My time capsule died, so I went over to Best Buy to get a new router and storage disk to do time machine backups. I was told that an SSD could be plugged into my router to do wireless backups from my MacBook. I can't get it to work. Looked online, and it does not list SSDs as an option for doing time machine backups.
MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
Thanks for the reply. When I plug directly into my MacBook, the disk shows up, and time machine says that it can back up to it. What I was after, however, was the convenience I had with my time capsule that would back up automatically over wifi so that I didn’t have to bother with it.
Thanks for the reply. When I plug directly into my MacBook, the disk shows up, and time machine says that it can back up to it. What I was after, however, was the convenience I had with my time capsule that would back up automatically over wifi so that I didn’t have to bother with it.
Yeah, I could just plug it in each day. But I got spoiled over the years with my time capsule doing automatic backups wirelessly, so I’m trying to recreate what I had before. I asked at the Apple Store, and they said that it could be done with the right kind of drive plugged into my router.
You don't have to unplug it. In fact, it's best you not so it can backup on schedule.
Automatic backups is not a function of the external device, it's a function of Time Machine or whatever backup app you are using.
Of course it'll work on your router if you have no interest in reasonable backup completion times.
winnetkadave wrote:
My time capsule died, so I went over to Best Buy to get a new router and storage disk to do time machine backups. I was told that an SSD could be plugged into my router to do wireless backups from my MacBook. I can't get it to work. Looked online, and it does not list SSDs as an option for doing time machine backups.
Try plugging in the external drive directly to the Mac and compare your results
Back up your Mac Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support
all new drives need to be formatted..
Erase and reformat a storage device in Disk Utility on Mac
Erase and reformat a storage device in Disk Utility on Mac - Apple Support
I was told that an SSD could be plugged into my router to do wireless backups from my MacBook.
Never trust Best Buy. That configuration is not supported by Time Machine: Backup disks you can use with Time Machine - Apple Support
Now, if your router runs Samba 4.8 or later (doubt it), it should appear just like a NAS which is supported.
I don't know if any other SMB implementation supports the Time Machine over SMB specification.
If you have another Mac to host the drive, that will work.
Backup over WiFi is fine. I've been doing it for nearly a decade. If you're changing hundreds of gigabytes an hour, you might run into a problem with the speed.
Why over wi-fi? That's going to limit max speed to whatever your network runs at and that's likely less than what the SSD is capable of. Just attach the SSD directly to the Mac.
SSDs work just fine for backing up.
As far as Time Machine backups go - as long as the Mac can see the disk and it's got enough space then it doesn't matter what sort of drive it is. I agree with you regarding the convenience of the disk just being
there on your network and not having to plug it in to the Mac.
Check the router documentation. Mine has usb for connecting disks but it only supports FAT16 or FAT32 and I think there's a size limitation too. If you were sold both together and told they could be used in this manner then one would hope they'd work, but if they don't you'd have a case for getting your money back.
Also - check that you're connecting to right USB port on the router. Some routers have USB ports for wireless dongles as a backup for if the landline fails. Similarly, some slots are for printers only (like the USB port on the Apple Airport Expresses).
SSD for time machine backups over wifi?
