Time Capsule troubles

[MikeFromMesa]

I bought a Time Capsule about 3 years ago when I bought my MBP. At the time I used it as a router as well as an external disk (but not with Time Machine) but eventually replaced the routing functionality with an Airport Extreme. I turned the radio on the TC off and hooked it up to the AE as an external disc. This configuration worked well until I had a power outage that knocked all of my devices off line. When I tried to reset everything I found that I could not talk to the TC at all. I don't think the device is dead - the front light still comes on (steady, not flashing) but I can not talk to it in any way. I can not see it using the AE and when I dismounted the TC and tried to hook it up directly to my MBP using both the ethernet and usb connections I got nothing.

I have reset the TC, but to no effect. I have tried to "see" the TC using both the Disk Utility and the Airport Utility, but to no effect. I can feel the disc moving when it is plugged in and I believe the device is functional, but I can not seem to find any way to talk to it and reset its functionality. Is there anything else I can do other than using the physical reset button and the Airport Utility? With the radio turned off I can not talk to it (the TC) wirelessly so I don't know how to turn it (the radio functionality) back on. Hooking the ethernet cable to it does not seem to do anything and connecting a usb cable does nothing. Is there anything I can do that I have not already tried?

I had Apple Care for it but, of course, that expired about 2 months ago. Naturally.

Thanks for any help.

 

[MikeFromMesa]

Enable wifi on time capsule

I have turned off wifi on my time capsule so I can not see it wirelessly. How can I turn it back on?

I know there are ethernet connections on the TC, but there is one Input and 3 Output for use when using the TC as a router. How can I connect my Mac to the TC without the wifi being active? Do I connect an ethernet cable to the Input connection? To the Output connection? Or can it be done without using hardware? Reset does not seem to do anything.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Threads merged - Please don't create multiple threads about the same issue/subject..

 

[pigoo3]

I know there are ethernet connections on the TC, but there is one Input and 3 Output for use when using the TC as a router. How can I connect my Mac to the TC without the wifi being active? Do I connect an ethernet cable to the Input connection? To the Output connection? Or can it be done without using hardware? Reset does not seem to do anything.

Hey there Mike. The "input" on the TC should come from your cable modem (ethernet cable from cable modem to TC). Then your computer should be connected to the TC via ethernet cable to one of the "output" ports. Hopefully this will establish communication between the TC and your computer. Then use the Airport Utility app to make setting adjustments.

Also (just in case)…once you have everything connected…verify in System Preferences (Network) that you are connected via ethernet. The button next to ethernet should be green (not red).

Good Luck,

- Nick

p.s. In case it helps…here's an Apple document for "Setting up Time Capsule for the first time."

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201510

 

[MikeFromMesa]

Threads merged - Please don't create multiple threads about the same issue/subject..

My apologies. I thought perhaps the first question was too general and that I should pose a more direct question, but felt that if I included it in the first thread no one would see it.

I will avoid doing so in the future.

 

[MikeFromMesa]

Hey there Mike. The "input" on the TC should come from your cable modem (ethernet cable from cable modem to TC). Then your computer should be connected to the TC via ethernet cable to one of the "output" ports. Hopefully this will establish communication between the TC and your computer. Then use the Airport Utility app to make setting adjustments.

Also (just in case)…once you have everything connected…verify in System Preferences (Network) that you are connected via ethernet. The button next to ethernet should be green (not red).

Good Luck,

- Nick

p.s. In case it helps…here's an Apple document for "Setting up Time Capsule for the first time."

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201510

Thank you for your response. I have tried that, along with a half-dozen other connections, and nothing seems to work. The TC disc spins up (I can hear and feel it) but I can not see the disc on the MBP or on my Mini. The MBP does not have an ethernet connection but I have tried both thunderbolt and usb ethernet connectors and neither worked. I have tried it on my Mini (which does have an ethernet port) and that does not work either, so I am beginning to think that perhaps the TC itself has failed. The reset button does not seem to have any effect.

Since the wifi is turned off on the TC I have no chance of connecting via it and, without a working physical connection to the TC, I can not turn the wifi back on.

System Preferences shows me connected to the wifi network but says the ethernet connection is either unplugged or the device at the end is not responding, presumably the latter. Thanks for the link to the document for setting up the TC but that presumes that the wifi on it is active and it is not on this TC. I suppose I never should have turned it off ...

 

[KevinJS]

Here are Apple's instructions for returning the Time Capsule to factory default settings. This SHOULD turn your wifi back on.

Factory Default reset (using reset button)
If the device isn't accessible from AirPort Utility, the Factory Default reset can be accomplished by using the reset button.
Disconnect the base station's power cord.
Press and hold the reset button with a pen, pencil, or straightened paperclip. While continuing to hold the button, reconnect the power cord. Keep holding the reset button until you see the status light (LED) start to flash amber rapidly, which should occur after about six seconds.
Important: Factory Default reset doesn't erase the contents of any hard drives associated with the base station.

 

[MikeFromMesa]

Here are Apple's instructions for returning the Time Capsule to factory default settings. This SHOULD turn your wifi back on.

Factory Default reset (using reset button)
If the device isn't accessible from AirPort Utility, the Factory Default reset can be accomplished by using the reset button.
Disconnect the base station's power cord.
Press and hold the reset button with a pen, pencil, or straightened paperclip. While continuing to hold the button, reconnect the power cord. Keep holding the reset button until you see the status light (LED) start to flash amber rapidly, which should occur after about six seconds.
Important: Factory Default reset doesn't erase the contents of any hard drives associated with the base station.

Thank you for the reply, and the instructions. I had already tried resetting the TC multiple times but I had not tried holding the reset button in while I turned on the power. That did not work when I tried it this morning but I let the TC set for a while, perhaps to cool off, and tried it again and this time it worked. I am in the process of adding it to the network.

Again, thank you for the reply. I will see if it stays alive on the network and make sure I back it up regularly, just in case.

 

[pigoo3]

Congrats Mike.

- Nick

 

[KevinJS]

Could be. Those instructions differ from a simple reset which would leave your settings unchanged. If successful, apart from any HDD content, the unit should be back to the condition in which it was originally supplied.