Replacing Time Machine (Tahoe 26)

Note that Time Capsule and Time Machine are different. The former is a piece of hardware that combined a wireless router and onboard storage, the latter is Apple's backup software that is incorporated into macOS.

Time Capsule will no longer work starting with macOS 27. It uses a deprecated format for networking (AFP), and while that format works with macOS 26 Tahoe, the format will no longer be supported by Apple starting with macOS 27. It has been over 7 years since the Time Capsule was last sold by Apple, and that means the product is now considered 'obsolete'.

The simplest method to continue using Apple’s Time Machine to back up your Mac(s) is to buy an external drive and connect it to the Mac(s) regularly to back them up (or leave the drive connected to a desktop Mac). External storage is relatively inexpensive, a 1 TB SSD or a 2-4 TB HDD can be purchased for <$100. 

To back up your Macs over WiFi, the most straightforward way is to use a network attached storage (NAS) device – essentially a box for hard disks that connects to your network. Ideally, choose one that offers turnkey support for Time Machine out of the box, both Synology (setup instructions) and QNAP (setup instructions) do so. Technically, you can stand up a Time Machine server in other ways (including using a Mac as a TM server), but an NAS is arguably the most straightforward way to set up network Time Machine backups. 

Personally, I use a Synology DS223j with a pair of 10 TB HDDs installed to back up 5 Macs in the house with Time Machine (separate shared folder for each Mac sized at ~2.5x the internal storage), with the remaining space used as general file storage for everyone in the house. 

Andy Staines wrote:

Now that Tahoe 26 has ceased to work with Time Capsule drives the only advice I seem to get involves using a portable USB drive connected to my Macbook. Really? Is that the best we can do? Who wants to cart that around all the time!

So - can anyone recommend some good backup software that has similar capabilities to Time mnachine when it comes to restoring selected items?

Time Machine works fine to remote storage.

NAS works fine for home and SOHO too, and there are many fine choices.

Whatever you pick needs Time Machine support, and NAS needs Time Machine server support. (Apple-provided info)

NAS options range from the NAS storage-focused boxes for home or SOHO, to more capable NAS storage servers with storage and various other useful capabilities.

Synology has dozens of add-on network services available for their NAS boxes, and many (most?) are free. (list)

At the less-expensive end (ignoring memory and HDD prices lately) is an RPi or x86-64 box running TrueNAS or ZimaOS. You’ll learn more about how that all works by building your own.

At the storage-focused end, Ubiquiti UNAS 2 two-bay, for instance. Though that's also an entry path into Ubiquiti networking gear, which you might find yourself choosing to use when replacing your existing network gear.

To get an overview of what and how and why and such with NAS and NAS options, the NAS Compares website and YouTube are a good resource.

Available hardware alternatives include: Ubiquiti UNAS various, Synology NAS, UGREEN NAS, TrueNAS, ZimaOS, a Mac running macOS 11 or later and with sufficient local storage, and various other options (also) supporting Time Machine server exist.

Some of the previous discussions, articles:

• Time Machine not backing up to network - Apple Community
• time machine backup to multiple macs on o… - Apple Community
• Backup disks you can use with Time Machine - Apple Support
• etc.

If this Time Capsule was used for routing and gateway tasks, lots of options, including Ubiqiti, Zyxel, Synology, eero, and other fine choices.

This all and particularly including Time Machine server was announced ~seven years ago.

Andy Staines wrote:

Thanks Guys. I will read through all these links at the weekend..

One thing I would say is that neuroanomist said above that time capsule support would end with Tahoe 27. For me, after many years of trouble free backups, it all stopped with 26. And will not let me set it up again.

It's very disappointing after all these years and having invested in 4 time capsules for us all to use.

I’ve had a number of Time Capsule NAS boxes and installed and managed them elsewhere too, and still have a final-generation shrink-wrapped new-old-stock Time Capsule spare.

Time Capsule has served well, but its time has passed.

Apple was seemingly exiting the Wi-Fi router business starting in 2014 or so and discontinued (most?) new router work in 2016 (info), this having started the related AFP deprecation back in 2013 with macOS 10.9 Mavericks.

Apple announced the advent of third-party Time Machine server support in 2018.

The migration to SMB and off AirPort Time Capsule NAS started locally six or seven years ago and shortly after Time Capsule deprecation, and the first third-party NAS came online locally in 2020.

I’m incorporating the TM/TC/AFP/SMB/NAS info together into a tip:

• https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250011176