Apple Time Capsule: what is it and what is it for. Wireless disco: learning to work with Time Capsule Apple airport time capsule data transfer speed

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.

Immediately after this, the AirPort Utility may open, with the Capsule pre-configured. If this does not happen, feel free to launch it!

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.

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:

In this case, I had to configure the Time Capsule as new, and I chose the first option. I think you will need the same one. Feel free to click Next!

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 do 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.

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 someone 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.

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.

The first tab allows you to configure the Base Station.

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 configure it when Apple help ID, if you click on the plus and enter your ID and password. Let's go to the Internet tab.

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 for AirPort settings 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 the 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 technical support service and ask to rebind the point (you may need passport data). 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:

After selecting the connection type and entering the details, you can move on to the next tab.

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.

You can also change the network encryption method WPA, WPA 2 and others. By the way, if you didn’t create a guest network at the initial AirPort setup stage, you can do it here.

If you click on the Parameters... button, another interesting field will open before us:

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:

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.

If you configure Tima Capsule, you will see the built-in disk, its volume and free space on it. 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 backup iPhone/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, so that 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:

Many thanks to Nikita Polosov for such a cool shot and for providing access to his AirPort Time Capsule!

Apple Time Capsule 2Tb ME177 is a product that we will analyze in detail today. It is remarkable at least because it has a built-in battery. Good quality(and also of great length) the cord is another advantage.

Although this is all that the manufacturer put in the box. It’s not worth talking about different pieces of paper. There is no patch cord. Apparently, it is assumed that the buyer has a MacBook or another simpler Apple device. In iOS gadgets you will find special software for setting up your router.

Read on for more details about the Apple Time Capsule 2Tb ME177. Our review will help you make the right decision whether to buy a Time capsule for your iOS device or not.

Time Capsule 2Tb looks like a large piece of white shiny plastic. The shape is closer to a parallelepiped. If you look from above, it is a square with slightly rounded edges.

On the body you will find the company’s symbols in the form of a gnawed apple. Or rather, even two - at the top and on the opposite side. Moreover, the bottom of the element is covered with a film for protection.

The bottom is dark, but this is not visible, since it barely protrudes down. The body rises slightly above the surface, providing air flow to several holes below.

Features of operation

Before buying any equipment accessory, the user thinks about how it works and whether it needs customization. Apple Airport Time Capsule 2Tb ME177ru A is equipped with active cooling technology. But in reality it’s not her, but HDD turned out to be the noisiest element. I'm glad it can be replaced. This can be done during “promotion”.

But here lies one difficulty. Apple has not yet come up with any methods for softly disconnecting the capsule. In the settings, it is only permissible to disconnect active users by force. However, whether the disk stops working during the operation is not clear. It’s unlikely that anyone will want to simply unplug the power cord, but regular power failures can negatively affect the life of the drive.

Ports

On the back of the panel there are the following connectors:

• power socket;
• WAN – element;
• USB 2.0;
• LAN – 3 ports.

All of them are gigabit. Hidden near the power socket is a tiny element for resetting settings to forced mode. In front there is the same small element of the router status. If it lights up green, then everything is fine. If orange, there are problems with the settings or the device itself. The display is not annoying in any way.

So there will be no problems installing the capsule to your iOS device.

Dimensions

The dimensions of the capsule are 9.8 x 9.8 x 16.8 cm. The weight is as much as 1.5 kg. The latter, of course, is not encouraging. When unpacking. Logically, it is enough to take back cover and pull the element up. The bottom stand from the routers will slowly come out during this process. The main thing is not to damage anything.

Otherwise, there are no complaints about either the “appearance” of the router or the packaging. All just great! Design is, of course, important. But it alone is not enough to call the product quality. Therefore, let’s talk about the “filling” next.

Functionality and performance

Let us immediately note that the capsule is not very well adapted to the realities of domestic network provision. It is also not very well configured for Windows operating systems. All parameters are set not through the web interface, but using special software - AirPort Utility. By the way, for Windows it has not been updated for several years. There is no localization for our country, as well as manuals. Most likely, it was intended that everything should function right out of the box. And that developers are well aware of the needs of consumers.

The position is transparent, but flawed for Russian reality. Another advantage of the software is the ability to diagnose certain problems and indicate ways to solve them. However, the list of difficulties that the utility copes with is very limited. A the simplest way problem resolution. when it is unimportant, it is simply not to notice it. The easiest way to do this is to turn off notifications about its presence. This can be done, among other things, through an indicator, the hue of which will change from orange to green.

During the initial connection, the capsule settings wizard will launch. Upon completion, he will once again check for difficulties and suggest solutions if any. Next, a number of router settings will become available – let’s go over them:

• brief information about the state of the device;
• settings of network name, router, password characters, activation of data exchange with NTP server, there is DDNS support, but there is no list of supported elements;
• Wi-Fi and selection of operating mode, channels, types of encryption, region.

Separately, you can activate a 5 GHz access point, as well as the use of wide channels. The signal strength can also be adjusted. Support for access control is implemented MAC addresses through RADIUS servers or manually according to a specified schedule.

There is also an option to create a guest network. It can be made accessible and private.

Additional options of interest include: creating a backup for settings with copy protection through password symbols, returning to the original settings, sending logs to remote servers and viewing them locally, monitoring innovations for the operating system on the machine. There is also an unusual wizard for adding wireless guests via WPS. Here you can limit the connection period to days. But in the Windows variation we are talking about any clients, and in Mac all the attention is paid to printers. But the differences don't stop there. In the Mac version, it is possible to enable IGMP Snooping, but the adjustment Wi-Fi strength and wide channel inclusions are not available. But on a Mac you can activate the remote access option, but this does not require the presence of AirPort at all. In general, the version for Windows has more extensive settings. There is also a utility for iOS - devices.

Conclusion

As a regular access point, the product reviewed in this review is very worthy, even taking into account its regional limitations. Using the option home router, you will acquire the required minimum functions. But this is usually enough for the average user.

And, of course, everyone is concerned about such a factor as cost. A product with a 2 GB disk costs just over 12,000 rubles. For such simple functionality it’s not cheap at all. But on the other hand, it is difficult to find a similar combination of a router and network storage with the same disk. Moreover, for a similar price.

In a situation with a 3 GB model, you can go wild, but a simple AirPort Extreme costing 8,000 - 9,000 rubles looks a little strange compared to other products.

However, if you have a lot of Apple devices and your provider is not tied to a VPN, the capsule will fit perfectly into the existing structure.

There comes a time in the life of every Apple lover when he “grows” into the ecosystem and the home fleet of devices expands so much that the question arises of buying the “right” router to deploy the “right” home network. Choice network equipment Apple is incomparably simpler than other manufacturers, but there are also some nuances here, since Cupertino produces three similar devices, each of which meets the needs of different categories of users. In this article I want to tell you about the advantages of Apple routers, their differences from each other, and how to choose the right router based on your needs.

AirPort Express

The youngest model of the router family with a fairly affordable price tag (RUB 3,990). The miniature AirPort Express is almost the same size as the Apple TV, but is encased in milky white plastic rather than black. The device measures less than 10 cm in width and just over 2 cm in height. However, this little guy packs a punch.

With AirPort Express, you can deploy an 802.11n home network that also supports A, B, and G devices. With the ability to simultaneously operate in two bands (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), both old and new devices will operate at the maximum supported speed.

On the back panel of the little AirPort Express there are two 100-megabit Ethernet ports, one of which is used for an incoming connection (WAN) from a cable or ADSL modem, and the second can be connected to a desktop computer or any other device without Wi-Fi. Also here we have one USB port for connecting a printer, which will be available to all devices on your network, and a combined 3.5 mm audio jack for connecting to the receiver via an analog or optical cable (yes, AirPort Express can be used as an AirPlay receiver ).

Plus, with AirPort Express, you can expand your wireless network by increasing signal strength in areas of poor reception, such as individual rooms or even an entire floor. For these purposes, it is very easy to configure AirPort Express in bridge or repeater mode using the built-in AirPort utility.

AirPort Extreme

A router that is one step higher than AirPort Express. Its cost is twice as high as the younger model (RUB 8,290), but for this money you get much more features.

The AirPort Extreme case is significantly taller than the AirPort Express (almost 17 cm), but the base size of both models is the same. Compared to previous generations of AirPort Extreme, the modern model is much more compact and sleek due to its height.

By the way, the case is made so tall not only for aesthetic reasons, but also to accommodate a powerful six-element antenna, which provides reliable coverage that matches the transmission speeds of the 802.11ac standard. It has three times the transmission speed of the previous 802.11n revision, but is fully compatible with all earlier revisions.

Keep in mind that this does not mean a threefold increase in Internet speed (the bottleneck will most likely be your cable or ADSL modem) - the speed increase will only be noticeable within your local network, when transmitted from device to device and provided that they have 802.11ac support.

What devices are we talking about? Apple began rolling out support for 802.11ac on all Macs starting with MacBook Air introduced in June 2013. If your Mac has Haswell processor- it also supports 802.11ac. This also includes the Mac Pro, introduced last December, and all the new Macs that have arrived and will be released this year. iOS devices, unfortunately, still run on the outdated 802.11n, but it's just a matter of time ;)

The differences between AirPort Extreme and the younger model are not limited to speed alone. Thanks to its special antenna design, it can form a directional beam to provide a more reliable connection with 802.11ac devices. The router determines which of them use the latest standard and directs the signal in their direction, resulting in a more reliable and clear connection at high speeds with devices that support the 802.11ac standard.

Via USB, you can connect not only a printer to AirPort Extreme, but also a hard drive, which will be accessible to all devices on your home network. This, of course, will not replace your file server or NAS, however, for organizing file sharing, the functionality of AirPort Extreme is more than enough.

On the back panel, AirPort Extreme has not two, but four Ethernet ports. One of them is used for a WAN connection, to the other three you can connect any devices without Wi-Fi or a wired router. In addition, unlike the younger model, all Ethernet ports in AirPort Extreme are gigabit, that is, they support speeds 10 times faster than in AirPort Express.

Time Capsule

Time Capsule is absolutely identical to AirPort Extreme: from appearance and sizes, to iron filling and functionality. You'll get an 802.11ac router with a six-element antenna, gigabit Ethernet ports, and USB for connecting a printer or hard drive.

However, the Time Capsule is different in that it has a built-in hard drive. The device is available in two configurations: with a 2 terabyte hard drive (RUB 12,290) or 3 terabyte (RUB 16,290). Both versions are available to any Mac on your network for Reserve copy via Time Machine.

As you probably know, Time Machine is a convenient backup utility that Apple has included with OS X since version 10.5 Leopard. It allows you to automatically create backups of your disk, which record Current state system, including all your content, over an extended period of time (depending on the amount of available disk space). Thus, if you need to restore a file that was deleted, say, on May 1, simply open Time Machine and “rewind” to that date.

Who is AirPort Express suitable for?

AirPort Express will fully satisfy your needs if:

• you have a small house or apartment;
• you are using Macs from 2012 or older;
• your ecosystem consists of only iOS devices;
• you want to use your receiver with AirPlay;
• you need to increase the signal strength of your existing home network in areas with poor reception;

The power and functionality of AirPort Express is more than enough for all of the above cases. The lack of support for 802.11ac and Gigabit Ethernet ports can be critical for people looking for maximum performance and speed, but for them there is AirPort Extreme.

Who is AirPort Extreme suitable for?

The more powerful AirPort Extreme is a great choice for you if:

• you are building your network from scratch and want to provide some “background for the future”;
• you have a separate country house and several Apple devices for each family member;
• you are the owner modern devices with support for the wireless standard 802.11ac (it doesn’t matter Mac or PC);

Who is Time Capsule suitable for?

The only, but very significant advantage of the Time Capsule over other Apple routers is the ability to use it as network drive to create backups.

If you still don't use backup on your Mac, I urge you to start doing so, especially since buying a Time Capsule would be a great excuse. This is incredible convenient function, which you just need to set up once and just forget about it. Believe me, when something happens, she will help you out a lot.

Conclusion

The range of Apple network devices is wide and varied enough to fully satisfy the needs of different categories of users. AirPort Express - for modest networking needs, expanding an existing network, or listening to music via AirPlay. AirPort Extreme - for uncompromising power and performance. Time Capsule - for automatic backup without any hassle. Regardless of your choice, any of them will become the connecting link of your entire ecosystem and ensure reliable network operation.

This device is a mini-station and can help you with the following tasks:

• when setting up a new Internet connection prepared for devices and their communication with each other;
• increasing your Internet network: you can add any gadgets when working on the Internet;
• Using gadgets connected to this unit, exchange any files.

In this article we will talk about the apple airport time capsule 2tb and configure it.

Step 1 We take out the wide-band cable that is used to access the Internet from your previous router and insert it into the WAN port of our unit. We turn on the device itself to the power supply. In “Programs” on your computer, look for “Utilities” and click on the proprietary Airport utility.

Step 2 In the window in the upper left corner of the screen, select the name of your device, then click the “Continue” button, then select the “Create a new wireless network” section and click “Continue” again. After this, your unit must reboot for all the manipulations you have chosen to take effect.

Step 3 Now, you need to restart Airport in the window (left top corner screen) select the name of your unit, click on it and select the “Manually configure” tab. Depending on what type of connection you have (PPPoE or VNP - this data is presented in the service agreement with your Internet provider), choose:

• if you have a PPPoE connection: “Connect via PPPoE” and enter the login and password from the agreement with the provider;
• if you have a VNP connection: open " wireless network“- there you assign a network name and password and click “Update”.

Step 4 Now you establish access to your wireless station. In the same utility, select the Time capsule tab and enter the station name and password. Click the “Update” button and all settings will take effect.

Step 5 Through the Time machine program, which is provided on all devices with the Mac operating system, when it starts, our installed device is automatically detected. Through this program you can work with the unit to solve any problems.

Airport time capsule 3 TB and setting it up is no different from the steps described above. This rule applies to any model of these devices.

As you can see, creating another connection on the apple airport time capsule 3tb and setting it up takes very little time, but the opportunities that will be available after completing all the steps described above will definitely please any user.

Early last week, Apple released AirPort utilities and firmware for its wireless devices, supporting the 802.11n specification. In addition to general fixes, AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule have learned to provide remote access to drives using your iCloud account. Today I will tell you how to set up this function, since some readers have not been able to do it.

Initial data

For experiments and writing instructions, I got hold of a “purebred American” - a brand new wireless point fifth generation AirPort Extreme (model MD031LL/A), which supports 802.11 a/b/g/n specifications, simultaneous operation of two frequency ranges Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), many protocols and encryption algorithms.

In addition, you must have a Mac computer with Internet access, updated AirPort 6.0 Utility, and on the wireless gadget itself - latest version firmware (7.6.1).

The external drive is connected to the AirPort Extreme USB connector.

Settings

Setup begins by opening AirPort Utility, which is located in the Applications > Utilities directory. Since the test AirPort Extreme was brand new, I installed the update on it software- fortunately, this is very easy to do, just a few clicks.

As soon as the firmware is installed and the Apple access point connects to the Internet (two green indicators will indicate this), you will need to select AirPort Extreme in the Utility and click on the “Change” button to view additional settings.

On the first tab “Base. station." (I would tear my hands off for such a localization) click on the add button (1). Next, in the window that appears, enter the login and password for your iCloud account (2), click on the “Login” button and wait until the status indicator turns green - this means that it has accepted your Apple ID and is ready for further setup.

Now go to the last tab “Disks”, check the “Allow file sharing” checkbox and assign the type of protection for shared disks. There are three options available to you, you can choose any of them, but I settled on the default option - “With device password”.

Once you do this, click the “Update” button. And while the AirPort Express parameters are being applied, let's move on to configuration Mac computer: V System settings> iCloud check the box next to “Access my Mac”. It will take no more than a minute to activate the component.

Almost everything is ready, but how to access the disk now? To do this, just open the window in the category " General access"Select our device in the sidebar, after which it will be mounted to the system to any other shared resource.

That's all for sure now! You will be able to access files stored in your home, from your work computer, or from any other Mac computer associated with your account. However, it is worth remembering that the connection speed depends entirely on your Internet connection. Naturally, the instructions are also suitable for Time Capsule.

By the way, I almost forgot to thank you for providing the AirPort Extreme for the experiments.