Convert Airport Express from router and time machine backup to wireless time machine backup only

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Level 1

4 points

Convert Airport Express from router and time machine backup to wireless time machine backup only

Apologies if this has been addressed. I have used my AirPort Express for years as both a router and to create Time Machine backups for all our computers. I am thinking about getting a new router (Xfinity xFi) but would like to continue to use the Airport Express to wirelessly create backups of all our computers. Is this possible? I am not very tech savvy so i worry about execution error.

Posted on Oct 18, 2019 1:01 PM

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Answer 1

Tesserax

Level 10

158,424 points

Oct 18, 2019 1:11 PM in response to mblevitt

The AirPort Express cannot be used directly for Time Machine backups as its USB port does not support an external drive. Did you mean to say an AirPort Extreme or a Time Capsule instead?

If so, then you will need to do at least three things:

Connect the base station directly to your new router by Ethernet, using an Ethernet cable between one of the LAN or Ethernet ports on your new router and the WAN (circle-of-dots) port on the base station, and
Reconfigure the base station as a bridge: AirPort Utility > Select the base station > Edit > Network tab > Router Mode = Off (Bridge Mode) > Update
Disable the base station's wireless radios: AirPort Utility > Select the base station > Edit > Wireless tab > Network Mode = Off > Update

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Answer 2

mblevitt Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 18, 2019 2:06 PM in response to Tesserax

sorry, I have the Airport Time Capsule (flat white square). I am using that as my router and to wirelessly backup our machines.

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Convert Airport Express from router and time machine backup to wireless time machine backup only

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