How does one connect time capule in an existing wireless environemnt?

Question

I hope i am reading all of the instructions incorrectly... but I am considering getting time capsule and see 2 major problems. It seems that:
*Time capsul is apparently desiged to run as the local router, with hard wire access to the internet, but
* I live in an apartment complex that provides wi-fi to all the units -- the hub is *not* accessible to the individual users
* all of the instructuons seem to imply that i must hard wire the TC to the incoming signal ... oops
plus...
*at least one set of work-around instruction I found instructs me to connect the TC directly to my computer via the ethernet port, but
* the new Mac Book Pros do not have an ethernet port, oops again
is the TC eveb usable in such circumstances?

Answer 1

The TC is not designed to work with wifi internet.
So you are quite correct.. nor do you want to use wifi for your building as a link to the TC.. it is possible to join the TC to the wireless network.. but that would mean all packets to the TC go via the building wifi and I suspect they will throttle it or control it some way.
So you have no choice but to find an alternative.
1. You can use a thunderbolt to ethernet adapter on any MBP or MBA without an ethernet port.. they are much cheaper now.
2. You can use a USB to ethernet adapter which I would now avoid since the thunderbolt one is $10 more.
3. You can use a secondary wireless USB on the MBP.. USB wireless dongles that are compatible with Mac OS are readily available and fairly cheap.. kind of ugly but smaller ones are pretty small little bump on the side.
4. You can buy an airport express. The express is the only apple router that can act as a bridge.. but you can find non-apple wireless bridges readily enough. The express (or bridge) will convert the wireless to ethernet, so you can plug it into the TC and you can then pickup both internet and TC connection via the wireless.. BUTT .. big fat ugly BUTT.. your building will not be handing out public IP addresses and anything you do to route the one address to many will result in double NAT.. this is standard issue.. it may or may not be important to you.
5. If you need to have a public IP address and there are lots of reasons why you might.. ranging from vpn to work to playing games on line.. all of which is impossible on cheap nasty building wifi.. which is good for email and light browsing.. you will need to buy your very own internet connection.. of whatever type is allowed.. hard wire ones being best but otherwise buy your own 3G / 4G connection.. use the building internet for bulk or cheap usage.. use your better direct internet for real internet.