Replacing Airport Extreme with mesh... Need hard drive for Time Machine?

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Replacing Airport Extreme with mesh... Need hard drive for Time Machine?

I just replaced my Airport Extreme network with a mesh system over the holidays. However, the Airport is currently still plugged into the mesh via Cat 5/6 cable to keep providing our data backup of two laptops. I want to still be able to back up our computers with Time Machine, but I want to upgrade to a drive with more space for more devices. Can anyone advise me on what pieces I may need to do that? I want at least 10-12 TB but I think I may need some sort of ethernet adapter to come out of the back of my mesh system into a drive. Does this make any sense? Any information would be very helpful.

AirPort Extreme

Posted on Jan 7, 2024 10:32 AM

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Answer 1

Jan 8, 2024 7:42 AM in response to TO_JOE

Not a big deal, but it sounds like the device that you are calling an AirPort Extreme is really an AirPort Time Capsule. The Time Capsule is essentially an AirPort Extreme, but it has a built in hard drive that was designed to store backups make using the Time Machine application on your Mac.

To connect the Time Capsule to your mesh system, you could connect an Ethernet cable from an Ethernet port on the back of the main mesh router to the "O" port on the Time Capsule.

As far as replacing the hard drive on the Time Capsule with a larger capacity drive, a good repair shop should be able to advise on this type of "repair" and perform the service for you. Start by contacting authorized Apple service shops in your area to ask about this using the link just below:

Find Locations

Good luck

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Answer 2

TO_JOE Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 8, 2024 8:06 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes. Airport Time Capsule Extreme. What I'm trying to do is put the Airport Time Capsule Extreme out of commission. I want to find a device that does the same thing, only with more storage. I don't need the Wifi function anymore. The Airport Time Capsule Extreme that I've had for at least 10 years only has, from what I remember, 2TB of storage. My two kids now have computers and are in college, and I would love to be able to backup their computers as well without having to buy them cloud storage. Is there a way, or a device that I can buy that someone has used that will do the same thing?

At the moment, my old Airport Time Capsule Extreme is connected by Ethernet cable (out of mesh network into O port) and working just fine as a wireless computer backup using Time Machine. However, I'm afraid that the spinning drive in the Airport Time Capsule Extreme is doomed to fail eventually, and I want to replace it with a newer, larger drive. Apple does not sell them anymore. Although it is an option, I'm not sure repairing it is a road I want to go down. I'd love to get something more updated if it exists.

I guess my question is, can I just plug in ANY hard drive into the back of my mesh system to take the place of my Airport Time Capsule Extreme? I don't need the Wifi. Just the backup. I think I would need an Ethernet to USB3 or USB-C converter to go out of the mesh into the hard drive depending on what the interface is on the new drive. Would that work? Am I going down the right road?

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Answer 3

TO_JOE Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 8, 2024 8:42 AM in response to TO_JOE

With a little bit of research, it looks like it is not possible. The only solution is something called a NAS (Network Accessed Storage) device. I'm not that computer savvy to be able to set something like that up on my own. So, it looks like everyone who owns, or used to own a Time Capsule can no longer easily use Time Machine wirelessly. Looks like we have to go back to plugging in every device into a drive manually on a scheduled basis to stay backed up. That really sucks. Is this how people without Macs have been having to doing it for decades now? I guess so? I guess I'll just wait until my Airport catches fire and dies.

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Answer 4

Jan 8, 2024 11:29 AM in response to TO_JOE

I guess my question is, can I just plug in ANY hard drive into the back of my mesh system to take the place of my Airport Time Capsule Extreme?

If your device is flat shaped and looks like a small white pizza box with rounded corners, you have a Time Capsule.

If your devices is tall....shaped somewhat like an 8" tower.....you have an AirPort Time Capsule.

Very few Wi-Routers even have a USB port. Among the ones that do, there are very few that will support Time Machine backups to a USB hard drive connected to the router. Among the ones that will do this are the Synology router and upper end Asus routers.

There may be more, but I am not aware of them. If your mesh router does have a USB port on the back of the device, ask the support folks at the manufacturer whether Time Machine backups are supported to a USB connected hard drive.

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