Can I update an early Airport Time Capsule?

Solution 1:

Nobody seems to know what the official drive size limits are, but I just connected an 18TB hardware RAID to a 1st generation Time Capsule, and it works. To duplicate my setup:

Configure a 4-drive hardware RAID using this enclosure:

https://www.newegg.com/sans-digital-tr4utbpn/p/N82E16816111149

(I used four 6TB drives and set it up as a RAID 5)

Connect the RAID enclosure to the SATA connector on the Time Capsule's logic board using this cable:

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16812119251?Item=N82E16812119251

This Time Capsule has pretty much been gutted over the years, so the only thing left is the logic board itself. It's powered by a 2A 5VDC external brick, WiFi and routing are disabled. It's just a hack NAS at this point...but it handles an 18TB drive.

Solution 2:

It seems to be possible: Here is an ifixit.com article.

In the comments there the following successful upgrades are mentioned:

• WD Red 3TB
• WD20EARS 2TB
• Seagate ST4000VN000 4TB

At youtube you'll find several movies demonstrating how to replace the HDD (e.g. Apple Time Capsule Hard Drive Upgrade)

Check the power consumption specs of your new HDD as well as the comments about reliability issues of the power supply unit of the Gen 1 Time Capsules all over the net.

Solution 3:

Here is the link to the videoclip on Youtube where a guy replaces his 1-st generation Time Capsule disk with a new disk with 8 Tb capacity. And it works after formatting - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVwUMobLa_8