Apple Intelligence is now available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac!

📢 Newsroom Update

Apple’s new MacBook Pro features the incredibly powerful M4 family of chips and ushers in a new era with Apple Intelligence. Learn more >

📢 Newsroom Update

Apple introduces M4 Pro and M4 Max. Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

connecting external hard drive to wifi network for time machine b/u

How do I connect an external hard drive to my wifi network for time machine backups?


MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Aug 1, 2020 4:12 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 2, 2020 10:08 AM

You don't have to turn off the Wi-Fi, but DO connect the Apple Airport extreme via Ethernet.


If you give it the same network-name and password, your devices use it in addition to your Eero Routers to "roam". They will select the fastest Wi-Fi pathway and switch off automatically.


This is similar to what the Eero Routers, do, except the Eero Routers hog a separate section of the 5GHz band to talk to each other (which means you can't use that band to talk to your devices).

8 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 2, 2020 10:08 AM in response to mgmoogk

You don't have to turn off the Wi-Fi, but DO connect the Apple Airport extreme via Ethernet.


If you give it the same network-name and password, your devices use it in addition to your Eero Routers to "roam". They will select the fastest Wi-Fi pathway and switch off automatically.


This is similar to what the Eero Routers, do, except the Eero Routers hog a separate section of the 5GHz band to talk to each other (which means you can't use that band to talk to your devices).

Aug 2, 2020 8:02 AM in response to neuroanatomist

I have erro routers with 2 ethernet ports in each. I am connecting to my Samsung 1 TB SSD with an ethernet eero supplied ethernet cord > ethernet-USB3 adapter > USB3-Thunderboldt adapter > Samsung SSD. I successfully backed up my laptop via Time Machine when connected directly, but when I attach it to the wifi network, its not recognized. 

Aug 25, 2020 8:32 PM in response to mgmoogk

Did you try this (as in, not disabling your Airport Extreme's wifi)? I'd be overjoyed if it worked as Grant Bennet-Adler described, but this is the only place that I've seen it stated that if you leave the Airport's wifi on, it'll be used in addition to the Eero Routers to roam. The few other pieces of advice indicated that you should turn off wifi.


I'm going to be in the same situation soon, and am trying to plan ahead, so any feedback would be appreciated.

connecting external hard drive to wifi network for time machine b/u

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.