Ruth Haines
Apple's AirPort Extreme can be used as a backup for a Mac device. However, it is important to note that there are specific procedures to follow, and some limitations to be aware of. For instance, when using an AirPort Extreme as a Time Machine backup, you may encounter issues with selecting the backup disk or connecting to the internet. Additionally, there are considerations regarding storage capacity and the need for additional hardware, such as a USB multiport dongle or a USB-C cable. Overall, while it is possible to use AirPort Extreme as a backup solution for a Mac, there are several factors that users should take into account to ensure a successful and efficient backup process.
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What You'll Learn
- Using an Ethernet cable to connect a Mac to Airport Extreme
- Using a wireless network to connect a Mac to Airport Extreme
- Using an old Apple Airport Extreme as a backup drive
- Using Airport Extreme to back up two computers with Time Machine
- Troubleshooting when Airport Extreme is not recognised as a backup disk
Using an Ethernet cable to connect a Mac to Airport Extreme
It is possible to connect a Mac to Airport Extreme using an Ethernet cable. This can be done by plugging the Ethernet cable into one of the Ethernet LAN ports on the Airport Extreme.
To connect a MacBook Pro to Airport Extreme via Ethernet, you may need a USB-C to RJ45 adapter and a short Ethernet cable. You can then plug the Ethernet cable into one of the Ethernet LAN ports.
If you are having trouble getting your Mac to recognise the wired connection, there are a few things you can try. Firstly, make sure that your Mac is connected to the Airport Extreme via Wi-Fi before plugging in the Ethernet cable. You can open Airport Utility on your Mac to check this.
If you are still having issues, there are more complicated ways to force the Mac to use the wired Ethernet connection. However, keep in mind that some features, like AirDrop, may not work over a wired connection as they require peer-to-peer WiFi.
Overall, while it is possible to connect a Mac to Airport Extreme using an Ethernet cable, there may be some minor issues with getting the connection to work and with feature compatibility.
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Using a wireless network to connect a Mac to Airport Extreme
To connect your Mac to Airport Extreme using a wireless network, you will need to have an Airport Extreme base station and a primary router connected to your internet modem.
Firstly, ensure that your network name, security settings, and password are the same on both the primary and secondary devices. You can do this by opening the AirPort Utility on your Mac by clicking "Go," then "Applications," and choosing the "Utilities" folder. Once you have connected to the primary router, click “Manual Setup” and enter your password if prompted.
Next, click “Airport,” then "Wireless," and select "Create a Wireless Network." If you want to secure your network, click "Wireless Security" and select "WPA2 Personal." Choose a password between eight and 63 characters long, and click "Automatic" under "Radio Channel Selection."
Now, connect to your secondary router using the "Base Station Chooser" in the setup program. Click "Manual Setup," then "Airport," and then "Wireless." Choose "Extend a Wireless Network" from the "Wireless Mode" menu. Select the network name and enter your password.
Finally, adjust your devices as needed to maximise your network strength.
It is worth noting that some features, such as AirDrop, may not work over a wired connection and require a peer-to-peer WiFi connection.
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Using an old Apple Airport Extreme as a backup drive
If you have an old Apple AirPort Extreme and want to use it as a backup drive, there are a few things you can try. Firstly, it's important to note that the AirPort Extreme is a router and does not have a built-in hard drive, so you will need to connect an external hard drive to the USB port on the back of the AirPort Extreme.
One suggestion is to connect the AirPort Time Capsule to an ASUS router using an Ethernet cable. Specifically, you would use the WAN Ethernet port of the AirPort Time Capsule and connect it to the LAN port on the ASUS router. You will also need to disable the WiFi on the Time Capsule. This should allow your Mac to see the Time Capsule hard drive as a resource for Apple's Time Machine.
Another option is to connect the AirPort Extreme to the WAN port of your ASUS router and put it in Bridge Mode in the AirPort utility, while also turning off the WiFi radios. This will allow you to use it for Time Machine backups, but any external drives connected will be limited to USB 2.0 speeds.
If you are having trouble getting your external drive to show up in the Time Machine preferences, make sure you have formatted it correctly. Open Disk Utility and select "Show All Devices". Then, find your USB device in the list of drives and select the Storage Device. Go to the Disk Utility window and select Erase. Choose APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for the format and make the Partition Scheme MBR. After confirming the erase, plug the drive into your AirPort Extreme and it should now appear in the Extreme's Drives in the AirPort Utility.
Additionally, if you are using a password-protected disk, you may need to set a disk password on APU under Disks for it to be recognised.
Please note that these are general guidelines based on forum discussions, and your specific setup may vary. Always make sure to back up your current data before making any changes to your system.
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Using Airport Extreme to back up two computers with Time Machine
You can use Time Machine to back up two computers with Airport Extreme, but it requires a few extra steps.
First, it's important to note that the Airport Extreme and Airport Time Capsule look identical, but the latter has a built-in HDD, allowing it to act as a wireless router and backup disk. The Airport Extreme, on the other hand, does not have an internal hard drive, so you will need to connect an external HDD or SSD to the USB port.
To set up Time Machine to back up to an AirDisk on your Airport Extreme, follow these steps:
- Set up your Airport Extreme using the Airport Utility instructions, but do not connect the drive yet. Keep the name short (under 25 characters) and avoid special characters, embedded spaces, and punctuation.
- Attach the drive directly to your Mac and format it according to the instructions in Time Machine FAQ #5. You can use either the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, journaled) format. If you are backing up multiple Macs to the same drive, you can create a separate partition for each.
- After formatting, eject and disconnect the drive from your Mac, then reconnect it to the Airport Extreme.
- Re-select the drive via Time Machine Preferences. Time Machine should now display it normally.
- Regular, hourly, incremental backups will continue wirelessly.
Note that if you have been using a direct backup to your Mac, you cannot continue the same set of backups when you switch to Airport Extreme. Time Machine will store the new backups in a sparse bundle, alongside but separate from the local backups. Additionally, the first backup via Airport Extreme will be a full backup of your system, so it may take a while, depending on your data amount and connection type.
While it is possible to use Time Machine with Airport Extreme for backups, some users have reported issues with certain formats, such as APFS, and with getting the drive to show up in Time Machine preferences. These issues may be due to differences in how Apple handles USB and network backups, and it is recommended to never make more than one change at a time to avoid any potential data loss.
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Troubleshooting when Airport Extreme is not recognised as a backup disk
If your Airport Extreme is not recognised as a backup disk, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to try and resolve the issue. Here are some detailed instructions and potential solutions:
Check Disk Utility
First, connect the hard disk drive directly to your Mac and open Disk Utility. If the disk appears in Disk Utility and mounts normally, try to repair the disk by selecting it and clicking the "Repair" button. If the repair is successful, reconnect the disk to your Airport Extreme and see if it is recognised.
Check for Corruption
If the disk does not appear in Disk Utility or the repair fails, the disk may be corrupted. In this case, you can try to erase the hard disk drive using Disk Utility. After erasing the disk, reconnect it to your Airport Extreme and see if it is recognised.
Powered USB Hub
If your Airport Extreme is not recognising the disk, the issue could be related to insufficient power. Try connecting the disk to a powered USB hub, and then connect the hub to your Airport Extreme. This will provide additional power to the disk and may resolve the issue.
Encryption and Disk Password
It appears that Airport Extreme may not support encrypted backups. If you have set a password for your disk, try removing the password and see if the disk is recognised without encryption.
Backup Locally
If none of the above solutions work, you may need to backup your data locally rather than wirelessly. This means connecting the disk directly to your Mac and performing the backup without using the Airport Extreme as an intermediary.
Remember to always back up your current data before making any changes to your system. It is important to have multiple backup disks to ensure a robust backup strategy.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Mac can backup to Airport Extreme. You can use the WAN Ethernet port of the AirPort Time Capsule, disabling its WiFi.
You can select the Airport Extreme as your Time Machine backup. Connect the AirPort to your router via the “o” network cable port on the back of the AirPort.
Yes, you can use a USB drive with Airport Extreme. However, you may need a USB multiport dongle or a USB-C cable for your existing drive.
Yes, Airport Extreme can be used to back up two computers. However, you may need to use a hub to connect two disk drives to the USB port.
