Can Timecapsule be used strictly as an external drive?

i believe so.. not 100% positive but i think.. Why wouldnt you use is as a wireless router as well?

Sure, but for just an external network drive it’s awfully expensive….

@monkey28rb they bought the timecapsule for home use where it functioned as both router and hard drive. at the office they’ve had the 2wire solution since they moved in. somehow i think that even if they get the time capsule config’ed as a network drive, time machine won’t recognize it – that was my experience before i bought the time capsule.

@cwilbur how should the time capsule be connected to the 2-wire? the USB on the time capsule is actually intended to a printer or another external HD – will time capsule allow itself to be detected as a USB device?

and yes, an epxpensive solution but they originally purchased it for use as a time capsule. now the are hoping to re-mission the device they don’t otherwise need.

ok, here’s the plan:

1) install time capsule software
2) attach time capsule to 2wire, ethernet output from 2wire to internet port of time capsule
3) configure time capsule using utility as an extension of the eixsting wireless network
4) mac will now connect to time capsule for network access rather than 2wire (that’s the theory anyways) and time capsule can be used as both router and backup hd
5) configure time machine as per normal process

anyone see any problems with the above? i mean i think it’s simple enough to just try and can do no harm because if the above fails i should be able to simply connect to the 2wire again.

@tejano_me: wireless network extension is not standard, so your step #3 is probably not going to be successful.

You can set up the Time Capsule as a network client, though, and that should do what you need.

It is 100% possible.

Yes, but I highly recommend not doing so, unless you’re using it strictly for backups. Something more redundant like a drobo or an opensolaris box (ZFS FTW!) would be more appropriate.