Time Capsule Power Supply

The problem on ADP-60DFS is usually the big capacitor that sits sideways (bottom right in your photo, only see a half of it). Mine was a name brand Rubycon but it burst, the tip shiny metal cap had a bulge in it and the inside of the case had black particles all over from it. My ADP-60DFS is made by LITE-ON not DELTA.

I'm replacing it now.

I'll be civil in this reply. My TC, an A1409, 4th gen., just went bad, and according to what I read here, that is common and not repairable, even with iFixit. I had run into confusing problems just setting it up with Airport, and then it died, never having backed up anything reliably. I think it's time to tear it apart, throw out the Airport parts and the case, buy an OWC enclosure for the drive, and get on with the job using a Time Machine system that actually WORKS. I think this whole system-combined backup with WiFi router and poorly-designed inadequate electronics that overheat and blow routinely- is what the Brits would call "too clever by half". To heck with it.

and according to what I read here, that is common.....

Not sure how you define "common" since just about everything that you read here on the forum involves a user who is having a problem. Few users ever post to tell us that everything is working just fine on their network.

and not repairable,

Again, not sure how you define "not repairable". LaPastenague, one of the experts on the forum here provided a very good "fix" for issues with 4 th Gen Time Capsules years ago. I'm sure he will reply when he sees your post with more details.

Gen4 A1409 issues - LaPastenague

Thank you for the reply. I looked over the toaster-oven solution; OK, it seems to work, and I'll wait awhile to see if LaPastenague responds, but the fact is, my TC got pretty hot, and I'm disgusted, but not really surprised that it gave up the proverbial ghost. The computer also gets hot, but, unlike the TC, it has fans. I have a perfectly good modem/router three feet from my keyboard, so I don't really need the Airport features of the TC, clever though they be. I only want to backup one overloaded computer to the tune of 1TB, not an iPhone, an iPad, and a MacBook, too, so a 3TB HDD will work fine. But mainly, this is an Apple device-why should I have to tear it apart and bake the motherboard just to get it to do what it's supposed to do out of the box?

For the most part the Gen4 has been pretty good..

If you expect more than 5years out of domestic routers, then I think your expectations are too high.

Apple warranty it for 3 years.. and while the equivalent model Airport Extreme.. A1408 tended to last 5years the TC with its internal power supply is carrying a lot more heat load.. and the fan was not as effective as in the later Gen5 TC.

I had run into confusing problems just setting it up with Airport, and then it died, never having backed up anything reliably

It should have been OK for the first few years.. but the problem in later OS also caught up with the TC.. it does not work well bridged into a network.. and since Sierra Time Machine has been a major issue.

But I have certainly setup people with various model TC and they are working great.

The main mod I do is external power supply.. which offloads a lot of the heat.

my TC got pretty hot... but, unlike the TC, it has fans

Something is wrong with it in that case.. The TC does have a fan but it never worked very well due to the design limitations imposed by Steve Jobs who hated fans running in things.. Anyway, a few simple tricks can certainly improve the cooling.

But make a decision first of what you want to do.. Pull it apart and try the oven bake.. IMHO for a gen4 is well worth it. Even if you never use it again .. you can get the data off the hard disk and sell it.

Pulling out the hard disk.. other than deleting or recovering your data is not worth it. a 5 or more year old WD Green is not that great a drive.. and you can buy 4, 5, 6, 10 and even 12TB USB external drives.. for excellent prices.

I only want to backup one overloaded computer to the tune of 1TB,

An External drive is a better solution for a desktop computer.. it is faster and cheaper and more reliable. Especially since Sierra.. backup to Networks using Time Machine is now hopeless.

For a laptop though using a wireless backup to Time Capsule still makes good sense.. just don't use Time Machine. Carbon Copy Cloner is my Recommendation.. I use CCC to a Gen5 TC and works great.

Just for interest I am also trialling Time Machine to an Asus RT-AC3200 which has gone through a few hiccups.. so it isn't a turnkey solution.. but with right USB drive and right firmware.. it has settled down so I will see how it goes.

Dear Pastenague: Thank you for a realistic appraisal of my overall situation. What have I got to lose by trying the toaster oven fix? And you are probably right about not re-using the drive inside. A 4TB drive cost me $100 a month ago. I think I can afford another. And thank you, Mr. Timmons, for getting this process started, and suggesting that I check out the toaster oven. I know more now than I did.

I feel like mine is periodically acting like it doesn’t know me or my computer and essentially starting over on my backups, essentially makeing it not a reliable source for protecting you data. It is a good router! I’ve called before my never got any real answer. Customer care with Apple had gone down hill as they keep up with the masses I suppose!

I feel like mine is periodically acting like it doesn’t know me

Definitely doesn't know you.. unless you have implanted IP address.

essentially starting over on my backups, essentially makeing it not a reliable source for protecting you data.

The issue is NOT the TC.. as you say it is a good router.

Apple changed a few years back a lot of their network operation. eg AFP was made secondary protocol to SMB.. which should scare you because that is windows. They then rewrote the SMB protocol which was reverse engineered in Linux. since Microsoft didn't share their source code.. to their own specs so it has caused no end of trouble since Mavericks. They changed the DNS operation with bonjour and it has never worked as well again..

This is not really related to the problem of TC power supplies.. But it is certainly more difficult to get reliable operation of things when they deliberately increase security as was done in Sierra.. and even more in High Sierra. You are simply being protected from that nasty world of ransomware etc. The cost you pay is lower ease and reliability.

Yes and no.. the later TC use a 34W power supply to increase the current requirement for hard disk spin up. The large green drives.. ie 2TB and over use a very solid 2A spin up on 12V and these early supplies (they are Gen1 btw) are not up to the load long term.

BUT I really doubt your power supply is dead. The Gen4 that appears dead is usually caused by internal board issue.. mostly the power supply problem was fixed by Gen3. So failure on Gen1 and 2 I would immediately assume power supply.. On Gen3 and 4 it is board issues. And the later are not repairable. I have fixed a fair number of Gen3 board issues but 4 seem to have a nasty fault.. maybe poor soldering.

See https://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modem s/apple-time-capsule-repair/gen4-a1409-issues

Symptoms of dead board..

Symptoms:

- status led remains dark (at power on and at all other times)

- no lights on startup on ethernet ports

- no responses on ethernet

- but disk is spinning (put your ear on the top of the TC.. you can hear the hard disk spinning.. people say it is fan but actually you are hearing hdd spin.. it will spin forevermore.. as the controller is off. But it is getting power from the still good power supply.

I would only suspect a dead supply if the disk is also silent.. and you place it on a little wattmeter.. (very useful tool btw).

Even the dead TC will draw about 6W so it is actually powered.

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well you can put that power supply in the bin.

You can buy a new supply from ebay but try and look for the 34W models..

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Apple-Time-Capsule-Internal-Power-Supply-614-0440-614 -0412-614-0414-Replacement-/281375312035?pt=PCA_UPS&hash=item41834688a3&_uhb=1

This is 34W but is probably from Gen2.. check as some are 30W and they might not send you the 34W.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/251605602329?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m 1497.l2649

This is the same but I ordered one to see.. and it is indeed the 34w version.