AirPort Extreme + HD + Time Machine = Frustration

Question

AirPort Extreme + HD + Time Machine = Frustration

Since buying an iPhone 4, updating to Lion and iCloud I've had nothing but frustration.

Part of it is that I bought the iPhone at an AT&T store and the idiots there set up a new Apple ID for me without asking, (they asked me for my email address instead of asking me if I had an Apple ID, so they set up the new ID using the email address I gave them).

But that's a side issue, I think. I have a USB Hard Disk that I just connected to my AirPort Extreme so that I can use it for Tim Machine Backups, as well as I'd like to access it via Back to My Mac when I'm at the office.

When I click on the Time Machine icon in the doc I get a dialog box: "You haven’t selected a location for Time Machine backups." There's a choice to cancel or "Set up Time Machine." I choose "Set up Time Machine."

The Time Machine window opens. The on/off switch is set to off. If I switch it to on a window opens. In it there is one external drive, (not the one I want to use), and There's an AirPort icon labeled "Set Up Other Time Capsule- Set up a Time Capsule not listed here."

If I select that, the "Open AirPort Utility..." button highlights. I click it and the AirPort Utility window opens.

There's a globe icon labeled "Internet" and an AirPort Extreme Icon representing my AirPort Extreme.

I click on that and and a cartoon bubble pops up with the network name, IP Address LAN IP address, Serial number, version, and list of wireless clients. The list used to have my iPhone and my Boxee box, but they're gone since I've been playing with this. I click the Edit button.

There are 5 tabs. One is labeled "Disks". I click it. When I clicked it before, the disk I connected showed up in the Partitions window. Now it does not show up. I was looking for the serial number on the AirPort and the disk fell off the shelf above my desk and hit the desk hard, so it might be hosed.

Anyway, when it was showing up I'd select it. I selected Enable File Sharing and Share Disk over WAN. I tried choosing Secure Shared disks with password and it didn't work, so I went back and chose Secure Shared Disks with Accounts. Still didn't work.

If the disk is hosed, I have 2 other disks I can use.

What do I have to do to set this up?

AirPort Extreme-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Jul 1, 2012 11:21 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

ab1268

Level 1

50 points

Jul 1, 2012 12:48 PM in response to SimonJester753

First, connecting an external drive to an extreme closely resembles a time capsule but not completely.

You must make sure you can use the external drive as a time machine backup when directly connected to your computer. If you can't use it there, you cannot use it from the extreme. You may have to reformat it it to use with time machine when connected to your Mac. Do so. Once complete you know it works directly connected, connect it to your extreme.

Now this is important, you must connect to the extreme share from finder in order to set the password (make sure o store in keychain).

Then you can select it from the time machine setup. It will create a new full backup.

Lastly, you do not need to share it over the wan. Setting your iCloud id (same one on your Mac) will make it available remotely. You MUST use airport config 6.x to set it on the extreme.

As for your iPhone, change the id

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Answer 2

Jul 1, 2012 1:25 PM in response to ab1268

The drive is the one I was using for Time Machine backups when it was directly connected to my iMac. I was having a problem in that it was not always mounted on my desktop. I'm not sure why it would disappear on its own.

I'm not sure what you mean by, "Now this is important, you must connect to the extreme share from finder in order to set the password (make sure o store in keychain)."

I changed the Apple ID on iPhone to my original one, but from time to time, when dealing with iCloud, it pops up and if I don't look close enough to see that the ID is the one that was set up in error, I can inadvertantly click it and that can lead me to sync the wrong account, (I did that today). I wish I could just delete the bad Apple ID, but it's there forever.

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Answer 3

Jul 1, 2012 1:31 PM in response to ab1268

I think I just figured it out.

In a finder window, in the column on the left, under "shared" was my AirPort Extreme.

When I clicked on it, at the top of the window it said "Not Connected" and to the right of that it said "Connect as."

I clicked on that, entered my Apple ID and password.

Then I opened Time Machine and it saw the drive and I could select it. It's backing up as I write this.

Thanks!

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Answer 4

ab1268

Level 1

50 points

Jul 1, 2012 8:56 PM in response to SimonJester753

Good to hear about the extreme/hdd. I used to do what are doing with the extreme/hdd, but replaced it all with a time capsule when my folks needed a new router (gave them mine). You will, from time to time, have to reconnect to it via Finder. Not sure why, but Lion seems to 'forget' the passwords even though they are in the keychain.

As for the phone, when changing apple ids (icloud ids), it is important to delete ANY apps you downloaded under the old id. Until you do, any app updates will request the password for the old id, but then not accept it. it's a pain, and yes, you will have to re-buy any apps you paid for under the old id.

Also, check the apple id registered in the 'App Store' app and iTunes App (they initially start out as the icloud id). They may still reflect your old id. You can sign out of that old id and add your existing through each of those apps.

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Answer 5

HACKINT0SH

Level 5

5,804 points

Jul 1, 2012 10:05 PM in response to SimonJester753

This is very alarming. As I understand it, you are using Time Machine to backup to an airdisk attached on your Extreme?

This is NOT supported, and will eventually fail...

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Answer 6

Jul 2, 2012 2:27 PM in response to HACKINT0SH

I'm not alarmed. I believe it was on Apple's site that I found that this could be done and it was recommended.

Fail how? Physical failure of the hardware? Or it will attempt to backup and fail to do so? Or it will seem to backup but not really backup and if I need the backup, it won't be there?

I'm actually more concerned with being able to access files on the disk from my work computer.

OK, I just did a search. You seem to be correct:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2038

I guess I'll swap my backup disc with a smaller USB drive I have.

I have a program installed called Backup. It was backing up my current projects folder to my iDisk, which no longer exists. It was also backing up my iTunes to a drive thats not currently plugged in, but I have not added to my iTunes library in ages.

So what's the deal with Backup vs Time Machine?

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Answer 7

Aug 18, 2012 5:48 PM in response to HACKINT0SH

I love how the guy named "hackintosh" is talking about things not being supported....

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Answer 8

hp_sk

Level 1

0 points

Mar 17, 2013 6:56 PM in response to ab1268

Thanks for the information. This might be old..but it still works. All I was missing was the "sharing" in finder.

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