page_title: AirPort Time Capsule
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: AirPort Time Capsule / History
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Apple Time Capsule: G5. Вид сзади
context_page_description: The AirPort Time Capsule was a wireless router sold by Apple Inc., featuring network-attached storage and a residential gateway router, and is one of Apple's AirPort products. They are, essentially, versions of the AirPort Extreme with an internal hard drive. Apple describes it as a "Backup Appliance", designed to work in tandem with the Time Machine backup software utility introduced in Mac OS X 10.5.
  Introduced on January 15, 2008 and released on February 29, 2008, the device has been upgraded several times, matching upgrades in the Extreme series routers. The earliest versions supported 802.11n wireless and came with a 500 GB hard drive in the base model, while the latest model, introduced in 2013, features 802.11ac and a 3 TB hard drive. All models include three Gigabit Ethernet ports and a single USB port. The USB port can be used for external peripheral devices to be shared over the network, such as external hard drives or printers. The NAS functionality utilizes a built-in "server grade" hard drive. On April 26, 2018, Bloomberg News announced that Apple Inc. entire AirPort line had been discontinued without replacement.
context_section_description: The Time Capsule was introduced at Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008 and released on February 29, 2008, with pricing announced at US$299 (£199) for the 500 GB version and US$499 (£329) for the 1 TB version. It was the first wireless network-attached storage device combined with a wireless gateway router made by Apple Inc..
  The first generation Time Capsule included a full AirPort Extreme Base Station with 802.11n wireless, one Ethernet WAN port, three Ethernet LAN ports, and one USB port. The USB port could be used for an external hard drive or a printer to be shared over the network, or both, by using a third-party USB hub.
  In early 2009, Apple released the second generation Time Capsule. It offered simultaneous 802.11n dual-band operation, which allows older devices to use slower wireless speeds, without affecting the overall performance of devices that can use higher 802.11n speeds. The second generation model also included the addition of Guest Networking, a feature which allows creation of a separate wireless network for guests. The guest network uses different authentication credentials, ensuring the security of the primary network. The hard disk storage space of each model was doubled: capacities were 1 TB 2 TB, while the prices remained unchanged.
  In October 2009, several news sites reported that many first generation Time Capsules were failing after 18 months, with some users alleging that this was due to a design failure in the power supplies. Apple confirmed that certain Time Capsules sold between February 2008 and June 2008 do not power on, or may unexpectedly turn off. Apple offered free repair or replacement to affected units.
  The third generation Time Capsule was released in October 2009. The only change was a reconfiguration of the internal wireless antenna, resulting in an Apple-reported 50% increase in wireless performance and 25% increase in wireless range when compared to previous models.
  The fourth generation Time Capsule, released in June 2011, increased the range of WiFi signals. The internal Wi-Fi card was changed from a Marvell Wi-Fi chip to a better-performing Broadcom BCM4331 chip. Apple again increased the storage space in each model as the hard drive sizes were increased to 2 and 3 TB. The 2 TB and 3 TB models were kept at the $299 and $499 price points.
  The fifth generation Time Capsule was released in June 2013 alongside the sixth generation AirPort Extreme. This generation saw the name change to AirPort Time Capsule and to a taller form factor. 802.11ac support was added with this generation. The 2 TB model was kept at $299, but the 3 TB model dropped to $399.
caption: Rear ports on fifth generation AirPort Time Capsule
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