has a chance to extend this functionality.  Perhaps Time Capsules could cache parts of your iCloud music locker that you use the most so that it speeds up the streaming process.  It could also cache large documents and files that get used often or even movies and photos you own.

While Macs have plenty of local storage, this would be particularly beneficial for iOS devices which are limited to Flash storage, especially AppleTV which has very little local storage.  As HD video gets bigger (1080P) Apple will need new ways to deliver and store this content.

The system could also work in reverse.  Apple could allow these new Time Capsules to back up your backups to the Cloud.

Will this be part of Apple’s iOS 5/Lion/iCloud announcement?  We’ll just have to wait and see.
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