Connecting Time Capsule to a wireless network

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Hey!

I've had my time capsule for about a year now and I've been loving it, but I just moved into a new apartment, where the internet connection is shared between all tenants, and I can't get it to work.

Unlike in my previous appartment, I don't have a modem I can plug it into... All I have is a wireless connection that I can connect to with my mac, and to which I would like to connect my Time Capsule!

Is there any way I can connect (and set up) my Time Capsule to a wireless network?

Thanks a bunch!
 
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Hi there

Sadly I don't think there's much you can do. As such, a Time Capsule works as an access point - it get's it's Internet from the wired connection (to the modem) the rebroadcasts it wirelessly.

I rather get the impression that you can 'extend' the range of a wireless network with a Time Capsule, but then you'd run the risk of giving others access to both the disk in the TC and your machines that connect to it.

I guess if you had a redundant machine (in a corner somewhere...) you could install a proxy - that way this machine could access the shared Internet connection, then re-broadcast it as a new network transparently. At which point you'd be able to connect the TC to that.

Worth a try...

(PS. Hi from France!!)
 

bobtomay

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I had written a how to for this some time back but can't find it now.

None of the Apple documentation provide any hints. You might give the following a try.

http://www.cmu.edu/computing/doc/network/time-capsule/timecapsule-pdf.pdf

Go to the "Steps for configuring..." link.

As suggested there, make sure you set a different password for the admin of the TC and another for the actual network you create on the TC.
 

Slydude

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The current Time Capsules can be configured to extend an existing wireless network. At least this is true for the dual-band models. I tried this recently and found one problem. When you use the Time Capsule to extend a network wirelessly it appears that the wired ethernet ports no longer work. They do if the network is extended via wire. I think this is how I did it:

!. Launch the Airport Utility and choose to do a manual configuration.
2. In the Airport section go to the Wireless tab. In the very first option (Wireless Mode) choose to extend a wireless network.
3. You will need to know the name, password, and security type of the network you are trying to extend.
4. Make any changes to other settings such as disk sharing and update the Time Capsule.
 

bobtomay

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You have to be able to detect it before you can configure it. Did you disable the wireless network on the TC before you moved? That, or it died are the only reasons I know of why you're not even detecting it, assuming you do have it plugged in.

Try a Hard Reset. Press the reset button and hold it until the LED starts flashing. Then release.

If that doesn't work, try a Factory Default Reset.
Unplug the power cord.
Press the Reset button and hold it.
Plug it back in.
Hold the button until it starts flashing, then release.

If you still can't find it, try connecting it to your Mac with an ethernet cable to get it configured.

Next step is going to be call Apple.
 
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chas_m

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I just did this yesterday, in fact. Here's a from-memory guide of what I did.

1. I connected the Time Capsule directly to the computer via an ethernet cord.
2. I used Airport Utility to turn OFF using it as a router.
3. I told it to join the existing network (bridge mode)
4. I unplugged the TC from computer.

After a few seconds, it was available to me on the wireless network and Time Machine could "see" it.

Warning: that first backup will be VERY SLOW. You'll want to let that run overnight, since its copying EVERYTHING from your drive. After the first backup, it will be quick.
 
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Problem solved!

I connected the time machine to my computer via an ethernet cable and was able to do a manual setup using the information provided above!

Thanks all of your advice!
 

Slydude

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Thanks for catching the step of using an ethernet connection guys. I completely forgot to mention that. Since our apartment is not that big I do any network related setup changes while connected via ethernet. I try to make it a habit of setting things that way so a "poacher" would have a difficult time changing my network settings.
 

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