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I am still using my 1TB Time Capsule as both a Time Machine backup device and a wifi router. It is working fine, but I understand it is considered quite out-of-date and unsupported. Thus I am considering when and with what to replace it.
My question of the moment is whether it is more likely to display symptoms of impending failure or simply stop functioning without warning. If there are symptoms or diagnostics that could be used, please advise.
Time Capsule
In my experience with 2 different Time Capsules there has always been warnings. This will include the message that the Time Machine was unable to make a backup. Usually you can start over with a fresh backup to continue to use the device longer, but you will lose any previous files that were saved on there. This did not affect the WiFi connection.
The other issue seemed to be with the Power Supply, where the unit would completely shut off and you would lose the WiFi connection. In this case, I could unplug the device for a couple of minutes and plug it back in. The light on the front would go through the normal process of flashing yellow, then turn green again. After a month or two the light on front would go out again and I would lose WiFi again. During this time the unit did seem to be hot, so also tried clearing any cooling vents, but it did not seem to help.
I suppose it is also possible to fail without any warning as I have seen that with many other electronic devices, but for me with the Time Capsule, there were clear warnings.
A1470 is indeed a Time Capsule, but this model was either 2 TB or 3 TB. A 1 TB version was not offered.
The A1470 was introduced in June 2013 and discontinued in April 2018, so your Time Capsule is at least 6 years old and as much as 11 depending on when it was placed into service.
Personally, I consider a hard drive "suspect" at 7-8 years of age. I might continue to use the Time Capsule, but I would not trust it as my only backup plan. I would also be backing up to a regular USB drive or a NAS.
Another option....if you want to continue to back up wirelessly.....would be to add a new router from Synology or Asus. These routers have a USB port that supports Time Machine, so all you need to do is connect a USB drive to the port on the back of the router and set up Time Machine to backup that way.
When a hard drive fails.....it fails. Rarely is there any advance warning. It is a tough job to replace the hard drive inside the Time Capsule, even for a good technician, so that is not a good option for most users.
WPA2 Personal is the highest security setting on the Time Capsule. That is probably still OK for a simple home network. If you are more concerned about security, I would suggest a new router that offers WPA3 security settings. You can still use the Time Capsule for backups on the network as a wired hard drive.
On the plus side, the A1470 Time Capsule tends to run cooler than previous versions of the Time Capsule, so the power supply has been quite reliable over the years.
Which model of Time Capsule do you have?
Not sure? Look on the bottom of the device for the model number. It is usually embedded in the foam pad base. Starts with an "A" followed by 4 numbers.
Examples for 1 TB models......A1254, A1302, A1355
Sorry, it's a 2 TB. I relied on my memory which may be failing more quickly than the drive. Thanks to both of you for your time and effort.
I understand the risk of drive failure and loss of the backups, but have additional, separate backups, albeit not as up-to-date. One of those is an external drive that could become the target drive for Time Machine, I assume. It's really with the router function that I worry most about sudden failure.
This is largely because my knowledge of networking is very limited. A major appeal of hanging on to the Time Capsule is that it has been running near flawlessly and with little intervention for years. Your comment about security is food for thought.
A1470.
difficult to read (age), but seems to show up three times(?)
VIN,Airport Time Capsule 802.11AC
time capsule router function
