<P> The AirPort Time Capsule (originally named Time Capsule) is a wireless router sold by Apple Inc., featuring network - attached storage (NAS) 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 . </P> <P> 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 802.11 n wireless and came with a 500 GB hard drive in the base model, while the latest model, introduced in 2013, features 802.11 ac 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 announced that Apple's entire AirPort line had been discontinued without replacement . </P> <P> The AirPort 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 . </P> <P> The first generation Time Capsule included a full AirPort Extreme Base Station with 802.11 n 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 . </P>

Apple airport time capsule what does it do