Time Capsule vs. Airport Extreme w/ HD vs NAS

It looks like I'm having trouble with my current Time Machine drive and will need to replace it.
I'm considering several options.
I mainly use Time Machine with a FireWire 800 drive for quick backup of my iMac. I'm pretty lax about backing up my MacBook, though--months going by before I remember to attach it to a different drive to back it up, too. So, I've been considering a network solution; the dying Time Machine drive is sort of the kick I needed to go ahead.
Obviously, a Time Capsule is a quick and easy solution to it all. However, one concern is that, as with other multipurpose devices, is that if one part dies, that pretty much kills the second part--i.e., if the hard drive fails, then I must (potentially) replace the whole unit (from what I've heard, replacing the drive in a Time Capsule isn't for the faint of heart).
Then there's an Airport Extreme; from what I understand, you can attach a USB drive to the newest models for use as a Time Machine backup:
http://tidbits.com/e/14347
Of course, that's USB 2, which'll be on the slow side as compared to FW 800, but there's the benefit that if I need to restore, I can detach the drive from the AE and hook it up straight to the Mac, which should be quicker than a wifi restore (for the MacBook; I'd have the iMac hooked via Ethernet).
But there's the consideration that I have a FiOS router, so I don't really NEED another one; I don't think the Time Capsule or Airport really gives me much more than the FiOS router does, and I'd still need the Verizon router attached anyway for other services.
So, the last choice is an NAS drive. It might not play as well as a TM drive, as Apple did take some pains to support their own hardware... are there NAS drives that work better as Time Machine drives than others?
So, the essential question is, what would make the best Time Machine backup, if I want to back up two Macs (one by wifi)?

Well thought out question.
Not easy to answer.
Some considerations..
1. A fast wireless router is worthwhile.. I am not sure of the FIOS but if it has only 2.4ghz it is restricted to 130Mbps in the Apple products even if it can do 270 or 300Mbps on all the rest. Apple deliberately restrict 2.4ghz to N lite. So you need a router that is 450Mbps or better the new AC version at 5ghz. And you need that router near where the Macbook usually resides. 5ghz fast connections are not going to be long range.
So you can buy a Gen5 AE.. or even a second hand Gen4 TC.. either are pretty good buys. The Gen5 AE I see on ebay all the time for around the $80 mark including post. The Apple refurbished store might even have stock.
And of course Apple are not the only brand.. you can buy excellent high speed wireless routers .. Asus RT-AC66U soundly beats the AC apple version.. (wonder how long that sentence will last!!)
AC is worthwhile if your Macbook is AC .. otherwise the older Gen5 AE are good value.
2. I reckon a 1 year old TC Gen4 is also a good buy.. they sell around $150 in our market. Easy to setup.. fairly reliable. And you are not going to be worried to open it up and swap the hard disk.. which is actually easy.
ifixit rate it as moderate.. really it is less than that .. if you can read instructions.
http://www.ifixit.com/Device/Apple_Time_Capsule
3. A fast drive.. FW800 are still very good.. USB3 better and Thunderbolt tops but bank account emptying experience. It is possible to share the drive to the network.
http://code.stephenmorley.org/articles/time-machine-on-a-network-drive/
That is the best combo.. use the local external with TM.. and do it over wireless with to the iMac shared drive from the Macbook.
4. NAS is a good but they can be unreliable.. even a USB drive on the AE can be unreliable. Up to the Gen5 Apple said it was not supported. Many people found out it was NOT supported... really.. not supported.. although it works for some.. How much is your data worth??

Similar Messages

Extending a network with Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme (via Belkin powerline)

Hello -
I've seen many topics about extending wireless networks here, but none seems to resolve the issue I'm having. I currently have a setup where a DSL cable modem is connected to a Time Capsule and I need to extend this network to another room using an AirPort Extreme.
I live in a very old apartment in Brazil and the walls seem to block the signal from one room to another, hence the need to extend it. Since wireless signal is very weak between rooms, I bought a Belkin powerline AV500 so I could connect both Time Capsule and AirPort using the electrical power at home (just installing a regular Ethernet cable between rooms is not an option).
I started with the basics: configure the Time Capsule + DSL as a standalone network, and it works perfectly within it's range. Then I connected the Belking powerline, plugged a MacBook via Ethernet on the other end and still got very good results (actually better speed than expected). Used it for a while with streaming and other network intensive tasks to make sure it could sustain the connection.
Finally, pluggned the AirPort Extreme on the Belking powerline and this is where the problems started. AirPort Utility 6.3.1 only gives me the option of extending a network wirelessly - it doesn't seem to give me the option of extending it via Etherenet (roaming), which is not good in my case. Luckly I had a copy of AirPort Utility 5.6 which seems to do the job (or I thought so), but it's still not working well.
Although I managed to configure both with the same name, it doesn't seem reliable and some devices (the iPhone 5, for example) are unable to connect and end up with a self-asigned IP address. I'm almost sure I'm doing something wrong on the setup, as I've seen a similar setup working before, so if anyone out there has any clue of what can be done, it will be much appreciated.
Attached the screenshots of both Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme configurations.
Thanks a lot,
-TM
AirPort Exteme:
Time Capsule:

Hello JuliaApple. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
You have several ways to configure both base stations for what you are trying to do.
The simplest would be to configure the Time Capsule (TC) to "join" (AirPort Utility > Manual Setup > Wireless tab > Wireless Mode = Join a wireless network) your existing 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn). In this type of configuration the TC would perform as any other wireless client and not perform as a router. It will; however, still allow for both backups and sharing USB devices attached to it.

Airtune Over Ethernet with Time Capsule or Airport Extreme

Can the previous generation Time Capsule or Airport Extreme bridge an ethernet client to an Airtunes network?
Current Setup: I have an aluminum iMac wired to my Time Capsule; currently, I use the aluminum as a music server by connecting to several Airport Express clients over the the iMac's built-in Airport for Airtunes support.
Problem: I have 3-802.11g clients dragging my wifi network. I would like to dedicate the iMac's internal network to the g-clients so I don't have to use compatibility mode for my n-network. However, I will lose Airtunes speaker support when I use internet sharing over the built-in Airport. Airtunes does not appear to support the Time Capsule ethernet client.
Nodes:
-AE 802.11g (Airtunes only)
-AE 802.11n (Airtunes and USB printer)
-1st gen Time Capsule (Internet gateway, "creating network" 802.11 g/n,
-iMac 8,1 (Music server via internal wifi, wired TC client)
-Macbook 4,1 (wifi client)
-iPhone
-Canon MP620 (USB to iMac, wifi to Macbook)

Further to Bob's comments..
A Gen1 TC will be using marvel wireless chip and your 2008 and 2010 Macbook will use atheros and/or broadcom cards.. Just open your system profiler and look for info on the airport. We find the mixture of wireless chipsets especially older draft N and later N products can give very varied results.
The very fact you are linking at 270 and not 300mbps shows some reduction from theoretical max speed.. and really to get over 100mbps with any wireless you need perfect setup.. matched wireless chips etc.
Do a test uploading and downloading a file to the TC to see if the LAN speed is better than internet speed.
In reality I think you are doing especially well.. we see loads of people complaining about slow internet here who are getting less than 10% of the speed they get direct when routed through the TC. And on most occasions the limit in speed is not really going to affect what you do, as the real links to the internet are not that fast.

Is it possible to use time capsule or airport extreme as a wireless hard drive for iphone?

Is it possible to use time capsule or airport extreme as a wireless hard drive for iphone.
I would like to strem movies from the hard drive to iphone.
I have already seen the Goflex Stellite, which works this way.
Is there any other device that could do this?

I did a typo. My current computer is a 2010 1/2 iMac. The stand alone monitors are still out of my price range so I'm looking for other options. By buying an external hard drive and a broken iMac, I'm still ahead. Still, if I understand you right, the 27" 2010 and earlier iMacs would be possiblities.
Are there adapters that would allow me to run a 2011 and newer iMac as an external monitor from my 2010 1/2. There are so many adapters out there these days.

Should I get a Time Capsule, an Airport Extreme, or a Linksys Wireless N?

Hi I have several questions before I make my purchase. I've got 2 computers in my upstairs bedroom that are wireless. I currently have a Wireless router which is a Linksys WRT54G.
It's already getting on in age so I was thinking of replacing it with a better wireless router. I'm deciding weather I should go with a Linksys N or go the apple route.
Will I get faster internet if I go with a Linksys Wireless N? What is the difference between G and N?
I was thinking of getting a Time Capsule because I wanted an automatic backup of my data.
Is a time capsule going to perform the same as a Linksys? Which router is better?
what is the difference between Time Capsule and Airport extreme. Are they basically the same with the only difference being the hardrive?
If I get a Time Capsule then do I still need a Linksys router? Is it easy to setup a wireless network using a Time Capsule or Airport Extreme?
Last question. My mom's computer upstairs uses a Linksys Wireless G usb adapter. It is also getting on in age.
The connection is always labeled as low and sometimes she can't go on the internet. What would be a much better wireless adapter for my mom's computer?
Any help is greatly appreciated.

Stuart Lawrence wrote:
Hi I have several questions before I make my purchase. I've got 2 computers in my upstairs bedroom that are wireless. I currently have a Wireless router which is a Linksys WRT54G.
It's already getting on in age so I was thinking of replacing it with a better wireless router. I'm deciding weather I should go with a Linksys N or go the apple route.
Will I get faster internet if I go with a Linksys Wireless N? What is the difference between G and N?
Enough of a difference for it to be worthwhile.
I was thinking of getting a Time Capsule because I wanted an automatic backup of my data.
The backup app is Time Machine, not Time Capsule. TM can work with any external HDD connected to the Mac, but only TC is officially supported for wireless backups by Apple. Hacks are possible to connect a USB HDD to an Extreme.
Is a time capsule going to perform the same as a Linksys? Which router is better?
Better if we are talking N vs. G.
what is the difference between Time Capsule and Airport extreme. Are they basically the same with the only difference being the hardrive?
Yes, but that is a significant difference.
If I get a Time Capsule then do I still need a Linksys router?
No.
Is it easy to setup a wireless network using a Time Capsule or Airport Extreme?
If you can setup your Linksys, you should be able to setup the AirPort as well.
Last question. My mom's computer upstairs uses a Linksys Wireless G usb adapter. It is also getting on in age.
The connection is always labeled as low and sometimes she can't go on the internet. What would be a much better wireless adapter for my mom's computer?
Sorry, none off the top of my head. Maybe you can provide the details on the computer she has.

Time capsule and airport extreme!!! or something else?

Hi
i have been looking into a new wireless device but do i really need a time capsule or a Airport extreme or is there something better out there?
thanks

Thanks for the additional info.
The AirPort Extreme would support a hard drive, but unfortunately Time Machine backups are not supported by Apple to a drive at the USB port of the AirPort Extreme, so to meet both of your requirements, you would need to look at either the 1TB or 2 TB versions of the Time Capsule.
In addition, either the Time Capsule (or AirPort Extreme) would provide you with simultaneous dual band wireless capability, so you'll have a 5 GHz band for faster, newer devices and and a traditional 2.4 GHz band for slower devices. With this type of setup, the slower devices will not slow down the faster devices on your network.
There's a Guest Network feature as well if you plan to use the Time Capsule or Airport Extreme or Time Capsule as the main router on your network.

What is the default ip address for the Time Capsule and Airport Extreme?

What is the default ip address for the Time Capsule and Airport Extreme?

Open Airport Utility to find out the real IP address of the network connection. DHCP addresses are assigned by the router in the range chosen in Airport Utility.

How to set up 6th Generation AirPort Extreme to cable modem as a wireless router and then connect my 3rd Generation Time Capsule to AirPort Extreme as a wireless extender?

What is the best way to set up my 6th Generation AirPort Extreme (A1521) to my cable modem as a wireless router and then connect my 3rd Generation Time Capsule (A1355) to my AirPort Extreme as a wireless extender? I live in a small 1 story house and I currently have the Airport Extreme connected to my cable modem in the living room and the Time Capsule plugged into the wall in my bedroom. I am able to wirelessly connect to the internet using the AirPort Extreme as my router and I can also do wireless back ups to my Time Capsule. My problem is that my connection seems to be really slow! My 1TB Time Capsule back up is only half way complete and it has been 3 days! My computer has been backing up all day and night for almost 72 hours and its still not even 75% complete. I have backed up to this Time Capsule in the past and it never took this long. I am thinking that when I set up my AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule using AirPort Utility I must have set it up incorrectly or something.
How do I set up my Airport Extreme and Time Capsule for the fastest possible internet speed and back up speed?
Thank you,

AirPort Utility 5.6 works with AirPort Extreme 802.11g base stations.
It works with N version airports.
It will also show details of the AC model but cannot be used for the setup.. mostly.
I purposely got the new 6th Gen Airport Extreme so my internet connection would be a lot faster!
Your network will be much faster when you have AC client directly connected to the AE. Older client will go no faster.. but what is worse.. extend wireless is mixing new and old wireless standards.. guess what one wins.. OLD.. So when you extend wireless.. you have no improvement whatsoever. This whole post is about extending wireless.. so you cannot extend to older equipment and do any better.. maybe slightly better signal although from your comments that isn't happening either.
I would rather not have to use an ethernet at all with the TC and I don't know EOP adapters are!
If you do not use ethernet then you are going to be forced to accept slow speed.
EOP (ethernet over power). Also called homeplug in the US.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HomePlug
Provides a method of networking over power cabling that already exists in your house.
So what your saying is for the fastest internet speed and back up speed possible I should keep my Airport Extreme plugged into my Modem and keep my TC set up as a wireless extender? Then when I want to do back ups I should plug an ethernet cable from my TC to my MacBook Pro?
To spell this out.
A wireless link to an extended device will go very slowly.. if it is not direct.
So lets say you have a laptop sitting in the lounge.. Your connection goes.. Laptop- - - - - AE- - - - -TC.
That means two wireless links.. wireless has this nasty half duplex and single channel nature.. it can send or receive (Tx or Rx) but not at the same time.
Ethernet by contrast does both at once. It is full duplex.
Wireless can talk to one client at a time.. so if there are multiple items using wireless lets say 4 devices.. then your computer gets a 25% time slice. Since wireless cannot handle multiple simultaneous connections.
Ethernet by contrast can connect multiple computers to multiple destinations at the same time.. all transmitting and receiving at full speed.
When you put all this together.. there are a couple of rules for fast connection.
1. Use ethernet at all times. Where you cannot use ethernet use anything but wireless.. eg EOP (homeplug) at least to try and get rid of wireless.
2. Where you must use wireless use it sparingly and make sure it is never more than one hop.. ie never have an extend wireless (repeater is more usual term). Repeater will cause instant slowdown of 50% and maybe up to 75% just because it is so inefficient.
3. Fastest wireless is 5ghz but it has very short range.. you need to be up close and personal to get it working.
Apple routers however unless you do manual setup I suggest are set to connect to best signal strength not best speed. It will therefore use 2.4ghz at 25% less speed than 5ghz because it is 1db better signal.. this madness means you need to setup manually for the best setup.

Airport Time Capsule and Airport Extreme connection

I have replaced an Airport Extreme in my study upstairs by a brand new Airport Time Capsule 2T. It is the Airport Time Capsule that is connected to the Internet. The Airport Extreme has been moved downstairs and connected to the Airport Time Capsule by an Ethernet cable (run in a ventilation channel).
First, I configured the new Airport Time Capsule alone (without the Extreme). Then, I connected the Extreme and, unfortunately, configured it as a new network. Now, I would like to undo the last step and have, as they should be. both the Time Capsule and the Extreme in the same network.
The Airport Utility does not like it. Obviously, I am not doing things correctly.
1. Should I reset both the Time Capsule and the Extreme, in what order and how ?
2. How to delete unwanted networks from the list ?
Regards - Kris

You do not have to change the TC.. leave it as the standard setup.. as long as it is right.
Reset the AE to factory and try again.. or just manually edit it.
Click on the AE in the airport utility then click on edit.
Go to the network tab and make sure it is set to bridge.
Go to the wireless tab.. and setup .. create a wireless network.. NOT EXTEND.
Use identical Wireless Name to the TC.
Use identical Security setting (WPA2 Personal is only valid one really).. and same password as the TC.
Then update your AE.. it is now part of the same network with the same wireless name..

Setting up network with ATT Uverse, Time Capsule, and Airport Extreme..HELP

PLEASE HELP!
I have ATT U-Verse which provides their own router. My Time Capsule is connected to the router (in the living room) via an Ethernet cable and has been working fine, and is set up like this:
Wireless Mode: Join a wireless network (I joined the ATT network 2wire)
Network name: 2wirexyz
Wireless Security: WPA/WPA2 Personal
Channel: 5
Connect Using: Wireless Network
When I try to add my Airport Extreme (for wireless printing in the office) by adding it to the same network (I've also tried to extend the network option) the Airport Utility thinks forever then comes up with an error and the Airport continues to flash amber. I've tried resetting the Extreme multiple times and configuring different ways but same result.
What am I doing wrong?? Please help, my wife is giving me grief for not being able to print wirelessly from her MacBook!!
Thank you in advance for any help you can give me!

Thank you Tessarax....
So does that mean I need to create a separate wireless network? I apologize, I'm not extremely familiar with how to complete what you've suggested. I know I've seen the bridge mentioned before in the Airport Utility when I've been trying different things. Would you mind giving me some more specific instructions please? Actually I just tried messing around with Airport Utility, let me know if I'm headed in the right direction:
For TC wireless mode I want to "Participate in a WDS network"?
Then where does my WDS remote come from? is that the Airport Extreme? I've plugged in the AEBS but it's not showing up in the Airport Utility...
I'll mess around with it some more tomorrow morning. Thanks I'll let you know how it goes.
Message was edited by: Jerimy75

How to Set Up Time Capsule With Airport Extreme and Airport Express

Just got a new 1TB Time Capsule. I want it to be the main base station for my network. I already have a network set up with an older Airport Extreme base station and an Airport Express to extend it. I am thinking that rather than setting up the Time Capsule to "join" the old network, the best approach is to disconnect the Airport Extreme and Airport Express and reset them. Then set up the Time Capsule as a brand new network and bring the reset Aiport Extreme and Express onto the new network as if my original network never existed.
Is that the right approach or am I complicating it? Can I just join the Time Capsule to the existing network and still make it the main base station for the network?

evelK wrote:
Just got a new 1TB Time Capsule. I want it to be the main base station for my network. I already have a network set up with an older Airport Extreme base station and an Airport Express to extend it. I am thinking that rather than setting up the Time Capsule to "join" the old network, the best approach is to disconnect the Airport Extreme and Airport Express and reset them. Then set up the Time Capsule as a brand new network and bring the reset Aiport Extreme and Express onto the new network as if my original network never existed.
Is that the right approach or am I complicating it? Can I just join the Time Capsule to the existing network and still make it the main base station for the network?
I'd first use AirPort Utility to "Save a Copy As" of your AirPort Extreme settings. Then disconnect it, connect the Time Capsule in its place, and use AirPort Utility's "Import" function to read those settings. (Both of those functions are under AirPort Utility's "File" menu.) You may have to adjust a few settings. Once you have the Time Capsule working as you want, you can reconfigure your AirPort Extreme unit as you wish.

Time Capsule or Airport Extreme

I have a 1st generation Time Capsule that I use as the main wireless access point in my house. All devices connect to it: laptops, iPads, iPods, iPhones, televisions, playstations, etc. I also have gigabit switch plugged into the Time Capsule, and I run some of the wired devices from it. Among the wired devices is a docking station that I use for home office work--so I have an ethernet cable running from the switch to the docking station in the office. Wireless range of the TC does not quite get to the upper floor of my house as well as I would like, so I need to extend my network. I was going to get an Airport Extreme for this. However, I was wondering a couple things:
1. Is the Extreme overkill for what I am trying to do? Will I even realize very much of the potential of the Extreme, given that the TC is a 1st Gen? In other words, is the performance of the Extreme dependent in any way on the TC?
2. Would it make any sense to use the Airport Extreme as the main wireless router and use the TC to extend the network. Would this cause any issues with the backups?
Thank you!

cannonfish9212 wrote:
I have a 1st generation Time Capsule
That is very old and well worth considering replacement.
1. Is the Extreme overkill for what I am trying to do? Will I even realize very much of the potential of the Extreme, given that the TC is a 1st Gen? In other words, is the performance of the Extreme dependent in any way on the TC?
When you say extend do you mean by wireless or ethernet? Extending by wireless will certainly drag the speed down to the speed of the TC.. so that is highly undesirable. If you do the connection by ethernet then it is fine.
You get the full potential of the wireless on the AE assuming you have modern products to use it. Mostly of course it will be no faster as 2.4ghz is still just as limited as ever.
2. Would it make any sense to use the Airport Extreme as the main wireless router and use the TC to extend the network. Would this cause any issues with the backups?
Same thing applies.. backups over a wireless bridge will be very poor. That would be a setup to be avoided.
As long as you run ethernet then it doesn't matter which goes where.
You might consider buying a Gen4 TC second hand or from the refurbished shop if you do want to use wireless extend.. then you will still have a TC as the main wireless router.. with far superior wireless to the Gen1.. but not AC .. for which you probably have no use yet anyway. And can use the old Gen1 as a wireless extender to that.

Apple TV, Time Capsule (or Airport Extreme) and streaming movies without running iTunes?

I'm thinking of buying an Apple TV but as far as I know I'll need my computer on to run movies from my iTunes account, which is something I really don't want to do every time I want to watch a movie, just wondering if this can first of all be confirmed?
Also, If I buy Apple TV and an apple time capsule (or an Airport extreme connected to a HDD), can I stream movie files located on the time capsule (or HDD) to the AppleTV without having to turn on the computer and run iTunes?

Yes you need your computer on if you want to stream from its library, even if the library is on an external or network drive.
However any purchases you have made from iTunes can be stream from the iTunes Store at any time without your computer being on.

Troubling extending wireless network with Time Capsule and Airport Extreme

I am trying to set up and extend a wireless network in my house, but it’s not working right. I have two Airport/Capsule units in the house:
2TB Time Capsule (Dual-Band II)
1 Airport Extreme (Dual Band)
I have the Verizon Fios router as my gateway to the internet, and also as my DHCP server. I have also tested the ethernet ports in my house to verify that they work, and that I can get a DHCP-issued IP address.
Now, my Verizon router has WiFI, and it’s still on. I am not using it though except to troubleshoot. So far as I understand, this should not cause a problem.
Base station setup
So I setup the TC to Create A New Wireless Network, on the ethernet network it’s on (Dlink switch plugged into Verizon router). I set it up in Bridge Mode (as opposed to having it dole out IPs, since the Verizon router does this already). The TC gets a valid IP, and my wireless device connect to it without a problem. I have checked “Allow this network to be expanded” under Wireless settings.
Extended station setup
The AE Dual-Band is plugged into the Ethernet, and is reset to Factory Settings. I name it “Airport Extreme 2” and I chose “I want Airport Extreme to join my current network.” The other two options are: “I want to create a new wireless network” and “I want to replace and existing base station or wireless router with Airport Extreme.”
I chose to “join,” I select “I want to connect Airport Extreme to my network using Ethernet to extend my existing wireless network.” The other options are to disable wireless entirely, or to “wirelessly join my current network.” On the next page it asks me to select the device or network that the Airport Extreme will connect to using the Ethernet. I set it to the Time Capsule.
Results:
Access near the Airport Extreme 2 is incredibly slow. Speedtest shows I am getting less than 1Mbps. Worse yet, my mail client won’t connect. It just times out.
What I had hoped was that the AE would connect via Ethernet to the network, and just bring the wireless network to the other side of the house. Instead it almost seems as though it is just re-amplifying the TC’s signal. Otherwise, why is performance so bad?
Thanks to anyone with some insight here!

Hello Kennuff. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
Since you have the ability to connect all of the routers by Ethernet, there is no need to configure the Time Capsule (TC) & 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn) for a dynamic WDS (aka, extending a network). This option is only when the routers do NOT have an Ethernet connection between them.
Instead, you want to configure the TC & AEBSn in a "roaming" network. I suggest starting by performing either a "hard" or "factory default" reset on both.
Next be sure that both the TC & AEBSn are on the same Ethernet subnet coming from the Verizon-supplied router.
Configure the TC & AEBSn as follows:
AirPort Utility > Select the TC or AEBSn > Manual Setup > AirPort > Wireless
o Wireless Mode = Create a wireless network
o Allow this network to be extended: <not checked>
o Radio Mode: <leave the default or if you require a specific mode make sure both routers are configured the same>
o Wireless Security: <configure both routers the same>
AirPort Utility > Select the TC or AEBSn > Manual Setup > Internet > Internet Connection
o Connection Sharing = Off (Bridge Mode)

Poor internet speed with time capsule or Airport extreme

I'm trying to find away to increase the throughput of my 1st generation tme capsule. i'm getting a 33% drop in speed over wireless compared to wired conncetions.
current setup
Virginmedia XXL broadband 100Mbit down 5Mbit up.
Modem standard virginmedia modem (not the superhub) connected to Apple time capsule (500Mb) @ 1000Mbit full duplex
time capsule reset to default and then configured to use 5Ghz band, channel 36 . (no other networks in the area using this band) tested using wifi scanner and istumbler
tested down/up speed using www.vmspeed.com
wired connection
105Mb/sec download 4.9Mb/sec upload
wireless connection
73.14Mb/sec download 4.7Mb/sec upload
i have tried testing with an airport extreme 3rd Gen with the same setup and get the same results.
Tested using a 2008 Macbook running Lion 10.7.3 and also tested using 2010 Macbook unibody running snow leopard 10.6.8. both laptops connecting to wireless network at 270Mb/sec and are both exhibiting the same drop in speed over wireless. only one laptop connected to the network at a time.
is thier a limit to the time capsule/airport extreme wireless throughput?

Further to Bob's comments..
A Gen1 TC will be using marvel wireless chip and your 2008 and 2010 Macbook will use atheros and/or broadcom cards.. Just open your system profiler and look for info on the airport. We find the mixture of wireless chipsets especially older draft N and later N products can give very varied results.
The very fact you are linking at 270 and not 300mbps shows some reduction from theoretical max speed.. and really to get over 100mbps with any wireless you need perfect setup.. matched wireless chips etc.
Do a test uploading and downloading a file to the TC to see if the LAN speed is better than internet speed.
In reality I think you are doing especially well.. we see loads of people complaining about slow internet here who are getting less than 10% of the speed they get direct when routed through the TC. And on most occasions the limit in speed is not really going to affect what you do, as the real links to the internet are not that fast.

Airport Utility not recognizing Time Capsule after Airport Extreme Update08

After installing the Airport Extreme Update 2008 my Time Capsule keeps crashing. I have powered down both my DSL modem and the Time Capsule, done a hard reset of the Time Capsule and yet it continues to flash amber lights. Yesterday, after hours of resetting everything and finally getting a green light and an internet connection, today my network and all of the airport setting have completely disappeared. Is anyone else having this problem and if so, have you found a solution? Is there a way to uninstall this updates as I believe it has caused these issues?

Josto,
Unfortunately, you are not the only one:
Latest OS X Airport update Broke connectivity
[http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1771190&tstart=0]
*_Contact Apple For Support Issues_*
If you are continuing to experience issues, make sure you contact Apple. They do not look at these forums to gauge the extent of issues. You need to contact them or they will never know.
Phone:
U.S. iPod and Mac technical support: 1-800-APL-CARE (1-800-275-2273)
Feedback:
"Tell us how we’re doing. Select the appropriate feedback option (we read everything, but can’t always respond):"
[http://www.apple.com/feedback>
*Genius Bar:*
"An Apple Store Genius Bar is the place to go for advice, hands-on technical support, and hardware repair from a Mac Genius." Find your store and make a reservation at this link:
[http://www.apple.com/retail>
Cheers!

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