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User profile for user: dburke
dburke Author
User level: Level 1
11 points

Is it seriously impossible to add a Time Capsule to an existing network via wifi?

Fucking Christ. The saga continues.


So first I bought a 5th generation AirPort Extreme to try and switch my Time Machine backups, and it ended up nuking my backup hard drive to the point where I had to throw it out.


I'm returning that, and instead bought a last-model Time Capsule which just arrived. But from what I can tell, it's not possible to add to to an existing network via wifi‽‽ When I try to set it up via my Mac, initially it wants to create a new network. So I choose "Other Options" and select "Add to an existing network". But when I click "Next" it always just takes my to the screen to create a new network!!


So I try it on my iPhone instead. Again, "Other Options…" -> "Add to an Existing Network". Then for some reason, the next screen gives me a popup asking it I want to remember the password for this device. Which is strange, considering I didn't set one. But whichever option I choose, I just get "An unexpected error occurred".


Is it seriously the case that Time Capsule, a wifi device, is only capable of joining an existing network via ethernet?


I can see why Apple got out of the router game. Apparently they're terrible at it. All I wanted was to be able to do wireless backups. Apparently other manufacturer's routers can accept a hard drive and support Time Machine, but despite my searching, I can't find any documentation on which routers will support that.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Aug 28, 2020 5:16 PM

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User profile for user: MrHoffman
MrHoffman
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
125,727 points

Posted on Aug 28, 2020 5:35 PM

Usual setup nowadays with an existing Wi-Fi would be a NAS device with Time Machine support, such as a Synology DS220+ or ilk. This as Apple exited the Wi-Fi market a while back, as you well know.


If you want to run Time Capsule wired, and the existing Wi-Fi coverage is good, turn off the Wi-Fi on the Time Capsule.


If you want to run multiple active Wi-Fi devices, you’ll likely either need to configure those as access points (APs), or as separate networks and subnets. I’ve found AP configurations usually work better, as roaming from one Wi-Fi to another is far less of a hassle with a multiple APs than with multiple Wi-Fi routers.


Configuring Time Capsules as APs can work, but it also means having DHCP and other services available elsewhere on the local network.


I had Wi-Fi coverage and reliability issues with the older Time Capsules I was working with, and have been migrating off those, using APs from another vendor (Ubiquiti), and running the remaining Time Capsules with Wi-Fi disabled.

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User profile for user: MrHoffman
MrHoffman
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
125,727 points

Aug 28, 2020 5:35 PM in response to dburke

Usual setup nowadays with an existing Wi-Fi would be a NAS device with Time Machine support, such as a Synology DS220+ or ilk. This as Apple exited the Wi-Fi market a while back, as you well know.


If you want to run Time Capsule wired, and the existing Wi-Fi coverage is good, turn off the Wi-Fi on the Time Capsule.


If you want to run multiple active Wi-Fi devices, you’ll likely either need to configure those as access points (APs), or as separate networks and subnets. I’ve found AP configurations usually work better, as roaming from one Wi-Fi to another is far less of a hassle with a multiple APs than with multiple Wi-Fi routers.


Configuring Time Capsules as APs can work, but it also means having DHCP and other services available elsewhere on the local network.


I had Wi-Fi coverage and reliability issues with the older Time Capsules I was working with, and have been migrating off those, using APs from another vendor (Ubiquiti), and running the remaining Time Capsules with Wi-Fi disabled.

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User profile for user: Bob Timmons
Bob Timmons
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
168,410 points

Aug 28, 2020 5:41 PM in response to dburke

Is it seriously impossible to add a Time Capsule to an existing network via WiFi?


Yes and no.


Yes, if you are trying to add the Time Capsule to a network provided by a 3rd party router.

No, if you are trying to add the Time Capsule to network provided by another Apple router.


Is it seriously the case that Time Capsule, a wifi device, is only capable of joining an existing network via ethernet?


Yes, if you are trying to connect the Time Capsule to a network provided by a 3rd party router.

No, if you are trying to add the Time Capsule to network provided by another Apple router.


Apparently other manufacturer's routers can accept a hard drive and support Time Machine, but despite my searching, I can't find any documentation on which routers will support that.


Synology and the upper end Asus routers. There may be more, but no one has reported what those might be.


https://www.synology.com/en-us/products/RT2600ac https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1011283/


All I wanted was to be able to do wireless backups.


Connect the Time Capsule to your WiFi router using Ethernet and turn off the WiFi function on the Time Capsule, so you can back up over your existing WiFi network.


Even if you could connect the Time Capsule using only a wireless connection......(you can't on a 3rd party network), this is a horrible way to try to back up, since you will be dealing with a double-hop wireless situation. Backups would take twice as long this way and there will be double the chances of an error occurring in the process.


Things aren't as bad when the Time Capsule connects to another Apple WiFi network, since devices can back up directly to the Time Capsule over the WiFi and avoid a double hop.





















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User profile for user: dburke
dburke Author
User level: Level 1
11 points

Aug 28, 2020 5:41 PM in response to MrHoffman

Yeah, I really don't even need it as an access point, I just basically wanted to use it for backups on my existing network. NAS like Synology is expensive, and I figured this was exactly the situation that Time Capsule was created for.


The only way I can see to add it to an existing network is via ethernet. Which seems dumb. But alas. I had to hunt down an ethernet cable, because it's 2020, and those aren't just laying around everywhere anymore. I suppose that's a workable solution, still seems kinda dumb to me. Oh well!

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User profile for user: dburke
dburke Author
User level: Level 1
11 points

Aug 28, 2020 5:42 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Yeah fair enough about the double hop, although it still seems like that would be an improvement over the earlier 802.11n models. If that was acceptable, so should double hopping on ac. But oh well, I can make this work, I'm just kinda surprised and disappointed it doesn't work a little better. I'd been avoiding products like Synology cuz they're very expensive.


Thanks for replying!

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User profile for user: Bob Timmons
Bob Timmons
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
168,410 points

Aug 28, 2020 5:50 PM in response to dburke

Keep in mind that the Time Capsule was designed in 2012, and that Apple made no hardware improvements to the product up until the time it was discontinued over 2 years ago.


Backups to the Time Capsule, slow they might be, might be OK, but no one in their right mind would set up the Time Capsule as their only backup plan.


The simplest, cheapest, fastest and most reliable way to back up is simply connect a USB drive directly to your Mac.



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User profile for user: MrHoffman
MrHoffman
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
125,727 points

Aug 28, 2020 6:04 PM in response to dburke

Pricing... Newer equipment can be more expensive than a ~2013 era Time Capsule yes, but then the (loaded) ~USD$1000 Synology DS220+ I’m presently prototyping is 24 TB with 2 x 12 TB high-spec HDDs and with support for RAID-1 or JBOD, versus the 3 TB single-spindle HDD Time Capsule at ~USD$400 (~2013 price). And the Synology has add-ons that can do a whole lot more than can or does the Time Capsule. Many (most?) of which are free.

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User profile for user: dburke
dburke Author
User level: Level 1
11 points

Aug 28, 2020 6:21 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Thanks for the recommendation! I think I'm going to stick with the Time Capsule for now, I got it used for cheaper than that would be. I don't need it to work wirelessly, I just assumed it would. It seems like overkill for what I'm doing, since I'm just plugging it into the existing router. It's kind of a glorified hard drive at this point. But since just plugging a hard drive into my router doesn't work, this does still add some value.

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Is it seriously impossible to add a Time Capsule to an existing network via wifi?

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