Roberta Aguirre
Apple's Airport Extreme and Airport Time Capsule are two different products that look physically similar. The Airport Extreme is a wireless router with other wireless features such as a repeater, while the Time Capsule has all the features of the Airport Extreme but also includes a server-grade hard disk drive (HDD) for backups. This means that the Airport Time Capsule can be used to extend the Airport Extreme's capabilities by providing additional storage.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Airport Extreme: Wireless router, repeater, and extender. |
| Airport Time Capsule: Wireless router, repeater, backup disk, and extender. | |
| Storage | Airport Extreme: No internal storage, requires an external hard drive. |
| Airport Time Capsule: Internal hard drive with 1 TB or 2 TB storage capacity. | |
| Backup | Airport Extreme: Requires an external hard drive for backups. |
| Airport Time Capsule: Built-in hard drive for automatic backups with Time Machine. | |
| Network Support | Airport Extreme: Supports up to 50 users. |
| Airport Time Capsule: Supports up to 50 users. | |
| Ports | Airport Extreme: Four Gigabit Ethernet ports, including three LAN ports and one WAN port. |
| Airport Time Capsule: Four Gigabit Ethernet ports, including three LAN ports and one WAN port. | |
| Wireless Technology | Airport Extreme: Simultaneous dual-band support (2.4GHz and 5GHz). |
| Airport Time Capsule: Simultaneous dual-band support (2.4GHz and 5GHz). | |
| Additional Features | Airport Extreme: N/A |
| Airport Time Capsule: DNS caching for faster query responses. |
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What You'll Learn
The Airport Time Capsule has an internal hard drive
The Airport Time Capsule is a wireless router device manufactured and sold by Apple Inc. It is a residential gateway router featuring network-attached storage (NAS). Apple describes the device as a "Backup Appliance", as it appears to be a version of Apple's AirPort Extreme with an internal hard drive. The Time Capsule can act as both a wireless router/repeater and a backup disk, as it has a built-in HDD. The hard disk storage space of each model was doubled, with capacities of 1 TB, 2 TB, and 3 TB, while the prices remained unchanged.
The Airport Time Capsule has been around since 2008, with Apple gradually improving its network capabilities and storage amounts. The device got a major overhaul in June 2013 when Apple revealed the fifth-generation model. It mirrors the form factor and capabilities of the AirPort Extreme introduced at the same time, sporting a more vertical design that, while much taller than previous models, occupies less desk space.
The Time Capsule's key feature is the ability to back up a system and files wirelessly and automatically, eliminating the need to attach an external backup drive. This feature requires OS X 10.5.2 Leopard or greater on the client computers. The backup software is Apple's Time Machine, which, by default, makes hourly images of the files that are being changed and condenses backup images as they become older, saving space. The hard drive typically found in a Time Capsule is the Hitachi Deskstar, which is sold by Hitachi as a consumer-grade product. Apple labelled the drive as a "'server-grade' drive in promotional material for Time Capsule.
The Airport Time Capsule's internal hard drive can be replaced. To do so, the base, which is held in place by eleven plastic retention lugs, must be removed. The two delicate cable connectors are then reconnected to the PCB by offering them into place and gently pressing them back onto their respective connections. The power cable and socket are then reattached to their holder on the inside of the case, and the metal plate is reattached using the four screws removed earlier. Finally, the black plastic base is clipped back on to close the unit.
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The Airport Extreme can be used as a Time Machine backup
The Airport Time Capsule is a fully equipped 802.11ac network router that looks similar to Apple's Airport Extreme. However, the Time Capsule has an added piece of hardware—an integrated hard disk drive (HDD) that can be used to back up the computers on your network.
The Airport Extreme, on the other hand, does not have a built-in HDD, so it cannot be used as a backup disk on its own. However, you can connect an external HDD or SSD to the USB port on the back of the Airport Extreme, which then allows you to back up content to that drive, essentially turning it into a Time Capsule.
To use an external hard drive with your Airport Extreme for Time Machine backups, you will first need to format the drive using Disk Utility. The drive will need to be formatted as either Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or APFS to be readable by the Extreme.
Once the drive is formatted, you can connect it to the USB 2.0 Port on the back of the Airport Extreme. Then, open the Time Machine application on your Mac and follow the prompts to set up a disk for Time Machine backups. You should then be able to select your external hard drive as the backup disk.
By following these steps, you can use your Airport Extreme as a Time Machine backup solution, even though it does not have a built-in HDD like the Airport Time Capsule.
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The Airport Extreme can be used as a wireless router
The Airport Extreme can be used to create a wireless network or connect to an existing wireless network to extend its range. It can also be used as a repeater and to create a guest wireless network to keep your private network secure.
The Airport Extreme has gone through three distinct physical forms. The first models had a plastic housing in a round "flying saucer" shape, while later generations adopted a flat, rounded-square form factor. The 2013 model had a vertical form, taller than it was wide.
The Airport Extreme can be used as a WiFi router in restaurants, for example, to establish a WiFi network. It is recommended to have space next to or near the router for the LRS Gateway, as it needs to be connected to the router during setup.
Overall, the Airport Extreme is a versatile device that can be used as a wireless router and offers a range of other features and functionality to support wireless networking.
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The Airport Time Capsule can be used as a network router
The Time Capsule has all the features of the Airport Extreme Base Station, including four Gigabit Ethernet ports, simultaneous dual-band support, and the ability to create a wireless network or connect to an existing one to extend its range. However, the Time Capsule also includes a server-grade hard disk drive (HDD) for backup. This internal hard drive can be used to back up the computers on your network using the Time Machine software built into every Mac.
To use the Time Capsule as a network router, you can connect it to your modem or router using an Ethernet cable. You can also set up the Time Capsule to create a new wireless network by connecting it to the WAN port on the device and following the setup instructions.
While the Time Capsule can function as a router, some users have reported challenges in adding it to an existing network without it trying to function as the primary router. In such cases, resetting the Time Capsule to factory settings and configuring it as a client on the network or setting it to bridge mode may be necessary.
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The Airport Time Capsule has been around since 2008
The Time Capsule has the same form and functions as the Airport Extreme but with an added piece of hardware – an integrated hard disk drive (HDD) for backup. The Airport Extreme, on the other hand, acts as a wireless router and repeater. The Time Capsule can act as both a wireless router/repeater and a backup disk. It has a built-in HDD, while the Airport Extreme does not.
The Time Capsule was discontinued in 2018, along with the Airport Extreme and Airport Express Base Stations. Despite this, the Time Capsule remains a relevant product for those seeking to back up their data. Apple's built-in Time Machine app makes it simple to back up data on a Mac, and one can even use the same external hard drive to back up two different Macs.
The Time Capsule has undergone several generations of improvements since its release in 2008. The second-generation model, released in early 2009, offered simultaneous 802.11n dual-band operation, allowing older devices to use slower wireless speeds without affecting the performance of devices using higher 802.11n speeds. The fourth-generation Time Capsule, released in June 2011, increased the range of Wi-Fi signals with a new Broadcom BCM4331 chip. In June 2013, the fifth generation of the Time Capsule was released, featuring a name change and a redesign. This model introduced the newest Wi-Fi standard, 802.11ac.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, an Airport Extreme can extend an Airport Time Capsule. The Airport Extreme can be used as a wireless router and a repeater, while the Time Capsule can act as both a wireless router and repeater, as well as a backup disk.
The Airport Time Capsule has all the features of the Airport Extreme Base Station but also has a server-grade hard disk inside (1TB or 2TB) for use with Mac OS Leopard/Snow Leopard's backup utility called Time Machine.
First, disable the wireless and routing functions on your Airport device. Then, connect your laptop to your Time Capsule or Extreme using an Ethernet cable plugged into one of the Airport's LAN ports. Launch Airport Utility and select Airport Time Capsule or Airport Extreme from the window and press edit. Finally, press 'Update' and your Time Capsule or Extreme will reboot and save your changes.
Yes, you can use an Airport Extreme as a Time Machine. However, as the Airport Extreme does not have an internal hard drive, you will need to connect an external hard drive to the USB 2.0 port.
