erridge

Q: Just obtained a 3T Time Capsule. Following the instructions, I connected it to my router. It created a new network with no problems. I've hooked it up to Time Machine and it is going through that process smoothly, so why is amber light still blinking

New 3T Time Capsule. Network set up fine. Time Machine is working too. Why is amber light still blinking? What could be wrong?

Posted on Aug 6, 2015 3:00 PM

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Q: Just obtained a 3T Time Capsule. Following the instructions, I connected it to my router. It created a new network with no problem ... more

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  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Aug 6, 2015 3:08 PM in response to erridge
    Level 10 (271,328 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 6, 2015 3:08 PM in response to erridge

    Open Airport Utility to find out what the blinking amber light error is. It may be a simple configuration issue such as not enabling Security.

  • by erridge,

    erridge erridge Aug 6, 2015 3:18 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Aug 6, 2015 3:18 PM in response to Kappy

    Thanks for your quick reply. When I open Airport Utility, I see the image of the Time Capsule (it shows a blinking amber light to the left of it and the number 1 in a red circle to the right of it). I click on it and then click the Edit button. I'm not a techie, so I don't know what most of the stuff under the tabs is all about. I don't see anything that looks like an error message. Should I just ignore it as long as everything seems to be working?

  • by Mike's Pad,

    Mike's Pad Mike's Pad Aug 6, 2015 3:42 PM in response to erridge
    Level 2 (365 points)
    Apple Watch
    Aug 6, 2015 3:42 PM in response to erridge

    Try clicking directly on the red circle/dot.  It may be a notification that an update is available.

  • by erridge,

    erridge erridge Aug 6, 2015 3:47 PM in response to Mike's Pad
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Aug 6, 2015 3:47 PM in response to Mike's Pad

    Thanks for the suggestion. Clicking on the red circle/dot  just brings up the small box with the Network name, IP addresses etc and the Edit button. Clicking on the blinking amber dot gets the same result. In the box of info that pops up, there is an item named Status. Next to it is an amber dot (not blinking) with the words Double NAT. I have no idea what that means. Could that be a message?

  • by LaPastenague,Helpful

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Aug 6, 2015 4:11 PM in response to erridge
    Level 9 (52,655 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 6, 2015 4:11 PM in response to erridge

    Double NAT means your TC is incorrectly setup. It should be in bridge not router mode.

  • by erridge,

    erridge erridge Aug 6, 2015 5:12 PM in response to LaPastenague
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Aug 6, 2015 5:12 PM in response to LaPastenague

    Thanks for your reply. If you could give this non-techie a description of how to change that setting, it would be much appreciated!

  • by erridge,

    erridge erridge Aug 6, 2015 5:13 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Aug 6, 2015 5:13 PM in response to Kappy

    Thanks again! If "Back-to-My Mac" problems are the only consequence of this, I can live with it rather than risk taking some effort to fix it that, in my hands, could make things worse. I can just put some duct tape over the blinking light!

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Aug 6, 2015 5:31 PM in response to erridge
    Level 10 (271,328 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 6, 2015 5:31 PM in response to erridge

    The back to my Mac articles are the only ones directed at the double-NAT issue, so in that way they are helpful.

  • by LaPastenague,

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Aug 6, 2015 5:56 PM in response to erridge
    Level 9 (52,655 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 6, 2015 5:56 PM in response to erridge

    erridge wrote:

     

    Thanks again! If "Back-to-My Mac" problems are the only consequence of this, I can live with it rather than risk taking some effort to fix it that, in my hands, could make things worse. I can just put some duct tape over the blinking light!

    We are starting in the middle and trying to fix the problem without understanding the whole.

     

    We need to know what modem router you have.. actual make and model please??

     

    Also if it is fibre or some more esoteric type of broadband.. standard cable is the easiest and TC is designed to work pretty well with that.. but other types of broadband can be a problem.

     

    If you cannot bridge the main modem router.. you simply are going to lose BTMM.. but remote access can be handled in a number of ways if you wish to use it.. more details on what you actually want.

     

    Thanks for your reply. If you could give this non-techie a description of how to change that setting, it would be much appreciated!

    This part is not hard.. but I recommend you reset the TC and start over.. this time you might need to force the connection to bridge.. by doing it manually.. unfortunately when the airport utility setup takes a corner to the left and you want it to go right.. nothing in the world can change left to right.. so sometimes it is hugely better to do the setup either fully manually or to try the setup from ipad using iOS version utility which is far more reliable than Mac version.

  • by erridge,

    erridge erridge Aug 7, 2015 8:28 AM in response to LaPastenague
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Aug 7, 2015 8:28 AM in response to LaPastenague

    Thanks.

    If I can easily change things to get BTMM, it is worth doing.

    The modem I have is Surfboard SBG6580. It was supplied by my ISP (Brighthouse). It appears to me to just be standard cable.

  • by LaPastenague,

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Aug 7, 2015 6:09 PM in response to erridge
    Level 9 (52,655 points)
    Wireless
    Aug 7, 2015 6:09 PM in response to erridge

    erridge wrote:

     

    Thanks.

    If I can easily change things to get BTMM, it is worth doing.

    The modem I have is Surfboard SBG6580. It was supplied by my ISP (Brighthouse). It appears to me to just be standard cable.

    No, the 6580 is a modem router.

     

    High-speed Internet and Wireless N at your fingertips. The SURFboard SBG6580 Wi-Fi Cable Modem is 3 products in one device: DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem, Dual-Band 802.11n Wi-Fi Access Point and 4-port Gigabit Ethernet Router.

     

    As such you cannot use the TC as a router.. it has to be bridged.. unless you can talk Brighthouse into bridging the modem for you.

     

    With the TC in bridge you will lose the BTMM ability.. but can still access remotely if you need to by setting up AFP port forwarding and DDNS.

     

    See remote access.

     

    AirPort Disk - Remote Access (3 Methods)