I want to use the Time Capsule for backup only.

I picked up a Time Capsule thinking I could use it just for backups. So far, I've been unable to connect to it. I did set it up to extend my current WiFi network, but now I can't see it with Time Machine. What do I do to make the Time Capsule to function just as a wireless back up drive?

OK, I tried this, what happened is that my iMac lost connection to the Internet while the Ethernet connection was active.
I said to do this only whilst you setup the TC.. and maybe do the initial backup .. otherwise the idea is to put the TC into the network, which is what you were trying to do.. but obviously do it so that it works.
As stated, if you bridge the TC.. simply update it.. and plug it into the main router by ethernet. You should now be able to do what you wanted.. connect to it by wireless and use it for backups. The fact that it is linked to the network is absolutely necessary if you want internet at the same time as backups are running. The wireless cannot connect to two different routers at the same time.
I'd like to know how do I not have it override my Wifi connection and allow me to access the hard drive? If I can't do this, I'll be forced to take the Time Capsule back.
Please give me exact steps how to setup and use a Time Capsule just as a hard drive. Thanks!
You only need to do this if you intend to keep the TC connected only to your computer by ethernet, without a network connection.. is that what you want?
The trick is very simple. Set ethernet manually not by dhcp.. do not set a gateway (router) or DNS for ethernet.
You can also simply change wifi connection to the top of the list. Both of these are set in the Mac itself not the TC.. the TC can just run as router but with nothing connected.. and ignore the lack of connection.
The end point of this process though is you have the TC doing what an external hard drive can do, better cheaper and faster. To use the TC as a backup device only connected by ethernet or wireless is a waste.
Tell me what you want to do.. ie your preferred setup in the light of the previous discussion and I will give you all the screen shots for the exact steps to set that up. I will need to know what IP your current router uses.. and the dhcp range if possible.

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  • HT3728 i want to use my time capsule for back-ups only and not connect it to the internet

    I live in digs and with perfectly good wi-fi.  Therefore, I simply want to use my Time Capsule for backing up my iMac.  Airport Utility doesn't seem to want to let me do this and insists I connect the unit to the internet first.

    I gave full info for how to do this setup in this thread with screen shots..
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4817218?tstart=30
    Any of it you don't follow just ask.
    The TC is really a complex thing to use, when you don't do it as Apple designed it.. and in fact on your iMac an external drive will be cheaper, faster and more reliable than a TC. But I guess you already have it so may as well use it.

  • Can i buy a smaller macbook air (64gb) but use the time capsule for additional data ?

    can i buy a smaller macbook air (64gb) but use the time capsule for additional data ?

    If you plan to store important "original" or "master" files and documents on the Time Capsule, then you might want to think about a way to back up those files to another hard drive.
    Why? If the Time Capsule has a problem...and you have no backups....you lose everything.

  • I have 2 different MacBooks (owned by 2 people) connected to my Time Capsule. I want to use the Time Capsule to back up both MacBooks separately from each other. Can one person access the hard drive of the other person, on the same Time Capsule?

    I have 2 different MacBooks (owned by 2 people) connected to the same Time Capsule over a wifi network. I want to use the Time Capsule to back up both MacBooks separately from each other. Can one person access the hard drive of the other person, on the same Time Capsule? Is there a way to ensure that the files on the 2 laptops are kept private from each other? Thanks!

    If someone really wants to do something, it won't take them long to find out how to do it. 
    http://pondini.org/TM/17.html
    Security on a Time Capsule is a bit like installing a lock on a tent. It will keep the honest folks out, but probably not the others.

  • Can I use the time capsule as backup and hard disk at the same time?

    Hi.
    I want to buy a time capsule.
    I wondered, if I can use the time capsule as backup (over time machine) and as a hard disk at the same time?
    If I buy the 2TB time capsule, I wanted to use 1TB for the backup and 1TB for hard disk.
    Is this possible?
    Best wishes
    Sophie

    It is not recommended.. the problem being anything stored on the TC only is not backed up and cannot be backed up by the TC itself or Time Machine. So what are you going to do about back.. the TC can and do die suddenly.. and the cost of recovery can be huge.
    See Q3 here for the semi-right way to do it if you must.
    http://pondini.org/TM/Time_Capsule.html
    You can plug a USB drive into the TC and use that for files.. but note, its speed is poor.. fine for wireless as wireless is even slower but you will really notice it if you expect the drive to be as fast as the internal.. it will be a fraction of the internal drive speed. 1/2 write and 1/3 read aprox.
    See http://www.anandtech.com/show/4577/airport-extreme-5th-gen-and-time-capsule-4th- gen-review-faster-wifi-/7

  • 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 the time capsule for storage or just backup?

    I asked my husband to go and buy a separate harddrive so that we could use to store all of our photos on separately as opposed to the computer (as its full and we cant download any more photos!). He came back with the Time Capsule.
    from what i can understand it can only be used for backups and not for direct stoarge - is this correct? Im hoping that i can use it for storage and somehow copy all my photos from my Mac onto the Time Capsule and then we can access them from the network which i just created with the Time Capsule
    Or do i need to buy something else?
    appreciate anyones help
    Thanks

    It is far from ideal. But it does depend on what you are doing. Are you going to store you iphoto library on the TC then it is not recommended.
    Store files on the TC.
    https://discussions.apple.com/message/24380694#24380694
    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

  • Is it best to use a basic (ISP supplied) router just as a modem and use the Time Capsule for everything else?

    Just feeling my way into using a Time Capsule as the main networking device for two macbooks, two iPhones and occasional vistors including an iPad. Right now the basic ADSL router provides, internet conection, Firewal, DHCP and NAT. The Time Capsule provides WiFI and backup to the MacBooks. The MacBooks and iOS devices all use WiFI and a couple of media devices use ethernet (a hub is part of the network).
    Would it be better (i.e. more effective in performance or management) to limit the router as much as possible so for instance turning off DHCP and NAT then reconfiguring the Time Capsule to do that - sort of part way to a situation where the router would be replaced by a modem? Or am I just wasting effort to no good purpose?

    There is no simple.. yes or no to your question.
    Often modems cannot be bridged.. or if they can the TC does not have the ability to provide the correct services to connect.
    What is the broadband type and what is the modem router you are talking about?
    Generally the supplied modem is perfectly adequate to the speed capability of the service provided.
    In some cases we do say bridge it.. eg alot of cable modem routers supplied here are very poor, Have terrible NAT tables and pathetic abilities.. so we encourage them to be bridged or replaced. Most DSL type modem routers seem to be ok.. and are easily replaced anyway.
    Time Capsules are far from being giants in the router world btw.. they have absolute min of controls possible. Lots of good things might be supplied on your normal modem which are missing in the TC. eg QoS. Decent logging, NAT table connection lists.. along with all the other lists.
    Overall the gain.. I think for most people will be small.. try it out.. that is the only way to know.

  • How do I use Time Capsule for backup only over an existing network (or ethernet)

    Ok, first, I have been using Mac now for about 2 years and every little thing I do is much harder than advertised. I have yet to experience the mythical ease of Apple products.
    With that said, I was talked into buying this 2TB Time Capsule. Which right now seems to serve nicely as a very expensive paper weight.
    Here's what I am trying to do. I was told I could use this as a wireless backup. I have a cable modem and router in my house. I do not want to insert Time Capsule as the router. I would like to either hook it up to the existing network or have it just wireless. Whatever works best for backup use.
    I set the time capsule up to connect to an existing network. Which it did. Green light is on.
    When I select it as a backup drive in Time Machine, it works. However it does not back up. It will say Waiting to Backup and do nothing. If I select Back Up Now on Time Machine, it says it cannot find the disk.
    Is it possibly because I had used another backup disk prior and kept it? When I set the Time Capsule I selected to use both.
    I am at a loss. I am not a techie. And there are more options of use than the instructions cover.

    The problem is your method of connection I suspect.
    The TC was always designed to plug into the main router. It does not have to be in the same room but it has to be ethernet connected.
    Please post a few screenshots of the setup.. that makes it so much easier for me to work through it with you.
    Posting screenshots here is easy.. press the little camera and select the shot from finder.
    What I need is the summary page from your airport utility.. ie this one.
    Then click on edit button which I have highlighted and show me the tabs for Internet, Network and wireless. eg this is the internet. (show me the whole thing.. I have cut it off to keep it small).
    We can then work through the issues.

  • How do I use my Time Capsule for backup without making it my router?

    I've always used my Time Capsule as my internet router (paired with my Time Warner modem) and I've also used it to back up my computer.   I just got a new modem, it was a nightmare to set up, and it's supposed to have very fast internet.  It's a Time Warner modem / router.  In order to set this up and get a new wifi, I had to disconnect my Time Capsule.
    Now I would like to connect my time capsule again to back up my computer, but to avoid messing with the internet or changing it again (I may as well try the new one), I DON'T want to continue using my TC as a router.   how do I go about doing this?  Do I continue to have it connect to the modem via ethernet or do I just plug it into the power source and that's it?
    If someone could walk me through the process it would be so appreciated!

    Hi Alexandra,
    The article linked below details how to go about settings your Time Capsule up as a bridge, which effectively disables all routing functionality (NAT and DHCP services are disabled on the Time Capsule as they will be handled by your ISP's modem/router), and should allow you to utilize Time Machine without affecting your existing network.
    AirPort Utility 6.x: Set up a base station or AirPort Time Capsule as a bridge
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH5104
    All my best,
    Allen

  • Using Time Capsule for backup only (no Wifi)

    I posted a problem in another thread ( https://discussions.apple.com/message/22500623#22500623 ) about conflicts with my Time Capsule and Comcast modem. Apple concluded that there was a hardware problem with the Time Capsule. I got a new Time Capsule yesterday since I couldn't get a refund on the old one. Because configuring the Time Capsule to work as a Wifi station requires such a hassle and I don't get any extra benefits in terms of speed compared to my Comcast modem, I now have a very expensive hard drive for backup. I have some questions about using the TC for backup only since I am running into some problems with the backup.
    1. Does the TC have to be connected to my modem? It seems that when I do not connect the TC to the modem then I end up with the backup stalling after a few GB. Additionally, I end up with the flashing amber light.
    2. If I do connect the TC to the modem it backs up but my WIFI grinds to a halt (likely a product of all the data pushing from the computer through the modem and to the TC). I should add that in Airport Utility I have turned off WIFI on the TC so it should not be interfering with the WIFI. If I do need to connect to the modem are there any tips for not messing up WIFI speeds beyond just backing up when everyone is asleep? I assume not, but it can't hurt to ask.
    Thanks.

    2. My initial setup showe various errors so I hooked the TC into the modem via the WAN port and then I was able to set up (WIFI off, Bridge Mode OFF) and those errors went away.
    If I understand your last post correctly, you say that I should do a reset on the TC. Re-configure but leave the errors because backups will still work. Then I can leave the TC unplugged until I need to use it (which has the added bonus of limited flashing amber light). Is this correct?
    You are setting up the TC in the wrong mode.. it has to be in Router mode.. Not Bridge..
    You are worrying too much about the flashing amber.. it is irrelevant. You can select ignore and it will go green.
    This setup is actually simple.
    So here is what I suggest.
    1. Factory reset the TC.
    Just to get started from a clean setup. And that will put the TC in the correct mode.. ie dhcp and nat.
    2. Plug it by ethernet LAN TC to computer. On the computer no other connection.. turn off wireless.
    3. Just change the name of the TC to something short as it helps.. eg TCGen5
    And turn the wireless off.
    And ignore all the other problems.
    4. Now setup TM.. I would also start clean.. do a fresh TM setup .. see A4 here.
    http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
    5. Run the backup. Maybe even erase the TC before you start so you are really doing a fresh clean backup.
    The very first backup will start quickly and drop to very slow speed as there are heaps of very small files in the system.. these take a long time to process.. but as it proceeds it will speed up. Overall you should still average 50GB/hr.
    6. Once you complete the first backup, later ones should be fine.. but do not expect them to work as well as when you do it hourly.. it does need to do a lot more work to figure out where the TM backup is up to.
    I would like to get you to have another crack at using the TC properly in the network. When you are over the pain of all this.. and perhaps when apple releases a decent firmware update you can go back to it.. but I have another suggestion for setup. Get the above working first so you have a good first backup of all your computers.

  • Setting up Time Capsule for backup only on existing wireless network

    I have a wireless network already set up with a NetGear wireless router. Cable plugs into router, router connected via ethernet cable to my Power Mac G5 desktop, plus 2 PC laptops in the house also connect wirelessly to the home network via this router.
    I want to set up Time Capsule as an external hard drive to back up all three computers -- I don't necessarily need to use it as a wireless router although i'm not opposed to that if it's easier to do it that way.
    When i try to set it up using AirPort utility, i get the amber flashing light. Airport utility is able to discover the device, and then always asks if it's OK to switch networks. I've tried both "switch" and "don't switch"; either way when i try to set it up, AirPort utility stalls out on "Reading Time Capsule Configuration"; eventually giving me the error msg: "Base Station Error: AirPort Utility was unable to find your Apple wireless device."
    All i want to do is mount it as an external hard drive so i can use Time Machine for backup, and be able to use it to also back up the PC laptops wirelessly. I need help in the following three areas:
    1. How should I be physically connecting my devices if i want to do this? Which cables go in which ports? There is only one ethernet port on the back of my G5. The G5 can connect to the router either wirelessly OR via ethernet cable. I've tried G5-->Time Capsule-->Router, G5-->Router-->Time Capsule, Router-->G5 PLUS Router-->Time Capsule, and I've tried every variation on the regular ethernet and WAN ports. What's the right way to do this.
    2. If i'm not setting up the TC as a Wireless Router, is AirPort utility even the right tool for setting it up? it seems to be confused by the two wireless networks and won't let me get past that point. Am I supposed to click "Switch" when it asks me to switch networks? Is there a way to just mount it as an external drive and bypass the AirPort utility setup entirely?
    3. Once i get it set up so it's visible as an external drive and usable for Time Machine backup, how do i then make it available to the other PCs on the network so they can back up to it also?
    Thanks for your help.

    sarah,
    You already have an existing wireless network.
    You do not need to plug the Time Capsule into anything except power.
    Set the Time Capsule to "Join an existing wireless network"...
    That is all you need to do.
    Then all the computers should see the Time Capsule.
    If you can't see "Join an existing wireless network" in the choices, hold down on the option key and then click on the choices.
    Give that a try.

  • Can I use the time capsule for my iPhone or do I need a Mac?

    I want a safe backup for my photos from my iPhone. Is time capsule the right device for this or is it only for Mac's??

    iphone has only one means of backup and that is to itunes..
    itunes in a computer should then be backed up to the TC by Time Machine.. that is the idea..
    Perhaps iphone can also backup to the cloud?? I don't own one so I am not sure.
    If you want to directly copy files to the TC you can load a file app.
    That will work but is not automated.

  • Can i use the time capsule also as shared harddrive?

    I want to use the time capsule for both backup and shared harddrive is this possible? I do want to store music and films

    Using the TC for both will also cause conficts.  See #Q3 in Using Time Machine with a Time Capsule for an explanation and some possible workarounds.

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