Early last week Apple released AirPort utilities and firmware for its wireless devices that support the 802.11n specification. Apart from general fixes AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule have learned to provide remote access to disks using your iCloud account. Today I'll show you how to set up this feature, since some readers have not been able to do it.

Initial data

For experiments and writing instructions, I got a “thoroughbred American” - a brand new fifth-generation AirPort Extreme wireless access point (model MD031LL / A), which supports 802.11 a / b / g / n specifications, simultaneous operation of two Wi-Fi frequency bands (2, 4GHz and 5GHz), multiple protocols and encryption algorithm.

In addition, you must have a Mac computer with Internet access, an updated AirPort 6.0 Utility, and, on the wireless gadget itself, latest version firmware (7.6.1).

The external drive is connected to the AirPort Extreme's USB port.

Setting

Setup begins by opening AirPort Utility, located in the Applications > Utilities directory. Since the AirPort Extreme I tested was brand new, I installed an update on it. software- Fortunately, it is very simple to do this, with just a few clicks.

Once the firmware is installed and the Apple Hotspot is connected to the Internet (two green lights will indicate this), you will need to select the AirPort Extreme in the Utility and click on the "Change" button to view additional settings.

On the first tab "Base. station." (I would tear my hands off for such localization) click on the add button (1). Next, in the window that appears, enter the login and password for your iCloud account (2), click on the "Login" button and wait until the status indicator turns green - this means that you have accepted your Apple ID and are ready for further configuration.

Now go to the last tab "Disks", set the checkbox "Allow file sharing" and assign the type of protection for shared drives. Three options are available to you, you can choose any of them, but I settled on the default option - “With device password”.

Once you've done that, click the "Update" button. And while the AirPort Express settings are applied, let's move on to setting up your Mac computer: in System settings> iCloud check the box next to "Access my Mac". It will take no more than a minute to activate the component.

Almost everything is ready, but now how to access the disk? To do this, just open the window, select our device in the "Sharing" category in the sidebar, after which it will be mounted to the system to any other share.

Now that's all for sure! You will be able to access files stored in your home from your work or any other Mac computer associated with your account. However, it is worth remembering that the connection speed depends entirely on your Internet connection. Naturally, the instruction is also suitable for the Time Capsule.

By the way, I almost forgot to thank you for the AirPort Extreme provided for experiments.

Apple sometimes makes very strange devices that allow users to use them not only for their intended purpose, but also to their heart's content. Especially when there is such a powerful community in which there are many inventors. For example, the Apple TV set-top box, it would seem, well, what can be done with it, after all, it can do a lot anyway! But no, there were enthusiasts who turned the device into a kind of video recorder that supports many common video formats. There were kind people who revealed to the world the secret of replacing a hard drive without much harm. And, of course, this is not all that enthusiasts have done with this accessory. Today I want to tell you about one more thing. similar device called Apple Time Capsule. The name is closely related to one of the functions of Mac OS, Time Machine, - backing up system data for later recovery both on your own and on a new laptop computer.

Appearance

The device comes in a small box, opening it, we find the actual Time Capsule, power cable, disks with software for Mac OS and Windows. Since to Russia this accessory while it is not officially delivered due to problems with the certification of the IEEE 802.11n standard (as far as I understand, it is precisely because of this), the power cable needs an adapter for our sockets. You can connect the Time Capsule without fear of burning it, it supports voltage from 140 to 240 V. The device itself is a relatively small box, branded milky white plastic, a light indicator on the front panel and not a single button. Unless there is a hole with a hidden Reset button, it is located at the back, and at first I thought with a grin that I would not have to use it. As it turned out, he was mistaken. On the back are ports in bulk:

• One Gigabit Ethernet WAN port for connecting an ADSL or cable modem
• Three Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports for connecting computers or network devices
• USB port for connecting a USB printer or external USB hard drive

The dimensions of the device are 197x197x36.6 mm, the Time Capsule weighs from one and a half kilograms, depending on the modification. At the moment, devices with a hard disk capacity of one or two terabytes are relevant, just the last option was tested. In an article about the company's recent announcement, I pointed out one fact that was not particularly pleasant for me personally - the "capsules" were also updated and became more productive. It so happened that I bought the copy I took for the test a few hours later, because it was necessary to update it “on time” in such a way. On the other hand, it's still a good thing.

Two words about the hard drive: as written on the Apple website, a server-level Serial ATA, 7200 rpm hard drive is used.

Setting

Perhaps I'll talk about how I set up the Time Capsule for my own use, below we'll talk a little about other features. So, the reason for changing the access point for me personally is simple. I've been using the Zyxel P-330 for two years now. Or rather, not even used, but rather fought. There are a lot of devices with Wi-Fi in the family, and when I sat down to drive the PS3 in the evening, the set-top box just gave a connection error. Of course, if the network still has a wife's laptop, my laptop, iPhone, plus some device that has remained forgotten. But connected. What did Zyxel do? Required a reboot. And so every day. I believe that with one or two devices this thing can work just fine. But as soon as something else appeared, the 330th, waving his pen, politely sent this very “something” to distant lands. Thoughts about replacing arose for a very long time, but did not reach his hands. And when I took the Time Capsule for a test, I didn’t think about buying it - it’s a painfully expensive router, whatever you say and whatever arguments you come up with. Even despite the hard drive is very large, even despite all the other "goodies". I thought like this: I'll test it, if I like it, I'll look at AirPort Express. Well, or on a regular AirPort.

It all turned out wrong. First, I inserted an Ethernet cable into the device, into the WAN port. For many years now I have been using Akado, it is a pity that it will not reach my house in any way digital television. But the internet is fine. I had all the settings written down, so all that remained was to install a small program from the disk from the kit, it's called "AirPort Utility". It is interesting that the installation language and the program did not even have to be chosen, everything was in Russian at once. Yes, for setup I used MBP 17 with installed system snow leopard. So, all the pieces of the puzzle are put together, the Time Capsule indicator blinks yellow, the program detects this device and offers to configure it. Okay, let's do it! The process is not difficult, if you have ever configured an access point through the web interface, then there will be no problems here either. But not in my case. The problem appeared after the completion of the settings. All this time, the indicator on the device blinked yellow regularly, demonstrating the recording of the settings. But at the final stage, when the Time Capsule was supposed to reboot, nothing happened. Moreover, it was not detected by any computer. I had to take the pen and use the reset button. Hm, didn't help. After reading the manual, I interesting fact: if simply pressing and holding the button for a few seconds does not help, unplug the cable from the outlet, press and hold the Reset button, and plug the Time Capsule back into the network. This method helped. I entered the settings again, very carefully, and again the same problem. At the final stage, the device did not reboot.

I will not torment you, I spent an hour to find out the reason, and it turned out to be banal. I set up the Time Capsule using the so-called "quick" setting, when I had to select the setting manually. When I entered all the data in this window, the Time Capsule rebooted properly and began distributing the Internet to the entire neighborhood.

In no way do I want to blame the creators of the Time Capsule software, since for some reason the problem that arose was typical only for me, no one on the forums encountered this.

What can be done in the settings? You can set up AirPort, everything is traditional here. In the "Wireless" section, you can select the radio mode, this is 802.11 a / n - 802.11 b / g or 802.11 a - 802.11 b / g. The "Guest network" section is designed to create a kind of special world for visitors to your home or office - they will be able to connect to the network, but they will not "see" the private network and the Time Capsule. And, accordingly, they will not receive access to its disk. The Internet settings are standard, and here it was necessary to drive in the provider's data. Some official information:

• Time Capsule Certified for Wi-Fi Draft 802.11n Specification Version 2.0 (Firmware Version 7.3.1)
• Interoperability with Macs, Windows PCs, and more WiFi devices certified for Wi-Fi 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and draft 802.11n specification version 2.0.
• NAT, DHCP, PPPoE, VPN passthrough (IPSec, PPTP and L2TP), DNS Proxy, SNMP, IPv6 (6-to-4 tunnels and manual setting tunnels).

There are also separate sections for configuring printers, disks (connected via USB), in the Advanced section you can view statistics, set up port forwarding, specify your MobileMe data for the “Access to my Mac computer", configure IPv6.

So, after all the settings in the Finder, another device appears, the Time Capsule. On the expanses of the hard disk, you can save a lot of necessary and useful files and contact them at any time. For example, the first thing I decided to do was store a mighty bunch of various videos- watched series, good, but already watched a hundred times films, concert recordings and so on. Simply put, something that is a pity to delete, but you don’t want it to take up space on the laptop’s disk. To begin with, I chose four films, standard "avis", the average size is 1.5 GB. A VIDEO folder was created in the Time Capsule and the files were fed to the "capsule". Well, the speed is not bad, four videos in twenty minutes is not bad.

Separately, it must be said about the Internet, about stable and smooth work with all home devices. For me, this is a kind of psychological “breakthrough” when you have breakfast in the morning, turn on Wi-Fi on your phone and don’t know whether it will connect to the network or not ... Sometimes it makes me very angry. With the Time Capsule, this is not the case, she has been at home for a couple of weeks, during which time there has not been a single reboot or connection problems. The range of work suits me personally, in a three-room apartment the signal is sure everywhere, both on the loggia and in the kitchen.

time machine

In theory, the main purpose of the Time Capsule is hard use disk for Reserve copy. Everything is simple here: select Time Machine, enable this function, specify the hard drive - respectively, Time Capsule. After that, backup occurs automatically. This process does not greatly affect the speed of networking, but it can take a lot of time. And, frankly, it’s a pity for the space on such a good network drive, I think if I “move” to another laptop, I’ll connect external hard drive over USB and get a copy much faster. True, in my case, when using the Time Capsule, the process is very slow.

What else?

Well, now let's talk about what you can do with the Time Capsule. The scheme of working with the device that I have described is very simple, in fact, for me it is just an access point and a network drive for storing and playing various files. Yes, yes, right from the Time Capsule it’s great to watch videos, without problems, without delays or “brakes”. But if you have other views on the Time Capsule and want more, then you need to go here, to the Ru_mac community. We are looking for a tag and find a real treasure trove of knowledge. For example:

Hello! There was such a problem: There is a netbook with Windows 7. The Internet through the Capsule works with a bang, but the capsular screw refuses to see ... There is also no capsule in the network environment, although the Workgroup group is everywhere. If you connect a network drive in Windows, it thinks for a very long time, then it falls off like check network address... With a Macbook with a capsular screw, it works fine, and Windows 7 sees the shared folders of the Macbook normally, but it simply refuses to see the capsule ... Maybe someone encountered such a problem? or maybe if there are any suggestions what can be done, except how to throw out the netbook with Windows 7 "

The solution turned out to be simple: “The whole point is that in Windows 7, by default in the settings public access you should only work with devices that support 128-bit encryption... if you disable this garbage, then everything works with a bang.

I will not occupy your attention, if you are interested in Time Capsule and non-standard scenarios for its use, then follow the link in the Ru_mac community. There are topics about connecting to the Time Capsule additional devices, and about using it with different providers, and about backup features, and a lot general information. Including comparison with competitors, advice on buying, repairing.

conclusions

I can do without any “buts”, this device is in order, if you take it in the USA, you need to cook about five hundred dollars. In Russia, this figure turns into twenty thousand rubles or even more. The Time Capsule, like some other Apple gadgets, is not covered by a worldwide warranty, in case of a breakdown you will have to look for an enthusiast who is ready to help with the repair. So it is expensive and for Russia is not yet very relevant. Moreover, for less money you can buy another router.

For myself, I made the choice for a simple reason: for a MacOS user, working with a network drive is a real pleasure, plus I like the Time Capsule as an access point. It works almost silently, however, it heats up during data transfer. Therefore, the "capsule" took root and found its place at home, I do not want to scour now in search of a substitute. Perhaps later I will connect a printer to it and one of the external hard drives, let's see. In any case, Apple turned out to be a rather curious piece, albeit an expensive one.

In the life of every Apple fan, there comes a moment when he "grows" into the ecosystem and the home fleet of devices expands so much that the question arises of buying the "right" router to deploy the "right" home network. Network selection Apple hardware incomparably simpler than that of other manufacturers, but there are also some nuances here, since Cupertino produces three similar devices, each of which meets the needs of different categories of users. In this article, I want to tell you about the advantages of Apple routers, their differences from each other, and how to choose the right router based on your needs.

AirPort Express

The youngest model of the family of routers with a fairly affordable price tag (3990 rubles). The diminutive AirPort Express is almost the same size as the Apple TV, but encased in milky white plastic rather than black. The dimensions of the device are less than 10 cm wide and just over 2 cm high. However, in this little one lies high performance.

With AirPort Express, you can deploy an 802.11n home network that also supports a, b, and g devices. With the ability to operate simultaneously in two bands (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), both old and new devices will operate at the maximum supported speed.

On the back of the little AirPort Express are two 100-Mbps Ethernet ports, one of which is used for incoming connection (WAN) from a cable or ADSL modem, and the second can be connected to desktop computer or any other device without Wi-Fi. Also here we have one USB port for connecting a printer, which will be available to all devices on your network, and a combo 3.5 mm audio jack for connecting to the receiver via an analog or optical cable (yes, AirPort Express can be used as an AirPlay receiver ).

Plus, with AirPort Express, you can expand your wireless network by boosting signal strength in areas where reception is weak, like individual rooms or even an entire floor. It's very easy to set up your AirPort Express in bridge or repeater mode for this purpose using the built-in AirPort utility.

AirPort Extreme

A router that's a step up from the AirPort Express. Its cost is twice as high as the younger model (8290 rubles), but for this money you get a lot more features.

The AirPort Extreme is significantly taller than the AirPort Express (almost 17 cm), but the base size is the same for both models. Compared to previous generations of AirPort Extreme, the current model is much more compact and sleeker due to its height.

By the way, the case is made so high not only for aesthetic reasons, but also in order to place a powerful six-element antenna in it, which provides reliable coverage corresponding to the transmission speeds of the 802.11ac standard. Its transmission speed is three times faster than the previous revision of 802.11n, but it is fully compatible with all earlier revisions.

Keep in mind that this does not mean a threefold increase in Internet speed at all (the bottleneck will most likely be your cable or ADSL modem) - the speed increase will be noticeable only within your local network, when transferring from device to device and provided that they have 802.11ac support.

What devices are we talking about? Apple began rolling out 802.11ac support to all Macs starting with Macbook Air introduced in June 2013. If your Mac has haswell processor- it also supports 802.11ac. This also includes Mac Pro, introduced in December last year and all the new poppies that have appeared and will appear this year. iOS devices, unfortunately, still work on the outdated 802.11n, but it's a matter of time ;)

The difference between the AirPort Extreme and the younger model is not limited to speed alone. With a special antenna design, it can form a directional beam to ensure a more reliable connection with 802.11ac devices. The router determines which of them use the latest standard and sends a signal in their direction, as a result of which, with devices that support the 802.11ac standard, a more reliable and clear connection is established at high speeds.

Not only can you connect a printer via USB to AirPort Extreme, but you can also connect a hard drive, which will be available to all devices on your home network. This, of course, will not replace your file server or NAS, however, for organizing file sharing, the functionality of the AirPort Extreme is more than enough.

On the rear panel, the AirPort Extreme has not two, but four Ethernet ports. One of them is used for WAN connection, you can connect any devices without Wi-Fi or a wired router to the other three. In addition, unlike the younger model, all Ethernet ports in AirPort Extreme are gigabit, that is, they support speeds 10 times faster than in AirPort Express.

Time Capsule

The Time Capsule is absolutely identical to the AirPort Extreme: from its appearance and dimensions, to the iron filling and functionality. You'll get an 802.11ac router with a six-element antenna, Gigabit Ethernet ports, and USB for connecting a printer or hard drive.

However, the Time Capsule is different in that it has a built-in hard drive. The device is available in two configurations: with hard drive for 2 terabytes (12290 rubles) or 3 terabytes (16290 rubles). Both versions are available to any Mac on your network for backup via Time Machine.

As you probably know, Time Machine is a convenient backup utility that Apple has included with OS X since version 10.5 Leopard. It allows you to automatically create backups of your disk, which capture the current state of the system, including all your content, over a long period of time (depending on the amount of available disk space). Thus, if you need to restore some file deleted, say May 1st, just open Time Machine and “rewind” to that date.

Who should use AirPort Express?

AirPort Express will suit your needs if:

• you have a small house or apartment;
• you are using Macs 2012 and older;
• your ecosystem consists of only iOS devices;
• you want to use your receiver with AirPlay;
• you need to increase the signal strength of your existing home network in areas with poor reception;

The power and functionality of AirPort Express for all of the above cases is more than enough. The lack of support for 802.11ac and gigabit Ethernet ports can be critical for people looking for maximum performance and speed, but AirPort Extreme is there for them.

Who is the AirPort Extreme for?

The more powerful AirPort Extreme is a great choice for you if:

• you are building your network from scratch and want to foresee a certain "reserve for the future";
• you have a separate country house and several Apple devices for each family member;
• you are the owner modern devices with support for wireless standard 802.11ac (no matter Mac or PC);

Who is the Time Capsule suitable for?

The only, but very significant advantage of the Time Capsule over other Apple routers is the ability to use it as a network drive for creating backups.

If you are still not using backup on your Mac, I urge you to start doing so, especially since buying a Time Capsule would be a great excuse. This is an incredibly handy feature that you only need to set up once and just forget about it. Believe me, when something happens - she will help you out a lot.

Conclusion

The range of Apple network devices is wide and varied enough to fully meet the needs of various categories of users. AirPort Express - for modest networking needs, expansion existing network or listening to music via AirPlay. AirPort Extreme - for uncompromising power and performance. Time Capsule - for automatic backup without any hassle. Regardless of your choice, any of them will become the link between your entire ecosystem and ensure the reliable operation of the network.

This device is a mini-station and can help you with the following tasks:

• when setting up a new Internet connection prepared for devices and their communication with each other;
• increase your Internet network: you can add any gadgets while browsing the Internet;
• using gadgets connected to this unit, exchange any files.

In this article, we will talk about the apple airport time capsule 2tb and set it up.

Step 1 We take out the broadband wire, which is used to access the Internet from your previous router, and insert it into the WAN port of our unit. We turn on the device itself in the power supply. In the "Programs" on your computer, look for "Utilities" and click on the proprietary Airport utility.

Step 2 In the window in the upper left corner of the screen, select the name of your device, then click the "Continue" button, then select the "Create a new wireless network" section and click "Continue" again. After that, your unit must reboot for all the manipulations you have chosen to take effect.

Step 3 Now, you need to restart Airport in the window (left upper corner screen) select the name of your implement, click on it and select the "Configure manually" tab. Depending on what type of connection you have (PPPoE or VNP - this data is provided in the service agreement with your Internet provider), choose:

• if you have a PPPoE connection: "Connect via PPPoE" and enter the login and password from the agreement with the provider;
• if you have a VNP connection: open the "wireless network" - there you assign the name and password of the network and click "Update".

Step 4 Now establish access to your wireless station. In the same utility, select the Time capsule tab and enter the station name and password. Click the "Update" button and all settings will take effect.

Step 5 Through the Time mashine program, which is provided on all devices with the Mac operating system, our installed device is automatically detected when it starts. Through this program, you can work with the unit when solving any problems.

Airport time capsule 3 TB and its configuration is no different from the steps described above. Any model of these devices can be attributed to this rule.

As you can see, creating another connection to the apple airport time capsule 3tb and setting it up takes quite a bit of time, but the features that will be available after completing all the steps described above will definitely please any user.

It is wonderful if only because it has a built-in power supply, as well as a very decent and, moreover, a long cord in the kit. True, this is all that the creators put in the box with the device, not counting the paper instructions and the warranty card. There is no patch cord, since, apparently, it is implied that the user will definitely have a MacBook or, at worst, an iPhone / iPad. And there and there there is a special utility for configuring the router.

The body is a massive piece glossy white plastic in the form of a parallelepiped. In the top view, it is a square with rounded edges. There is an apple logo on the case. Even two - on the top cover and below. And from below it is also covered with a protective film. The bottom is black, but it is imperceptible, as it only slightly protrudes downwards. Thus, the case is slightly raised above the surface, which provides air access to a few ventilation holes on the bottom.

It is curious that the device has active cooling, however, in fact, the built-in one turned out to be the noisiest element. HDD, but it can be seen only during the "promotion". However, there is one unpleasant moment here. There is no way to “soft” turn off the router, and in the settings you can only forcibly disable active users of the file server, but it’s not very clear whether this stops the disk. It is clear that it is unlikely that anyone would think of just pulling out the power cable, but frequent power outages, in theory, can pretty much undermine the health of the drive.

On the rear panel, from the bottom up, the following connectors are very freely located: a power socket, a WAN port, a USB 2.0 connector, and three more LAN ports. All network ports are gigabit. Next to the power socket is hidden tiny button for forced reset. On the front panel there is the same tiny router status indicator. If it lights up green, then everything is in order. If there is any problem with the device itself or in its settings, then it lights up in orange. The indication is very unobtrusive and simple.

The "capsule" has dimensions of 98 × 98 × 168 mm and weighs as much as 1.5 kg, which played its evil trick. In theory, when unpacking, it is enough to grab the top cover of the package and pull it up, and the bottom stand with the router will slide out nicely and slowly at that time. The main thing is not to succeed like this! Otherwise, there are no complaints about either the appearance of the package or the design of the router itself - everything is fine. Beauty, of course, is a terrible force, but it is not enough alone, so let's see what Apple AirPort Time Capsule can do.

Apple AirPort Time Capsule Router A1470 (RU)
Standards	IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz)
Chipset/controller	Broadcom BCM53019A1 (ARM Cortex-A9 1GHz x 2) + BCM4360 x 2
Memory	RAM 512 MB/ROM 32 MB; HDD storage 2 or 3 TB
Antennas	6 x internal; 3 x 3:3 for 2.4 GHz, 3 x 3:3 for 5 GHz
Encryption	64/128-bit WEP/WPA/WPA2 (Enterprise), 802.1x, WPS; guest network
Max speed	802.11ac: up to 600 Mbps, 802.11n: up to 216 Mbps, 802.11g: up to 54 Mbps
Interfaces	4 x 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet, 1 x USB 2.0
Indicators	State
Hardware buttons	Reset
Dimensions (WxDxH)	98x98x168mm
Weight	1480
Nutrition	AC 100-240V, 50-60Hz, 1.5A
Price	12,300 rubles (2 TB) 16,300 rubles (3 TB)
Opportunities
Internet access	Static IP, DHCP, PPPoE
Services	AFP/SMB file server; Print server; IPv6 (DHCP, Static, 6to4); time machine; IGMP snooping; DDNS
Port forwarding	Virtual Server, NAT-PMP, DMZ
Forward VPN	PPTP, L2TP, IPSec

It should be noted right away that the "capsule" is not familiar with the realities of the Russian Internet provider and is not very friendly to Windows users. All configuration is carried out not through the web interface, but using special utility AirPort Utility, the Windows version of which has not been updated for more than two years. There is no Russian localization, as well as fairly complete reference materials. Apparently, it is implied that everything should work “out of the box” and that developers know better what the user needs. The approach is understandable, but, alas, in our case, slightly flawed. The advantage of the utility is the function of diagnosing some “malfunctions” and showing possible ways to fix them, however, the set of situations that Airport Utility is familiar with is very limited, and the easiest way to solve the problem, if it is insignificant, is to ignore it, that is, simply turn off notifications about its presence. Including with the help of the indicator on the body of the device, the color of which will change from “alarming” orange to “soothing” green.

The first time you connect, the AirPort Time Capsule Setup Wizard starts. At the end of the work, he will once again check if there are any problems, and offer to fix them, if any. Further, several sections of the router settings are available - we will go through them. First of all, the user has access to brief information about the state of the device. On the next tab, the network name of the router is configured, the password for accessing its settings, and synchronization with the NTP server is also enabled. There is DDNS support, but there is no list of supported services. V wifi settings available to select the operating mode (a / b / g / n), channel, type of encryption (no / WPA / WPA2 / WPA2 Enterprise), region. Separately, the 5 GHz access point and the use of "wide" channels are turned on, and the signal strength is also regulated. MAC address access control is supported using a RADIUS server or a manually set schedule. The last option suggested in this section is to create a guest network that can be made public and isolated.

Apple AirPort can connect to the Internet either directly or via PPPoE. There is no L2TP/PPTP support here. Also, the router can work simply in access point mode or be used to expand the coverage of an existing WiFi networks. For the local network, you can select one of three address ranges: 10.0.XX.XX, 172.16.XX.XX and 192.168.XX.XX. Binding of an IP address to a MAC address or client ID is available, as well as some kind of DMZ for one machine. Automatic port forwarding is available through NAT-PMP, but you can also manually forward TCP / UDP for a specific machine. There is also support for IPv6 connections, including 6to4 tunnels, and a firewall for them. By default, all incoming connections of this type are blocked, but you can separately enable Teredo and IPSec support. However, for a number of subsystems it is possible to enable remote access (via Bonjour).

Printers and drives with FAT16/32 or HFS+ volumes can be connected to the USB port, but our standard Epson SX125 test printer was not recognized. Data from the internal storage can be transferred to external drive or simply wipe, including in a safe way. Network access is via AFP/SMB. A utility for Windows allows you to automatically mount network drives. It is possible to give access to the drive to guest clients, as well as create your own list of accounts, where you can specify read and write permissions. By default, full access is given by password from the device itself or by a predefined password to drives. If there is no activity, the disk "falls asleep". Of course, the most useful option for Mac OS X owners is Time Machine support. However, this is where the description of the main features of the Apple AirPort Time Capsule A1470 ends.

Of the additional functions available: creation backup settings with the ability to protect it with a password, restore factory settings, send logs to remote server and their local view, automatic check software and firmware updates. There is also a mysterious wizard for adding new wireless clients / guests via WPS with the ability to limit the connection period to one day. Moreover, the Windows utility refers to any clients, while the Mac version focuses on printers. The differences between utilities do not end there. For example, in the Mac OS X program, you can enable IGMP Snooping, but you cannot adjust Wi-Fi power or enable "wide" channels. But on Mac OS X, you can set up the remote access function through the “Access My Mac” function, although AirPort is not required for it to work. Overall, surprisingly, the Windows version has more settings available. A utility for iOS devices is also available.

Total: according to the set of functions, we have a router entry level! And not modern, but something like five years ago, if you forget about IPv6 for a while, which is still not very relevant. It is all the more surprising that such a scanty firmware works on a very decent hardware. According to the data on the Web, the device uses Broadcom BCM53019A1 SoC: two Cortex-A9 cores with a frequency of 1 GHz, an integrated USB 2.0 controller and a gigabit Ethernet switch. Random access memory as much as half a gigabyte, and a constant - 32 MB. Inside the device, iFixit found a Seagate ST2000DM001 hard drive. By the way, at the same time you can see how everything is arranged inside. The speed of access to a disk over a wired network is not very high by modern standards - reading and writing at the level of 27 MB / s. When accessed via 5 GHz Wi-Fi, the speed drops by about half, and after 2.4 GHz it drops by almost three times.

The local radio modules - a pair of Broadcom BCM4360 - are again familiar to us for a long time. However, there is a small nuance here. Apple observes the legislation of the Russian Federation, and therefore we are not supposed to have any "wide" channels and beamforming technology. For a regular AirPort Extreme without an internal HDD, the same rules apply. Devices intended for other regions may not have these restrictions, although they are still made at the software level. In fact, on three streams at 5 GHz, we get a maximum “net” channel speed of 600 Mbps, and at 2.4 GHz - 216 Mbps. Keep in mind that smartphones and laptops are now only able to work with one or two threads. However, even in this configuration, there are no special claims to the real data transfer rate. But the 5 GHz access point stubbornly did not want to turn on while the main home AP was working in the same range. What was it, Holmes? Yes, the auto-selection of the channel of both networks coincided, but what about like this? In addition, there are many directly opposite reviews on the Web about the quality of coverage. wireless network- Some people are fine, some are not.

Apple AirPort Time Capsule Router (A1470)
Medium wifi speed 802.11ac (5 GHz), Mbps
streams	1	2	4	8	16	32	64
A→R	239	293	297	314	359	336	325
R→A	260	370	399	463	464	469	462
R ↔ A	340	384	388	399	394	362	349
Average speed Wi-Fi 802.11n (2.4 GHz), Mbps
A→R	119	135	140	137	138	137	131
R→A	112	135	143	139	138	140	132
R ↔ A	138	139	140	143	140	134	126

So, what about Internet connections? Everything is predictably good. Direct connection gave out around 900 Mbps, and through PPPoE - up to 300 Mbps. During operation, despite good system cooling, the device still heated up very noticeably. Still, a hard drive, a powerful CPU and both Wi-Fi modules make themselves felt. Our standard stands were used for tests. The first is a PC with Intel Core i7-2600K, 12 GB RAM, Killer NIC E2200, Windows 7 SP1 x64. Second - ASUS laptop N750JV with Intel Core i7 4700HQ, 12 GB RAM, Realtek RTL8168, Windows 8.1 x64. Test packages - Ixia IxChariot 6.7 with High Performance Throughput profile and iperf. Wireless connections were encrypted using WPA2, the guest network was not used, the network expansion option was disabled, and all other settings remained unchanged. The ASUS PCE-AC68 (A) adapter with an external antenna unit was used as the main client. The router (R) was connected to the laptop with a patch cord. The stands were in direct line of sight at a distance of four meters from each other.

In general, a rather strange picture emerges. The Apple AirPort Time Capsule A1470 is quite good as a regular access point, even with regional restrictions. In mode home router you will get the bare minimum of possible functions and settings. As an ersatz-NAS, in principle, it will do. And now about the most interesting - about the prices. A "capsule" with a 2 TB disk in the official Russian online store costs 12,300 rubles (well, there is no price recalculation yet). In the aggregate of all the functions, it turns out that pleasure is not cheap. On the other hand, it is not very easy to buy a bunch of decent router and network storage with the same disk for a comparable amount. In the case of the 3 TB model, you can already turn around, but the usual AirPort Extreme for 8,300 rubles looks a little strange compared to other models. However, if you already have so many Apple technology, and your provider is not tied to a VPN, then the “capsule” will fit perfectly into the existing structure.

We look forward to comments from creative people who do not need universal IPTV support, parental control, media server, cloud services and other excesses.

Update: Apple has updated the prices of its devices. Now, in the official online store, a 2 TB capsule costs 18,000 rubles, with a 3 TB disk it costs absolutely crazy 24,000 rubles, and a regular AirPort Extreme is sold for “only” 12,000 rubles. As they say, no comment.