Roberta Aguirre
Apple's AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule are two different products that look identical. While the AirPort Extreme functions as a wireless router and repeater, the AirPort Time Capsule can also be used as a backup disk due to its built-in HDD. The AirPort Extreme does not have an HDD, but you can connect an external HDD or SSD to the USB port on the back to use it as a backup disk. Time Machine can back up to an external storage device connected to a USB, Thunderbolt, or FireWire port on your Mac, or to the built-in disk of another Mac on your network. It is possible to back up multiple Macs to the same drive by creating separate partitions for each, but this is not as effective on a network drive because each Mac's backups will be stored separately in sparse bundles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Can you connect multiple Time Machine backups to Airport Extreme? | Yes, but it's not recommended for Macs using macOS Catalina or earlier. |
| How to connect multiple Time Machine backups to Airport Extreme? | 1. Connect the Time Machine to the USB port of the Airport Extreme Base Station. 2. Open AirPort Utility and select your base station. 3. Click Edit and go to the Disks tab in the settings window. 4. Select your backup disk from the list of partitions and enable file sharing. |
| Can you connect Time Machine to Airport Extreme wirelessly? | Yes, but the setup and first backup will be faster if you connect via Ethernet. |
| Can you connect Time Machine to Airport Extreme if it is encrypted? | Yes, but you may need to mount the disk manually each time you connect to WiFi. |
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What You'll Learn
Time Machine backup limitations
Time Machine is a backup solution for Apple devices, allowing users to back up their files, including apps, music, photos, emails, and documents. Time Machine can back up to an external storage device connected to a USB, Thunderbolt, or FireWire port on a Mac. It can also back up to the built-in disk of another Mac on the same network.
When setting up Time Machine, it is recommended to use an external storage device with at least twice the storage capacity of the Mac being backed up. For example, if the Mac has 1TB of storage, the backup disk should have at least 2TB of storage.
Time Machine has some limitations and considerations that users should be aware of:
- Storage Limitations: Time Machine will fill up the backup disk and delete old backups as needed. However, it treats each Mac's backups independently, so the retention period for old backups may vary between devices. Users can manually delete files from the backup to regain space, but this can be time-consuming and may not prevent future space issues.
- Backup Frequency: Time Machine automatically performs hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month, and weekly backups for all previous months. Users can change the backup frequency in the Time Machine settings.
- Backup Size: Users can set a maximum size for each computer's backup using the Terminal application. However, if the limit is set lower than the current backup size, subsequent backups may take longer as Time Machine removes old backups to meet the new limit.
- Backup Destinations: Time Machine can back up to multiple destinations, but when several Macs share a network backup volume, it creates a disk image for each device, allowing them to manage their storage space.
- Backup Format: When using an external storage device with Time Machine, it must be formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or APFS.
- Compatibility: Time Machine backup over the network between Macs using macOS Catalina or earlier is no longer recommended due to the use of Apple Filing Protocol (AFP), which will not be supported in future macOS versions.
- Restoring Files: Time Machine can be used to restore files to the same Mac or a different Mac. However, when restoring files, the backup password will be required if encryption was enabled.
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Using an external storage device
Time Machine can back up to an external storage device connected to a USB, Thunderbolt, or FireWire port on your Mac. This is the most common setup when using Time Machine to back up your Mac.
If you are backing up multiple Macs to the same drive, you can make one partition for each. However, this is not as helpful on a network drive because each Mac's backups will be in a separate sparse bundle.
To set up Time Machine to back up to an external storage device connected to your Airport Extreme:
- Connect your Mac to your Airport Extreme. It is recommended to use an Ethernet cable in addition to a wireless connection.
- Attach the external storage device directly to your Mac and erase and format it per the instructions in Time Machine FAQ #5. The format used does not matter, as Time Machine will put your backups in a case-sensitive sparse bundle.
- Once the external storage device is set up, connect it to your Airport Extreme.
- Configure Time Machine. By default, Time Machine will back up your internal hard drive. If you have multiple internal hard drives or partitions, they will all be backed up unless you exclude them.
- Eject and disconnect the external storage device from your Mac, then reconnect it to your Airport Extreme.
- Re-select the external storage device via Time Machine Preferences.
Please note that if you have been doing backups to an external disk connected directly to your Mac, you cannot continue the same set of backups when you connect it to your Airport Extreme. They are stored differently, and Time Machine will put new backups in a sparse bundle, which will be separate from the backups made locally.
Additionally, the Airport Extreme will not recognize APFS-formatted disks. It is recommended to use the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format for the backup disk.
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Backing up multiple Macs
If you want to back up multiple Macs using Time Machine, you have a few options.
Firstly, you can use an external storage device, such as a USB drive, connected to your Mac. This is the most common setup when using Time Machine to back up your Mac. You can also connect an external storage device to the USB port of an AirPort Extreme Base Station (802.11ac model) or AirPort Time Capsule on your network. If the storage device isn't using Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format, connect it to your Mac and reformat it with Disk Utility.
If you want to use an AirPort Extreme as your backup disk, you will need to connect an external hard drive to its USB port, as the AirPort Extreme does not have a built-in HDD. Once you have connected an external hard drive to your AirPort Extreme, you can enable file sharing, allowing multiple users to share data from the drive.
If you are backing up multiple Macs to the same drive, you can make one partition for each Mac. However, this is not as helpful on a network drive, as each Mac's backups will be in a separate sparse bundle.
It is important to note that Apple states that "Time Machine can't back up to an external drive that's connected to an AirPort Extreme". However, many users have successfully used Time Machine with a networked USB drive connected to an AirPort Extreme.
Another option for backing up multiple Macs is to use Apple's Time Capsule, which is essentially an AirPort Extreme with a built-in hard drive. The advantage of Time Capsule is that its drive is accessible to any Mac on your local network, allowing you to simultaneously back up multiple Macs to the same drive.
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Time Machine backup destinations
Time Machine is a backup solution for macOS that can back up to an external storage device connected to a USB, Thunderbolt, or FireWire port on a Mac. While Time Machine can also back up to a network drive, it is not recommended for older, flat models of AirPort Extreme as they have different hardware and are not supported by Apple.
To set up Time Machine with an AirPort Extreme AirDisk, follow these steps:
- Connect your Mac to the AirPort Extreme using an Ethernet cable if possible, in addition to a wireless connection.
- Attach the drive directly to your Mac and erase and format it according to the instructions in the Time Machine FAQ. The format used does not matter, but it must be readable by the AirPort Extreme.
- Once the USB drive is set up, connect it to the AirPort Extreme.
- Configure Time Machine to perform the initial backup. By default, Time Machine will back up your internal hard drive. You can exclude certain internal hard drives or partitions if desired.
- After the initial backup is complete, eject and disconnect the drive, then reconnect it to the AirPort Extreme.
- Re-select the drive via Time Machine Preferences.
- Regular, hourly, incremental backups will now continue wirelessly.
If you are backing up multiple Macs to the same drive, you can create separate partitions for each Mac. However, note that each Mac's backups will be stored in a separate sparse bundle.
Additionally, if you are using an older AirPort Extreme that does not have a built-in hard drive, you can connect an external hard drive to the USB port and use it as a Time Machine backup destination.
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Time Capsule vs Airport Extreme
Apple's AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule products look physically similar, but there are some key differences. The AirPort Extreme is a wireless router and repeater, whereas the Time Capsule combines these features with a built-in HDD backup disk. This means that the Time Capsule can be used as a Time Machine backup disk straight out of the box, whereas the AirPort Extreme cannot. However, it is possible to connect an external HDD or SSD to the AirPort Extreme via the USB port, essentially turning it into a Time Capsule.
The Time Capsule's SATA II interface makes it a faster experience compared to the AirPort Extreme, which uses a USB 2.0 dock solution. It is twice as fast at writing and over three times as fast at reading. However, if you are using WiFi to back up your data, the performance gains of using the Time Capsule are largely negated.
The AirPort Utility software has a one-click erase button for automatically partitioning any drive properly for the Time Capsule, which makes changing out drives in the Time Capsule a simple process. It is also possible to migrate backups off of the Time Capsule to an attached disk by clicking Archive.
When using the AirPort Extreme as a Time Machine backup disk, it is necessary to connect it to your router via the "o" network cable port. You will also need to plug in an external HDD or SSD into the USB 2.0 Port. The drive will need to be formatted in Disk Utility to either Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or APFS so that it is readable by the Extreme.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can. If you are backing up multiple Macs to the same drive, you can make a separate partition for each. However, it is not as effective on a network drive because each Mac's backups will be in a separate sparse bundle.
Connect your Mac to Airport Extreme. Make sure it works via an Ethernet cable and wirelessly. Attach the drive to your Mac, and erase and format it. By default, Time Machine will back up your internal HD. If you have multiple internal HDs, they will all be backed up.
Open Disk Utility and click Edit on Airport Extreme. Go to the "Disks" tab and check if "Enable File Sharing" is selected. If this does not work, the issue might be related to encryption and .dmg disk images.
Yes, Time Machine can back up to an external storage device connected to the USB port of an Airport Extreme Base Station (802.11ac model). If the storage device is not using Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format, connect it to your Mac and reformat it with Disk Utility.
