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WiFi Time capsule

I've always used a Time Capsule wirelessly with Time Machine and it always worked fine. However, at some point a while ago (I haven't bothered with trying to fix until now) it stopped working. I'm trying to get it back working agin using Airport Utility but I can't seem to find it wirelessly now. It only wants to create a new network, as opposed to adding it to my existing one (and this is by connecting it to my router via ethernet). Should I still be able to set up wirelessly or do I need to use ethernet? Also, should it be creating another network or just be adding to my current one as it used to? (I don't appear to have the option to add).

What I really need is a real step-by-step idiot's guide!


Many thanks in advance.


Doug

Posted on Apr 5, 2021 3:09 PM

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Posted on Apr 5, 2021 5:16 PM

This sounds like you have another router that is providing your wireless network. Would that be correct?


If things are working the way that you want, do you want to be able to back up to the Time Capsule over your existing wireless network provided by your router.......or......do you want to configure the Time Capsule to also provide a wireless network, so you can back up over the Time Capsule wireless network?


Unless you have another Apple AirPort router providing your regular wireless network, the Time Capsule will not able to connect to the network using a wireless connection.......it must connect using Ethernet. If you don't want the Time Capsule to also provide another wireless network, then it will only take a few clicks to turn off the WiFi on the Time Capsule, so you can back up over your regular wireless network.



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15 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Apr 5, 2021 5:16 PM in response to doug from stratford upon avon

This sounds like you have another router that is providing your wireless network. Would that be correct?


If things are working the way that you want, do you want to be able to back up to the Time Capsule over your existing wireless network provided by your router.......or......do you want to configure the Time Capsule to also provide a wireless network, so you can back up over the Time Capsule wireless network?


Unless you have another Apple AirPort router providing your regular wireless network, the Time Capsule will not able to connect to the network using a wireless connection.......it must connect using Ethernet. If you don't want the Time Capsule to also provide another wireless network, then it will only take a few clicks to turn off the WiFi on the Time Capsule, so you can back up over your regular wireless network.



Apr 8, 2021 4:31 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Hello Bob

I've had a try at this and am struggling a bit.

Firstly, the Capsule doesn't always show up in Airport Utility. I've tried the WAN and LAN connectors (I think it should be WAN) but if it does show up, it seems to be with the LAN).

I can't seem to find the option I could the other day where it gave me the option to create a new network. I had a look at the Apple guide/support for setup and it said to select the Capsule from the wi-fi status icon in the menu bar if it wasn't in Airport Utility. However, all I could see was a network with my name (but I think this was one from the other day) It also wanted a password, although I have reset the Capsule. I did find a menu (I can't remember where or how) that gave me the option to change to bridge ( I think that was it) and I seem to remember seeing somewhere that this needed to be changed.

Any further help or advice would be appreciated, if this makes sense.

I've attached some screenshots in case this helps.

Many thanks.

Doug

Apr 8, 2021 4:52 PM in response to doug from stratford upon avon

Best to start over again and set up the Time Capsule.


To do that, connect an Ethernet cable from one of the available Ethernet ports on your wireless router to the "O" (bottom) port on the Time Capsule

Power up the Time Capsule if it is not already on and let it run a minute

Hold in the reset button on the back of the Time Capsule for 7-8 seconds, then release

Allow a full minute for the Time Capsule to restart to a slow, blinking amber light status


On your Mac.......

Click on the WiFi menu at the top of the screen

Look for a listing of New AirPort Base Station

Click directly on AirPort Time Capsule





When you click on AirPort Time Capsule, that will start up the AirPort Utility setup "wizard". The wizard will take a few seconds to analyze the network settings and then display a screen that looks like the example below, except that you will see a Time Capsule pictured.





Network Name.......Type in a name for the Time Capsule wireless network. Keep it short and simple

Base Station Name......Type in a device name for the Time Capsule. Keep it short and simple

Password.....Type in a password

Verify......Type in the same password again to confirm


Click Next, and give the Time Capsule a minute to restart with the new settings

When you see the message of Setup Complete, click Done

Should be a green light on the Time Capsule at this point


Log back onto your normal router's WiFi network

Check to see if you can run a backup

Report on your progress


Assuming that things are working now, the next step will be to turn off the WiFi on the Time Capsule. Note that the Ethernet cable connection between your router and the Time Capsule must remain connected at all times.


Apr 10, 2021 9:03 PM in response to doug from stratford upon avon

My biggest worry is that it is showing with an 'internal disk error'


Unfortunately, that is a big worry, since this message does not normally appear unless the Time Capsule hard drive is starting to fail. I honestly doubt that erasing the hard drive......if that is even possible at this point.......will help, but it is worth a try as a last resort.


If you want to try erasing the Time Capsule disk......


Open AirPort Utility on your Mac

Click on the Time Capsule

Click Edit in the smaller window that appears

Click the Disks tab at the top of the next window

Click Erase Disk




Select the Quick Erase option if it is not already selected

Click Erase


The procedure......if it will run......will only take a few minutes. If the erase is successful, try to run another backup.


If the "disk error" message continues, I'm afraid that the Time Capsule hard drive has failed.



Apr 5, 2021 11:24 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Hi Bob

Many thanks for your reply.

Yes, I have another router that provides my wi-fi so I just want to be able to use that to back up to the Time Capsule.

I don't have a problem connecting via ethernet (and I now have the router and Time Capsule located together so the connections are easy to be done) I was just a little confused as to why this no longer works wirelessly. I think it was to do with a firmware update that removed this capability (I think you may have stated this when I asked before).

The "few clicks" bit you mention sounds relatively straightforward so I will have a look after work if you are able to supply further steps?

Many thanks for your help and advice so far.

Regards

Doug

Apr 6, 2021 3:51 PM in response to doug from stratford upon avon

Go head and set up the Time Capsule to "create a new network".


Once this is done, then switch your Mac back over to your "normal" WiFi......not the Time Capsule WiFi network that you have created.


If all is well, and you don't need the Time Capsule WiFi network for guests or the kids, then you can use AirPort Utility to turn off the wireless function of the Time Capsule, so it will act like a wired hard drive connected to your modem/router.


AirPort Utility > Select the Time Capsule > Edit > Wireless Tab > Network Mode > Off > Update

Apr 10, 2021 3:58 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Hello Bob

Thanks for the guide and images. I have managed to set it up by following those steps. However, it is struggling to complete a backup. It started off working ok, I just had to select a different disk in the Time Machine preferences (I assume because the network and capsule had been renamed). It ran for a few hours, as I expected, but didn't complete. I have tried again many times but am struggling to get it to start a backup again. If I do succeed in getting it started, it appears to start from a point at a certain 71GB through the backup but then go no further. It looks like it is not finding the backup. My biggest worry is that it is showing with an 'internal disk error' so I'm not sure if there is a problem with the capsule itself - hopefully through something can be done with 'first aid' on the disk, although I haven't worked this out out yet. Although the capsule itself is a few years old, it had never been used excessively over a long period of time, although it hasn't been in use for many years now. The other hope that I am clutching to is that one of the settings is incorrect in the Airport utility options, although I fear this is unlikely.

Again, I have attached some screenshots of the various messages I have been getting in case these help you.

Many thanks for your help so far.

Doug


Apr 20, 2021 12:42 PM in response to Bob Timmons

The thing I liked about the Time Capsule was that it could just be left wirelessly to just do backups automatically with Time Machine. Although I appreciate that the wireless side of things isn't now possible, plugging into the router with your help and advice would have worked if the TC was not faulty. I would like to find something that I can just plug in and leave. Whilst my main usage is with a MBP (hence not wanting to keep plugging and unplugging for backups) I also have a Mac mini which I could plug a drive into for backups, on the mini as well as the MBP. That way it could just be left plugged in and automatically backup. The only other thing I had thought about was backing up each device using the hard drive of the other, but I'm not sure if this is even possible. Your thoughts on this would be appreciated! Thanks.

Apr 21, 2021 6:28 AM in response to doug from stratford upon avon

Then, it would make sense to look at a NAS (Network Attached Storage) product, which will connect to your router using an Ethernet cable connection, similar to the way that your Time Capsule connected to the network.


You will be able to back up over the WiFi to the NAS, or connect directly to the NAS from your Mac using an Ethernet cable connection if you wish.


Synology is a recommend NAS brand. More info here:


https://www.synology.com/en-us/support/nas_selector



WiFi Time capsule

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