Time Capsule access via Time Machine blocked by Catalina (after clean install)

I'm not clear about the difference between reboot and reset of Time Capsule

Reboot means pull the power out.. count to 10.. plug the power back in again.

Reset means push in the reset button with a paperclip etc.. for about 10sec until it flashes rapidly.

And why not rename TC the same name it has now?

Your naming of the TC is part of the problem. It is using old Mac protocols.. not new SMB protocols (i.e. windows). Apple changed the Mac to use windows networking. Only partially up to Catalina.. but much more seriously now.

So reset the TC and give it a new name.. e.g. TC is perfectly fine.

The rules are short.. <8 characters if possible, no spaces and pure alphanumeric. Do NOT accept apple naming which the setup wizard in airport utility will try and use.

Use password that is also short 8-20 characters and pure alphanumeric.

As noted.. no files on the hard disk are lost.

I think 90% of your problem is networking.

Messages -69842 and -69845 in case anyone knows what the codes mean.

Apple never publishes lists of error codes and what they mean.. but it strikes me that the TC has simply dropped off the network.. don't over worry about it.

Do the reset. Change the name as indicated.

If you still cannot get migration assistant to work there is another method.

You will need a USB drive to plug into the Mini of size equal to current boot drive.. or larger.

Boot to recovery and use Time Machine Setup Assistant. This will work better than migration assistant.

Recover the entire boot drive to the USB.

I gave extensive if somewhat outdated instructions here.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7236090

The first part is using Migration and the second is using Recovery.

Please NOTE.. for anyone reading or to remind yourself.. NEVER EVER TRUST TIME MACHINE TO RECOVER YOUR COMPUTER.

Before you wipe a computer create a bootable clone with a tool like SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner.

And test the clone is fully operational by booting from it.. before you wipe the drive and do the reinstall. That ensures no matter what happens you can always get back to the working setup you had.

However, an odd thing happened, which might be clear to you, but isn't to me:

Renaming the TC *and* renaming its network seems to have replaced the secondary/branch network.

The password for the TC seems to have been applied to the wifi network as well -- old secondary disappeared and using its password on the renamed network won't work, must use the TC password.

6.3 versions of AirPort Utility.....the application used to set up the AirPort routers......assigns the same password for the wireless network and base station (device), also known as the administrator password.

Older 5.x versions of AirPort Utility assigned separate passwords for the wireless network and device or base station.

if you remember when you set up the TC again, you saw a setup screen that looks like this, except a TC appeared instead of an AirPort Express in the example.

Notice that only one password was used for the wireless network and base station or device password.

If it is important to you to assign a separate password for the wireless network and password, it is possible to do this.....but.....most users find it easier to remember one password rather than two.

Post back if you are interested in setting up a separate password for the wireless and base station.

Just as a general comment. Bob's post with details is fine.

Your ZTE box is likely the main router for the network. If so setup of the Time Capsule should be bridge.

Your TC should not be setup as router if there is another router in front of it.

Telecom gave me a password for the ZTE but I don't see that device in the list of networks when I click the icon in the menu bar at top. I do see a neighbor's ZTE, which has a different password from mine.

Something is wrong for this to be the case.

Security is far more dependent on the ZTE since other people in your complex can apparently see your setup.

The TC is not really relevant and if anyone is able to gain access then you need firewalls on the computer far more than worrying about Time Capsule.

It is always good to backup with encryption.

Security on the TC is really poor if other people have physical access to it. They can simply hit the reset and be in.

Encrypted backup is highly secure.

All that you need to do is.......

Open up AirPort Utility

Select the TC

Click Edit in the smaller window

Click the Base Station tab

Edit the password as you wish

Verify the password again to confirm

Click Update to save the new settings.

Now, you have a separate password for the Wireless Network and Base Station / Time Capsule disk.

Completed after half a day. Got photos and emails thru early Dec, which is before the weird stuff started happening to 10.13

Great work..

You can get back everything with a bit of manual messing around.. for emails you should be able to dig them out from the inbox and outbox of whatever mail package.. Apple Mail I guess. Open the backup in Finder and actually dig down into the last backup. You should be able to extract just the files you need. Same with Photos.

Or as mentioned somewhere in the three pages..of back and fro, run the restore again.. this time your target is a USB drive. Format it correctly to APFS and restore from the most recent backup you have. Then you can easily boot from the USB drive.. you will have the computer running in the previous state.. which you don't want.. but as long as it works you can save photos and files that are post 3rd Dec. Email can be saved via the whole inbox and outbox or whatever you have created.. or you can just save the few mails that are meaningful and import them back into the application. It is fiddly but for photos you might like or important emails worth the effort. Once done you can wipe the restore on the USB drive and use the disk for something else. It is really helpful having a few disks free to use for different jobs.

I would also start a new Time Machine backup.

Thinking of how to make the system less vulnerable you need IMAP email or web mail. Normal pop mail is too fragile.

And backup photos as a totally separate backup.. either using Apple's method which is iCloud or your own backup system of some sort. Just ensure it is totally separate to Time Machine. In fact saving raw photos is no bad thing as it is near impossible to damage them even with a disk failure most can be recovered.. whereas a corrupted library can never work again.

Do not worry about increasing my help level.. I have more than enough merit badges.

And glad to help!!

I suppose Restore would've been faster via ethernet cable?

An Ethernet connection is on average 2-3 times faster than the best of wireless connections.