Q: How do I setup my time capsule with wireless internet?

You must use Join a Wireless network..

It is super slow.. just try using the airport utility after a reset of the TC and see if it will connect..

Or buy a small USB wireless stick.. use the TC stand alone as second network.. this is the way I would do it.

Or plug TC into computer by ethernet.. but it is better to use USB hard disk straight into the computer.

For factory reset.. what model do you have??

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.

To join a wireless network and assuming you are using a Mac with v6 utility..

1. Full reset of the TC. as above.

2. Open the airport utility.. the Mac must have internet connection to the wireless router which is working.

Click on other wi-fi devices which is your reset TC.

3. The utility will choose the wrong item. You are not creating a network.. so click options.

4. Click add to existing network.

5. Make sure you then get the right network.. this is from my main router.

6. The utility will then use join. Fix the name to short, no spaces and pure alphanumeric .. for better networking.

7. The utility should complete the setup.. and you will probably need to fix a few things.. passwords or other errors fix them all up.

8. You can now click edit and go the wireless tab and see the details.

This will give you extremely slow speeds.. it is highly NOT recommended.

Open Time Machine.. and select the TC as the target disk and start.. it should be pretty easy.

If you have trouble.. I recommend you don't do this.. it is a very very poor setup..

Plug the TC directly into the computer by ethernet.. I can give further instructions then on how to setup.. it will take about week to do the first backup over double hop wireless you are going to use. And about 5-8hours over ethernet.

Even if you just do the first backup over ethernet it will help loads to get a decent start to it.

Once I select "Add to an existing network" the TC takes me back to the screen in step 3. 

If I do a regular setup and go to the wireless tab, I am not given the option of "Join a wireless network.

I have a new MBP running OS X El Capitan 10.11.6

I have a TC 2TB

About two and a half years has passed since the previous post....and much has changed in that time, so you might want to start a new post.

Apple has not allowed the type of setup on the Time Capsule that you are asking about for at least a couple of years, maybe longer.  The only exception to this would be if you already have another Apple router that is providing your wireless network. In that case...and that case only....the Time Capsule can be configured to connect using wireless.

Unless you already have another Apple router providing your wireless signal, please connect an Ethernet cable from your modem to the WAN "O" port on the Time Capsule and set up the TC to create a wireless network.  The Ethernet cable must remain connected at all times.

My son will be attending college and the residence hall provides WiFi for the entire campus.  There is no router to access.  Other than setting the TC up at my house and having him access via the Internet, is there any other way to set it up in his dorm and access via Internet?

I'm afraid not.....unless your son is experienced with router setup procedures and is willing to experiment with an unusual  type of setup to see if it might work. This would require the addition of an AirPort Express to the Time Capsule.

But, before you think about this, you might want to review the school's guidelines as far as Internet access is concerned. By that, I mean that most schools will not allow students to set up a wireless router....or any type of router for that matter.....in their rooms.

If you find out that routers are allowed at the school, then I'll be happy to tell you about a method that I use when traveling that allows me to connect to a hotel wireless signal and then connect my own router.....so the hotel only "sees" one connection (and I only pay for one connection if that applies), yet I have my own private network set up in the room which allows multiple devices to connect.

But, the method that the school uses to authenticate users may not be compatible with the unorthodox method that I use, so that is another consideration as well.  The bottom line.....if your son has the know how and time to experiment.....is that we still won't know if the setup will work at his particular school until he tries to set it up at his school.