Pairing two Apple Time Capsules for Time Machine backups

I would be very grateful if anyone with technical knowledge of the Apple Time Capsule could shed light on whether the configuration I've created will work as a single backup destination.

The instructions I've been following:

"To "pair" two Airport Time Capsules, meaning to connect them together to create a larger storage space for Time Machine backups, you need to use Apple's AirPort Utility, essentially setting one Time Capsule as the primary and then adding the second as an extension to your network, allowing both to be used as backup destinations on your Mac; you'll need to configure them within the utility to create a single, unified network with combined storage capacity. 


Key steps:


Open AirPort Utility:

Access the AirPort Utility application on your Mac. 


Select your primary Time Capsule:

In the utility, choose the Time Capsule you want to set as the primary device on your network. 


Add the secondary Time Capsule:

Click on the "+" button to add a new AirPort device, then select the second Time Capsule. 


Configure network settings:

Network Name: Ensure both Time Capsules are set to use the same network name. 

Password: Use the same password for both Time Capsules to maintain a single network access. 


Extend existing network:

In the AirPort Utility settings, choose the option to extend the existing network created by your primary Time Capsule. 


Important points to remember:


Backups will be distributed:

Once paired, Time Machine will automatically distribute backups across both Time Capsules, maximizing storage space. 


Separate Time Machine volumes:

While both Time Capsules are accessible through Time Machine, they may appear as separate volumes on your Mac. 


Check for firmware updates:

Ensure both Time Capsules are running the latest firmware version for optimal compatibility."


After doing all of the above Time Machine in System Settings only shows the first TC. The million-dollar question is, when this first TC is full, will TM start using the second TC?


These are my TC settings, hopefully showing that the iMac thinks the two TC are working in tandem.


Hopefully, someone out there will know whether my setup is working?



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iMac 24″, macOS 15.2

Posted on Jan 28, 2025 3:33 AM

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Jan 28, 2025 2:47 PM in response to pato_londres

The million-dollar question is, when this first TC is full, will TM start using the second TC?


No, it won't unless you manually change the settings in Time Machine on each Mac to stop backing up to the first Time Capsule and then manually set up your Mac(s) to start backing up to the second Time Capsule.


Since the backup drive on each Time Capsule is named "Data", there would be less potential confusion if you change the name of the backup drive on the second Time Capsule to "Data 2" or something similar so you know at a glance which backup drive you are working with.





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Jan 29, 2025 1:12 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Hi Bob, thank you for your reply, but according to the original Apple instructions (shown in-between ""), cascading across two AirPorts is supposed to work. Maybe the OS has changed? If I switch to the second AirPort, it starts backing up from the very beginning, ignoring the previously made backup on the first AirPort. I need Time Machine to use both AirPorts one after the other when the first one gets full. This is how the AirPort system used to work with multiple AirPorts, but obviously the System Settings have now changed. Hopefully, someone out there has experience of AirPorts being tied together and can help me?

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Jan 29, 2025 7:19 AM in response to pato_londres

allowing both to be used as backup destinations on your Mac.


Unfortunately, these instructions are confusing at best and wrong at worst.


What this really means is that you can back up your Mac(s) to both Time Capsules.....simultaneously if you wish.


Nowhere does it say that once the first Time Capsule is full that backups on the first Time Capsule will automatically continue to the second Time Capsule....They won't.....because Apple never offered an option like this.


When the first Time Capsule is full, Time Machine will automatically start to delete the oldest backups on the first Time Capsule to make room for new backups.


So, when the first Time Capsule is getting close to full......you will need to manually stop backing up to the first Time Capsule and set up your Mac(s) to back up to the second Time Capsule.


By the way, when you set up backups to the second Time Capsule, Time Machine will make a complete copy of each Mac on the initial backup and then move forward with incremental backups.




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Jan 30, 2025 8:48 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Thank you for clarifying this. I'm going to therefore return the 2TB AirPort for a 3TB size. This should give me the additional storage I will require for some time. The AirPort backing up over WiFi is a brilliant concept. I cannot understand why Apple no longer sell them? Ideally, they should now do a 4TB or bigger size.

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Jan 30, 2025 9:54 AM in response to PatoLondres

I cannot understand why Apple no longer sell them?


The Time Capsule was a Wi-Fi router with a built in hard drive along with the other AirPort routers. The router category is a high volume low profit type of business, so I imagine that Apple is much more interested in high volume, high profit products.

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Jan 31, 2025 4:21 AM in response to pato_londres

ifixit.com is where I got the instructions.


https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Airport+Time+Capsule+A1470+Hard+Drive+Replacement/61924


Any repair shop should be able to do it. No soldering, just very small fiddly connectors. The trickiest part was trimming the rubber mounts to fit the corners of the new disk.


As Bob Timmons says it's usually the PSU that fails and it would be a good idea to change it at the same time. Problem is they are getting harder to find new and making sure that the Chinese ones really are compatible is hit and miss. There are plenty of Airports for sale on eBay, some for spares/repair, hence cheap, but those PSUs are as likely to fail as the one in your current unit. I've got two backup Airports in a cupboard somewhere and when the PSU goes in the one I'm using I'll swap it and worry about fixing the PSU in slow time. I've got many current backups and losing the one in the Airport wouldn't affect me. You should have more than one backup - you can't rely on an Airport as you're only one.


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Jan 31, 2025 7:23 AM in response to Zurarczurx

Re: “It's a bit fiddly … “


Understatement of the week. 🤣


Those 3x on-board connectors are a challenge for anyone; with that “teeny-weeny” 4-conductor connector (the smallest of the three) being the worst.


IMO IFixIt does their viewers a dis-service by glossing-over the tools and technique necessary to accomplish this particular element of the task.


It was almost as if he was “showing off” to his colleagues how simple and easy it was for him; rather truly demonstrating to others HOW to do it.

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Jan 31, 2025 7:29 AM in response to Chattanoogan

It took me less than an hour to do it using only tools I already had and I'm noted for being a bit clumsy. When I first saw those little connectors I expected to break them but they weren't a problem. The bit I found hardest/frustrating and which took most of the time was cutting the rubber mounts to fit the new drive case - which was a different shape from the original disc - and getting them to slide in and seat properly when I put the drive back in. I glued them on in the end to stop them dropping off before they were properly seated plus a bit of GT85 so they slid a bit easier.

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Pairing two Apple Time Capsules for Time Machine backups

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