Reflections on how to simply and reliably store important data have probably occurred to every owner of electronic equipment more than once. Of course, the masters of modern service centers sometimes work real miracles and extract information from completely “dead” devices. However, we all understand that one day it may be impossible to retrieve photographs, important notes and contacts, a graduation project or an annual report from a “flying” device. At this point, it will be irrevocably too late to think about the safety and protection of data. Therefore, let's think about this topic in advance, preventing similar losses in the future.
What are owners waiting for? electronic devices from operations to protect data from loss? First of all, completeness and ease of recovery in case of unforeseen situations. As well as a simple algorithm for saving data. Ideally, the operation will be performed automatically, without constant input from the user.
Some may think that the solution is elementary, it’s not for nothing that flash drives and removable media with huge space for storing files. But it's not that simple. Human forgetfulness, the vulnerability of the devices themselves - these are the factors that will negate all your efforts. After all, it’s enough to forget to upload the required document once, fill in external hard drive with water or lose it - and you will be left without valuable information.
Is there a way out? Yes, Apple's Time Capsule will solve your problem.
Apple Time Capsule is a mechanism to which a network cable with the Internet is connected, which then begins to be distributed throughout the room. It is important that the created Wi-Fi network allows access to the hard drive with files. The time capsule works like this: through wireless connection You dump the document onto the hard disk of the capsule, after which the file becomes available to everyone connected to it wireless internet gadgets. Now you can use it directly in your Apple Time Capsule or download it to your PC or laptop.
Time Capsule will be even more useful if you have an Apple laptop at home, operating system which has the function Time Machine. In a nutshell, this program itself monitors data changes on the computer and automatically duplicates them to a pre-selected device. Thus, you do not need to waste time every evening recording new files on backup devices. However, if necessary, you can roll back this system a couple of steps back, returning to the state of the files that you want to see. So, if you have rashly or hastily deleted the necessary information, select the day preceding the deletion and restore the system to that date. A couple of clicks and necessary files again with you.
In a word, it’s easy to eliminate the loss of necessary information from your life once and for all. First: purchase an Apple Time Capsule. Second: we turn it on at home, connecting it to power and the Internet. Third: let's go with MacBook Pro or Apple Mac to set Time Capsule and Time Machine to back up data when changes occur.
Don't be afraid of your Apple Time Capsule malfunctioning. The device is different high quality materials used and reliability of assembly. There are very few cases when a capsule requires repair, and most of them only involve routine parameter settings. With the most severe damage, the hard drive breaks, but such a breakdown is easily repaired in service center, where, at the same time, they can supply you with a component with greater storage capabilities. Sometimes such “expansion” of memory is required, since standard Time Capsules often have no more than 1 terabyte available, when home computers are equipped with 2 or more. Better equip Time Capsule disk space with a margin to spare a little. So, if, for example, you can save a terabyte of information on a laptop and additionally use an external hard drive of 750 gigabytes, then 2 terabytes in the Time Capsule is what you need. This volume guarantees the safety of the entire volume of data.
AppleTimC apsule or another router model, you can always contact Cyberkeeper for help. We are in the process of setting up WI- FIrouters, as well as installation and configuration of other network equipment. Our tel. 8(499)755-50-21. .jpg)
Setting up the routerAppleTimeCapsule The setup is different from many other routers, as are many Apple products. We will provide a guide for setting up an Apple router and will try to tell you about the features of setting it up.
Before starting work, here is a diagram showing the connectors of the Apple Time Capsule router:
After unpacking the device, you need to connect your provider's cable to the WAN port, which is located at the bottom of the router. Above are three Ethernet LAN ports, with which you can connect your computer via cable. If the router is located next to computers, we recommend a cable connection. In any case, it is faster and more stable than a wireless signal. However, WiFi has also recently significantly improved its technical performance, so all clients will receive the Internet via a Wi-Fi signal without any problems. At the very bottom you will need to connect a 220V cable, and a USB connector is provided for connecting a printer or MFP to the Apple Time Capsule.
After connecting all the necessary wires, you can turn on the device.
The following table shows what the lights on the Apple TimeCapsule indicate:
Apple router operation diagram:
The Apple router is configured through the AirPort utility. To do this, you will need a Mac computer running OS X version 10.7.5 or higher. AirPort utility on your computer. Connection via network cable or wi-fi with a router. To configure you need:
- Open AirPort app
- Select your AirPort Time Capsule from the list of networks.
- Configure your provider's settings by following the instructions on the screen.
In addition to the Internet sharing function, AirPort Time Capsule will help keep all your data in one place. Configured on a Mac computer backup and all your data will be duplicated on the Time Capsule. If your Mac computer fails, you won't need data recovery, because all information will be on external device, from which you can easily restore everything.
Problems and troubleshooting of the AirPort Time Capsule router.
Tips for locating your Apple Time Capsule router:
- Install the router on an open surface, with no large objects nearby.
- Do not install Apple Time Capsule in a closed space, such as a drawer, closet, etc. Also, do not place it on a carpet, as this will cause the device to heat up.
- Do not place large metal objects around the router, as this will degrade the WiFi signal.
- Do not place any foreign objects on your AirPort Time Capsule.
- Do not place AirPort Time Capsule near microwave ovens, radio equipment, or mobile phones.
You can always call a wizard to set up your Apple AirPort Time Capsule router. We will install and configure your Apple router.
Among the products that received an update at the June WWDC-2013, in addition to MacBook Air And software products an updated “time capsule” was also presented - the Apple Time Capsule of the 2013 model, which, in addition to the changed appearance, received new functions.
The first thing that catches your eye is the “tower-like appearance” of the new Time Capsule. The design of the 2013 model is completely different from the previous generation. If the cases of previous wireless storage devices were flat and low, now the area occupied on the table surface has been noticeably reduced - by 75%, but the Time Capsule has stretched upward quite noticeably. Its height is 168 mm.
The design cannot be called anything other than minimalistic - there are absolutely no unnecessary elements to be found on the body. At the top there is a black manufacturer's logo, at the front there is an LED indicating the connection status, and at the back there is a set of interface ports - 3 LAN ports, 1 USB 2.0 for connecting a printer, a WAN port, a power cable connection port in the form of a figure of eight, and next to it a small reset button settings.
At the bottom is another Apple logo, surrounded by ventilation holes.
The main innovation of the 2013 AirPort Time Capsule is support for operation in 802.11ac mode, which can provide data transfer speeds of up to 1200 Mb/s from the built-in router hard drive 2 or 3 TB per compatible device. In this mode, the router uses the 5 GHz frequency, and the 2.4 GHz frequency is used to transmit data via the 802.11n protocol. Like the previous Time Capsule, the updated model broadcasts in two frequency ranges at once. Unfortunately, we were unable to test the data reading/writing speed in 802.11ac mode due to the lack of a device that supports this protocol, but our Western colleagues note reading speeds reaching 210 megabits per second and writing speeds of 170 megabits per second.
Reading speed
Write speed
In addition to dual-band broadcasting, like last year, the updated “capsule” can, in addition home Wi-Fi network, create a separate network for guest access. This way, guests who come to your home will not have to enter a password, which they don’t always want to share; they can simply connect to the guest network, which does not require a password and limits the Internet speed so that the main network does not suffer from visiting guests.
Separately, it is worth noting the configuration of Apple routers. It can be produced either with using iPhone and iPad, as well as with a Mac, using the AirPort Utility, in which you just need to enter your username and password and follow the simple instructions that the program will give.
The main difference between Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme routers is the presence of a hard drive inside the “capsule”. It is needed to store backup copies of your computer, which are created on a schedule. This way, you can be sure that you will always be able to restore your computer if any situation occurs that leads to data loss. Depending on the user's needs, Apple offers 2 or 3 terabyte models.
For some reason, devices like the Time Capsule arouse much less public interest than new smartphones, tablets and Apple computers. However, the American company also updates them quite regularly, keeping the technologies used in them up to date. This has been the case for the last few years, while AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule received exclusively routine updates that concerned the internals, but did not in any way affect their appearance. That all changed this summer when Apple held large-scale redesign their routers, at the same time slightly changing their names. Now the company's product range includes three AirPort devices with a new and absolutely identical design. This AirPort Extreme and two models AirPort Time Capsule, differing in the capacity of the built-in hard drive. IN this review we will get acquainted with the junior model of the AirPort Time Capsule with 2 TB.
Appearance
The packaging of the new AirPort Time Capsule immediately catches your eye with its size. Especially if you remember the low, flat “capsules” of previous years. The height of the box is almost 25 centimeters, and it weighs more than one and a half kilograms. After removing the cover, which is the main part of the package, you can see the AirPort Time Capsule itself. It turns out that the device in the box is raised by a good third of the internal space using an improvised stand that hides the power cable and traditional information booklets underneath. Here, in fact, is the entire package.
The AirPort Time Capsule of 2013 began to occupy a much smaller area, but it seriously stretched upward. The height of the “capsule” is 168 millimeters, the length and width are equal and amount to 98 millimeters. The router weighs a lot - 1.48 kg. HDD plays an important role in this. As you have already noticed and understood from the dimensions, the device now has the shape of a tower. This solution has both pros and cons. If previously the Time Capsule was almost as tall as ordinary routers and could easily be placed in any narrow place - as long as it was out of sight, now such a trick will not work. The new AirPort Time Capsule begs to be in an open space and doesn't have any provisions for mounting, say, on a wall.
All the side edges of the device are made of milky-white glossy plastic, which perfectly retains fingerprints and is difficult to clean. I would even say that this is exactly the same plastic that is used in all chargers Apple. And it scratches just as easily from the slightest contact with another flat surface. However, most of the time your Time Capsule will probably be in its normal position, sitting on its rubberized stand. There is also an Apple logo, and the “capsule” itself is slightly raised, exposing the ventilation holes to remove heat from the hard drive. Top part The device is made of white matte plastic with a black Apple logo in the middle.
In general, like everyone else Apple devices, AirPort Time Capsule looks cool. An ignorant person may not even realize that this is a powerful and high-tech router. Unless, of course, he looks behind the back of our tower. There are 3 gigabit LAN ports, USB 2.0, a WAN port and a connector for connecting the power cable. To the right of the network cable socket there is a hole for resetting the device if problems arise with it. On the back side of the front panel there is a single indicator light that lights up orange or green depending on the current state of the device.
Setup and characteristics
It's time to plug in the cable and bring your AirPort Time Capsule productivity tower to life. An orange indicator blinks on the front of the device, indicating the need for user intervention. If you are a happy owner of a Mac, then your computer already has AirPort Utility. For iOS devices similar application is in App Store, but the owners of computers under Windows control You'll have to download AirPort Utility from Apple's website. Through this program, the initial and all further configuration of the AirPort Time Capsule is carried out. There are no dull web interfaces here.
Although Time Capsule supports all current types of Internet connections and contains a comprehensive number of settings for regular and wireless networks, all this is at the level of ordinary users. You won't get any specialized features from Apple routers. This is a device for the home and the widest audience. One of the interesting features is the creation of a guest network so that other people's devices can use Internet access, but do not have access to the device's hard drive. Using an Apple ID, you can access the contents of the capsule over the Internet, but this requires a static IP address.
The initial setup of the AirPort Time Capsule is indecently simple, and all manufacturers of such devices should strive for this. In my case, I only needed to tell the provider the Mac address of the new router and Internet access appeared. If you want or lack special knowledge, you don’t even have to look into the jungle of “capsule” settings - everything usually starts working after the first wizard for setting up the device is completed.
AirPort Time Capsule supports brand new Wi-Fi standard 802.11 ac. The updated MacBook Air also supports it and will likely support all future Apple devices. In theory new standard allows you to achieve a speed of 1.3 Gb/s. In reality, the results turned out to be somewhat different, but more on that later. Like previous “capsules”, the new one supports simultaneous Wi-Fi work at frequencies of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. If desired, the latter frequency can be allocated to a separate wireless network. Do not forget that several antennas are hidden in the router case.
Time Capsule differs from AirPort Extreme in having a hard drive. In the model under consideration, its volume is 2 TB. It is not very noisy and attracts attention only in complete silence. However, you have to pay for this with its low performance, but as a file storage its capabilities are not satisfactory. There are no problems accessing it from Windows, but other home devices will most likely remain out of use, since the Time Capsule works using the SMB protocol.
Performance testing
The new AirPort Time Capsule, as noted above, boasts a powerful Wi-Fi receiver that has multiple antennas and works simultaneously in two frequency ranges. However, as a performance test, I would like to propose not just another “synthetic” that reflects the ideal state of affairs, but a test close to real conditions.
As part of the test, an archive of exactly 2 GB in size was transferred from the computer to the “capsule” and back. In each case, the test was performed three times and then the average was calculated. In some cases, unexplained dips in device performance occurred during single attempts. In this case, the test began again.
In the first two tests, a file was transferred from a Windows 8 computer to an AirPort Time Capsule via cable. As a result, the speed indicators were limited by the capabilities of the hard drive built into the device. Both tests took just over a minute on average, and speeds ranged from 27.7 to 28.8 MB/s.
Then the 2013 MacBook Air came into play, supporting 802.11ac Wi-Fi. Three groups of tests were carried out for it, differing in distance: 1 m, 7 m and 15 m + a wall 0.4 m thick. In each group, 4 tests were carried out: 2 in 5 GHz mode and 2 in 2.4 GHz mode. Thus, the test file was sent both from the “capsule” to the Mac and in the opposite direction.
The results were quite expected. The 5 GHz mode demonstrated high speeds, in some places superior to Ethernet at a distance of up to 7 meters inclusive. When an obstacle appeared in the signal path and the distance doubled, the data transmission speed dropped on average by half.
As for the 2.4 GHz mode, it also showed approximately the same performance at a distance of up to 7 meters. Then there was a drop in speed indicators, but not as significant as in the first case. At the same time, the 5 GHz mode still turned out to be faster. But there's one here important point, which you should pay attention to. The operation of two devices at a distance of 15 meters in 5 GHz mode was not the most stable. A couple of times the signal was interrupted and the data transfer had to be started all over again, the Internet fell off.
For greater clarity, the test results are summarized in the following table:
As a small conclusion to this subsection, I would like to note that the 5 GHz mode shows itself most effectively at short and medium distances within an apartment. Therefore, using this operating mode as a separate wireless network does not seem appropriate. The MacBook Air itself often switched to a faster operating mode if the signal quality allowed it. In general, the AirPort Time Capsule is capable of providing access to a wireless network at a more than acceptable level within an apartment or a small house. Don't expect miracles and incredible signal strength from the device.
conclusions
Apple sells the AirPort Time Capsule for $299 and $399 for the 2TB and 3TB models, respectively. Within the capabilities of the device given price Still a little overpriced. However, if you pay attention to the design, then in this regard the “capsule” does not have many competitors, if any. At the same time, the plastic from which the device is made scratches too easily for a device in this price category. Perhaps this fact upset me most while studying Time Capsule. Although, on the other hand, it is unlikely that anyone will constantly drag the router from place to place.
I’ll say right away that Planet, in my opinion, is the easiest provider to set up, but it has one pitfall that can be a little unbalancing if you don’t know about it (details below)! I did the setup at a friend's place where I was able to take a bunch of screenshots and get a great photo from ! So, let's get started (there are a lot of pictures under the cut)!
AirPort Time Capsule
The first thing to do is turn on the access point to the network, connect the cable from the provider to the WAN connector and launch the AirPort Utility (Programs/Utilities). If the access point was already configured with a previous provider, then it is better to reset it by pressing and holding the special button on the back of the AirPort for 10 seconds and configure it from scratch. Please note that the data on the disk (in the case of Time Capsule) is not deleted, only the network and WiFi settings are reset!
After all the conditions from the previous paragraph have been met, we proceed to the setup. First we must select our access point from the list of available networks.
Selecting a new access point Immediately after this, the AirPort Utility may open, with the Capsule pre-configured. If this does not happen, feel free to launch it!
Turning on AirPort for the first time 
AirPort Auto Configuration The access point will be prepared for configuration, and if you have already configured other AirPorts from your computer, the system will automatically go through them to check the settings.
After going through all the previous options, the Utility will give you fields for entering basic settings.
Entering your network name and password I’ll make a reservation right away that I selected the Other parameters option, as this will give a little more customization options. As a result, we see this window:
Creating a new network IN in this case, I had to set up the Time Capsule as new, and I chose the first option. I think you will need the same one. Feel free to click Next!
Entering the network name and password Here we prescribe the main parameters of the future network. Network name is how the network will be seen by your devices, Base station name is the identifier of the access point itself (will later be displayed in the Finder side menu when accessing the disk), Password is the password with which you will connect to AirPort. The first and second names can be made the same. By the way, to access the network and its settings, you can create different passwords. You will need this if you want to protect your network from unauthorized reconfiguration, for example, in an office or public place (cafe). After filling out all the fields, we boldly move forward.
Creating a guest network In a new window you can activate the guest network. For example, you need it if you want to share the Internet and be on the same network with someone, but you don’t want anyone to have access to the built-in disk (or connected to USB in the case of Airport Time Capsule and Extreme ). If you skip this step and do not configure the guest network, you can activate it later, from the advanced settings of AirPort Utility. Go ahead.
Preliminary saving of parameters At this stage, the settings are applied and the access point is rebooted. After everything we have done with the access point, it should accept all this.
After rebooting, we see a globe icon representing the Internet and our AirPort Time Capsule. If you click on it, we will see a small menu where you can enter fine-tuning of the access point. To do this, click on Change.
Fine tuning Time Capsule The first tab allows you to configure the Base Station.
Base station tab Here we see fields that are already familiar to us, in which we will not change anything unless there is an urgent need. You can also set it up using Apple ID by clicking on the plus and entering your ID and password. Let's go to the Internet tab.
Entering details In this window, you will need to enter your Internet details provided to you by your provider. I remembered several providers that AirPort works with - Planet, ... Maybe there are others, but I won’t say that right off the bat. Why these particular providers? Yes, simply because they do not use tunneling (VPN), which is not supported by Apple access points. Kabinet, Dom.ru, MTS, Beeline, Akado use VPN, and to configure AirPort Express/Extreme, you will first need a VPN router that will connect to the provider, and only then distribute “clean” (via DHCP or static) Internet to Apple access point.
As for the pitfall of Planet (Convex and Ruskom) - they have a binding by MAC address, and if you change the router, you will need to call the service technical support and ask to rebind the point (you may need your passport details). After a successful conversation with the TP, you will be able to access the Internet.
By the way, if the provider automatically issues the details, then leave Connect via in the DHCP state. If some other parameters are used (static IP or PPPoE), then select it:
Selecting a connection type After selecting the connection type and entering the details, you can move on to the next tab.
Setting up a wireless network At this stage, you can slightly change the operation of the access point itself, if it is a continuation of an existing wireless network. In this case, in the Network Mode menu, select Advanced. wireless network. A similar case may occur in a large house or office, where the range of one point may not be enough.
Selecting the type of wireless network operation You can also change the network encryption method WPA, WPA 2 and others. By the way, if at the stage initial setup AirPort, you have not created a guest network, then this can be done here.
If you click on the Parameters... button, another interesting field will open before us:
5 GHz Network Activation In this window, you can activate the 5GHz network, as well as select a channel for the wireless network. Now we won’t dwell on this in detail; you can try to experiment on your own and decide which operating mode suits you best. If there are no questions here, click Save and go to the next tab - Network:
Fine-tuning network parameters I would be happy to talk about all the points in detail, but in most cases you won’t need them. And if you need it, you can always :)
Let's go to last tab- Disc.
Setting up the built-in disk If you configure Tima Capsule, you will see the built-in disk, its capacity and free place On him. Here you can clean the disk, or transfer all data to external drive by clicking the Archive disk button. We won’t touch other settings - everything works as it should!
If you have gone through all the steps and selected the settings that suit you, then feel free to click on Update and agree to the update. After rebooting your AirPort, you can connect to it again and enjoy the Internet!
Let me remind you again that AirPort Express, Extreme and Time Capsule do not support VPN! I strongly recommend that you take this fact into account when choosing an access point to your home, or when choosing a provider! If you still find yourself in a situation with a VPN, don’t despair - a simple “layer” between the provider and your AirPort can serve as the TP-Link TL-WR841, for example. Personally, for me, a similar router takes care of all communications in the apartment :)
Remotely access Time Capsule and create iPhone backups to Time Capsule
Dear readers, as an afterword I would like to clarify something else. I very often receive emails of the following nature:
- the ability to remotely access Time Capsule from the Internet (without using a permanent IP address);
- interaction with Time Capsule disk and iPhone/iPad. How to create backup copy phone per capsule.
AirPort Express/Extreme/Time Capsule - home, amateur devices! They are very easy to configure, as you saw above, but their functionality is very poor! They cannot be loaded with Padavan firmware, dd-wrt or anything similar, thereby expanding the potential of AirPort... These access points are more suitable for a home or small office, but not for geeks who want to get the most out of the device...
Remote access to Time Capsule is only possible through your Apple ID. In the first tab " Base station“You can enter your Apple ID below and then your capsule will be visible on your Mac from anywhere in the world, as long as there is Internet. No, this won't work with Windows. And it doesn’t matter what method you use to connect to the network: DHCP, static or PPPoE.
How to watch movies from Time Capsule from iPhone/iPad? No way, no crutches... This access point only works well with computers. Yes, you can install a program like or on your iPhone/iPad and connect a drive from Capsule in it. I’ll be honest: I tried these solutions and they don’t work at all. user-friendly. In short, in one place...
How to create a backup iPhone copies/iPad to Time Capsule? Almost nothing. That is, directly, so that by pressing one button a copy would be created, or even automatically - no way! There is a workaround, but it’s impossible without a computer: a very ordinary backup copy is created in iTunes, and then either the folder ~/Library/Application Support/Mobile sync/Backups is transferred to the capsule by hand, or we wait for the next update of the copy via Time Machine to make a local copy from iTunes got onto the capsule. And then we go to the iTunes settings and delete the backup copy so that it does not take up space on the built-in disk... I’m telling you that this was done in one place...
By the way, regarding the photograph that I wrote about at the very beginning, here it is:
AppleProfi Many thanks to Nikita Polosov for such a cool shot and for providing access to his AirPort Time Capsule!