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When do I replace Airport Extreme

I have recently purchased a new MacBook pro, my older one (2016) finally gave out when it took a bit of a spill from a table and there was an intermittent hardware issue. I wasn't able to do a computer to computer restore, but I used the time machine backup. My Airport Extreme is quite old, I'm guessing probably 6 years or more. I think it is a 2 gig tower, but I'm not 100% sure and am unable to look it up as it is in the middle of its initial backup of the new machine. When I purchased my MacBook, I was going to buy a new one, but was told Apple is out of the backup device business.


So, here is my question. I use my Airport Extreme as the wireless internet device. I have Xfinity internet, and they provide a wireless router and device, but I have bridged the Xfinity box over to the Airport Extreme.


Question 1 - is the Airport Extreme operating and old technology and should I replace it?


Question 2 - An Apple staff member in the store suggested I purchase a WD MyCloud Home as a replacement backup device. I purchased it but when it was delivered, I realized it is only a wireless hard disk. Should I use this as the backup disk for TimeMachine instead of the Airport Extreme or should I continue to use the Airport Extreme?


Question 3 - although my wireless internet appears to work just fine, when the TV is streaming at times it is slow to load. Is this a function of my Airport Extreme? Should I upgrade to a new wireless device and then I assume that there a numerous options, any recommendation would be appreciated.


AirPort Extreme

Posted on Jul 13, 2023 7:14 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 13, 2023 8:07 AM

Time machine backup devices:


Switching is not required. You can ADD an additional Time machine backup destination at any time, and it can be a completely different type. The added drive will start a new stand-alone backup as of this moment, and continue as a completely independent backup set. Every-other backup goes to every-other drive.


Once your first backup has complete, the two will be equivalent, except the older one will have a longer history. Time machine.app will read BOTH and give you a combined view back in time. Either can be removed at any time.


MacOS 10.13 High Sierra and newer also support 'shared backup destinations'. I use a drive on my Home Server as an additional backup destination for some home Macs, which avoids having cables and a drive sitting next to my wife's MacBook Pro.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 13, 2023 8:07 AM in response to tmh2599

Time machine backup devices:


Switching is not required. You can ADD an additional Time machine backup destination at any time, and it can be a completely different type. The added drive will start a new stand-alone backup as of this moment, and continue as a completely independent backup set. Every-other backup goes to every-other drive.


Once your first backup has complete, the two will be equivalent, except the older one will have a longer history. Time machine.app will read BOTH and give you a combined view back in time. Either can be removed at any time.


MacOS 10.13 High Sierra and newer also support 'shared backup destinations'. I use a drive on my Home Server as an additional backup destination for some home Macs, which avoids having cables and a drive sitting next to my wife's MacBook Pro.

Jul 13, 2023 8:13 AM in response to tmh2599

<< ... use my Xfinity cable router not just as the router, but also as the internet device without bridging over to the AirPort Extreme >>


I was suggesting you use the Xfinity device as Router, and as provider of Wireless network in your home. You can also put the Apple Router in Bridge mode and use it as a wireless extender. This is what many "mesh" devices would do for you.



This setup uses a portion of you wireless bandwidth to talk to the access point.



--------

The preferred way is to connect with an Ethernet cable:



the second setup increases the coverage in your home without using wireless bandwidth to do so.



Jul 13, 2023 7:36 AM in response to tmh2599

The AirPort Extreme Time Capsule is a combination of backup device and Router. When 'how to assemble the required devices and make a backup' was seen as a big mystery, and drives were frighteningly expensive, that was an easy choice.


But there are now more focused solutions for both the backup and the Router problems.


A five-year life for a backup drive is typical, but there is a very wide standard deviation (some fail much sooner, some seem to last forever). No additional enclosure and cables required for that backup drive is a plus, but a wired USB-2 connection for a new drive is as fast as almost every Rotating Magnetic Drive.


For Routers, a recent Xfinity Router is likely superior to the Apple Router, and you could re-arrange in a straightforward fashion my reversing roles of your two Routers: Make the Xfinity the main router, and Bridge the Apple Router. Connect the Xfinity directly to cable and supplying DHCP addresses, the Apple Router becomes only an access point in Bridge mode.


What do you think about that?

Jul 13, 2023 7:43 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Grant, I appreciate your response. The benefit I see for the WD MyHome backup device is that it is wireless and will connect to my Mac without having to plug anything in. If I'm understanding your recommendation correctly, use my Xfinity cable router not just as the router, but also as the internet device without bridging over to the AirPort Extreme, and then use the WD MyHome as the backup device. Correct?


Jul 13, 2023 8:13 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Grant, again, very helpful. I'm not an IT guy, far from it. I also have a newly purchase 8 gig back up drive. Are you suggesting that I connect this directly to my Xfinity router and back it up that way as well as the Airport device? I like the sound of double backups, although I am a bit uncertain as to how to un-bridge the Xfinity router and make the Airport Extreme the main internet device and the airport extreme just the bridged device. To be honest, I'm not 100% sure what this whole process will entail. I'll probably reach out to Xfinity support (oh joy) and see if they are able to help me get the Xfinity router as my primary network


Jul 13, 2023 8:45 AM in response to tmh2599

Hi, tmh2599, about the only ( sorta) answer(s) I have for you are : 1-if it works fine, ( and yes it’s old technology, ) you may wish to replace it with something kinda newer… the AirPort Extreme ( the flat smallish white box one will do up to 802.11n on either 2.4 or 5Ghz… when tv is streaming, and it being slow to load means you’re sharing the same Internet/Ethernet connection between TV, Mac and whatever Wifi devices you have around your place… you could try changing the channel it broadcasts on… if you hold down the “Option” key and click on your WiFi icon it’ll show you useful stuff- speed, data rate, channel, frequency… the AirPort Time Capsule will do 802.11 ac ( which is supposed to be pretty modern and has a somewhat better data rate than 802.11n) where the AirPort Extreme won’t… yes, it’s also true that Apple has gotten out of the backup/Wifi making devices business, but, as Grant Bennett-Alder pointed out there are more focused solutions for both backup+router( or at least alternatives, anyways)… not from Apple… maybe a Mesh Wifi system which should have a usb socket on it somewhere, so’s you can connect up a backup drive to it and use Time Machine with it…I can’t recommend any particular maker//manufacturer or model, as I’m still using my AirPort Time Capsule+ AirPort Extreme ( as a wifi extender) in my place, which is around 1200 square feet and on one floor. Mind you if I saw a good deal locally on a newish, working fine AirPort Time Capsule, I’d get it… just my opinion though


John B

Jul 20, 2023 2:30 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Grant, I am having some issues. I had my MyCloud Home connected to a new Xfinity router, and had my Airport Extreme connected as well. This prevented MyCloud from working. It worked when I disconnected the Airport Extreme from the router. I tried to figure out if I could change the settings on it, but I am unable to navigate to the screen that you are showing above. I have tried settings, airport utility bur I'm not able to find it. MyCloud Home is working and has backed up my Mac, but obviously the Airport Extreme isn't since it is disconnected from the network. If you could steer me in the right direction that would be great


When do I replace Airport Extreme

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