AirPort Time Capsule: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Wireless router by Apple}} |
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{{otheruses|Time capsule (disambiguation)}} |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}} |
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{{tone}} |
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{{infobox computer |
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{{copyedit}} |
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| name = AirPort Time Capsule |
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| developer = [[Apple Inc.]] |
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| type = Backup drive, AirPort Extreme base station |
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| photo = Appletimecapsule.jpg |
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| caption = |
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| first_release_date = February 29, 2008 |
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| discontinuation_date = April 26, 2018 |
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| processor = |
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| storage = 500 [[gigabyte|GB]] to 3 TB Server-grade [[Hard disk drive|HDD]] |
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}} |
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The '''AirPort Time Capsule''' (originally named '''Time Capsule''') is a [[wireless router]] which was sold by [[Apple Inc.]], featuring [[network-attached storage]] (NAS) and a [[residential gateway|residential gateway router]], and is one of Apple's [[AirPort]] products. It is essentially a version of the [[AirPort Extreme]] with an internal [[hard drive]]. Apple describes it as a "Backup Appliance", designed to work in tandem with the [[Time Machine (macOS)|Time Machine]] backup software utility introduced in [[Mac OS X 10.5]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slashgear.com/macworld-08-apple-launch-time-capsule-wireless-nas-159672.php|title=Macworld 08: Apple launch Time Capsule wireless NAS|website=SlashGear|first=Chris|last=Davies|date=January 15, 2008}}</ref> |
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[[Image:Appletimecapsule.jpg|thumb|right|Apple Time Capsule]] |
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'''Time Capsule''' is a [[Wireless network|wireless]] [[network-attached storage]] device combined with a wireless [[residential gateway|residential gateway router]] made by [[Apple Inc.]] It was introduced by Apple's [[Chief Executive Officer|CEO]] [[Steve Jobs]] at the [[2008]] [[Macworld Conference & Expo]] on [[January 15]], [[2008]]. Time Capsule is marketed as a backup device, designed to work in tandem with the [[Time Machine (Apple software)|Time Machine]] backup utility, introduced in [[Mac OS X 10.5]] "Leopard".<ref>http://www.slashgear.com/macworld-08-apple-launch-time-capsule-wireless-nas-159672.php</ref> |
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Introduced on January 15, 2008 and released on February 29, 2008, the device has been upgraded several times, matching upgrades in the Extreme series routers. The earliest versions supported [[802.11n]] wireless and came with a 500 GB hard drive in the base model, while the latest model, introduced in 2013, features [[802.11ac]] and a 3 [[Terabyte|TB]] hard drive.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627094826/http://store.apple.com/us/product/ME177/airport-time-capsule-2tb|archive-date=2015-06-27|url=http://store.apple.com/us/product/ME177/airport-time-capsule-2tb|title=AirPort Time Capsule - 2TB|work=Apple Inc.}}</ref> All models include four [[Gigabit Ethernet]] ports (3 LAN ports, 1 WAN port) and a single [[USB]] port. The USB port can be used for external peripheral devices to be shared over the network, such as external hard drives or printers. The NAS functionality utilizes a built-in "server grade" hard drive. |
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The device includes a full [[AirPort]] Extreme Base Station with [[802.11n]] wireless, an [[Ethernet]] [[wide area network|WAN]] port, three Ethernet [[local area network|LAN]] ports, and one [[USB]] port. Storage is provided by, according to Apple, a "server-grade" [[hard disk drive]] - (Hitachi DeskStar) in either 500 [[gigabyte|GB]] or 1 [[terabyte|TB]] sizes.<ref>http://gizmodo.com/345045/apple-announces-time-capsule-server-for-wireless-time-machine-backup</ref> Introduced at [[Macworld Expo]] 2008 and was released on [[February 29]] [[2008]], with pricing announced at [[United States dollar|US$]]299 (£199) for the 500 GB version and US$499 (£329) for the 1 TB version. |
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In 2016, Apple disbanded its wireless router development team, and in 2018 the entire AirPort line of products was discontinued without replacement. |
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The USB port can be used for an external hard drive addition or a printer to be shared over the network. |
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==History== |
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==Comparison to the Apple Airport Extreme Base Station== |
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In early 2009, Apple released the second-generation Time Capsule. It offered simultaneous 802.11n dual-band operation, which allows older devices to use slower wireless speeds, without affecting the overall performance of devices that can use higher 802.11n speeds.<ref name=timecapsule>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607024018/https://www.apple.com/timecapsule/wireless.html|archive-date=2013-06-07|url=https://www.apple.com/timecapsule/wireless.html|title=Time Capsule - Wireless|work=Apple Inc.}}</ref> The second-generation model also included the addition of Guest Networking, a feature which allows creation of a separate wireless network for guests. The guest network uses different authentication credentials, ensuring the security of the primary network.<ref name=timecapsule/> The hard disk storage space of each model was doubled: capacities were 1 TB and 2 TB, while the prices remained unchanged.<ref name=applestore>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624214015/https://www.apple.com/compare-wifi-models/|archive-date=2018-06-24|url=https://www.apple.com/compare-wifi-models|title=Compare AirPort Family|work=Apple Inc.}}</ref> |
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The Time Capsule is quoted as being a full-featured 802.11n wifi base station<ref>http://www.apple.com/uk/timecapsule/</ref> and supports all the same features as the Airport Extreme Base Station, 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. The Time Capsule is slightly larger than the Airport Extreme Base Station, resembling dimensions which are closer to the Mac mini in volume. This is partly due to the newly included internal power supply which eliminates the requirement for a separate transformer block, enabling a direct connection between the household power supply and the back of the Time Capsule. |
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In October 2009, several news sites reported that many first-generation Time Capsules were failing after 18 months,<ref>{{cite news |title=Apple Customers Mourn Over Dearly Departed Time Capsules |author=Brian X. Chen |newspaper=Wired |date=October 12, 2009 |url=https://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/10/time-capsule}}</ref> with some users alleging that this was due to a design failure in the power supplies.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dying Apple Time Capsules spark complaints |author=Gregg Keizer |newspaper=Computer World |date=October 14, 2009 |url=http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139367/Dying_Apple_Time_Capsules_spark_complaints?taxonomyId=19 }}</ref> Apple confirmed that certain Time Capsules sold between February 2008 and June 2008 do not power on, or may unexpectedly turn off. Apple offered free repair or replacement to affected units.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3351 |title=Time Capsule: Does not power on |publisher=Apple, Inc. |date=July 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100713132213/http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3351 |archive-date=July 13, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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==Using Time Capsule as a Backup Device== |
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One of the key features of Time Capsule is the ability to wirelessly backup your system and files; eliminating the need for a separate USB external drive to be attached. This feature requires OS X 10.5.2 Leopard or greater as it is this OS release that enables back up 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. As this is done wirelessly, even at 802.11n network speeds of up to 300Mbps, this will cause a significant delay in the initial backup of any Mac to the drive and Apple anticipate this process taking "overnight or longer"<ref>http://www.apple.com/uk/timecapsule/backup.html</ref>. Subsequent backups will be quicker as they only backup the changes which would hopefully be of a much smaller size. |
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The third-generation Time Capsule was released in October 2009. The only change was a reconfiguration of the internal wireless antenna, resulting in an Apple-reported 50% increase in wireless performance and 25% increase in wireless range when compared to previous models.<ref name=timecapsule/> |
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The fourth-generation Time Capsule, released in June 2011, increased the range of Wi-Fi signals. The internal [[Wi-Fi]] card was changed from a [[Marvell Technology Group|Marvell]] [[Wi-Fi]] chip to a better-performing [[Broadcom]] BCM4331 chip.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.anandtech.com/show/4577/airport-extreme-5th-gen-and-time-capsule-4th-gen-review-faster-wifi-/4 | title=Airport Extreme (5th Gen) and Time Capsule (4th Gen) Review - Faster WiFi | at=Section "Inside the Time Capsule" | author=Brian Klug | work=AnandTech | date=August 5, 2011 | access-date=2021-10-06}}</ref> |
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[[File:Apple time capsule g5 out.jpg|thumb|Rear ports on fifth-generation AirPort Time Capsule]] |
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===Discontinuation=== |
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In approximately 2016, Apple disbanded the wireless router team that developed the AirPort Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme router.<ref name="Mark Gurman, Bloomberg 2016.11.21">{{cite news |last1=Gurman |first1=Mark |title=Apple Abandons Development of Wireless Routers |url=https://www.bloombergquint.com/technology/apple-said-to-abandon-development-of-wireless-routers-ivs0ssec |access-date=10 March 2021 |publisher=Bloomberg News |date=21 Nov 2016}}</ref> In 2018, Apple formally discontinued both products, exiting the router market.<ref name="Mark Gurman, Bloomberg 2018.04.26: official discontinuation">{{cite news |last1=Gurman |first1=Mark |title=Apple Officially Discontinues Its AirPort Wireless Routers |url=https://www.bloombergquint.com/onweb/apple-officially-discontinues-its-airport-wireless-routers |access-date=2021-10-06 |publisher=Bloomberg News |date=26 Apr 2018}}</ref> Bloomberg News noted that "Apple rarely discontinues product categories"<ref name="Mark Gurman, Bloomberg 2018.04.26: official discontinuation" /> and that its decision to leave the business was "a boon for other wireless router makers."<ref name="Mark Gurman, Bloomberg 2016.11.21" /> |
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==Features== |
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The fifth-generation Time Capsule includes a fully featured, [[802.11ac]], [[Wi-Fi]] access point<ref name=timecapsule/> including simultaneous dual-band operation. The Time Capsule supports the [[Sleep Proxy Service]].<ref name="apple-support-doc">{{cite web | title = Mac OS X v10.6: About Wake on Demand (Apple Article HT3774) | url = http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3774 | publisher = Apple | date = August 27, 2009 | access-date = 2021-10-06 | quote = "Setting up Wake on Demand", "Setting up a Bonjour Sleep Proxy"}}</ref> |
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The software is specially built by Apple and is not user modifiable. While the firmware has been decrypted,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://embeddedideation.com/2016/04/24/airport-hacking-update/|title=AirPort Hacking Update · Embedded Ideation|website=embeddedideation.com|language=en|access-date=2021-10-06}}</ref> a suitable [[privilege escalation]] exploit to run custom firmware is not developed for the latest firmware. However, the device runs a [[POSIX]] standard platform. The Time Capsule up to the fourth-generation runs on the [[ARM architecture family|ARM]] port of operating system [[NetBSD]] 4.0, while the fifth-generation model runs NetBSD 6.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theairportwiki.com/index.php?title=Time_Capsule_1G|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218021925/http://www.theairportwiki.com/index.php?title=Time_Capsule_1G|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 18, 2015|title=Time Capsule 1G - The AirPort Wiki|website=www.theairportwiki.com|language=en|access-date=2018-04-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theairportwiki.com/index.php?title=Time_Capsule_2G|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218021930/http://www.theairportwiki.com/index.php?title=Time_Capsule_2G|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 18, 2015|title=Time Capsule 2G - The AirPort Wiki|website=www.theairportwiki.com|language=en|access-date=2018-04-27}}</ref> |
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One of the key features of Time Capsule is the ability to [[backup|back up]] a system and files wirelessly and automatically, eliminating the need to attach an external backup drive. This feature requires OS X 10.5.2 Leopard or greater on the client computers. The backup software is Apple's [[Time Machine (macOS)|Time Machine]], which, by default, makes hourly images of the files that are being changed, and condenses 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; Apple suggests that the initial backup will require "several hours or overnight to complete".<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607024018/https://www.apple.com/timecapsule/backup.html|archive-date=2013-06-07|url=https://www.apple.com/timecapsule/backup.html|title=Time Capsule - Backup|work=Apple Inc.}}</ref> |
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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.<ref name="gizserver">{{cite web | url=https://gizmodo.com/345045/apple-announces-time-capsule-server-for-wireless-time-machine-backup| title=Apple Time Capsule Server for Wireless Time Machine Backups | author=Rothman, Wilson| publisher=[[Gawker Media]] | work=[[Gizmodo]] | date=January 15, 2008 | access-date=2021-10-06 }}</ref> 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 hours [[mean time between failures]] (MTBF) recommendation for server-grade hard drives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://db.tidbits.com/article/9479|title=Time Capsule Ships with Support for USB Drive Backups|first=Glenn|last=Fleishman|date=February 29, 2008|website=TidBITS}}</ref> |
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The 500 GB, first-generation Time Capsule shipped with a Seagate Barracuda ES-series drive;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.applefritter.com/node/23907|title=Cracking Open the Time Capsule|date=January 30, 2009|website=Applefritter}}</ref> or subsequently, other hard drives such as the Western Digital Caviar Green series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mattgadient.com/2010/08/06/time-capsule-1tb-uses-the-wd-caviar-green|title=Time capsule 1TB uses the WD Caviar Green|first=Matt|last=Gadient}}</ref> |
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The Time Capsules up to the fourth-generation measure {{convert|7.7|in}} square, and {{convert|1.4|in}} high.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607024023/http://www.apple.com/timecapsule/specs.html|archive-date=2013-06-07|url=http://www.apple.com/timecapsule/specs.html|title=Time Capsule - Technical Specifications|work=Apple Inc.}}</ref> |
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The June 2013 release of the fifth-generation models features a name change to AirPort Time Capsule, and a redesign with measurements {{convert|3.85|in|cm}} square, and {{convert|6.6|in|cm}} high. The square dimensions echo the size of both the latest [[AirPort Express]] and [[Apple TV]]s (second generation onwards), just with the height being significantly higher. The 2013 models feature the same {{abbr|I/O|Input / Output}} ports on the back as previous generations, and come in the same capacities as the fourth-generation of 2 TB & 3 TB, but have introduced the newest Wi-Fi standard 802.11ac. The AirPort Extreme released at the same time is exactly the same in dimensions and I/O ports, just without the internal harddrive of the AirPort Time Capsule. 2013 models feature faster download speed, [[beamforming]] improvements and wireless or desktop network control with iCloud integration. Airport is compatible with devices using the 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n and 802.11ac specifications. Also improved, [[List_of_macOS_components#AirPort_Utility|Airport Utility]] has added one click Time Capsule format from the utility's Airport Time Capsule, Edit, Disks menu, allowing easy and rapid Erase Disk and Archive Disk to start over or configure Network. Disk Erase includes up to 35 passes and device includes encrypted storage plus optional WAN sharing, making Airport extremely secure and flexible for home, class and office environments. Airport Utility is a free download.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://support.apple.com/downloads/airport|title=Apple Support Downloads for Airport|website=Apple Inc.}}</ref> |
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==Comparison chart== |
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<div style="overflow:auto;"> |
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{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;text-align:center;" |
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|- |
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! Model |
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! colspan=2 | [https://support.apple.com/kb/SP9 1st generation] <br/>(early 2008) |
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! colspan=3 | [https://support.apple.com/kb/SP508 2nd generation] <br/>(early & mid 2009) |
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! colspan=2 | [https://support.apple.com/kb/SP698 3rd generation] <br/>(late 2009) |
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! colspan=2 | [https://support.apple.com/kb/SP627 4th generation] <br/>(mid 2011) |
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! colspan=2 | [https://support.apple.com/kb/SP679 5th generation] <br/>(mid 2013) |
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|- |
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! Marketing name |
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! colspan=9 | Time Capsule |
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! colspan=2 | AirPort Time Capsule |
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|- |
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! Release date |
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| colspan=2 | February 29, 2008 |
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| colspan=2 | March 3, 2009 |
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| colspan=1 | July 30, 2009 |
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| colspan=2 | October 20, 2009<ref name="cnet 3rd gen date">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126183958/http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10379242-1.html|archive-date=2012-01-26|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10379242-1.html|title=Apple Time Capsule, Airport Extreme receive small (possibly significant) upgrades|first=Eric|last=Franklin|publisher=CNET News|date=October 20, 2009}}</ref> |
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| colspan=2 | June 21, 2011 |
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| colspan=2 | June 10, 2013 |
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|- |
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! Marketing model number |
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| MB276LL/A |
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| MB277LL/A |
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| MB764LL/A |
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| MB765LL/A |
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| MB996LL/A |
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| MC343LL/A |
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| MC344LL/A |
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| MD032LL/A |
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| MD033LL/A |
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| ME177LL/A |
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| ME182LL/A |
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|- |
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! Model number |
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| colspan=2 | A1254 |
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| colspan=3 | A1302 |
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| colspan=2 | A1355 |
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| colspan=2 | A1409 |
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| colspan=2 | A1470 |
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|- |
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! Hard drive |
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| 500 GB |
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| 1 TB |
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| 500 GB |
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| 1 TB |
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| 2 TB |
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| 1 TB |
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| colspan="2" | 2 TB |
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| 3 TB |
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| 2 TB |
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| 3 TB |
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|- |
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! rowspan=2 | Original price |
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| rowspan=2 | [[US$]]299 || rowspan=2 | [[US$]]499 |
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| rowspan=2 | [[US$]]299 || [[US$]]499 || rowspan=2 | [[US$]]499 |
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| rowspan=2 | [[US$]]299 || rowspan=2 | [[US$]]499 |
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| rowspan=2 | [[US$]]299 || rowspan=2 | [[US$]]499 |
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| rowspan=2 | [[US$]]299 || rowspan=2 | [[US$]]399 |
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|- |
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| [[US$]]299{{efn|Price cut in July 2009 with introduction of 2 TB model, as the 1 TB model became the lower-capacity Time Capsule.}} |
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|- |
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! Guest networking |
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| colspan=2 | No |
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| colspan=9 | Yes |
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|- |
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! 802.11a/b/g/n 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz bands |
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| colspan=2 | Single-band operation |
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| colspan=9 | Dual-band operation |
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|- |
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! Internal Wi-Fi |
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| colspan=2 | [[Marvell Technology Group|Marvell]] |
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| colspan=3 | [[Qualcomm Atheros|Atheros]] AR9220/AR9223 |
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| colspan=2 | [[Marvell Technology Group|Marvell]] |
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| colspan=2 | [[Broadcom]] BCM4331 |
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| colspan=2 | [[Broadcom]] BCM4360 |
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|- |
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! Standards |
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| colspan=5 | 802.11 [[Direct-sequence spread spectrum|DSSS]] 1 & 2 Mbit/s standard, 802.11a/b/g/n (draft) |
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| colspan=4 | 802.11 [[Direct-sequence spread spectrum|DSSS]] 1 & 2 Mbit/s standard, 802.11a/b/g/n |
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| colspan=2 | 802.11 [[DSSS]] 1 & 2 Mbit/s standard, 802.11ac (draft)/a/b/g/n |
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|- |
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! Data link protocol |
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| colspan=5 | [[Gigabit Ethernet]], [[IEEE 802.11a-1999|IEEE 802.11a]]/[[802.11b|b]]/[[802.11g|g]]/[[802.11n|n]] (draft) |
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| colspan=4 | Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n |
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| colspan=2 | Gigabit Ethernet, [[IEEE 802.11ac]] (draft)/a/b/g/n |
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|- |
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! Network / transport protocol |
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| colspan=2 | [[Bonjour (software)|Bonjour]], [[IPsec]], [[Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol|L2TP]], [[PPTP]] |
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| colspan=9 | [[Bonjour (software)|Bonjour]], [[Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol|DHCP]], [[DNS]], [[IPsec]], [[Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol|L2TP]], [[PPPoE]], [[PPTP]] |
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|- |
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! CPU |
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| colspan=2 | Marvell 1850 step A0 (Feroceon core) [88F5281 Rev 4] |
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|- |
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! RAM |
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| colspan=2 | 128 MB |
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|- |
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! FLASH |
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| colspan=2 | 16 MB |
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|- |
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|}</div> |
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;Notes |
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{{notelist}} |
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==See also== |
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{{Portal|Electronics}} |
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* [[AirPlay]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{Commons category|AirPort Time Capsule}} |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180415202417/https://www.apple.com/airport-time-capsule/ Web archive of official site ] |
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{{Mac-stub}} |
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{{Wi-Fi base stations by Apple}} |
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{{Apple hardware since 1998}} |
{{Apple hardware since 1998}} |
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{{Apple hardware}} |
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[[Category:Apple Inc. |
[[Category:Apple Inc. peripherals]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:products introduced in 2008]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:servers (computing)]] |
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[[Category:Discontinued Apple Inc. products]] |
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[[Category:Products and services discontinued in 2018]] |
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[[de:Time Capsule (Apple)]] |
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[[ |
[[Category:Routers (computing)]] |
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[[ja:Time Capsule]] |
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[[zh:Time Capsule]] |
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Latest revision as of 18:35, 26 June 2024
 | |
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Type | Backup drive, AirPort Extreme base station |
| Release date | February 29, 2008 |
| Discontinued | April 26, 2018 |
| Storage | 500 GB to 3 TB Server-grade HDD |
The AirPort Time Capsule (originally named Time Capsule) is a wireless router which was sold by Apple Inc., featuring network-attached storage (NAS) and a residential gateway router, and is one of Apple's AirPort products. It is essentially a version of the AirPort Extreme with an internal hard drive. Apple describes it as a "Backup Appliance", designed to work in tandem with the Time Machine backup software utility introduced in Mac OS X 10.5.[1]
Introduced on January 15, 2008 and released on February 29, 2008, the device has been upgraded several times, matching upgrades in the Extreme series routers. The earliest versions supported 802.11n wireless and came with a 500 GB hard drive in the base model, while the latest model, introduced in 2013, features 802.11ac and a 3 TB hard drive.[2] All models include four Gigabit Ethernet ports (3 LAN ports, 1 WAN port) and a single USB port. The USB port can be used for external peripheral devices to be shared over the network, such as external hard drives or printers. The NAS functionality utilizes a built-in "server grade" hard drive.
In 2016, Apple disbanded its wireless router development team, and in 2018 the entire AirPort line of products was discontinued without replacement.
History
[edit]In early 2009, Apple released the second-generation Time Capsule. It offered simultaneous 802.11n dual-band operation, which allows older devices to use slower wireless speeds, without affecting the overall performance of devices that can use higher 802.11n speeds.[3] The second-generation model also included the addition of Guest Networking, a feature which allows creation of a separate wireless network for guests. The guest network uses different authentication credentials, ensuring the security of the primary network.[3] The hard disk storage space of each model was doubled: capacities were 1 TB and 2 TB, while the prices remained unchanged.[4]
In October 2009, several news sites reported that many first-generation Time Capsules were failing after 18 months,[5] with some users alleging that this was due to a design failure in the power supplies.[6] Apple confirmed that certain Time Capsules sold between February 2008 and June 2008 do not power on, or may unexpectedly turn off. Apple offered free repair or replacement to affected units.[7]
The third-generation Time Capsule was released in October 2009. The only change was a reconfiguration of the internal wireless antenna, resulting in an Apple-reported 50% increase in wireless performance and 25% increase in wireless range when compared to previous models.[3]
The fourth-generation Time Capsule, released in June 2011, increased the range of Wi-Fi signals. The internal Wi-Fi card was changed from a Marvell Wi-Fi chip to a better-performing Broadcom BCM4331 chip.[8]
Discontinuation
[edit]In approximately 2016, Apple disbanded the wireless router team that developed the AirPort Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme router.[9] In 2018, Apple formally discontinued both products, exiting the router market.[10] Bloomberg News noted that "Apple rarely discontinues product categories"[10] and that its decision to leave the business was "a boon for other wireless router makers."[9]
Features
[edit]The fifth-generation Time Capsule includes a fully featured, 802.11ac, Wi-Fi access point[3] including simultaneous dual-band operation. The Time Capsule supports the Sleep Proxy Service.[11]
The software is specially built by Apple and is not user modifiable. While the firmware has been decrypted,[12] a suitable privilege escalation exploit to run custom firmware is not developed for the latest firmware. However, the device runs a POSIX standard platform. The Time Capsule up to the fourth-generation runs on the ARM port of operating system NetBSD 4.0, while the fifth-generation model runs NetBSD 6.[13][14]
One of the key features of Time Capsule is the ability to back up a system and files wirelessly and automatically, eliminating the need to attach an external backup drive. This feature requires OS X 10.5.2 Leopard or greater on the client computers. The backup software is Apple's Time Machine, which, by default, makes hourly images of the files that are being changed, and condenses 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; Apple suggests that the initial backup will require "several hours or overnight to complete".[15]
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.[16] 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 hours mean time between failures (MTBF) recommendation for server-grade hard drives.[17]
The 500 GB, first-generation Time Capsule shipped with a Seagate Barracuda ES-series drive;[18] or subsequently, other hard drives such as the Western Digital Caviar Green series.[19]
The Time Capsules up to the fourth-generation measure 7.7 inches (200 mm) square, and 1.4 inches (36 mm) high.[20]
The June 2013 release of the fifth-generation models features a name change to AirPort Time Capsule, and a redesign with measurements 3.85 inches (9.8 cm) square, and 6.6 inches (17 cm) high. The square dimensions echo the size of both the latest AirPort Express and Apple TVs (second generation onwards), just with the height being significantly higher. The 2013 models feature the same I/O ports on the back as previous generations, and come in the same capacities as the fourth-generation of 2 TB & 3 TB, but have introduced the newest Wi-Fi standard 802.11ac. The AirPort Extreme released at the same time is exactly the same in dimensions and I/O ports, just without the internal harddrive of the AirPort Time Capsule. 2013 models feature faster download speed, beamforming improvements and wireless or desktop network control with iCloud integration. Airport is compatible with devices using the 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n and 802.11ac specifications. Also improved, Airport Utility has added one click Time Capsule format from the utility's Airport Time Capsule, Edit, Disks menu, allowing easy and rapid Erase Disk and Archive Disk to start over or configure Network. Disk Erase includes up to 35 passes and device includes encrypted storage plus optional WAN sharing, making Airport extremely secure and flexible for home, class and office environments. Airport Utility is a free download.[21]
Comparison chart
[edit]| Model | 1st generation (early 2008) |
2nd generation (early & mid 2009) |
3rd generation (late 2009) |
4th generation (mid 2011) |
5th generation (mid 2013) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing name | Time Capsule | AirPort Time Capsule | |||||||||
| Release date | February 29, 2008 | March 3, 2009 | July 30, 2009 | October 20, 2009[22] | June 21, 2011 | June 10, 2013 | |||||
| Marketing model number | MB276LL/A | MB277LL/A | MB764LL/A | MB765LL/A | MB996LL/A | MC343LL/A | MC344LL/A | MD032LL/A | MD033LL/A | ME177LL/A | ME182LL/A |
| Model number | A1254 | A1302 | A1355 | A1409 | A1470 | ||||||
| Hard drive | 500 GB | 1 TB | 500 GB | 1 TB | 2 TB | 1 TB | 2 TB | 3 TB | 2 TB | 3 TB | |
| Original price | US$299 | US$499 | US$299 | US$499 | US$499 | US$299 | US$499 | US$299 | US$499 | US$299 | US$399 |
| US$299[a] | |||||||||||
| Guest networking | No | Yes | |||||||||
| 802.11a/b/g/n 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz bands | Single-band operation | Dual-band operation | |||||||||
| Internal Wi-Fi | Marvell | Atheros AR9220/AR9223 | Marvell | Broadcom BCM4331 | Broadcom BCM4360 | ||||||
| Standards | 802.11 DSSS 1 & 2 Mbit/s standard, 802.11a/b/g/n (draft) | 802.11 DSSS 1 & 2 Mbit/s standard, 802.11a/b/g/n | 802.11 DSSS 1 & 2 Mbit/s standard, 802.11ac (draft)/a/b/g/n | ||||||||
| Data link protocol | Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n (draft) | Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n | Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11ac (draft)/a/b/g/n | ||||||||
| Network / transport protocol | Bonjour, IPsec, L2TP, PPTP | Bonjour, DHCP, DNS, IPsec, L2TP, PPPoE, PPTP | |||||||||
| CPU | Marvell 1850 step A0 (Feroceon core) [88F5281 Rev 4] | ||||||||||
| RAM | 128 MB | ||||||||||
| FLASH | 16 MB | ||||||||||
- Notes
- ^ Price cut in July 2009 with introduction of 2 TB model, as the 1 TB model became the lower-capacity Time Capsule.
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Davies, Chris (January 15, 2008). "Macworld 08: Apple launch Time Capsule wireless NAS". SlashGear.
- ^ "AirPort Time Capsule - 2TB". Apple Inc. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Time Capsule - Wireless". Apple Inc. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013.
- ^ "Compare AirPort Family". Apple Inc. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018.
- ^ Brian X. Chen (October 12, 2009). "Apple Customers Mourn Over Dearly Departed Time Capsules". Wired.
- ^ Gregg Keizer (October 14, 2009). "Dying Apple Time Capsules spark complaints". Computer World.
- ^ "Time Capsule: Does not power on". Apple, Inc. July 9, 2010. Archived from the original on July 13, 2010.
- ^ Brian Klug (August 5, 2011). "Airport Extreme (5th Gen) and Time Capsule (4th Gen) Review - Faster WiFi". AnandTech. Section "Inside the Time Capsule". Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Gurman, Mark (November 21, 2016). "Apple Abandons Development of Wireless Routers". Bloomberg News. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ a b Gurman, Mark (April 26, 2018). "Apple Officially Discontinues Its AirPort Wireless Routers". Bloomberg News. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "Mac OS X v10.6: About Wake on Demand (Apple Article HT3774)". Apple. August 27, 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
Setting up Wake on Demand", "Setting up a Bonjour Sleep Proxy
- ^ "AirPort Hacking Update · Embedded Ideation". embeddedideation.com. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "Time Capsule 1G - The AirPort Wiki". www.theairportwiki.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
- ^ "Time Capsule 2G - The AirPort Wiki". www.theairportwiki.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
- ^ "Time Capsule - Backup". Apple Inc. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013.
- ^ Rothman, Wilson (January 15, 2008). "Apple Time Capsule Server for Wireless Time Machine Backups". Gizmodo. Gawker Media. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ Fleishman, Glenn (February 29, 2008). "Time Capsule Ships with Support for USB Drive Backups". TidBITS.
- ^ "Cracking Open the Time Capsule". Applefritter. January 30, 2009.
- ^ Gadient, Matt. "Time capsule 1TB uses the WD Caviar Green".
- ^ "Time Capsule - Technical Specifications". Apple Inc. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013.
- ^ "Apple Support Downloads for Airport". Apple Inc.
- ^ Franklin, Eric (October 20, 2009). "Apple Time Capsule, Airport Extreme receive small (possibly significant) upgrades". CNET News. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012.
External links
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