Using a Comcast Wi-Fi Modem/Router and Want to Use Time Capsule for Backups

You will not normally plug Time Capsule (TC) directly to the Mac.

It should plug into the Comcast wifi modem by ethernet permanently.

Reset it to factory and run through the setup. It needs to go into bridge mode and set wireless off if close to the Comcast. Details below.

Do any of the Macs connect back to the router via ethernet?

In that case it can be plugged into the Mac by short ethernet patch cable and the cable from the Comcast router will plug into TC wan port. All the Macs will be able to share it then.

Turn TC wireless on if you wish if it is located in place where wireless from the Comcast is poor.

Here is my identical setup.

Note short name no spaces pure alphanumerics for TC name and wireless name if used. It can help.

Once you configure it on dhcp I recommend you swap to Static on the Internet tab. The IP here will be private and like 192.168.x.x not same as mine. You will need to give it a DNS value yourself like 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1

Also click the Options and change IPv6 to link local only.

I do have wireless turned on.

But this is the important one.. Network setting is bridge.

Disk tab nothing much to set but make sure file sharing is on.

I know enough of the basics

If you already know the basics, then you know that the Time Capsule is a "network" drive........not designed to connect directly to a Mac like a "local" USB drive might do.

In other words, the Time Capsule must connect to the network. That would mean that it needs to connect to the Comcast modem/router using a permanent wired Ethernet cable connection......just as the Time Capsule setup guide instructs.

https://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1645/en_US/airport_time_capsule_80211ac_setup.pdf

Once configured, you will be able to back up your 3 Mac computers either over the WiFi network provided by the modem/router.....or......the WiFi network provided by the Time Capsule. If you don't need another WiFi network, it is a simple matter to turn off the WiFi function on the Time Capsule.

The next "basic" step to perform would be to perform a Hard Reset on the Time Capsule to get it back its original factory default network settings.....so that it can be set up again with the correct settings to connect to the modem/router.

If you are asking for a step by step guide here, we'll at least need to confirm that you will be using a Mac to set up the Time Capsule.....and that your computers that will be backing up using Time Machine are all Macs as well.

Chances are, the Time Capsule hard drive might still have old data on its hard drive that will first need to be erased before you begin to back up your Macs. Do you know if this might be the case?

Figured you would know this answer, is there a way to access the saved data on my TC from a iPad ? All my backups, pictures, documents and other stuff were backed up To my TC years ago but I don’t have a Mac book anymore, just use a iPad. The TC is connected to my ISP with same settings as you posted above.

any assistance would be appreciated. Thank you

Not sure how your question is related to the topic of this post.

If you use an application like FileBrowser on the iPad, you can "see" the name of the file containing the Time Machine backups, but you cannot "see" the actual files themselves........since the iPad cannot open a backup made using Time Machine.

You'll need another Mac if you want to see the actual individual files within the backup and open them up. However, this won't work with some applications if you are trying to browse things like the Photos or iPhotos Library and it may be really tough to restore Mail as well.

Always better to simply start a new post with a new topic........so that you will receive a lot more "views" from other users who might be able to help.

With your off topic question buried within an existing thread, the only users who are likely to even see it are those who are currently subscribed.

LaPastenague.......who you addressed your question to......has not answered, but if he sees your question and responds, his answer will be very similar to mine.

It wasn’t related but the other posts helped me so I figured a quick question about accessing TC by iPad would be an easy answer from you

his answer will be very similar to mine.

Same..

And we always recommend people start their own threads.. on a user to user forum it is not polite to hijack a thread.