It's time to replace your AirPort Time Capsule
While technology adds ease and speed to our lives, it also requires us to stay abreast of changes and update the tools we use. Keeping up with what’s new and old (as in this case) is how we at She’s Wired like to help. In recent weeks, we have been testing alternatives to Apple’s Time Capsule, which the company stopped selling a few years ago.
Last year, Apple confirmed with online publication 9to5Mac what was hinted at for some time — it was officially exiting the AirPort product business. Apple will continue to provide security updates to these devices. Though this change includes the AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme, we are focusing on the AirPort Time Capsule because many of our clients use it as a backup storage device. With Apple no longer selling the device, consumers are left with a functional device that does not keep pace with networking technology.
If you still use an AirPort Time Capsule, it is time to think about replacing it so that you will still have a consistent backup system in place.
A recent experience with a client highlights the core of the problem caused by the discontinuation of the AirPort Time Capsule.
A client who upgraded to super fast fiber optic wondered why her Internet was slow. We discovered she had an AirPort Time Capsule and it was slowing down her Internet speed. We removed it and connected her computers directly to her router and her speeds improved. She still needed a wireless backup system, so we suggested Synology because it works with PCs and Macs and because of its storage options; you can add storage to meet your needs without having to buy a whole new system.
With Apple no longer selling the AirPort Time Capsule, it doesn’t make sense to continue using a storage system with a static network design. If you still have an AirPort Time Capsule, we suggest two options for a storage system:
A NAS solution — Network-attached storage allows you to connect large amounts of storage to your router. The data you store is available from anywhere; think of it as your own personal cloud. We have used Synology and WD NAS systems for a few years. Based on our testing, we have found that Synology specifically works well with Mac systems. It’s a hardware box that attaches to your network with expandable slots for hard drives with enough storage to handle your ever-growing data needs (photos, video, music, documents). It wirelessly backs up without you having to think about it. It doesn’t create its own network, so it does not impact your Internet speed.
External hard drive — With this option, you manually attach an external hard drive to your computer and it backs up your system. The down side is that you have something attached to your computer or you forget to reattach it and therefore do not have a backed up computer. External drives cannot be expanded. If you exceed their storage amount, you will need to buy a bigger drive. We recommend starting with at least the 1 TB size.
If you are ready to retire your AirPort Time Capsule and want to discuss alternatives, we are happy to go over options or purchase and set up a new system for you. Also, if you are experiencing Internet slowness while using your AirPort Time Capsule, seeing a flashing amber light on the device or are getting failure notifications, we can help. Contact She’s Wired at 404-935-9614.
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