Home Theater Forum  ›  Forums  ›  Other Diversions  ›  Computers and HTPC  ›  Apple and Macintosh  ›  Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!
Forum Nav More Forums | All New Posts | New Thread

Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

#1
Rating: 0
3/19/08 at 5:50pm
  • Joined: March 2001
  • Location: Rochester, NY
  • Post Count: 6,324
Big News!!!

It's reported that the newest OS X updates (finally) enable Time Machine to work with a USB drive connected to an Airport Extreme Base Station! I'm installing the updates now and hope to try this out in short order. Fingers crossed.

Is your Airport Extreme suddenly Time Machine-happy? - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

Macworld | Editors' Notes | Loving the MacBook Air
Export to Wiki
#2
Rating: 0
3/19/08 at 6:30pm
  • Joined: March 2001
  • Location: Rochester, NY
  • Post Count: 6,324

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Mixed news.

Mixed results: I unplugged my TimeMachine USB Drive from MacBookPro and plugged into my AEBS. Time Machine recognizes the disk but doesn't recognize the existing backups! It wants to start anew!

I hope to find a way to not lose months of TimeMachine backups when moving the drive to the AEBS.
Export to Wiki
#3
Rating: 0
3/19/08 at 7:29pm
  • Joined: March 2001
  • Location: Rochester, NY
  • Post Count: 6,324

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

My own conversation with myself...


Well now I'm screwed.

I unplugged my drive from the AEBS -- since it didn't recognize the existing Time Machine data -- and reconnected directly to my computer. I can activate Time Machine, and fly through all data normally.

But when Time Machine goes to do a new backup, it thinks it has 90GB of data to backup. This bad because I don't have that much space on my drive, so it fails. And I only have 75 GB of data on my MBP's hard-drive, so I don't know where Time Machine is finding 90 GB!

So now this odd thing has completely hosed my Time Machine setup.

My advice for now: don't connect current Time Machine drives to the AEBS. It's asking for trouble.
Export to Wiki
#4
Rating: 0
3/20/08 at 1:32am
  • Joined: July 1997
  • Post Count: 20,213

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Dave,

I'll break the conversation with yourself.

I'm thinking of possibly buying a AEBS in the next 5 weeks.

Whether I do will depend how successfully you can get
it to work with Time Machine.

Also interested in how fast my laptop will back up wirelessly.
Ronald J Epstein
Home Theater Forum co-owner
Email me at: repstein@hometheaterforum.com 
To View My Massive DVD Collection Click Here
HTF Rules and Regulations
Export to Wiki
#5
Rating: 0
3/20/08 at 5:17am
  • Joined: August 2000
  • Location: New York
  • Post Count: 2,279

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Is there a firmware upgrade or something else you need to do to the base station itself, or do you just need instal the Software Update on your Mac?
Hold on tightly, let go lightly.
My Twitter page
Export to Wiki
#6
Rating: 0
3/20/08 at 7:32am
  • Joined: March 2001
  • Location: Rochester, NY
  • Post Count: 6,324

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Todorov
Is there a firmware upgrade or something else you need to do to the base station itself, or do you just need instal the Software Update on your Mac?
From the Airport Utility, you have to click the button noting the 7.3.1 firmware update to have that installed.

Then, another change. Under the Finder sidebar section where other network devices are seen (like my wife's Mac) was my AEBS. I had to connect to it. (Previously an airdisk just appeared as a regular drive).

After doing that, an Airdisk was recognized by Time Machine.
Export to Wiki
#7
Rating: 0
3/20/08 at 7:36am
  • Joined: March 2001
  • Location: Rochester, NY
  • Post Count: 6,324

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
I'm thinking of possibly buying a AEBS in the next 5 weeks.

Whether I do will depend how successfully you can get
it to work with Time Machine.

Also interested in how fast my laptop will back up wirelessly.
Ron, I just don't know. I'm eagerly watching conversations at TUAW, Apple.com, and MacRumors to see what develops. Currently, there's no way to transition an existing Time Machine drive from direct USB connection to an AEBS-connection and have Time Machine recognize the old backups. So for now, I've returned my disk to direct USB connection and am waiting to see what develops.

But if that's not a concern... MacWorld's first glance at TimeCapsule comments on performance (see article and comments). I'd expect the speed to be the same, since you're limited by wireless transfer (not hard drive speed).
Export to Wiki
#8
Rating: 0
3/20/08 at 8:57am
  • Joined: December 1998
  • Location: Winnipeg, MB, Canada
  • Post Count: 3,810

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

It figures they'd release the code for the AEBS as soon as I purchased a Time Capsule to replace it.
Export to Wiki
#9
Rating: 0
3/20/08 at 10:47am
  • Joined: March 2001
  • Location: Rochester, NY
  • Post Count: 6,324

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Pratt
It figures they'd release the code for the AEBS as soon as I purchased a Time Capsule to replace it.
We appreciate your sacrifice for the greater good.
Export to Wiki
#10
Rating: 0
3/20/08 at 2:26pm
  • Joined: December 1998
  • Location: Winnipeg, MB, Canada
  • Post Count: 3,810

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

No problem
Export to Wiki
#11
Rating: 0
3/20/08 at 4:44pm
  • Joined: November 2002
  • Post Count: 1,850

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveF
My own conversation with myself...


Well now I'm screwed.

I unplugged my drive from the AEBS -- since it didn't recognize the existing Time Machine data -- and reconnected directly to my computer. I can activate Time Machine, and fly through all data normally.

But when Time Machine goes to do a new backup, it thinks it has 90GB of data to backup. This bad because I don't have that much space on my drive, so it fails. And I only have 75 GB of data on my MBP's hard-drive, so I don't know where Time Machine is finding 90 GB!

So now this odd thing has completely hosed my Time Machine setup.

My advice for now: don't connect current Time Machine drives to the AEBS. It's asking for trouble.

That'll teach you not to backup your backup....

Martin Luther observed that the human race is like a drunkard who falls off his horse on the left and makes up for it by falling off the next time on the right.

Export to Wiki
#12
Rating: 0
3/21/08 at 2:15pm
  • Joined: September 1999
  • Location: Suva, Fiji
  • Post Count: 2,165

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Time machine can be funky.

In any case, I have just ordered a 750GB WD drive ($140 shipped) for my external, which will displace the remaining 250GB which I will move back into the tower adding to the 500GB, equalling 750GB each.

Q. Can I extend the internal drive on the fly, or do I have to backup to 750GB external, reformat the 2 internals to share as 1, and then copy back?

Have also ordered additional 1GB RAM for the iMac for $21 shipped.
Yumbiosis - all things Yumbo
Export to Wiki
#13
Rating: 0
3/21/08 at 6:56pm
  • Joined: March 2001
  • Location: Rochester, NY
  • Post Count: 6,324

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Chris,
I'm not quite sure what you're asking about making reformatting two internals to share as one. But, you can move the Time Machine backup from the 250 GB drive to the new 750 GB drive, then tell Time Machine to use the 750 GB drive. It will recognize the current backups and continue as if nothing happened.

You want to use SuperDuper! to do the data move. You can't do a regular file copy with Finder.

I did essentially this to repartition my wife's Time Machine drive and preserve the existing backups.
Export to Wiki
#14
Rating: 0
3/21/08 at 8:59pm
  • Joined: September 1999
  • Location: Suva, Fiji
  • Post Count: 2,165

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Hi,

I'm not running Time Machine as it kept failing when used on a shared drive pair. I don't mind backing up all over, just having to re-install the OS.

I'm going to move the 250Gb from the external now, just to save on power.
Yumbiosis - all things Yumbo
Export to Wiki
#15
Rating: 0
3/22/08 at 1:44am
  • Joined: July 1997
  • Post Count: 20,213

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Dave,

Since I am considering picking up an AEBS, can you clarify
the problem you are having?

Is there a software problem preventing your computer from
communicating and backing up information to the AEBS using
Time Machine?

- or -

Are you trying to take an existing Time Machine backup that
you had prior to AEBS and transfer it to AEBS?

All I am looking to do is negotiate a new AEBS connection and
a fresh Time Machine backup over a wireless network.
Ronald J Epstein
Home Theater Forum co-owner
Email me at: repstein@hometheaterforum.com 
To View My Massive DVD Collection Click Here
HTF Rules and Regulations
Export to Wiki
#16
Rating: 0
3/22/08 at 5:03am
  • Joined: March 2001
  • Location: Rochester, NY
  • Post Count: 6,324

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Ron,

The problem is #2. Time Machine appears to work. But transfering an existing backup disk to work from the AEBS has issues.

So the normal Airport Extreme Base Station is working with Time Machine backups. However, this is still new, there are still scattered questions, and people who've called AppleCare say this is officially unsupported by Apple. I bet this will all shake out in short order.

But if you're buying a new AEBS and a new external hard drive, I suggest instead buying a TimeCapsule. Simply, you like effective, proven solutions and are willing to pay a bit more to get the "it just works" product. That's Time Capsule.

Normal AEBS + External drive looks like it works right, but it's still brand new and people are just getting it going.
Export to Wiki
#17
Rating: 0
3/22/08 at 8:54am
  • Joined: July 1997
  • Post Count: 20,213

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Actually, I screwed up.

If its the integrated wireless base station/router and hard drive
then it is Time Capsule I wanted all along. I was just mistakingly
calling it AEBS.

I already have the Apple Router base station. And now that I
think about it, I already have the capability to back up to it
wirelessly if I have a HD connected through the USB. So, I
probably don't even need Time Capsule.
Ronald J Epstein
Home Theater Forum co-owner
Email me at: repstein@hometheaterforum.com 
To View My Massive DVD Collection Click Here
HTF Rules and Regulations
Export to Wiki
#18
Rating: 0
3/22/08 at 10:28am
  • Joined: March 2001
  • Location: Rochester, NY
  • Post Count: 6,324

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
Actually, I screwed up.

If its the integrated wireless base station/router and hard drive
then it is Time Capsule I wanted all along. I was just mistakingly
calling it AEBS.

I already have the Apple Router base station. And now that I
think about it, I already have the capability to back up to it
wirelessly if I have a HD connected through the USB. So, I
probably don't even need Time Capsule.
Yeah, I thought you had the base station already. Run the software updates on your computer, plug in a USB harddrive to your current base station, and try it out
Export to Wiki
#19
Rating: 0
4/7/08 at 7:53pm
  • Joined: August 2005
  • Post Count: 972

Re: Big News: Software Updates reported to wed Airdisk & Time Machine!

Quote:
I bet this will all shake out in short order.

Not likely.
Export to Wiki
Forum Nav More Forums | All New Posts | New Thread