Time Capsule variable network reliability

For years we have had an issue with using Time Capsule for backup through Time Machine. It is a variable issue, but has finally become annoying enough that I am trying to figure it out.
We use an older first generation time capsule for small office backup. There is a 2Gb additional hard drive hung off the Time Capsule for additional backup capacity since the Time Capsule is simply not large enough to handle more than one or two computers. I have partitioned the external drive into multiple partitions so that each computer backing up to the external drive has a separate partition. I understand that there are reliability issues with keeping an external drive mounted on the network so won't worry about that for now.
So here is my problem over the last couple of days. Time Capsule frequently, several times per day, drops off the network and is not available for Time Machine to backup. This results in having to manually hard restart Time Capsule repeatedly. I saw a post indicating that this had been a problem with firmware 7.6.2 and 7.6.3 so downgraded the Time Capsule to 7.5.2. This seemed to help, but we are still having problems with it.
In order to monitor the status of Time Capsule for the past two days I have had Time Capsule along with one of the partitions mounted at all times on my computer and have had AirPort Utility running. Several times a day AirPort Utility will show the Time Capsule as having changed to an error status
"Time Capsule was previously part of your network. Check that it is still in range of your network and is plugged into a power outlet. Forgetting this device removes it from this network."
This wouldn't be troubling if it weren't for the fact that both Time Capsule and the external partition are still mounted and can still be accessed from my desktop so I know that it is actually still part of the network. I can enter Time Machine without a problem using the backup that is supposedly not on the network.
I have also had it refuse to back up to the Time Capsule in Time Machine claiming that the backup could not be located. The drive was still mounted on my computer. I deleted Time Capsule as the backup disk in Time Machine preferences and then reselected it and it proceeded to backup to Time Capsule with no problem.
AirPort Utility and Time Machine are recognizing Time Capsule as being present for some purposes, but not others, even though it is properly on the network the entire time. Any ideas as to where this is going wrong would be helpful.

The problem is not unusual.. ever since Lion.. and more so with Mountain Lion the hard disk of the TC has been disappearing even though actual network connection to the internet or local computer is maintained.
There is no fix. There isn't even a work around. The usual method of fix is to reboot the TC.
I can suggest a few things which I think can help but none is a cure.
When it reaches several times per day.. frankly I would be purchasing a new solution.
You may be seeing the belated death of the TC power supply.. yours (if not already repaired) has clung tenaciously to life.. when most of its peers are long dead. It is really too old to be bothered replacing just the power supply.. although that is possible.
See https://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modem s/apple-time-capsule-repair
Suggested settings.
1. Start with a factory reset.. this will not mess up files on the hard disks. Use SMB naming for everything.. ie windows networking which is the most basic of networking.. all names must be short, no spaces and pure alphanumeric.. for everything in the TC.
See C9 here. http://pondini.org/TM/Troubleshooting.html
2. Same rules for passwords.. but for wireless you can use more characters. (depending on your level of paranoia.. but it is worth thinking about, is wireless worse than ethernet for computers on the network. ie do computers with ethernet have less dropouts??)
3. Is the TC main router for the network? If so I recommend you reduce the dhcp lease time to 20min.. I think this can help keep things updated.. but also use dhcp reservations on everything you can so IP addresses do not change.

Similar Messages

Is there a way to see and have control over who connects to your time capsule wifi network?

Ok, have this question. Have a time capsule wifi network. Have the latest mountain lion on my mac pro. I know if you go into airport utility, and you click on the picture of my timecapsule it shows what clients are connected to my time capsule aka using my internet etc.
What I want to know, is there somewhere I can go on the mac where I can view who is connected to my time capsule wifi in more detail, see amounts of data they are using, and maybe even boot them off, or ban there computer from the network for a while if need be? Trying to assess what family members are using up all our data, and want to ban the appropriate offenders
Even if Mac doesnt have anythink, if you know any third parties from the app store that have an app that is like a "tap" on the top of your Mac that shows networking details, that would be great too!
Thanks heaps!

Nope.. TC are not burdened with controls.. don't you know..
In fact you will find it hard to find a wireless router on the market that mets your specs.. but there is a great 3rd party firmware.. called gargoyle.. this can be loaded like an official firmware in a NETGEAR WNDR3800 which is a fairly cheap very good solid wireless router.. bridge your TC behind this router running gargoyle and you can set quota for all your family members (kids I imagine). Quota can be set for daily, weekly even hourly.. and you can apply throttles or qos.. none of these controls even exist in the TC.

Hi i would like to know how to extend the range of my time capsule wifi network(500G 802.11n) using an airport express. i have a double storey home and would like to extend range to my upstairs bedrooms.i have a time capsules network setup via a netgear a

hi i would like to know how to extend the range of my time capsule wifi network(500G 802.11n) using an airport express. i have a double storey home and would like to extend range to my upstairs bedrooms.i have a time capsules network setup via a netgear adsl.i have a second imac upstairs which connects to time capsule wifi network (it is within range as it is directly abobe on 1st floor)
could you tell me how best to set airport express up to extend my wifi range?

Greetings,
This is called an "Extended wireless network".
Read this article for details and steps on how to extend your TimeCapsule's network:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4259
Cheers.

Solution for Windows 7 can not connect to Time Capsule Guest network

Problem: Sony Vaio running Windows 7 (64bit) will not connect to my Time Capsule Guest network
For added security, I set up a guest network at home. My friend brought over a Vaio and was unable to get an internet connection via my Guest network. The Vaio connected to the Time Capsule with no problem, with full bars, but was not able to get on the internet.
After way too many hours going through useless online suggestions and even calling Apple tech support to see if there might be a known compatibility issue (where I was told they had no idea and I should call Mr Softy) I discovered that the Vaio had somehow set itself to use the DNS Server address of the Time Capsule, main network, not the guest network. (ie Main network uses 10.1...., Guest uses 172.1....) so once I set the Vaio to Obtain DNS server address automatically it fixed the problem and connected to the internet via the Guest network.
Detailed solution:
Configure Time Capsule Guest as follows:
Network Name: fill in the blank
Allow Guest Network to communicate: left unchecked
Guest Network Security: WPA/WPA2 Personal
Password: fill in the blank
Configure Vaio:
Set up new connection from the Network and Sharing center using the name given to Guest network
(for password chose WPA2-Personal>AES>then your Guest Password)
Select Manage wireless networks from left column in main Network and Sharing center window
Select Adapter Properties
Click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) to highlight it, and Select Properties
Make sure both Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically are selected then OK & go back to Network and Sharing center
Connection is active.
Hope this helps those condemned to playing system admin for their windows brethren

Great post!
Here are a couple of more methods to add to your bag of tricks:
Method #1: Use Win7's built-in diagnostics to remedy network maladies
• Start > Start Search > type in: ncpa.cpl <Enter>
• Select current active connection.
• Click Diagnose this connection
• Select Reset the network adapter
Method #2: Use the ipconfig tool to renew the DHCP-provided IP address information
• Start, then click Run, and then, type: cmd, and then, press <enter>
• At the prompt, enter the following commands; press <enter> after entering each one:
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

My MBP doesn't remember my Time Capsule wireless network when waking from sleep

My MBP (OS 10.5.8) doesn't remember my Time Capsule wireless network when waking from sleep. Thus, every time my MBP wakes from sleep, I need to select the Airport icon in the upper menu bar, select "Join other network", enter SSID and password. This is very cumbersome. And, I never had this problem when I was using the ISP's provided wireless router/gateway/DSL modem. Adding the Time Capsule and using it to generate the wireless network has introduced this problem.
It appears that this problem has to do with the hidden SSID. I don't need the lecture on how hidden SSID provides no serious security benefit. That's why I have the WPA2 encryption. I'm interested in a solution that will allow the Time Capsule to generate the wireless network, maintain a hidden SSID, continue to use WPA2 encryption, but have my MBP recognzie and autoconnect to this network.
Solutions I've alread tried:
1. Open Network Preferences
2. Select Airport from left hand column (and ensure Airport is at top of that list)
3. Select Advanced
4. Delete all Preferred Networks.
5. Apply settings.
6. Restart computer
7. Return to Network Preferences and from Advanced page, manually add my network with hidden SSID and WPA2 password
This solution works fine as long as I don't take my computer elsewhere and connect to another network. As soon as my preferred networks list gets another network, my MBP stops finding my TC network. Since I take my laptop to a lot of places (it's a laptop, after all...) this is a problem.
As I say, prior to adding the TC on my network (and using it to generate the wireless network), my MBP had no problem keeping 50+ preferred network names/passwords in the Preferred Network list, but always automatically finding/connecting to my home network without the need to "Join other network." Thus, I assume the problem lies with the Time Capsule.
Any ideas?

LaPastenague, thanks for weighing in. Didn't know that the hidden SSID capability was not IEEE standardized, and thus different devices will handle hidden SSID differently. With my admittedly limited knowledge of how SSID/hidden SSID works, I'm still a little confused as to why my MBP would remember the generic router/gateway's hidden network, but struggle with the TC's hidden network.
To my knowledge, when an SSID is broadcast by a base station (Airport, wireless gateway, etc.), a connecting device (like a laptop, iPad, etc.) detects this broadcast--this would be a passive reception of this SSID signal.
When an SSID is hidden, the base station does not broadcast its identification. Rather, a connecting device must transmit the name, and when the base station recognizes the broadcast, the connection is made. That's what you do when you select "Join another network" and manually enter the SSID.
The idea with OS X's Network Preferences is that these steps, whether for hidden networks or broadcast SSIDs, become automated.
Where is the potential for a different chipset between the TC and the previously used wireless router/gateway to alter this functionality? Shouldn't the selection of an SSID by the MBP to broadcast to seek for a base station be a function solely on the MBP? And once broadcast by the MBP, the TC should detect and reply?
Basically, the MBP can connect to the hidden TC manually just fine. The MBP can connect to the old setup automatically just fine. The MBP cannot connect to the TC automatically. Aren't these automatic connection functions solely on the MBP?
I'll try un-hiding the network and re-verifying that the problem is exclusively with the hidden network.
Z

Airport Express, Time Capsule, Extended Network

I have cable broadband entering the house downstairs and connects to Airport Express to broadcast wirelessly around the house.
I work upstairs on my MBP and can connect to wi-fi ok.
I also have Time Capsule upstairs without wired connection to internet, it creates a separate network so that I would have to connect to it for automatic back ups (which obviously disconnects me from wi-fi internet).
What I would like to do is have Time Capsule join Airport Express wi-fi network so that I am connected wirelessly to internet and at the same time for Time Capsule to do its automtaic back ups.
Is this possible and could somebody give me a step by step guide how to do it.

You will need to know the exact type of wireless security setting that the AirPort Express is now using in order to configure the Time Capsule to "join" that wireless network. To do this....
Connect your Mac to the AirPort Express wireless network
Open Macintosh HD > Applications> Utilities > AirPort Utility
Click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab located just under the row of icons
Jot down the exact setting that you see for Wireless Network Name and Wireless Security
Close AirPort Utility
Now, connect your Mac to the Time Capsule wireless network as if you were going to back up
Open AirPort Utility and Click Manual Setup
Click the Wireless tab under the row of icons
Hold down the option key on your Mac while you click on the Wireless Mode selection box and select "Join a wireless network"
Wireless Network Name = Same name as your AirPort Express wireless network
Wireless Security = Exact same setting that you wrote down for the AirPort Express network
Wireless Password = Same password as the AirPort Express network
Confirm Password
Click Update and close AirPort Utility as soon as you see the message that the settings have been stored
Wait 25-30 seconds for the Time Capsule to restart to a green light
Now, log back on to your AirPort Express wireless network
Open AirPort Utility again as a check and you should see both the AirPort Express and the Time Capsule, which indicates that the Time Capsule is now on the same wireless network as the AirPort Express
When you have confirmed this, you will need to reset Time Machine to tell it how to find your Time Capsule for backups as follows:
Open System Preferences (gear icon on the dock)
Open Time Machine
Click Select Disk
Click your Time Capsule disk to highlight it
Click Use for Backup
Click Connect (if prompted)
Backups will resume in a few moments but they are going to take longer since the wireless is running at "g" wireless levels
Please post on your results

HT4145 Does this article apply to OS X Lion and Airport Utility 6.0? Reason: Airport Utility cannot find my Airport Extreme (4th generation) wirelessly on my Time Capsule configured network even although the firmware in both units is up to date.

Does this article apply to OS X Lion and Airport Utility 6.0?
Reason: Airport Utility cannot find my Airport Extreme (4th generation) wirelessly on my Time Capsule configured network even although the firmware in both units is up to date.

I thought you were trying to Extend the network with an Express as the article mentions you pointed to...
You can't find the Airport Extreme then...
I woudl suggest doing a Factory reset....
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3728
Then you should be able to set it up just as you did when it was new....
Factory default reset (using reset button)
If the AirPort Base Station or Time Capsule isn't accessible from AirPort Utility, the Factory Default reset can be accomplished by using the reset button.
Unplug the AirPort Base Station or Time Capsule from power.
Press and hold the reset button with a pen or pencil, then plug the AirPort Base Station or Time Capsule back in while continuing to hold the button until you see the light (LED) flash rapidly. This should happen after a few seconds.
Release the button. This will factory default reset the AirPort Base Station or Time Capsule.

Time Capsul "Guest Network" has gone down and cannot resuscitate . Main network and back up working fine.

Time Capsul "Guest Network" has gone down and cannot resuscitat. Main Network and back up working fine. Suggestions?

Cisco DPQ 2925 is according to Cisco.....a modem/router or gateway type of device that combines the functions of a modem and router in one package. See info below:
http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/video/at_home/Cable_Modems/3900_Series/ OL-30824-01.pdf
Unfortunately, the guest network feature will not work correctly when the AirPort is connected to the type of "modem" that you have. If that feature is important to you, please check with your Internet service provider and ask them if they can provide a simple modem.....not a modem/router or gateway.
Ironically, we have seen a few posts from users who claim to be able to get the guest network to work with the type of "modem" that you have, but to do so will result in what is known as a Double NAT error on the network......basically two devices both trying to act as the router for the network.
That can result in IP address conflicts and other issues created by the Double NAT such as slow browsing, no browsing, poor communications between devices on the network\, and other unpredictable things.
Sometimes, you can get away with a Double NAT issue on a simple home network, but I would not recommend this type of setup.

IPhone will not find Time Capsule Wifi network?

recently updated my phone to the latest and greatest, but now it will not find my Time Capsule wifi network... even when standing right next to the capsule itself.
this does not seem to be a problem with an old base station... just the time capsule has disappeared off of the phone's network list. my macbook pro and apple tv continue to function normally... only the phone that is acting up.
anyone have any ideas?

No immediate thoughts other than when I synced my iPhone with my Mac, which was set up to connect to the TC, the iPhone seems to be configured with all the right settings as if they had migrated across.
Perhaps try a resync ?

I want a new and more powerful (non-Apple) wireless router but I still want to use my existing Time Capsule to continue with my Time Machine backups and I still need the Time Capsule's Network Attached Storage (NAS) features and capabilities

THE SHORTER STORY
My goal is to successfully use my existing Time Capsule (TC) with a new and more powerful wireless router. I need a new and more powerful wireless router in order to reach a distant Denon a/v receiver that is physically located in a master bedroom some 50 feet away from my modem. I need to provide this Denon a/v receiver with an Internet connection so that it can obtain its firmware updates and I need to connect this Denon a/v receiver to my network in order to use its AirPlay feature. I believe l still need the TC's Network Attached Storage (NAS) features because I am not sure if the new wireless router will provide me with the NAS like features / capabilities I need to share files between my two Apple laptops with OS X 10.8.2. And I know that I absolutely need my TC's seamless integration with Apple's Time Machine (TM) application in order to continue to make effortless backups of my two Apple laptops. To my knowledge nothing works with TM like Apple's TC. I also need the hard disk storage space built into the TC.
I cannot use a long wired Ethernet cable connection in this apartment and I cannot use power-line adapters. I have read that wireless range extenders and repeaters are difficult to successfully set-up and that they will reduce data speeds, especially so when incorrectly set-up. I cannot relocate my modem and/or primary base station wireless router.
In short, I want to use my TC with my new and more powerful wireless router. I need to stop using the TC to connect to the modem. However, I still need the TC for seamless TM backups. I also need to use the TC's built in hard drive for storage. And I may still need the TC's NAS capabilities to share files wirelessly between laptops because I am assuming the new wireless router will not provide NAS capabilities for OS X 10.8.2 (products like this/non-Apple products rarely seem to work with OS X 10.8.2/Macs to provide NAS features and capabilities). Finally, I want to continue to use my Apple laptop and AirPlay to wirelessly access and play my iTunes music collection stored on the TC's hard drive. I also want to continue to use my Apple laptop, AirPlay and Apple TV to wirelessly watch movies and TV shows stored on the additional external hard drive connected to the TC via USB. Can someone please advise on how to set-up my new Asus wireless router with my existing TC in such a way to accomplish all of this?
What is the best configuration or set-up to accomplish my above goals?
Thank you in advance for your assistance!!!
THE FULL STORY
I live in an apartment building where my existing Time Capsule (TC) is located in my living room and serves many purposes. Specially, my TC is at least all of the following:
(1) Wi-Fi router connected to Comcast Internet service via Motorola SB6121 cable modem - currently the TC is the Wi-Fi base station that connects to the modem and has the gateway address to the Internet. The TC now provides the DHCP service for the Wi-Fi network.
(2) Wireless router providing Internet and Wi-Fi network access to several Wi-Fi clients - two Apple laptop computers, an iPod touch, an iPad and an iPhone all connect wirelessly to the Internet via the TC.
(3) Wired Ethernet router providing Internet and Wi-Fi network access to three different devices - a Panasonic TV, LG Blu-Ray player and an Apple TV each use one of the three LAN ports on the back of the TC to gain access to the Internet.
(4) Primary base station in my attempt to extend my wireless network to a distant (located far away) Denon a/v receiver requiring a wired Ethernet connection - In addition to the TC, which is my primary base station, I am also using a second extended Wi-Fi base station (a Netgear branded product) to wirelessly extend my WiFi network to a Denon receiver located in the master bedroom and requiring a wired Ethernet connection. I cannot use a wired Ethernet connection to continuously travel from the living room to the master bedroom. The distance is too great as I cannot effectively hide the Ethernet cable in this apartment.
(5) Time Machine (TM) backup facilitator - I use my TC to wirelessly back-up two Apple laptops using Apple's Time Machine (TM) application. However, I ran out of storage space on my TC and therefore added external storage to it. Specifically, I added an external hard drive to my TC via the USB port on the back of the TC. I now use this added external hard drive connected to the TC via USB as the destination storage drive for my TM back-ups. I have partitioned the added external hard drive, and each of the several partitions all have enough storage space (e.g., each of the two partitions used by TM are sized at three times the hard drive space of each laptop, etc.). Everything works flawlessly.
(6) Network Attached Storage (NAS) - In addition to using the TC's Network Attached Storage (NAS) capabilities to wirelessly back-up two Apple laptops via TM, I also store other additional files on both (A) the hard drive built into the TC and (B) the additional external hard drive connected to the TC via USB (there are additional separate partitions on this drive for these other additional and non-TM backup files).
I use the TC's NAS feature with my Apple laptop and AirPlay to wirelessly access and play my iTunes music collection stored on the TC's hard drive. I also use my Apple laptop, AirPlay and Apple TV to wirelessly watch movies and TV shows stored on the additional external hard drive connected to the TC via USB. Again, everything works wirelessly and flawlessly. (Note: the Apple TV is connected to the network via Ethernet and a LAN port on the back of the TC).
The issue I am having is when I try to listen to music via Apple's AirPlay in the master bedroom. This master bedroom is located at a distance of two rooms away from the TC's current location in the living room, which is a distance of about 50 feet. This apartment has a long rectangular floor plan where each room is connected to the next in a straight line. In order to use AirPlay in the master bedroom I am using a second extended Wi-Fi base station (a Netgear branded product) to wirelessly extend my WiFi network to a Denon receiver located in the master bedroom and requiring a wired Ethernet connection. This additional base station connects wirelessly to the WiFi network provided by my TC and then gives my Denon receiver the wired Ethernet connection it needs to use AirPlay. I have tried moving my iTunes music directly onto my laptop's hard drive, and then I used AirPlay on this same laptop to connect to the Denon receiver. I always get a successful connection and the song plays, but the problem is that the connection inevitably drops.
I live in an apartment building and all of the many wireless routers in this building create a great deal of WiFi interference on both the 2.4 GHz and 5GHz bands. I have tried connecting the Netgear product to each the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, but neither band can successfully maintain a wireless connection between the TC and the Netgear product. I also attempted to maintain a wireless connection to an iPod touch using the 2.4 GHz band and AirPlay on this iPod touch to play music on the Denon receiver. Again, I was able to establish a connection and successfully play music, but after a few minutes the connection dropped and the music stopped playing. I therefore have concluded that I have a poor wireless connection in the master bedroom. I can establish a connection, but it is intermittent with frequent drops. I have verified this with both laptops by working in the master bedroom for an entire day on both laptops. The Internet connection in this master bedroom proved to drop out frequently - about once an hour with the laptops. The wireless connection and the frequency of its dropout are far worse with the iPod touch and an iPhone.
I cannot relocate the TC. Also, this is an apartment and I therefore cannot extend the range of my network with Ethernet cable (I cannot drill through walls/ceilings, etc.). It is an old building with antiquated wiring and power-line adapters are not likely to function properly, nor can I spare the direct power outlet required with a power-line adapter. I simply need every outlet I can get and cannot afford to block any direct outlet.
My solution is to use a more powerful wireless router. I found the ASUS RT-AC66U Dual-Band Wireless-AC1750 Gigabit Router which will likely provide a better connection to my wireless Internet in the master bedroom than the TC. The 802.11ac band of this Asus wireless router is totally useless to me, but based on what I have read I believe this router will provide a stronger connection at greater distances then my TC. And I will be ready for 802.11ac when it becomes more widely available.
However, I still need to maintain the TC's ability to work seamlessly with TM to backup my two laptops. Also, I doubt the new Asus router will provide OS X 10.8.2 with NAS like features and capabilities. Therefore, I still would like to use the TC's NAS capabilities to share files on my network wirelessly assuming the Asus wireless router fails to provide this feature. I need a new and more powerful wireless router, but I need to maintain the TC's NAS features and seamless integration with TM. Finally, I want to continue to use my Apple laptop and AirPlay to wirelessly access and play my iTunes music collection stored on the TC's hard drive. I also want to continue to use my Apple laptop, AirPlay and Apple TV to wirelessly watch movies and TV shows stored on the additional external hard drive connected to the TC via USB. Can someone advise on how to set-up my existing TC with this new Asus wireless router in such a way to accomplish all of this?
Modem
Motorola SB6121 SURFboard DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem
Existing Wireless Router and Primary Wi-Fi Base Station - Apple Time Capsule
Apple Time Capsule MC343LL/A 1TB Sim DualBand (purchased June 2010, likely the Winter 2009 Model)
Desired New Wireless Router and Primary Wi-Fi Base Station - Non-Apple Asus
ASUS RT-AC66U Dual-Band Wireless-AC1750 Gigabit Router
Extended Wi-Fi Base Station - Provides an Ethernet Connection to a Denon A/V Receiver Two Rooms Away from the Modem
Netgear Universal Dual Band Wireless Internet Adapter for TV & Blu-Ray (WNCE3001)
Addition External Hard Drive Attached to the Existing Apple Time Capsule via USB
WD My Book Studio 4TB Mac External Hard Drive Storage USB 3.0
Existing Laptops on the Wireless Network Requiring Time Machine Backups
MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2012) OS X 10.8.2
MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2010) OS X 10.8.2
Other Existing Apple Products (Clients) on the Wireless Network
iPod Touch (second generation) is model A1288.
iPad (1st generation)
Apple TV (3rd generation) - Quantity two (2)

Thanks Bob Timmons.
In regards to a Plan B, I hear ya brother. I am already on what feels like Plan Z. Getting WiFi to a far off room in an apartment building crowded with WiFi routers is a major pain.
I am basing my thoughts on the potential of a new and more powerful router reaching the far off master bedroom based on positive reviews on cnet.com, pcmag.com and pcworld.com. All 3 of these web sites have reviewed the Asus RT-AC66U 802.11AC wireless router as well as its virtual twin cousin 802.11n router. What impressed me is that all 3 sites rated this router #1 overall in terms of both range and speed (in both the 802.11n and 802.11AC flavors). They tested the router in real world scenarios where the router needed to compete with a lot of other wireless routers. One of the sites even buried this Asus router in a media room with thick walls and inside a media cabinet. This Asus router should be able to serve my 2.4 GHz band wireless clients (iPod Touch and iPhone 4) with a 2.4GHz Wireless-N band offering some 50 feet of dependable range and a 60 Mbps throughput at that range. I am hoping that works, but it's borderline for my master bedroom. My 5 GHz wireless clients (laptops) will enjoy a 5GHz Wireless-N band offering 150 feet of range and a 200 Mbps throughput at that range. I have no idea what most of that stuff means, but I did also read that Asus could reach 300 feet and I got really excited. My mileage may vary of course and I'm sure I'm making some mistakes in my interpretation of their data. However, my Winter 2009 Time Capsule was rated by cnet.com to deliver real world performance of less than that, and 802.11AC may or may not be useful to me someday. But when this Asus arrives and provides anything other than an excellent and consistent wireless signal without drops in the master bedroom it's going right back!
Your solution sounds great, but I have some questions. I'm using OS X 10.8.2 and Airport Utility (version 6.1 610.31) and on its third tab labeled "Wireless" the top option enables you to set "Network Mode" to either:
Create a wireless network
Extend a wireless network
Off
Given your advice to "Turn off the wireless on the TC," should I set Network Mode to Off? Sorry, I'm clueless in regards to how to turn off the wireless on the TC any other way. Can you provide specific steps on how to turn off the wireless on the TC? If what I wrote is correct then what should the rest of this Wireless tab look like, or perhaps it is irrelevant when wireless is off?
Next, what do you mean by "Configure the TC in Bridge Mode?" Under Airports Utility's fourth tab labeled "Network" the top option "Router Mode" allows for either:
DHCP and Nat
DHCP Only
Off (Bridge Mode)
Is your advice to Configure the TC in Bridge Mode as simple as setting Router Mode to Off (Bridge Mode)? If yes, then what should the rest of this "Network" tab look like? Anything else involved in configuring the TC in Bridge Mode or is it really as simple as setting the Router Mode to "Off (Bridge Mode)"?
How about the other tabs in Airport Utility, can they all stay as is assuming I use the same network name and password for the new Asus wireless router? Or do I need to make any other changes to the TC via Airport Utility?
Finally, in regards to your Plan B suggestion. I agree. But do you have a Plan B for me? I would greatly appreciate any alternative you could provide. Specifically, if you needed a TC's Internet connection to reach a far off corner of your home how would you do it? In the master bedroom I need both a wired Ethernet connection for the Denon a/v receiver and wireless Internet connection for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Power-Line Adapters - High Cost, Blocks at Least One Wall Outlet and Does Not Solve the Wireless Need
I actually like exactly one power-line adapter, which is the D-Link DHP-540 PowerLine AV 500 4-Port Gigabit Switch. This D-Link power-line adapter plugs into your wall outlet with a normal sized plug (regular standard power cord much like any other electronic device) instead of all of the other recommended power-line adapters that not only use at least one wall outlet but also often block the second outlet. You cannot use a power strip with a power-line adapter which is very impractical for me. And everything about my home is strange and upside down. The wiring here is a disaster and I don't have faith in its ability to carry Internet access from the living room to the master bedroom. And this D-Link power-line adapter costs $90 each and I need at least two to make the connection to the Denon A/V receiver. So, $180 on this solution and I still don't have a dependable drop free wireless connection in the master bedroom. The Denon might get its Ethernet Internet connection from the power-line adapter, but if I want to use an iPhone 4 or iPod Touch to stream AirPlay music to the Denon wirelessly (Pandora/iTunes, etc.) from the master bedroom the wireless connection will not be stable in there and I've already spent $190 on just the two power-line adapters needed.
Extenders / Repeaters / Wirelessly Extending the Wireless Network
I have also read great things about the Amped Wireless High Power Wireless-N 600mW Gigabit Dual Band Range Extender (Repeater) SR20000G and the My Net Wi-Fi Range Extender. The former is very powerful and the latter is easier to install. Both cost about $150 ish so similar to a new Asus router. However, everything I read about Range Extenders points to them not being very effective for a far off corner of your house wherein it's apparently hard to place the range extender in the sweet spot where it both gets a strong enough signal to actually effectively extend the wireless signal and otherwise does not reduce network throughput speeds to unacceptable speeds.
Creating a Roaming Network By Hard Wiring with Ethernet Cable - Wife Would Say, "**** No!"
Even Apple seems to warn against wirelessly extending your network (see: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4145#) and otherwise strongly recommends a roaming network where Ethernet cable is used to connect two wireless base stations. However, I am in an apartment where stringing together two wireless base stations with Ethernet cable would have an extremely low wife acceptance factor (WAF). I cannot (both contractually and from a skill prospective) hide Ethernet wire in the walls or ceiling. And having visible Ethernet cable running from room-to-room would be unacceptable, especially to the wife.
So what is left? Do you have a Plan B for me? Thanks in advance for your help!

Cannot join time capsule airport network from iPad 2 or iPhone 4

I have recently setup a new time capsule airport base station network with my new iMac (27-inch, late 2012) running OSX 10.8.2. Wi-Fe network works fine for internet access and printing from the iMac but I cannot join the wi-fi network from our iPad 2 or iphones. The network is seen in the wi-fi setup when wi-fi is turned on with the ipad and phone but does not establish a connection. An IP address and subnet mask show under the DHCP settings but the connection is not established. (Continuous revolving wheel).
Any help would be appreciated.

The airport utility in Mountain Lion is a toyland version.. see bottom of post for installing v5.6 which improves the ability to actually make the TC do what you want.
For whatever reason the iphone/ipad seem sensitive to wireless channels.. which Apple auto rotate.. I think it is bluetooth connection stuff.
Anyhow jump in and set the following.
Wireless should have strictly SMB names.. short no spaces, pure alphanumeric.
Use WPA2 Personal security.
Lock the wireless channel for 2.4ghz.. try in the following order.. 11, 6, 1 (those are the only non-overlapping channels) you can try in turn for which is best but if 11 works well stick to it.. Outside USA you can also use 13.
How to load 5.6 into ML.
1. Download 5.6 for Lion.
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1482
Click to open the dmg but do not attempt to install the pkg.. it won't work anyway.
2. Download and install unpkg.
http://www.timdoug.com/unpkg/
Run unpkg on the desktop.. it is very simple.. drag the AirPortUtility56.pkg file over to unpkg.. and it will create a new directory of the same name on the desktop.. drill down.. applications utilities .. there lo and behold is Airport utility 5.6 .. drag it to your main utilities directory or just run it from current location.
You cannot uninstall 6.1 so don't try.. and you cannot or should not run them both at the same time.. so just ignore the toyland version.. the plastic hammer.. and start using 5.6.. a real tool.

Do I need to setup my AirPort Express on a modem before trying to connect it wirelessly to my time capsule existing network?

I have an airport express that I used in another location. I brought it home and want to use it with my existing network and time capsule to do AirTunes. I can't get the Express to show up in my airport utility to even set it up. Do I need to connect it to my time capsule with an ethernet cable first to configure, or should it be showing up as a device to add to my network automatically?

1. i would restore the express to factory defaut by holding the reset button on the unit with a paperclip while you are powering it on
2. if it restored, you should be able to see it in your wifi icon at top of screen as "airport express"
or you can see it in airport utility
3. then if you want to connect it wirelessly to your time capsule, you would choose "extend network" and put in relevant security and password....this would make the express a wireless access point, fed by your time capsule(main router)
if you chose to do it wired which is a better way if you have access to ethernet port at wall, you would choose "create a wireless network" and then under the "network" tab you would choose "Bridge Mode".....this would make the express a wired access point, fed by your time capsule(main router)

How can I reconfigure an Airport Timecapsule and Airport Extreme Base Station to extend a new Time Capsule 3TB network.

Previously they were configured to be part of a network attached to a cable modem. Now I have a DSL modem. I can get the 3TB Time Capsule tower to be recognized by my AirPort Utility but cannot get the older 2TB Time Capsule and Extreme Base Station to be recognised as wifi extensions of the 3TB Wi-Fi Base Station. This latter base station is set up in Bridge mode and the wifi is switched off on the DSL Modem. I am trying to recreate a home network (I have created a newly named one) and use the Apple products as the wifi routers, leaving the fibre optic-supplied DSL modem to interface with the internet.
I would have thought that I should set-up the 3TB Time Capsule Base Station in DHCP network mode, but trying to do so gives me error messages and renders the network inoperative. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get the AirPort utility to recognise the two other devices (Base Stations) as extensions of the main one? I have tried with RJ45 cabel connections to no avail.

First, it would be wise to update your computer to OS X Mavericks. It's just a free update, but it really helps your computer.
Once you've done that, on to the fix.
In Airport Utility, select the old router and click "edit". Click the Wireless tab. Select Off. Click Update, and wait. During the update, you should use your phone to read this, as you may have no wireless for a time.
Once the update is done, click the new Time Capsule and click "edit". Select the wireless tab, and change the Network Mode to "Create a Wireless Network". Choose your name, security and password. Click Update. Once the new Time Capsule is plugged in and wired, you should be able to connect to your network from your laptop.
Back on the old Time Capsule, go to the Wireless Tab and select, "Extend a Wireless Network". Select your network, and click update.
On the Airport Extreme, do the same as the old Time Capsule.
You should be done! Now, you can move your old Time Capsule somewhere else as use it as an extention of your network. And the same with the Airport Extreme. Enjoy your 5TB of network storage!

Change NAME of User Account, Home Directory, Time Capsule and Network

Hi All.
I have a small home network and I would like to do this for all four of these.
I think I have instructions on doing this for User Account, Home Directory and Time Capsule.
Can anyone give me the "it is OK to do this" so I don't have to worry about something going wrong in the future?
Also, can I do this for my network and does anyone know where I find this?
Thanks.

hotwheels 22 wrote:
So I gather I cannot rename the name of the "Macintosh HD" which I guess is the name of my Hard Drive?
Technically, it's the name of the OSX volume or partition, but is often just called your internal hard drive, since most folks only have one partition. But some have multiple partitions, usually for dual booting, such as OSX and Windows; or Lion and Snow Leopard.
Yes, you can rename it easily (but you might check whether that will cause a problem with DejaVu). It won't be a problem for Time Machine.
Just right-click it in a Finder sidebar or on your desktop. Do not use any slashes or colons, however -- you might want to avoid any punctuation or special characters.
And then - In Accounts I have "Full Name" as literally my first and last name.
Yes. Each user account has a full name and a short name. The full name isn't used for much.
the HOME FOLDER is showing a totally different name than the "Full Name".
Correct. It's the same as the short name.
So I set the HOME FOLDER name through some hocus pocus in the article and then what is the relationship between these things?
The short name and the home folder name should be the same. The article shows how to rename the home folder, create a new user account with a matching name, then delete the old account.
If you're not comfortable with the instructions in the article, I'd strongly advise not doing it. You may end up having to do a full system restore. I don't know, but perhaps your local Apple Store will do it for you.
Functionally I have a HARD DRIVE and a HOME FOLDER and then the Full Name (listed in Accounts) is just sort of what I get called by...?
The hard drive (OSX partition) is where your entire Snow Leopard installation is: OSX itself, your Apple and 3rd-party apps, and one or more home folders. (Many folks who share a Mac have separate home folders for each user.)
have I been smoking?
No comment.

Airport Extreme + Time Capsule Roaming Network

Ok, I'm completely lost here and haven't found any solutions specific to my situation. I currently have two ethernet jacks in my condo, both have fiber optic internet connection which provide access when connected to a computer and no router. I'm assuming there is a router somewhere in the building but alas it's not in my unit.
My home office is in the den where I have one ethernet jack. Connected to the jack is my airport extreme (dual band, 7.5.1 software). The second jack is located in the living room where I have my Time Capsule connected. I have it set this way because the wireless signal from the den does not extend well into the living room.
Basically I have two jacks, a TC and an AE and I'd like to create a roaming network. Both of them are set to bridge mode with the same SSID, WPA2 security, same password, etc. When I open airport utility on my main computer I can see both the AE and TC which is good because I have files I need to access for work on the TC. The problem I have is some of the wireless devices will not get an internet connection but instead get the self assigned IP address. My iPhone and iPad work all the time as well as the xbox and PS3 that are hardwired into the TC. Macbook laptop only connects about 1 out of every 4 times and other guests with iPhones have been getting the self assigned IP too. It's confusing because sometimes the devices connect flawlessly and sometimes they don't.
Sorry for the long-winded post but this situation has been very irritating for a couple months so I thought I'd finally seek answers here. I guess my basic question is what is the proper setup for an AE and a TC roaming network using two different ethernet jacks with no modem in my unit?

Welcome to the discussion area, Junkcanoe!
I don't have a setup like yours, but might be able to offer some assistance.
Basically I have two jacks, a TC and an AE and I'd like to create a roaming network. Both of them are set to bridge mode with the same SSID, WPA2 security, same password, etc.
This would be the normal way to set up a roaming network, but the wild card here is that we don't know anything about how the main router that supplies the ethernet connections (valid IP addresses) to the condos might be configured.
For example, most apartments, hotels, etc that provide ethernet jacks usually limit the number of devices that can connect to each jack. Hotels tend to limit this to one or two devices. I counted six devices that you say will work properly plus a few more. Since you have two separate ethernet jacks, you may be looking at a situation where each jack is allocated a total of 4 devices, or valid IP addresses.
The bottom line here is that we won't be able to make much progress until we know more how the main router there has been configured. Is it possible for you to ask the complex manager (who will probably need to ask the IT guy) how many devices are allowed to connect per ethernet jack? Another way to ask the same question is how may valid IP addresses will each ethernet jack allow?
If you can, could I ask you to perform an experiment? Rather than have both the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule each connect to a separate ethernet jack, can you temporarily move one device near the other and connect them together using an ethernet cable? (Or, use a long ethernet cable if you don't want to move either device) LAN <-> port on one to LAN <-> port on the other. In other words, you'll only be using one of the ethernet ports in the condo for this experiment.
Any difference in performance or number of devices allowed to connect?
Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

Time Capsule variable network reliability

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