Can I (or How can I) chain two Time Capsules on one network for two Macs?

Currently we have one dual-band TC connected to our cable modem. Mac 1 backs up to it. I also have an original TC (one-band) that I would set to 5GHz dedicated for Mac 2.
Would this plan work and provide Backup and Internet to both machines?
Cable Modem --->TC1--->TC2
Mac 1 would connect to TC1 for Time Machine function and Internet Access.
Mac 2 would connect to TC2 for Time Machine function and Internet Access.
(---> = Ethernet cable)

No changes needed on TC1, but you may need to use AirPort Utility - Manual Setup to note a few of the settings on TC1, such as the exact type of security that it is using now since that information will be used to configure TC2.
Connect an ethernet cable from one of the LAN <-> ports on TC1 to the WAN port (circle icon) on TC2*. Open AirPort Utility - Manual Setup and TC2 should appear. If not, you'll need to "hard reset" TC2 by holding in the reset button until the amber light begins to blink more quickly, hold another few seconds when you see this and then release
Click the Time Capsule tab below the icons to name your device, assign a device password and set Time Zone settings
Click the Wireless tab
Wireless Mode = Create a wireless network
Wireless Network Name = Same name as TC1 network**
No check mark needed next to Allow this network to be extended unless you plan to add more wireless device to extend the network
Radio Mode = 802.11n only 5 GHz
Channel = Automatic
Wireless Security = Same setting as TC1
Wireless Password = Same password as TC1
Confirm Password
Click the Internet icon
Connect Using = Ethernet
Connection Sharing = Off (Bridge Mode)
Update to save settings and let TC2 restart. Then power down the entire network. Power up the modem first, then TC1, then TC2, then each device one at a time. Allow a moment or two for each device to fully power up before you start the next.
*When the TC is in Bridge Mode, it really makes no difference which port you use to connect, as they all behave the same. I use the WAN port as a habit for connections like this so that I know at a glance where the connection is coming from. But, you could connect to one of the LAN ports on TC2 if you prefer.
**Assign a different name than TC1 if you want to log on separately to the network that TC2 provides
Be sure to setup Mac2 to backup to TC2 for Time Machine and you should be all set.

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I installed a new router from my ISP provider and now I can't find my Time Capsule or "Guest" network. What do I need to do to correct this problem?

I installed a new (and supposedly better & stronger) router from my ISP provider (Verizon) and now I can't find my Time Capsule or "Guest" network.
My Mac is not backing up because it can't find my Time Capsule network & my "Guest" network has also disappeared.
What do I need to do to correct this problem?

You must reset the TC to factory and start over. The TC simply remembers too much from the previous setup to work in the new one.
If your new router is going to take the router role, then the TC will have to be bridged and you will lose your Guest wireless.. the way around this is to use the Verizon router as your guest wireless and the TC as your main wireless.
The Factory Reset Gen1-4.
Unplug your TC. Hold in reset. and power the TC back on.. without releasing reset for about 10sec. When the status light flashes rapidly; release it.
Be Gentle! Feel the switch click on. It has a positive feel.. add no more pressure after that.
TC will reboot after a couple of minutes with default factory settings and will wipe out previous configurations.
No files are deleted on the hard disk.. No reset of the TC deletes files.. to do that you use erase from the airport utility.
Factory reset Gen 5
Hold in reset for about 5sec until the status light flashes quickly.
If your AirPort Time Capsule still doesn’t respond, do a similar reset to the Gen1-4.
Unplug your AirPort Time Capsule .. hold in reset and power the TC back on.. without releasing the reset.. wait until status led flashes rapidly.

I can't find my time capsule or primary network. How can I recover it and connect to it again?

I can't find my time capsule or primary network (only have access to my guest network)..it's simply not showing in Airport Extreme... I don't want to reset time capsule because I already have important data there.

You must reset the TC to factory and start over. The TC simply remembers too much from the previous setup to work in the new one.
If your new router is going to take the router role, then the TC will have to be bridged and you will lose your Guest wireless.. the way around this is to use the Verizon router as your guest wireless and the TC as your main wireless.
The Factory Reset Gen1-4.
Unplug your TC. Hold in reset. and power the TC back on.. without releasing reset for about 10sec. When the status light flashes rapidly; release it.
Be Gentle! Feel the switch click on. It has a positive feel.. add no more pressure after that.
TC will reboot after a couple of minutes with default factory settings and will wipe out previous configurations.
No files are deleted on the hard disk.. No reset of the TC deletes files.. to do that you use erase from the airport utility.
Factory reset Gen 5
Hold in reset for about 5sec until the status light flashes quickly.
If your AirPort Time Capsule still doesn’t respond, do a similar reset to the Gen1-4.
Unplug your AirPort Time Capsule .. hold in reset and power the TC back on.. without releasing the reset.. wait until status led flashes rapidly.

How do i use my time capsule as a network to store files, etc.?

How do i use my time capsule as a network to store files, etc.?

There is no difference in setup..
Only trouble.. be warned this is quite problematic. With Mavericks even more so.
See Q3 here.
http://pondini.org/TM/Time_Capsule.html
Take particular note. The TC is not a NAS or file server.. it can be pressed into use as one.. but will suffer..
1. Slow spin up of the disk and fast spin down. Causing streaming and library issues with itunes.
2. iphoto is easily corrupted.. don't move it to a network drive at all.
3. no backup.. the TC cannot back itself up.. it is designed as a backup target for Time Machine. but Time Machine cannot backup network drives.. and nor did apple build in a backup.. it was never needed. After all it is a backup.. not a file store.
4. you cannot partition it. You will have issues with TM if you do store both data and TM backups on it.
5. You can use USB drive plugged into the TC, and experience a new definition of pain and suffering.. well slow file transfer anyway.
Good luck.

How do I find the time capsule serial number remotely from my mac?

How do I find the time capsule serial number remotely from my mac?

Hi All,
I found it in my Support profile. https://supportprofile.apple.com.
Thanks.
Richie

Can I use the time capsule internal hard drive for file storage?

Can I configure the Time Capsule internal HD to function as a network file server as well as handling time machine backups?
Can the internal HD be partitioned?

This is asked several times a day.. obviously people are struggling with their latest SSD being too small.
The TC is not suitable for network file server.. but many people having no choice press it into service as such.
It cannot be partitioned. It was and is and ever shall be a backup device for Time Machine.
Major issues.
1. No backup.. no way Time Machine can backup a network drive. No place to backup to.. So all your files will be at risk. And you will need to buy a third party like CCC to do backup.
2. The TC cannot be partitioned and mixing TM backups and data is not great.
3. The drive is slow to spin up and quick to spin down.. there is no controls.
4. iPhoto in particular can easily corrupt its entire library with wireless networking causing a disconnection to one photo. Even if you do this;;; do not move your photo library... you have been warned!!
5. iTunes will constantly lose connection to the library. The disk is too slow to respond.. itunes on the computer will constantly spit out errors. Even in the midst of streaming the TC can spin down the disk due to caching.
6. Do not use any live files on the TC no matter what else you do.. if you edit files in whatever program the file must be on the local hard disk.
7. The only suitable location for most libraries is a computer. You can plug in an external hard disk.
Read pondini for some work arounds.
Q3 here. http://pondini.org/TM/Time_Capsule.html

HT1178 i can't connect the time capsule with my mac using the aiport utility. i want to use the time capsule to make backup for my mac book pro. the time capsule is giving a flashed amber light. please advice me

the time capsule is giving flashed amber light and i cant connect it to my mac book pro. i want to use it with the time machine to make backup for my mac. please advice me.

To do the setup, plug it in via ethernet.. do not try to setup over wireless.. Once it is setup you can plug the TC into the network and use wireless.
Most likely you will use the TC in bridge to an existing modem router.. but we cannot help as you have no details of the network setup.
I do recommend in the setup of the TC you use SMB type names.. that means, short, no spaces pure alphanumeric.. as later Mac OS do have issues with long names, spaces and that apple shocker, the apostrophe.

Can I use a Time Capsule as a HD for my PS3 or Xbox 360?

Hi guys, I need some help... I'm thinkong buying a TimeCapsule,
but I want to know if I can use it as a external Harddrive for my
PS3 and Xbox 360... (they have less than 12 Gigabytes left)
but I dont want expand their capacity by buying each one a HDD...
thats why I want a time macine and use it as HDD for all my Devices....
please help!

No. A Time Capsule has no media serving logic.

Can i connect my time capsule to my hdtv for use as an extra display for my mac book pro?

I want to use my hdtv as a display wirelessly. Can one connect their time capsule to the tv?

1. Can my TC handle "dual band" wifi or not? As it's 3 years old, I'm not sure the spec is sufficient.
They have been dual band since gen2.. yours is gen4 or at worst gen3.
2. Is the TC likely to provide better performance than the BT Home Hub router, as the Apple store suggest?
Impossible to say.. but easy to test.. simply plug the TC into the BT router in bridge mode and use it with setup to create a wireless network.. that is the way I would suggest anyway.
3. Will the BT wifi extender still work if the TC is the main router? BT aren't sure, hence asking here. "Trial and error" will take hours and because of the wifi issues in my house, can be frustrating.
Sorry this is out of my perview.. I can suggest it will be poor.. apple do not use standard settings for extend wireless.. and if it is universal repeater they also behave poorly.. Have you thought of using EOP adapters.. very popular in the UK and tend to work much better than wireless.
4. Would the BT wifi extender communciate with the TC or the BT Home Hub router?
As suggested above.. leave the BT as the main router and plug the TC bridged into it.. you can then use both..
simply set the wireless names different and keep the channels apart.
For 2.4ghz there are only 3 non-overlapping channels.. 1, 6, 11 or 13 as alternative in UK.
For 5ghz there are lots more but the lower channels work better.. so 36-48 depending on regs in the UK.

How do i use my time capsule as a network storage

I have a macbook pro a windows pc and two windows laptops plus an ipad and three other tablets and I want to be able to use my TC as a network storage so that I can save most of my files on it and save disk space on each of my devices plus also make all of my files available via the TC to all of my devices.

Yes, you can do it.. the question is should you do it.. My answer to that is NO.. the TC is not a NAS. It is a basic router with a hard disk in it for wireless Time Machine backups. (If you have a desktop it is faster using a USB plugged in. cheaper and far more reliable).
Store files on the TC.
This is asked several times a day.. obviously people are struggling with their latest SSD being too small.
The TC is not suitable for network file server.. but many people having no choice press it into service as such.
Major issues.
1. No backup.. no way Time Machine can backup a network drive. No place to backup to.. So all your files will be at risk. And you will need to buy a third party like CCC to do backup.
2. The TC cannot be partitioned and mixing TM backups and data is not great. It was and is and ever shall be a backup device for Time Machine.
The drive is slow to spin up and quick to spin down.. there is no control. In fact the TC is so lacking in controls for even the router side.. that you cannot do more than the most basic of setups.
The following are controls on the hard disk side.
Reformat it. You can name the share. You can do a full archive of the whole disk. This will go at a speed of aprox. 30-50GB/Hr so calculate how long an archive of a full 2TB will take.
iPhoto in particular can easily corrupt its entire library with wireless networking causing a disconnection to one photo. Even if you do this;;; do not move your photo library... you have been warned!!
Even apple btw say don’t do it.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5168 Although mostly about FAT32 it adds network drives.
5. iTunes can constantly lose connection to the library. The disk is slow to respond.. itunes on the computer will constantly spit out errors. Even in the midst of streaming the TC can spin down the disk due to caching.
6. Do not use any live files on the TC no matter what else you do.. if you edit files in whatever program the file must be on the local hard disk.
7. The only suitable location for most libraries is a computer. You can plug in an external hard disk.
Read pondini for some work arounds.
Q3 here. http://pondini.org/TM/Time_Capsule.html
8. In the case of Windows it will have the standard FAT32 4GB file size issue. Even though the disk is not formatted FAT32, it is shared to the Windows computer as if it is.

Can't connect to Time Capsule (TC) via "Back To My Mac" (BTMM)

For some unknown reason I can NOT connect to my TC via BTMM. It usually shows up in finder, however it's not there now. I have a Green light in the BTMM preference, and a connection to the internet.
Any ideas or guesses?
Thanks

same here, allll of the sudden.
ivan
now and then i see them but then i can not connect anymore only over afp

Issues with two time capsules in one network

I have two time machines in my environment and issues with dropped connections.
As long as I use only my iMac or Apple MacBook Pro the connections work 90% of the time, I do have some issues with dropped (afp/smb) connections and unable to reconnect every now and then.
However, invariably when I connect a windows machine to the network both time machine connections just die, including the internet connection, I had to restart one of the time machines in order to reconnect. I do have a Guest Network and connecting the windows machine to that network does not affect the time machines availability.
Is having two time machines in the environment not supported?
Why do I experience these drops in connections to the online disks?
Why can't I have a mixed environment (win/mac) connect to the time machines at the same time?
One time machine is the AP and the other one is just extending that network.
I have seen issues in the following scenarios
Copying large amounts of data from iMac to time machine
Copying large amounts of data from one time machine to the other
Connecting a windows computer to the network
Any ideas?

Yes

Can I daisy chain two mac pros so that I'm using one monitor and keyboard

Can I use two mac pro's with one monitor, keyboard & mouse? The two different machines have two different operating systems (Snow Leopard / Lion). One machine is brand new and the other is 5 or 6 years old.
I want to use both machines in tandem so that I can leave something to render while I work on something else.

KVM is an answer -- maybe. I use one for two machines to share one of my monitors (a VGA) and my keyboard (the second older machine seems to have sleep problems if I share a usb mouse on the kvm however).
The trickiest part of choosing a kvm is trying to find one that can handle the video; one that can handle the required bandwidth, and the connections. If one computer uses, say DVI, and the other mini-displayport, then you need to figure out which kvm can handle that with one (or both) of the machines using adapter(s).
You said one of the machines is brand new. Then it probably has thunderbolt. So you would need a mini-displayport, dvi, or vga adapter depending on the monitor. That means the older machine will need a similar connection since whatever kvm you get will have the same kind of ports for both inputs and its output.
A wild card here (at least in my mind) is if the newer machine has thunderbolt. While a mini-displayport display can be plugged into a TB connection, it is not clear that such a thing will work through a kvm. That is unknown territory I think at this point.

Can I backup two macs onto one external time machine?

Can I backup two macs onto one external time machine drive? I am trying to do this over Wi-Fi.

Yes, the external drive has to be formatted correctly to HFS+ and shared to the network.
It doesn't matter how the second machine logs into the network but wireless back will be extremely slow as it will involve double hop wireless, I presume to a wifi router somewhere. For incremental backups this is no biggie but do the initial backup with the drive plugged into that particular computer or over ethernet.. gigabit for preference.
Pondini has some instructions as he has for most things.
http://pondini.org/TM/4.html
Also look at Q33 where he lists using a shared drive on another Mac.
If you are planning using something other than wifi router give clear information about the network layout you have and hope to use.

How can I use my time capsule with windows7

How can I use my time capsule with windows7?

This is asked regularly.
https://discussions.apple.com/message/10978060#10978060
Look at the more like this. On the right column next to the post.
Load airport utility for windows.. which will also load bonjour for windows.
In windows explorer type \\TCname or \\TCipaddress (replacing with the actual values.. names with spaces will give you trouble so change all names in the TC to SMB compatible or actual ip address).

Can I (or How can I) chain two Time Capsules on one network for two Macs?

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