modem/router/hard drive in one unit ?

I was hoping that Apple produced a Box containg all these bits in one superfast gadget ? does it exsist ?

Not from Apple or any other vendor that I am aware of.

If you delete word ‘router’, the answer is yes. If you add it, I am afraid the answer is no, but may be an idea, even if rather late, modems have vanished rather than have been added to macs or PCs.

Time Capsule works just fine as a router with three LAN ethernet ports, a single WAN input, a dual band wireless network and a 3 TB drive that can also be partioned for Time Machine backups and a seperate partition for files. As far as the term "modem", that is simply a device to convert signals from cable systems, DSL systems or even Plain Old Telephone signals to an ethernet format for distribution to a router or a switcher. Modems are usually supplied by the distribution system (cable TV, DSL, satellite, etc) so there is not a universal modem available and the provider usually narrows the reception/decoding down to a single MAC (Media Access Control) number unique to every device.

You can take a LAN signal from the Virgin Media modem to feed a Time Capsule and go from there as a seperate network. I just had DSL service installed but Century Link only supplies a wireless router/modem combination but it has no way to connect to any kind of backup HD. The technician was surprised that Apple offered a HD in a wireless router.

’Time Capsule works just fine as a router with three LAN ethernet ports, a single WAN input, a dual band wireless network and a 3 TB drive that can also be partioned for Time Machine backups and a seperate partition for files.’

Did I say it doesn’t? My Apple Extreme also does that with an external drive attached to it via a USB hub, as there are also two printers attached to it. Apple did a bad thing to have only one USB port on this machine, at least two would be fine, three still better, four – perfect. There is enough room for that in the rear side of it.

Your original post: "If you delete word ‘router’, the answer is yes. If you add it, I am afraid the answer is no, but may be an idea, even if rather late, modems have vanished rather than have been added to macs or PCs."

I think you meant "delete the word 'modem'" rather than router so I had to point out that it works fine as a 3 port ROUTER and does not function as a MODEM (modulator/demodulator) for systems such as cable TV/internet, DSL or satellite.

The single USB port works fine with a powered hub, even a cheap one. I have 3, sometimes 4 printers attached along with a Seagate 500 MB drive, all available wirelessly. So a single USB can work, the limitation being amount of power supplied to devices depending on USB power.

Several of us around the globe have made a business out of repairing Time Capsules (mostly the power supplies), so I think I am familiar with these and routers in general.

Right now hard drive prices are increasing due to flooding in Thailand, source of a majority of drives, but used drives are a possibility. Also, for Time Machine backups, my experience tells me that a 7200 RPM drive is not really necessary and a 5400 RPM works just as well FOR BACKUPS in the background.

Opening an out of warranty Time Capsule and exchanging the HD is really a simple matter: http://applefritter.com/node/23907 Three Terabytes! That is a lot of storage, more than most businesses need! Here at home, we have 3 or 4 machines backing up to a 1 TB drive and it is about half full. At this time 2 TB is Apple's smallest offering in new TC's.

Oh, yes, sure, lapsus calami, read ‘modem’ 😁

Alzheimer is about here.