Hello,
I still have a Time Capsule and would like to replace it.
It is important to me that this external storage solution can be accessed via Wi-Fi.
I have done some research, but I wasn't very satisfied with the solutions I found. Do you have a product recommendation for me?
MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 26.1
Time Capsule will no longer work starting with macOS 27. It uses a deprecated format for networking (AFP), and while that format works with macOS 26 Tahoe, the format will no longer be supported by Apple starting with macOS 27. It has been over 7 years since the Time Capsule was last sold by Apple, and that means the product is now considered 'obsolete'.
The simplest method to continue using Apple’s Time Machine to back up your Mac(s) is to buy an external drive and connect it to the Mac(s) regularly to back them up (or leave the drive connected to a desktop Mac). External storage is relatively inexpensive, a 1 TB SSD or a 2-4 TB HDD can be purchased for <$100.
To back up your Macs over WiFi, the most straightforward way is to use a network attached storage (NAS) device – essentially a box for hard disks that connects to your network. Ideally, choose one that offers turnkey support for Time Machine out of the box, both Synology (setup instructions) and QNAP (setup instructions) do so.Technically, you can stand up a Time Machine server in other ways (including using a Mac as a TM server), but an NAS is arguably the most straightforward way to set up network Time Machine backups.
Personally, I use a Synology DS223j with a pair of 10 TB HDDs installed to back up 5 Macs in the house with Time Machine (separate shared folder for each Mac sized at ~2.5x the internal storage), with the remaining space used as general file storage for everyone in the house.
Time Capsule will no longer work starting with macOS 27. It uses a deprecated format for networking (AFP), and while that format works with macOS 26 Tahoe, the format will no longer be supported by Apple starting with macOS 27. It has been over 7 years since the Time Capsule was last sold by Apple, and that means the product is now considered 'obsolete'.
The simplest method to continue using Apple’s Time Machine to back up your Mac(s) is to buy an external drive and connect it to the Mac(s) regularly to back them up (or leave the drive connected to a desktop Mac). External storage is relatively inexpensive, a 1 TB SSD or a 2-4 TB HDD can be purchased for <$100.
To back up your Macs over WiFi, the most straightforward way is to use a network attached storage (NAS) device – essentially a box for hard disks that connects to your network. Ideally, choose one that offers turnkey support for Time Machine out of the box, both Synology (setup instructions) and QNAP (setup instructions) do so.Technically, you can stand up a Time Machine server in other ways (including using a Mac as a TM server), but an NAS is arguably the most straightforward way to set up network Time Machine backups.
Personally, I use a Synology DS223j with a pair of 10 TB HDDs installed to back up 5 Macs in the house with Time Machine (separate shared folder for each Mac sized at ~2.5x the internal storage), with the remaining space used as general file storage for everyone in the house.
Certainly an option. The Synology that I have is pretty quiet on my desk, but I wouldn’t want it in my bedroom.
Terra-Master makes a 4-bay SSD enclosure that is essentially silent. It supports Time Machine. But that’s going to be an expensive option.
https://help.terra-master.com/TOS/view/?lang/en-us/flag/Time_machine
There are posts by others here about setting up a Raspberry Pi and an external drive for wireless TM backups, you could do that with an SSD for a sleep-friendly, budget-friendlier option.
Thank you for your reply.
I'm about to just use an external hard drive and connect it regularly because the search is already annoying me.
I'm worried that a NAS will be too loud. I live in a studio flat. I appreciate that you can't hear the Time Capsule. But it's now full and support will end soon. Unfortunately, I've found another NAS for private use with SSDs.
Wi-Fi external storage to replace Time Capsule
