Signal booster time capsule

I have a time capsule and have very slow connectivity at some places in my home.  Is there a way to boost the signal?  I've read Airport Express, Airport Extreme, and some Linksys devices.  Any reason to choose one over the other?  Will boosting the signal create other problems (slow speeds, etc)?

Hi there abstractjerry!
I have a few articles here that I believe can help shed some light on this situation. First, here is some information about troubleshooting your particular issue:
Solution
If Internet access is slow on your computer, confirm your network supports the correct Wi-Fi standards. 802.11n provides the fastest Wi-Fi speeds. Other standards are fast, but you should confirm that your computer is using the fastest protocol available.
Hold the Option key while clicking the Wi-Fi menu.The PHY Mode line shows the protocol your computer is using to join the Wi-Fi network. If this does show the expected 802.11 protocol, you should check the settings of your Wi-Fi router. Consult the manufacturer of your router for information about configuring it.
Disable other active network services. Active network services consume a portion of the available bandwidth. Examples of these include file servers, video streaming, online games, and so forth. When these are in use, they may cause other services to slow down. Try turning off unused network applications to increase the speed of other applications. Be aware that other computers or devices connected to your network may also contribute to poor performance. If you are not sure if a computer associated with your Wi-Fi network is causing poor performance, try turning it off or disconnecting it from the network.
Use WPA2 Authentication, if available. The WPA2 authentication mode meets the highest standards for Wi-Fi compliance and should be used to provide the greatest speeds for modern Wi-Fi networks. Other authentication methods may reduce performance of your Wi-Fi network. In order to change the authentication method offered by your Wi-Fi router, you will need to contact the manufacturer.
Check your range to the Wi-Fi router and reduce the effect of interference. If your computer is too far from your Wi-Fi router or your environment has too much Wi-Fi interference, then your computer may not detect the Wi-Fi network properly. The easiest way to check for range limits with your Wi-Fi network is to move your computer or your Wi-Fi router closer together and make sure that there are no obstructions (such as walls, cabinets, and so forth) between the router and your computer.See Potential sources of wireless interference for more information about interference and solutions.
Try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network. If your computer works fine when connected to a different Wi-Fi network, then the issue may be related to your network router or ISP. In that case, contact the manufacturer of your router or your ISP.
Some information about potential sources of interference with Wi-Fi signals can be found here:
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: Potential sources of wireless interference
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1365
After troubleshooting, if you still desire to extend your network, information regarding this action can be found in these two articles:
Wi-Fi base stations: Setting up and configuring a Wireless Distribution System (802.11b/g)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4262
Wi-Fi base stations: Setting up and configuring a roaming network (802.11 a/b/g/n)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4260
Take care, and thanks for visiting the Apple Support Communities.
-Braden

Similar Messages

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    Unfortunately, a solid amber is light is not a good sign.
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    I have the most odd problem and I can't figure it out.
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    _*Actions Taken*_
    I have spent many hours trying to solve this problem. Actions I have tried:
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    • decrease signal strength of Extreme to 50%. I was thinking maybe the signal of the Extreme was somehow getting messed up with the signal of the Time Capsule and thus affecting the connection between Extreme and Express.
    • set network to run as b/g compatible mode, and g only mode. Makes no difference. Connection between Extreme and Express goes down when Time Capsule hard drive is backing up
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    =======================
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    Message was edited by: Conal Ho

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  • Strength of Time Capsule WiFi Signal

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    Extending your network with an AirPort Express (AX) won't boost the TimeCapsule's (TC's) range per se. It will expand the network's range by adding another transceiver.
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    [Designing AirPort Networks 10.5-Windows manual|http://manuals.info.apple.com/enUS/Designing_AirPort_Networks10.5-Windows.pdf] is another good resource you may find helpful.

  • Time Capsule/Ethernet Connectivity

    Got a bit of a dilemma with my Time Capsule as of yesterday.
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    The TC has gone past its useby date.. the sounds it is making all point to a dead power supply.. this was common problem with Gen1 and Gen2.
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    https://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modem s/apple-time-capsule-repair

  • Will Airport/time capsule work if physically located on the second floor of the house, versus the ground floor?, Will Airport/time capsule work if physically located on the second floor of the house, versus the ground floor?

    I want to know if the location of the time capsule makes a difference in it's performance. Will it work the same if it's located on the second floor of my home, or does it need to be located on the bottom floor?

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    But if you have a Mac laptop, you can get a rough idea of the available signal strength by looking at the AirPort icon at the top of your screen.
    If the Time Capsule is located on the bottom floor now, move your laptop to the proposed "new" upstairs location of the Time Capsule and check the signal strength at that location.  Ideally, you want "full bars" for best performance. If you get a strong signal, the Time Capsule will probably work OK upstairs.

  • Best way to Boost Signal from a Time Capsule is?

    Is the best way to boost my wifi signal from the time capsule an Airport Express?
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    Thanks!

    There's a good step by step in the Designing AirPort Networks guide, pages 43-44.
    http://manuals.info.apple.com/enUS/Apple_AirPort_NetworksEarly2009.pdf
    When you are configuring an AirPort Express with AirPort Utility, it will usually help to temporarily connect an ethernet cable from your computer to the Express. Once you have it configured and updated, you can remove the cable and move the Express back to the desired location.
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  • Two family home sharing one Verizon Fios network. I want to use my time capsule to boost the signal in my basement apartment while still using the Fios network for the apartment upstairs. Is this possible?

    Hi there,
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    The only way to boost signal with apple products is to another apple product.
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  • Does an Airport Express require a wired connection to boost a Wi-Fi signal if I already have a wired Airport Time Capsule on the Network?

    I want to boost the Wi-Fi signal around my house. I have a 3TB Airport Time Capsule connected to my Virgin Media modem via a WLAN connection but wonder if an Airport Express device can be used at a remote location purely wirelessly - apart from a power connection obviously?

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    In the case of a wirelessly extended network, throughput may be reduced to less than 60 percent of that of a single device. The general rule is to keep the Wi-Fi network as simple as possible. You can accomplish this by using the minimum number of Wi-Fi base stations required to service the physical network area and by using Ethernet wherever possible.
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  • I presently have a linksys wifi router, can i connect a time capsule through cat 5 cable for my apple products and to boost my signal ?

    I presently have a linksys wifi router, can i connect a time capsule through cat 5 cable for my apple products and to boost my signal .i live in a three story home and my linksys is in the basement. I have one cable on the top floor where most of my computers/ipads are.

    can i connect a time capsule through cat 5 cable for my apple products and to boost my signal
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  • We use a time capsule as the wireless router for our house.  We cannot get service to the whole house.  Is there anyway to boost the signal?

    We use a 2TB Time Capsule as our wireless airport for the whole house but we can't get the signal to all rooms.  Is there anyway to boost the signal?

    You to purchase an extreme or express and use it as wrieless extender.. that is the only way Apple provided for boosting the signal.

  • Time capsule produces a signal, but won't connect or backup

    I have looked at some of the other discussions here; some are similar, but I can't find an answer.
    I have a TC, Macbook Pro and an iPhone 4, all between 6-10 months old.   My problems started when I turned on all my stuff after being away for 4 weeks over the summer.
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    My iPhone won't connect either.  It too shows a 'full signal', but when I try and connect it says connected/not connected alternately about every 1 second.
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    Please can someone enlighten me - I have worked though every thing I can, and I can't go any further because I can't see any logic to the problem.
    ** Since these problems have started, the TC has not backed anything up - I can't get it to back up, whatever I've tried.
    ** Each time I have re-made my network, when I open Airport Utility, it says 'no wireless devices recognised', and I have to re-start the TC in order to be able to do anything to it.

    Try changing the Firewall setting:
    mDNSResponder - Allow incoming connections
    Background:
    My Time Capsule was working perfectly in Leopard.
    When I upgraded to Slow Leopard, Airport Utility was no longer able to see the Time Capsule - although my Mac (MBP) was still able to connect to the wireless network and out onto the Internet.
    The next day or so I upgraded to Lion (Snow Leopard was only installed to get App store) - the situation remained the same.
    From another Mac (MB - still running Leopard) Airport Utility was still able to connect to Time Capsule.
    I edited the firewall settings on my Lion MBP:
    The mDNSResponder was set to "Block incoming connections".
    I changed this to "Allow incoming connections".
    Airport Utility was then was then able to see the Time Capsule (I can't recall now if I needed a reboot after changing this).
    HTH.

  • Add Airport extreme to Time Capsule to boost Wifi

    We currently use Time Capsule for Wifi throughout our house with one exception. Our family room is on the other side of a brick wall. We have an old Airport extreme and was wondering if we could somehow add it to the network to boost the wifi into the family room. Thanks.

    Hello williards. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
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    2) If Ethernet is not possible, consider employing Powerline adapters. These adapter take advantage of your home's electrical circuit to create a hybrid Ethernet circuit between adapters. Note: It is important that the two adapters are on the same electrical circuit.

  • Airport Express with Time Capsule - Stronger Signal, No Increase in Speed

    I just added an Airport Express to extend my network from a Time Capsule. Pretty sure I set it up right (extend the network selected in Airport Express, allow the network to be extended in Time Capsule). I get the green light and do get a stronger signal in the far reaches of my house where before I added the Airport Express there was almost no signal. The Time Capsule is in bridge mode connected to a Verizon FIOS router doing the DHCP, NAT, etc. The problem is, there is still less than 1Mbps with the Airport Express, even though the signal strength is 80+%. I have moved it around to different locations without much effect. I would think that with the green light, a stronger signal, and the fact that I can connect (although at low speed), I have it working, but the throughput is terrible. Does extending the network (non-WDS) with the Airport Express cause a significant slowdown? Is there any way to boost the signal from the Time Capsule (power, external antenna, etc.)? Moving it is not an viable option. Thanks in advance.

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