Time Capsule Falling Off Network During Heavy Activity

This basic topic has been previously posted but keeps getting hijacked by digression. To clearly state the behavior; Time Capsule falls-off (disappears) from a WiFi network during operations where large amounts of data is being moved. This occurs regardless of whether the internal drive or a connected USB drive is the target. This is not an internet issue.
Set-up: Time Capsule is extending an 802.11 b/g/n network originating from an AirPort Express. Time Machine is currently off (because this issue has made it unreliable). The TC has a USB drive with my iTunes library and documents folder. There is one client cpu, a current model Macbook. All drivers and firmware report "up to date." Interface robustness has been both on and off. I have gone to 802.11n only and the problem persists.
The Time Capsule will sit on the network for weeks without issue if data is not being passed to it. When I copy large amounts of data to the TC or the attached USB drive it will vanish off the network until I do a cold boot of it (the TC). I will get a system network error of "DATA-1 cannot be written to" when it happens, which is understandable since the TC is in Oz. I have parked on Channel 1 which reports unused by my sniffer; I have also hopped to other channels but the problem persists. This is a hi-rise apartment environment.
This has been an issue since day-one with this unit and I have brought it to the Genius who could not get it to repeat after hours of testing.

I can't help directly -- just got mine last night -- but to bump your thread and get some clarification...
You say your USB drive attached to the TC has your "iTunes library and documents folder", do you mean literally your Documents folder, or just a folder with documents?
Are you accessing the Internet through your TC, or is it attached to your network as just a device, and you have another router/gateway? When you say "drops off", do you mean you cannot mount it remotely and that's the only problem, or do you lose Internet connectivity -- if it's your gateway -- or does the Airport Utility not see it?
If it's a mounting problem, I assume you cannot see either the internal or external USB drive. Have you tried it without the external USB drive? (I assume that may have been a difference when the Mac Genius tried it. Did you also take your USB drive and did they leave it attached for their testing?)
What about things like temperature conditions, etc? Perhaps if where you keep it is very hot and the Apple Store is very air-conditioned?
Just throwing out a bunch of ideas and questions that might help someone see the problem. Clarification always helps.

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Time Capsule dropping off network after only a few minutes?

Right, I've had a good look through the forums and found a few similar issues to mine but none that are exactly the same or provide any answers, so I'll give it a go and see if anyone has a clue what is going on because I'm stumped.
I've got a new TimeCapsule which is connecting to my home network (through a belkin router), and for the first few days it worked fine. But ever since it's been acting up. To start with it kept dropping from the network and not showing up in either Airport Utility or Finder. Initially simply restarting it worked, but the dropping started getting progressively worse. I tried renaming the machine with a shorter title and no spaces, but the problem continued. Eventually it got to the point where the machine would just hang when switched on with either a solid green or solid amber light - no audible startup procedure or anything. Resetting the machine made no difference - sometimes the light would flash amber and sometimes it would do nothing at all, but neither did anything to the actual machine.
I left the machine off for a good few hours and switched it back on and it showed up in my system long enough for me to reset it and reconfigure it. Then as I tried to change the disc name to something short and without spaces it dropped out again and now seems dead as a dodo once more.
I have checked the local wireless networks, and it seems mine is using channel 2, which no one else seems to be. But I can't stay connected to the TC to change it anyway.
Ironically when it is working it's fine and I can access the files and everything. I'd be tempted to take it back tomorrow but I had moved a few files to the HD when it was working that I'd rather not lose forever.
Any ideas?

I got my puzzle here:
Time Capsule (Firmware 7.3.2) dropping internet connections (PPPoE) every 2-3 minutes, then automatically re-connect.
Time Capsule 500G - bought yesterday
ISP stability - 4 years, I've been using
Computers - PC (Vista), MBP (Mac OS X 10.5.6), MBA (Mac OS X 10.5.6) --- but seems not related to this issue. Even shut down the computers, TC still drops; No "Real Player Updater" found though...
I have to get back to my $55 Buffalo and it's running perfectly stable now...

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.

I am planning on using my time capsule as a network and essentially an external hard drive - not just back up, is this ok?

I am planning on using my time capsule as a network and essentially an external hard drive - not just back up, is this ok?

Most users should use the Time Capsule for backups. This assumes that "original" copies of your data are on the computer and backups of this data are stored on the Time Capsule.
If either the Time Capsule or the hard drive on your computer fails, there are at least copies of your important data on the other drive.
If you are asking if you can place "original" files on the Time Capsule, do you have a plan to backup those files?
If the Time Capsule drive has a problem....and your only copy of your important data is on the Time Capsule....you will lose everything.
If you are asking if this is OK, the answer for most folks would be "no".
Can you clarify if this is what you are asking?

I want to use my airport time capsule as a network attached storage solution, is this possible or do I need to connect a separate hard drive?

I want to use my airport time capsule as a network attached storage solution, is this possible or do I need to connect it to a separate hard drive?

The Time Capsule is by default a network hard drive, but it has no "brains" of it's own. So, it cannot function as a stand alone media server if that is what you are asking.
If you are also using the Time Capsule hard drive for Time Machine backups of your Mac(s), then there may be struggle for available space on the drive since it is not possible to partition the Time Capsule drive in a traditional manner.
If space is getting tight on the Time Capsule, it might be a good idea to connect a drive to the USB port on the Time Capsule and use that drive for your network storage needs.

Using external hard drive on a Time Capsule as a network drive for PCs.

I own a Macbook Air and am using a 2TB Time Capsule router. I am currently using for automatic backups for my Macbook Air.
I also own 2 PC laptops for the rest of the family. Would it be possible to use an external hard drive connected to the USB port of the Time Capsule as a network drive for the PCs? I want to share files between the two PCs.
Thanks

Yes, you can do that.. although it is not necessarily as straight forward as you might think it should be.
1. The TC has to be running SMB compatible names. short, no spaces, pure alphanumeric.
2. The disk must be formatted to file system the TC can read. HFS+ or Fat32.. but the HFS+ is vastly superior.. the actual format is irrelevant from sharing point of view as it is still shared via SMB to the network.
3. It is slow.. half the speed of the same drive plugged into your computer.. although if the connection is over wireless that is probably irrelevant.
4. You might need a powered hub to get the drive to work.. Apple underpower the USB.. and even a powered disk still won't work.
5. There are some issues with the TC getting the USB drive to work.. too many factors to say you will have issues or not.. but be aware this is not as straight forward as it could be. or should be.
6. If you want to share files.. you can always share them directly.. pc to pc or pc to mac.. there is no necessity to do it via a network store.. You can also use the 2TB internal drive.. create a disk image and you can then store you data in that. Internal drive is much more reliable and faster.
See http://pondini.org/TM/TCQ3.html

Time Machine backup to Time Capsule clobbers wireless network

Dear All,
When TimeMachine starts a backup to my new Time Capsule, the wireless network gets clobbered. Other computers on the network's throughput to external sites goes to basically zero (slow ping times, dropped packets- basically unusable.) Is this the expected behavior?
The configuration I have for my home network is
cable modem -> time capsule serving wireless network -> "g" network with 2-3 laptops (macbook pro and dell windows laptops.) The dells can't do anything when Time Machine runs, and since it runs hourly it is a bit irritating. I'm considering getting another Mac and then the downtime of my network would increase even more....
Any help would be appreciated.
Cheers
Peter

My old G5 has 802.11b, and back ups to TC are SLOW. But then the "wire speed" of g is 11M bits/s or ~1 MB/s, but in the real world if you got 100KB/s that's probably good. 100KB/s is only 6 MB/min or .36 GB/hr.
So 2GB/.36GB which is 5.6 hrs.
Or to put it another way that's about 3 GB/hr at very best.
And that's ignoring stuff like compression!
in short: not usable with 802.11g
===
On my Mac Pro with 802.11n (54 Mbs) I get about 8x that because "n" is about 5x faster wire speed and seems to have better "software".
e.g. I get about about 25 GB/hr on my ".11n" system
Still way slow but at least useable.
===
Moral of the story don't bother which TC if you don't have "n"

My Mac Mini (Mid 2011) doesn't connect to Time Capsule in 5GHz Network. This WiFi Network don't appear in the WiFi list. What's Wrong?

My Mac Mini (Mid 2011) doesn't connect to Time Capsule in 5GHz Network. This WiFi Network don't appear in the WiFi list. What's Wrong?

Oh yes, & 5 GHz doesn't do walls very well at all.
GHz and Network Range
The higher the frequency of a wireless signal, the shorter its range. Thus, 2.4 GHz networks cover a substantially larger range than 5 GHz wireless networks. In particular, the higher frequency wireless signals of 5 GHz networks do not penetrate solid objects nearly as well as do 2.4 GHz signals, limiting their reach inside homes.
http://compnetworking.about.com/od/wirelessfaqs/f/5ghz-gear.htm

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.

Can I use time capsule as a network drive?

I want to use the HD in my time capsule as a network drive in addition to backing up my macbook pro and imac desktop. I also have a couple of PCs anda yamaha tuner/amp on the network. Can this be done?

Click here and follow the instructions.
(66659)

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.

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?

Does AirPort Express require a wired connection.......if I already have a wired AirPort Time Capsule on the Network?
No, but you will have much better network performance if you do wire the AirPort Express.
The reason for this is that when you try to extend a network using wireless, you will typically lose about a half of the potential speed capability on the network.
There is no network speed loss when you wire the Express.
Here is what Apple's support document says about this:
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.
Extending the range of your Wi-Fi network by connecting Wi-Fi base stations together using Ethernet is always the best option, and will provide the best throughput

Time Capsule & Airport Express Network Security

I am using my Time Capsule to set up my home wireless network and have extended the network using an Airport Express. Does WPA have to be set on both units (as I have done) or just the Time Capsule for the network to be secure? Since setting up WPA my iPod Touch has had more difficulty connecting and network range seems to have shrunk!

Yes since the AirPort Express (AX) is extending the network it must have the same wireless encryption enabled as the Time Capsule.

Add a 4th génération time capsule to existing network

I have a regular router at home (in the basement) i would like to add a time capsule to my network at the 1st floor of my house to have more wifi power at the 2nd floor or outside an be able to configure time machine for my macbook air... Can I have both router on my network?

The Time Capsule can be installed virtually anywhere you want at your house if you connect an Ethernet cable from one of the LAN <-> ports on your basement router to the WAN "O" port of the Time Capsule.
Then configure the Time Capsule to create a wireless network using the same wireless network name, same security settings and same password as the basement router.
Finally, as the last step, make sure that the Time Capsule has been configured to operate in Bridge Mode to allow it to function correctly on the network.

How do I add time capsule to existing network?

How do I add time capsule to existing network?

Ok.. I am still confused as an Express only has one ethernet for LAN not 4. So you perhaps have an extreme..
If you have an airport extreme.. plug the TC into the extreme with ethernet.. and set it up as bridge in router.
You can also create a wireless network that works alongside the extreme.. this is the best way.
It is also possible to setup the TC to extend the wireless of the extreme.. but this will make backups much slower.. at least half the speed if not worse.

Time Capsule Falling Off Network During Heavy Activity

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