Wow, it occurred to me to search for APFS support on TP and the number of threads about this issue that have been locked without solution for the past 3 years is astounding. If I knew this before I bought TP router I would certainly have stayed away. The number of related issues are just piling up - all having to do with backing up using Time Machine. 
 

The fact that TP doesn't currently support APFS is a big problem, because Time Machine formats drives using APFS and because APFS allows for multiple logical drives without specifying size (total disk size can be dynamically shared, so one can backup multiple Macs to same drive without having to physically divide drive and knowing ahead of time how big each portion is). 
 

If TP supports APFS, at least we'd be able to start a backup on APFS formatted drive by connecting it to Mac and then moving it over to USB of router and have Time Machine continue using it (AFP support for wireless backup continues for now as long as backup had been done on drive before, but new backups cannot be done). 
 

TP has been ignoring this for so long that people buying their products and counting on TP to solve the problem are sadly too optimistic. If you haven't bought their products yet and you need solutions like Time Machine backup over the network to a USB connected drive, look elsewhere. This thread should be enough evidence for you. 

  @SeanWashPhoto I support this feature request (ideally over SMB 3.1.1, which would also improve security and transfer speeds). Should probably be done for all AX routers, and I'll be selfish and specify my own: AX 55.

  @Joseph-TP Thank you for asking. 

Router model: Archer BE230
Hardware version: v2.0
Current firmware version: 1.3.2 Build 20260212 rel.13796(5553)
Current macOS version: macOS Tahoe 26.6.2

The Archer BE230, when paired with a server grade USB hard drive, provides essentially a drop-in (greatly upgraded) replacement for my 4th generation (2012) Time Capsule, which is an impressive feat. 

It provides the same whole home coverage with a single wireless gateway, but with a stronger signal and full internet speeds throughout. It provides similarly simple network setup, wired and wireless, using the Tether app. It provides explicit support for the effortless and robust Time Machine network backups built into macOS, along with the added bonus of easy hard drive upgrades or swaps. It brings more robust, modern security to the whole setup. And it comes with active product support, including firmware updates, unlike the now-obsolete Time Capsule. 

Additional factors that make the Time Capsule replacement case even more compelling include high praise for the Archer BE230 from Wirecutter (Top Pick router for 2026, see nytimes > wirecutter > reviews > best-wi-fi-router [actual URL rejected by forum post text editor] ) and a very affordable price ($80 at Amazon). 

Recognizing the Archer BE230 as a potential drop-in replacement for an aging Apple Time Capsule is especially important now, since Apple announced the end of support for Time Machine backups to Time Capsule in the forthcoming macOS 27. An online search for ‘time capsule replacement’ reveals the extent of the need for a comparable replacement, along with limited enthusiasm for the commonly recommended alternatives. Standalone NAS solutions are described as flexible but complex, while backups to locally attached drives on computers don’t bring set-it-and-forget-it convenience to laptops on the move. 

Of course, this compelling case for customers loses much of its power unless the BE230’s Time Machine support is updated to Apple’s latest technical specs.

I sincerely hope TP-Link will update Time Machine backups support on the Archer BE230, as it will support all of us who are being pushed off of Time Capsules (or AirPort Extreme Base Stations) with an easy and appealing alternative. 

If TP-Link really wanted to capitalize on this opportunity, it could bundle a quality hard drive formatted for Time Machine and a good USB cable with Archer BE230 as a special edition, present it as a ready-to-go Time Capsule replacement, and promote it vigorously where relevant users hang out, such as Apple Discussions, MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and so on. 

I imagine the journalists at Macworld, Six Colors, and others who have covered Time Capsule over the years would be eager to report on finally finding a credible successor, particularly from a company they already trust. 
 

A quick update in light of Apple’s announcement yesterday that macOS 27 will be released on 14 September.

Running Time Machine backups to a hard drive plugged into my Archer BE230 remains my strong first preference. I can hold off macOS 27 upgrades for our household for maybe a couple of months past that date, but probably not much longer. In the meantime, I will be homing in on suitable alternatives in case a compatibility update I can count on is not delivered in time.

Hoping TP-Link is able to come through on this. 


Model: Archer BE800 (BE19000), hardware version V1.20, firmware 1.4.2 Build 20260708 rel.30237(5553)
Mode: Access Point mode behind a MikroTik router, 10G SFP+ uplink

Client: MacBook Pro (M5 Max), macOS 27.0 (26A428)

The BE800 box and the web UI (Advanced > USB > Time Machine) both advertise Time Machine backup to a USB drive. That implementation is AFP-only. Apple removed AFP in macOS 27 (released 2026-09-14), so the advertised feature no longer works on any current Mac.

Requesting: Time Machine over SMB (SMB3, Apple extensions / fruit VFS, APFS or sparsebundle target, _adisk._tcp advertisement) on Archer BE800, with an ETA. This is a shipped, marketed feature, not a new request.

  @Joseph-TP 

1. Router model
   Archer AX55

2. Hardware version
   Ver 1.0

3. Current firmware version
   1.5.12 Build 20260521 rel.72016(4555)

4. Current macOS version
   macOS 27 Golden Gate

5. Any additional information (optional)
   SMB3, Apple extensions / fruit VFS, APFS and/or sparsebundle target, _adisk._tcp advertisement