Airport Time Capsule: Apple's Backup And Router Solution

Apple's AirPort Time Capsule is a network device designed to work with Time Machine. It was introduced in 2008 as the first wireless network-attached storage device with a wireless gateway router made by Apple. The Time Capsule comes with a built-in hard drive and is a full-on network router that supports IEEE 802.11ac networking, which is the same fast Wi-Fi networking supported on most newer computers and mobile devices. It is easy to set up and allows for automatic wireless backup of up to 3TB of data.

Time Capsule as a wireless backup device

Time Capsule is a network device sold by Apple that works with Time Machine, but it's more than just a hard drive. It's a full-on network router that supports IEEE 802.11ac networking, the same fast Wi-Fi networking supported on most newer computers and mobile devices.

Time Capsule was introduced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008, and released on February 29, 2008, with pricing announced at $299 for the 500 GB version and $499 for the 1 TB version. It was the first wireless network-attached storage device combined with a wireless gateway router made by Apple. The first generation of Time Capsule included a full AirPort Extreme Base Station with 802.11n wireless, one Ethernet WAN port, three Ethernet LAN ports, and one USB port.

The USB port could be used for an external hard drive or a printer to be shared over the network, or both, by using a third-party USB hub. Time Capsule currently comes in 2TB and 3TB capacities. Time Capsule is a great way to make sure all your Macs are backed up all the time. While its backup features are Mac-specific, Time Capsule works as a network router with devices from other manufacturers, too.

To set up a new Time Capsule, you can use the AirPort Utility app, which can be found in your Mac’s Utilities folder. Once it’s up and running on your network, the Time Capsule is visible to any Mac on the network as a valid Time Machine backup location.

Time Machine and Time Capsule compatibility

Time Machine is the Mac's built-in backup software. Time Capsule is a network device sold by Apple that works with Time Machine. Time Machine can back up the data on your Mac to the built-in hard disk of an AirPort Time Capsule on your network.

To make a Time Machine backup of your Mac, you need a storage device that is compatible with Time Machine. Time Machine can back up to an external storage device connected to a USB, Thunderbolt, or FireWire port on your Mac. Time Machine can't back up to a storage device formatted for Windows.

Time Machine works whenever the Mac is on. It keeps hourly backups for the previous 24 hours, daily backups for the previous month, and weekly backups for all previous months, until the Time Machine disk is full. This means you can always restore your Mac to its most recent working state. Time Machine also gives you a window into the past with each of those snapshots, so you can restore deleted files or even previously saved versions of files.

Time Capsule comes in 2TB and 3TB capacities. It is a network router that supports IEEE 802.11ac networking, the same fast Wi-Fi networking supported on most newer computers and mobile devices. It is easy to configure a new Time Capsule using the AirPort Utility app, which can be found in the Utilities folder on your Mac. Once it's up and running on your network, the Time Capsule is visible to any Mac on the network as a valid Time Machine backup location.

AirPort Utility and configuration

Apple's AirPort Time Capsule is a network device designed to work with Time Machine. It is a wireless network-attached storage (NAS) device with a built-in hard drive for automated backups and a wireless gateway router. The Time Capsule was introduced in 2008 and has since been discontinued, with the last models released in 2013.

The AirPort Time Capsule can be easily configured using the AirPort Utility app, which can be found in the Utilities folder on a Mac. The app allows users to set up and manage their Time Capsule, including formatting and configuring the network. With just one click, users can quickly erase or archive the disk to start over. The AirPort Utility app is a free download and provides a simple and intuitive way to manage the Time Capsule's settings.

The Time Capsule offers both wireless and wired connectivity options. It includes multiple Ethernet ports, with one WAN port and three or four LAN ports, depending on the model. These ports can be used for wired connections to devices such as computers or other network devices. Additionally, the Time Capsule has a USB port that allows for the connection of external hard drives or printers, providing the flexibility to expand the storage capacity or share printing capabilities over the network.

The AirPort Time Capsule supports the latest Wi-Fi standards, including 802.11ac, ensuring fast and reliable wireless performance. It also offers dual-band functionality, allowing it to operate in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands simultaneously. This provides improved range and performance, as well as compatibility with a wide range of devices.

The Time Capsule is designed to work seamlessly with Apple's Time Machine backup software. Once configured, it becomes visible to any Mac on the network as a valid Time Machine backup location. This enables automatic, wireless backups of Mac computers, ensuring that data is regularly and securely backed up without the need for manual intervention. Time Machine creates hourly, daily, and weekly backups, allowing users to restore their Mac to a previous working state or recover deleted or older versions of files.

AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule updates

Apple's AirPort lineup has been discontinued, but the company continues to support the devices with software updates. AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule base stations with 802.11ac received a firmware update (7.9.1) that improved the security of the base station. A previous firmware update (7.8.1) improved the security of Apple's 802.11n AirPort Base Stations, including AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule.

AirPort Extreme provides up to three times faster Wi-Fi than AirPort Express, which is designed to easily set up or extend a wireless network. Time Capsule is a network device that works with Time Machine, Apple's built-in backup software for Mac. Time Capsule is a network router that supports IEEE 802.11ac networking, the same fast Wi-Fi networking supported on most newer computers and mobile devices. It is available in 2TB and 3TB capacities and can be configured using the AirPort Utility app. Time Capsule provides automatic wireless backup for up to 3TB of data.

AirPort line discontinuation

In April 2018, Apple announced the discontinuation of its AirPort router product line, which included the AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule models. This decision came as no surprise to many, as the product line had not been updated since 2013 and Apple had already started selling third-party mesh networking systems.

The AirPort line was first introduced in 2003 with the AirPort Extreme, followed by the AirPort Express in 2004 and the Time Capsule in 2008. The Time Capsule, with its seamless local backup capabilities via Time Machine, was particularly notable. Despite its strong features and loyal user base, Apple's decision to discontinue the AirPort line was likely influenced by internal restructuring and the challenge of maintaining economic viability.

Users of the AirPort products expressed disappointment and viewed the discontinuation as a missed opportunity for Apple. The AirPort products were known for their reliability, ease of use, and seamless integration within Apple's ecosystem. Some suggested that Apple could have evolved the AirPort into an out-of-the-box mesh system, leveraging its strengths in privacy and HomeKit integration.

While Apple no longer sells the AirPort products, it continued to support existing customers for a few years after the discontinuation. This allowed users to receive ongoing support and gave them time to find alternative solutions.

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