Apple Time Capsule
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| Developer | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Type | Backup drive Airport Extreme base station |
| Release date | January 15, 2008 |
| Introductory price | 2TB US$299, 3TB US$499 |
| Website | Apple - Time Capsule |
The Time Capsule is a wireless network-attached storage device combined with a wireless residential gateway router made by Apple Inc. It is described as a "Backup Appliance", designed to work in tandem with the Time Machine backup utility, introduced in Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard".[1]
The device includes a full AirPort Extreme Base Station with 802.11n wireless (now with Dual Band Support), an Ethernet WAN port, three Ethernet LAN ports, and one USB port. There is also a "Server grade" hard drive inside the casing. Time Capsule was introduced at Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008 and released on February 29, 2008, with pricing announced at US$299 (£199) for the 500 GB version and US$499 (£329) for the 1 TB version.
The USB port can be used for an external hard drive or a printer to be shared over the network.
In early 2009, Apple released a newer model offering simultaneous 802.11n dual-band operation to allow older devices to use the slower wireless speeds without affecting the overall performance of devices that can use the higher 802.11n speeds.[2]
Also released in this new version is Guest Networking which allows guests to sign on with a different password to ensure your private network is kept private.[2]
In July 2009, Apple doubled the hard-disk storage space that comes with each model. The $299 Time Capsule now holds 1TB (instead of 500GB) and the $499 configuration holds 2TB (instead of 1TB).[3] Also by reconfiguring the internal wireless antenna Apple reported 50% better performance and 25% better wireless range on the fourth generation model.[4]
Apple again increased the hard-disk storage space in each model in June 2011. The 2TB Time Capsule is now being sold for $299 (replacing the 1TB model) and the new 3TB model sells for $499.[3]
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[edit] Features
- Fully featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station[5]
- Sleep Proxy Service[6]
- 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports (3 LAN ports, 1 WAN port)
- USB interface for printer sharing
- Built-in hard drive (2TB or 3TB)
- Built-in file server (AFP and SMB)
[edit] Use
[edit] Backup device
One of the key features of Time Capsule is the ability to back up a system and files wirelessly and automatically, which eliminates the need for a separate external drive to be attached. This feature requires OS X 10.5.2 Leopard or greater as it is this OS release that enables backup over a network. The backup software is Apple's Time Machine, which regularly makes images of the files that are being changed every hour, condensing backup images as they become older, to save space. Even when using an 802.11n wireless or Gigabit Ethernet connection, the initial backup of any Mac to the drive requires significant time and Apple anticipates this process takes "overnight or longer".[7] Subsequent backups will typically be quicker as they only back up the changed files. With the August 2009 release of Snow Leopard, Apple claims the initial backup will be up to two times faster. The backup disk can also be used by Windows-based computers, and the files on it can be managed by another OS such as Windows.
[edit] Hard drive
The hard drive typically found in a Time Capsule is the Hitachi Deskstar, which is sold by Hitachi as a consumer-grade product (the Hitachi Ultrastar is the enterprise version).[8] Apple labeled the drive as a server-grade drive in promotional material for Time Capsule, and also used this type of drive in its discontinued Xserve servers. Apple states that the Hitachi Deskstar meets or exceeds the 1 million hour mean time between failures (MTBF) recommendation for server-grade hard drives.[9]
The 500GB, 1st generation Time Capsule shipped with a Seagate Barracuda ES-series drive.[10]
More recently, other hard drives such as the Western Digital Caviar Green series,[11] and the Samsung EcoGreen series have been reported.
The latest 7.6.1 firmware enables remote access of the harddisk with an iCloud account. In the past, you needed a MobileMe account.
[edit] Comparison
[edit] Apple AirPort Extreme
The Time Capsule is a fully featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station[5] and supports all the same features as the AirPort Extreme, featuring the same set of ports on the back. Modifications upon the design of the AirPort Extreme Base Station include the addition of the storage hard drive for backups and NAS type file storage which will be available to both Macs and PCs (after installing supplied drivers) on the network (but usage as a Time Machine disk is not supported [12]). The Time Capsule measures 7.7 inches or 19.7 cm square and 1.4 inches or 3.63 cm high;[5] slightly larger than the AirPort Extreme Base Station and closer to the Apple TV (previous generation model) in volume. This is partly due to the internal power supply which eliminates the requirement for a separate external power supply, enabling a direct connection between the household power outlet and the back of the Time Capsule.
[edit] Apple Time Capsule Models by Generation
Apple Time Capsule SKU are constructed with the 5 first characters identifying the product version and the remaining ones indicating the localization (accessories and power supply vary according to the country the Time Capsule is sold in). Differences between generations are listed below as well.[13] For First through Fourth Generations, the smaller model has been introduced at US$299 and the larger at US$499.
[edit] First generation (early 2008)
Apple introduced its first Time Capsule on January 15, 2008 and released it on February 29, 2008. It was the first wireless network-attached storage device combined with a wireless gateway router made by Apple.
The First Generation device included a full AirPort Extreme Base Station with 802.11n wireless, an Ethernet WAN port, three Ethernet LAN ports, and one USB port. The USB port can be used for an external hard drive or a printer to be shared over the network.
Model: A1254, in the following versions:
- 500 GB Time Capsule. Part number: MB276LL/A
- 1 TB Time Capsule. Part number: MB277LL/A
Apple Manual: Apple Time Capsule 802.11n (1st Generation)
[edit] Second generation (early 2009)
In early 2009, Apple released a newer model offering simultaneous 802.11n dual-band operation to allow older devices to use the slower wireless speeds without affecting the overall performance of devices that can use the higher 802.11n speeds.
Also released in this new version is Guest Networking feature which allows guests to sign on with a different password to ensure your private network is kept private.
Model: A1302, in the following versions
- 500 GB Time Capsule. Part number: MB764LL/A
- 1 TB Time Capsule. Part number: MB765LL/A
Apple Manual: Apple Time Capsule 802.11n (2nd Generation)
[edit] Second generation, Part II (mid 2009)
In July 2009, Apple doubled the hard-disk storage space that comes with each model. The $299 Time Capsule now holds 1TB (instead of 500GB) and the $499 configuration holds 2TB (instead of 1TB).
But feature-wise this second generation Time Capsule is an equivalent of the earlier (early 2009) second generation. No new features were added.
Model: A1302 (the same as early 2009), in the following versions
- 1 TB Time Capsule. Part number: MB765LL/A (the same as early 2009)
- 2 TB Time Capsule. Part number: MB996LL/A
Apple Manual: Apple Time Capsule 802.11n (2nd Generation)
[edit] Third Generation (2010)
Apple reported 50% better performance and 25% better wireless range on the third generation model comparing to the previous generations. No new features were added.
Model: A1355, in the following versions:
- 1 TB Time Capsule. Part number: MC343LL/A
- 2 TB Time Capsule. Part number: MC344LL/A
Apple Manual: Apple Time Capsule 802.11n (3rd Generation)
[edit] Fourth Generation (June 2011)
Same as 3rd Generation (main system board completely unchanged), but with increased wireless range (internal WiFi card changed from Marvell to better-performing Broadcom BCM4331 chip)[14] and higher maximum Hard Disk Drive (HDD) size of 3 TB.
Model: A1409, in the following versions:
- 2 TB Time Capsule. Part number: MD032LL/A
- 3 TB Time Capsule. Part number: MD033LL/A
Apple Manual: Apple Time Capsule 802.11n (4th Generation)
[edit] Apple Time Capsule Specifications Comparison Chart, 2008-2011
| Model | 1st Gen: Early 2008 | 2nd Gen: Early 2009 | 2nd Gen Pt. II: Mid-2009 | 3rd Gen: Mid-2010 | 4th Gen: Mid-2011 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release date | February 29, 2008 | March 3, 2009 | July 30, 2009 (Price Drop on 1TB, Intro of 2TB, no major changes) | March 31, 2010 | June 21, 2011 | |||||
| Marketing Model Number | MB276LL/A | MB277LL/A | MB764LL/A | MB765LL/A | MB765LL/A (the same as early 2009) | MB996LL/A | MC343LL/A | MC344LL/A | MD032LL/A | MD033LL/A |
| Model Number | A1254 | A1302 | A1302 | A1355 | A1409 | |||||
| Device Type | Wireless access point - Integrated | |||||||||
| Hard drive | 500 GB | 1 TB | 500 GB | 1 TB | 1 TB | 2 TB | 1 TB | 2 TB | 2 TB | 3 TB |
| Original Price | $299 | $499 | $299 | $499 | $299 | $499 | $299 | $499 | $299 | $499 |
| Available Ports | 1 Ethernet WAN; 3 Ethernet LAN; 1 USB | |||||||||
| Guest Networking | No | Yes | ||||||||
| Frequency Bands | 2.4 and 5 GHz | |||||||||
| 802.11a/b/g/n 2.4GHz/5GHz Bands | Single-Band Operation | Dual-Band Operation | ||||||||
| Internal WiFi | Marvell | Atheros AR9220/AR9223 | Marvell | Broadcom BCM4331 | ||||||
| Radio Output Power | Up to 23 dBm (nominal) | |||||||||
| Standards | 802.11 DSSS 1 and 2 Mbps standard, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n (draft)
specifications |
802.11 DSSS 1 and 2 Mbps standard, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n specifications | ||||||||
| Data Link Protocol | Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft) | Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n | ||||||||
| Network / Transport Protocol | IPSec, L2TP, PPTP | IPSec, L2TP, PPPoE, PPTP | Bonjour, DHCP, DNS, IPSec, L2TP, PPPoE, PPTP | |||||||
| Remote Management Protocol | SNMP | |||||||||
| Interfaces/Ports | 1 x RJ-45 10/100/1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet WAN (<);
3 x RJ-45 10/100/1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet LAN (G); 1 x Universal Serial Bus (USB d) 2.0; 802.11 a/b/g/n AirPort Extreme wireless |
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| Height & Weight | Length: 7.75 inches (197.0 mm); Width: 7.75 inches (197.0 mm); Height: 1.43 inches (36.33 mm); Weight: 3.5 pounds (1.6 kilograms) | |||||||||
[edit] Issues
In October 2009, several news sites reported that many 1st Generation Time Capsules were failing after 18 months,[15] with some users alleging that this was due to a design failure in the power supplies.[16] Apple confirmed that certain Time Capsules sold between February 2008 and June 2008 do not power on or may unexpectedly turn off, so offered free repair or replacement to affected units.[17]
As of August 1st 2011, Apple is no longer offering warranty for the 1st Generation Time Capsules that fail due to the power supply issue.
User reported that the 4th generation Time Capsule with 7.6.0/7.6.1 firmware has some compatibility problem with Windows. If windows client access the harddisk of Time Capsule through 802.11n wifi interface downloading large files, the Time Capsule will hang soon. See: http://discussions.apple.com/message/17047880
[edit] References
- ^ Macworld 08: Apple launch Time Capsule wireless NAS - SlashGear
- ^ a b Apple - Time Capsule - Wireless
- ^ a b Apple Store – Time Capsule
- ^ Apple – Time Capsule
- ^ a b c Apple, Inc.. "Apple — Time Capsule". http://www.apple.com/timecapsule/. Retrieved 2008-09-21.
- ^ "Mac OS X v10.6: About Wake on Demand (Apple Article HT3774)" (in several languages). Apple. 2009-08-27. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3774. Retrieved 2009-09-15. ""Setting up Wake on Demand", "Setting up a Bonjour Sleep Proxy""
- ^ Apple (United Kingdom) - Time Capsule - Backup
- ^ Macworld: Apple Time Capsule Server for Wireless Time Machine Backups
- ^ Time Capsule Ships with Support for USB Drive Backups
- ^ Cracking Open the Time Capsule
- ^ Time capsule 1TB uses the WD Caviar Green
- ^ Uses for the USB port of Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express
- ^ Apple Discussion Board: Time capsule models vs. features
- ^ Brian Klug (2011-08-05). "Airport Extreme (5th Gen) and Time Capsule (4th Gen) Review - Faster WiFi". AnandTech. Section “Inside the Time Capsule”. http://www.anandtech.com/show/4577/airport-extreme-5th-gen-and-time-capsule-4th-gen-review-faster-wifi-/4. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
- ^ Brian X. Chen (October 12, 2009). "Apple Customers Mourn Over Dearly Departed Time Capsules". Wired. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/10/time-capsule.
- ^ Gregg Keizer (October 14, 2009). "Dying Apple Time Capsules spark complaints". Computer World. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139367/Dying_Apple_Time_Capsules_spark_complaints?taxonomyId=19.
- ^ "Time Capsule: Does not power on". Apple, Inc.. July 9, 2010. http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3351. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
[edit] External links
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