Airport Time Machine 3TB mount via USB on Mac???

Question

Level 1

5 points

Airport Time Machine 3TB mount via USB on Mac???

I have an Airport 3TB router TM that I want to use as just an external drive. Problem is connecting ethernet to my mac directly still has terrible speed. There's a USB 2.0 on the back but Apple somehow disabled 2 way throughput on the port because if I directly connect the usb to my mac it won't mount, but if you connect a peripheral to the Airport USB it will mount THAT. So how did Apple disable the 2 way throughput in that USB port and how can I change it so this Airport 3TB can be mounted on my mac via USB which is 4 times FASTER!

They somehow created only 1 way communication on that Time Machine USB where it only goes out and not in!

Mac Pro

Posted on Nov 1, 2024 12:45 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Nov 1, 2024 2:18 PM in response to Tom Sincak

It sounds like you are not aware that the USB port on the Time Capsule is there only to add another drive for additional storage.

You cannot connect a computer to the USB port on the Time Capsule and back up to the Time Capsule that way.

If you want to use the Time Capsule as a backup drive only.......you have one option......connect the Time Capsule using Ethernet, set it up in Bridge Mode and turn off the Wi-Fi service.

Bottom line......the Time Capsule is not really an "external" drive. It is a "network" drive that must connect to the network.

Reply

Answer 2

Tom Sincak Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 1, 2024 2:29 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Im totally aware of it... aamof I even said it. So is there a way to configure this ripoff that was sold to me years ago, so that it COULD be used as a external drive. So this time only people with the expertise to actually know please.

Dont tell me no cause thats BS. Its a SSD drive with a USB port I dont care if I need to wipe and reconfigure as there isn't anything on it yet-i NEVER used it for any backups.

Reply

Answer 3

Nov 1, 2024 3:24 PM in response to Tom Sincak

So far, it appears that you don't understand the difference between an external drive and a network drive.

An "external" drive connects directly to your Mac. It might be a USB drive or a Thunderbolt drive. The Time Capsule is not an "external drive"

If someone told you that the Time Capsule was an external drive, they were wrong.

The Time Capsule is a "network drive". It connects to your network router via Ethernet.

You back up to the Time Capsule usually via the network Wi-Fi, but you could connect your Mac to one of the LAN Ethernet ports and back up that way. There are upsides and downsides to either type of setup.

Reply

Answer 4

g_wolfman

Level 4

1,966 points

Nov 1, 2024 4:11 PM in response to Tom Sincak

The Time Capsule is a stripped down server. The USB port on the Time Capsule doesn't connect to the hard drive - it connects to the Time Capsule's PCI bus.

The reason you can see another drive connected to the USB port when you connect to the Time Capsule via ethernet is because the Time Capsule server "OS" is managing that connection.

Reply

Answer 5

Tom Sincak Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 1, 2024 4:17 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Dude please move on.

ok its a SATA but it a*** HARD DRIVE and that should be able to mount when connected. Im not interested about any network features other than the USB, I dont care what it was meant for or used for. its a hd that should be able to mount. Please can someone with some REAL knowledge tell me(even if I have to rip this this thing open to do it.)

Reply

Answer 6

Tom Sincak Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 1, 2024 4:24 PM in response to g_wolfman

OK now we are getting somewhere. So into the trash this goes. IF there was a way to connect the USB and was PHYSICALLY connected inside then you could"fool" this POS to mount. So this is the intelligent answer I needed

Reply

Answer 7

g_wolfman

Level 4

1,966 points

Nov 1, 2024 4:42 PM in response to Tom Sincak

Not sure how intelligent my answer was - not exactly a bunch of thinking required.

I will say, though, that your expectations seem to be off. The Time Capsule is dated technology. The 3TB version at best is a 5th generation TC dating from 2013. It did exactly what it was designed to do - provide a wireless router, a local cloud drive for storage and/or Time Machine backups, and the ability to connect some peripherals like printers. It is certainly not a POS.

If you think you got ripped off because you bought something that doesn't do what you want, then that's between you and the seller. Did you research to understand what you were buying, nothing about the Time Capsule or how it works is hidden, or even that hard to find.

Reply

Answer 8

Nov 1, 2024 5:49 PM in response to Tom Sincak

We told you that what you wanted to do would not work.....twice.

It appears that you got the hint on the third explanation.

If the Time Capsule really is new, it will probably bring $100-150 on Ebay, if you are are interested.

Reply