Once the AirPort Utility has correctly detected the device, it’s possible to access the true configuration that can be done completely manually or in automatic mode. Choosing the latter, the software will ask for a name to be given to the device, which will also determine the name chosen for the wireless network that will be created by Time Capsule. We can also decide to protect the access to the device with a password, to prevent any modifications or file sharing from non-authorized users.

The configuration will then establish what type of network settings to assign to the unit: we must choose whether to insert Time Capsule to a pre-existent wireless network, use it to create a new wireless network or whether to configure the device to be used exclusively through the Ethernet cable connection.

The installation is very simple, in fact, all the user has to do is follow the initial instructions found on the brief manual that comes in the package, then allow the auto-configurator to do it’s job. The auto-configurator will ask simple questions in order to configure the device according to the user’s needs.

The first thing to do is connect the Time Capsule to the electricity, using the cable that comes with it. It’s worth reminding that this device features an integrated power supply, contrarily to the old generation AirPort bases. During the first configuration, it’s advisable to connect Time Capsule to the system through a normal network cable in order to speed and simplify the steps. Once Time Capsule is working and ready to use, it’s time to start the Airport Utility  that will start searching for the device.

As for the storage unit, Apple has declared to have used a server-grade Serial ATA 500GB/1TB Hard Disk with 7200rpm. Opening the Time Capsule in order to see exactly what hard disk was chosen, we an find a Seagate Barracuda ES on the 500GB model.

IT’s an Enterprice class hard disk, certified to work 24 hours, 7 days a week and with a MTBF (meantime between failure) of 1,2 million hours. The disk features a 3.0GB/s SATA interface and works at a 7200 rpm speed. The cache size is 16MB

The Time Capsule features a wireless connection within the IEE 802.11n standards and it supports authentication technologies such as WPA/WPA2 and WEP, MAC Address filtering systems, NAT firewalls and communication protocols such as the 802.11a/b/g, Draft N, NAT, DHCP, PPPoE, VPN, DNS Proxy, SNMP and IPv6.

The device is also equipped with a 1 Gigabit Ethernet WAN port for connecting an ADSL modem, three 1 Gigabit- Ethernet LAN ports and a USB port for the connection of an extra hard disk or a printer: the Time Capsule can, in fact, work as a printer server in the same way the AirPort base can.

With the introduction of an automatic backup feature with the Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, called “Time Machine”, Apple has decided to supply also a hardware component that would be able to take advantage of that new feature on their Operational System.

This piece of hardware was named “Time Capsule”, calling the user’s attention to the connection between the hardware and the software utility. The Time Capsule isn’t anything extraordinary or stravagant, in fact: it’s simple an AirPort Extreme base featuring a hard disk of 500GB or 1TB inside.

System Requirements:

- Mac systems with AirPort (802.11b) or AirPort Extreme (802.11g) cards
- MaccOS X 10.3 or better
- AirPort 4.0 software in order to manage the Base in all its functions
- iTunes 4.6 or better

It also works with MacOS 10.2.7 without the AirTunes feature.

Pros:

- Great balance between price and its features
- The very small size is very useful in many occasions
- The answering times are rather fast

Cons:

- Rendezvous still has some problems
- Using the AirTunes function only with iTunes is a limitation. The feature could be extended to the whole system.

The audio quality that is played from the Base is basically the same as connecting the speakers directly to the computer. Even when playing directly from the CD, the preamplification power is the same as a standard audio card, and it’s capable of dissipating the heat in an efficient way, even after hours of use.

Conclusion

Unfortunately Apple didn’t extend this feature to all the system, in order to make it possible for users to play the DVD audio from a movie on the speakers connected to the base, or the audio from a game. A problem with the audio feature is that if iTunes is closed while the external speakers are still selected, once the AirPort Express is deactivated, the Mac won’t play any sound even from QuickTime. In that case, it’s necessary to reopen iTunes and reset the local speakers.

AirTunes, the new feature that allows players to play iTunes songs on amplified speakers connected to the base is perhaps the part that deserves more time and attention. Once the respective flag appears on iTunes’ preferences, Rendezvous automatically shows an option on its main program window (of course, during the configuration, the user must have chosen to enable this feature).

Once the external speakers are selected, they start playing, after a reasonable wait. The latency when responding to the controls isn’t too bothersome either. Once the user chooses to automatically scroll through the playlist, iTunes cuts down the waiting time by loading the start of the next song in the buffer, in order to avoid long silence moments between songs. This function can be also used by computers that share the network through a cable connection in case AirPort Express is configured for a mixed network.

The shared Internet navigation on both Mac computers didn’t show any slowdowns and the download and upload rates were equally divided. The router feature on the Airport Express also allows users to use programs that identify the computers through their IPs, and the Airport Express’ rich features also allow the creation of filters in order to block unwanted connections.

The network has a good covering range, and if placed in a favorable position, it reaches more than two walls (provided they’re not too thick).

The printing process through the Airport Express only failed once during the testing. All the other printing processes were done with no problems and no slowdowns, although the network, in this case, is limited to the 802.11b standard

The configuration done for the review might not be for the basic users, however, the software should be more than enough to explain it as well. The network created was a WEP network, with an ADSL connection shared with an unique IP, using DCHP and NAT. The ISP information was setup, and then the network password and the Airport Express password. In the available Mac computers, all it took was to create a new connection with the Airport card activated, set it on the DHCP, activate the AppleTalk network protocol and activate the Airport. The software sets everything up and rather quickly at that, and the network shows up as available.

Upon the first connection, it requires the password, but it does get memorized. And after that, the connection is complete. The configuration tool offers a lot of options, from the network type and its safety, from an automatic internet connection and a closed-number group. From the configuration tool, users can also configure the Airport Express to extend the already present cable networks or to serve as a bridge to another pre-existent wireless connection.