Yes, I'm still using my older than the hills Time Machine, but I no longer want to use it as a router, just as a backup device. Anyone here have any advice on how to go about that? I recently found a thread addressing it, but it was from 2012 and there have clearly been some software updates since then as the steps recommended are no longer an option. Thanks for all your help!!
With the TC powered on.. hold in the reset button for about 10sec.. the Front LED will flash rapidly.
No files on the TC are lost.. all you reset was the router settings.
Plug the TC WAN to the Google LAN with ethernet cable. (this is permanent).
Open Airport Utility on your computer or iOS device (you need to download the iOS version airport utility).
Assuming it worked and your computer has wireless on.. it should pick up the TC which will be restored to defaults. Wireless will be on.
So start the setup wizard.. this is easy.. click the Other WiFi Devices (1) in airport utility. (Top left on the main screen).
Give the TC a name different to before.. short, no spaces and pure alphanumerics.
Give it a password.. same rules but longer.
The wizard should automagically get the setup right. Mostly!!
You might get an error that TC failed to configure.. ignore it and reboot the TC.
Restart the Airport Utility.
Does the TC show up?
No luck restart the computer as well.
As long as TC shows up in Airport Utility, ignore the errors for now.
Assuming everything went correctly edit the wireless setting to turn it off.
Click the TC icon in airport utility.
Take careful note of the IP address.. it might be important later. Mine shows as 192.168.20.193
IP address and LAN IP address should be identical.
Click edit on the summary.
Click on wireless tab. Choose Off and then update.
Now your computer will connect to the TC over wireless from Google Mesh to the TC.
Tell us if it does not show up in Airport Utility.. again.. it has a tendency to do that.. restarting TC, Google router, computer, airport utility all help to get things working again.
The next bits can be left for the moment as that is enough to get started.
With the TC powered on.. hold in the reset button for about 10sec.. the Front LED will flash rapidly.
No files on the TC are lost.. all you reset was the router settings.
Plug the TC WAN to the Google LAN with ethernet cable. (this is permanent).
Open Airport Utility on your computer or iOS device (you need to download the iOS version airport utility).
Assuming it worked and your computer has wireless on.. it should pick up the TC which will be restored to defaults. Wireless will be on.
So start the setup wizard.. this is easy.. click the Other WiFi Devices (1) in airport utility. (Top left on the main screen).
Give the TC a name different to before.. short, no spaces and pure alphanumerics.
Give it a password.. same rules but longer.
The wizard should automagically get the setup right. Mostly!!
You might get an error that TC failed to configure.. ignore it and reboot the TC.
Restart the Airport Utility.
Does the TC show up?
No luck restart the computer as well.
As long as TC shows up in Airport Utility, ignore the errors for now.
Assuming everything went correctly edit the wireless setting to turn it off.
Click the TC icon in airport utility.
Take careful note of the IP address.. it might be important later. Mine shows as 192.168.20.193
IP address and LAN IP address should be identical.
Click edit on the summary.
Click on wireless tab. Choose Off and then update.
Now your computer will connect to the TC over wireless from Google Mesh to the TC.
Tell us if it does not show up in Airport Utility.. again.. it has a tendency to do that.. restarting TC, Google router, computer, airport utility all help to get things working again.
The next bits can be left for the moment as that is enough to get started.
What's my next step?
There are different ways to skin a cat and they can all work to accomplish the same goal. If were doing this, this is the method that I would use.
Make sure that you have an Ethernet cable connected from an Ethernet port on the Google router to the WAN "O' Ethernet port on the Time Capsule. This connection must be maintained at all times.
Power up the Time Capsule and let it run for a minute or two
Hold in the reset button on the back of the Time Capsule for 7-8 seconds and release
Allow a full minute for the Time Capsule to restart to a slow, blinking amber light status
This action will reset the network settings on the Time Capsule so that it will pick up the new network settings that it needs from your new network. It will not affect any of the stored data on the Time Capsule hard drive.
Click on the WiFi menu at the top of your Mac's screen and look for a listing of New AirPort Base Station
Just below that listing, click directly on AirPort Time Capsule, or it may simply say Time Capsule
When you click on AirPort Time Capsule, that will automatically start up the Airport Utility setup 'wizard". The wizard will take a few seconds to analyze the network and then display a window that looks like the example below, except that you will see a Time Capsule pictured.
Network Name........Leave this setting alone for now. Later, we will turn off the WiFi on the Time Capsule so it will act only a backup hard drive
Base Station Name.....Type in a short name that you want to use for the Time Capsule
Password.....Type in a password that you want to use for the Time Capsule
Verify.....Type in the same password again to confirm
Click Next, and the setup wizard will configure the Time Capsule for you automatically. After a minute, you should see a message of Setup Complete and a green light will be displayed on the Time Capsule.
Click Done
Very important........Log back onto the Google WiFi network from your Mac
Click on the Time Machine "clock" icon at the top of the screen
Click on Back Up Now to start a backup
This may or may not work at this time
Post back on your results and we will know how to continue from this point
Google Wifi
Or the Google Nest? For Nest only the main unit has ethernet ports. If you need more than one LAN port you will need to plug in a switch. The Google wifi or nest must take over as the main router.. so plug the TC into switch and reconfigure it following the advice in this brand new thread we just did. Loads of info in there from both Bob and myself.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252377475
Edit after the time allowed.
If you plug the TC into the one available LAN port to TC WAN port and set it up in bridge mode.. then the other 3 LAN ports on the TC can be used for other items you wish to hard wire.
Not trying to be picky here, but Time Machine is software on your Mac computer that is used to back up the data on your Mac to another hard drive.
A Time Capsule is hardware, a router with a built in hard drive that was designed to store the backups from your Mac.
So, although Apple makes things confusing with their naming practices, you are likely asking about a Time Capsule in your post.
If you want to use the Time Capsule only as a back up hard drive, then your WiFi service must be provided by another device.....the one that you likely call your "modem".
Is the Time Capsule now connected to your "modem" using a wired Ethernet cable connection?
Is the "modem" providing a WiFi signal that you are using to connect devices to the Internet?
Are you able to back up your Mac to the Time Capsule using the WiFi provided by your modem?
If yes, what is the make and model number of your modem?
Or, maybe you have a new "modem" and you want to use that to provide the WiFi service for your network......but.....you have not yet hooked up the Time Capsule to the new modem?
Sorry for all the questions, but hopefully you realize that we cannot see your network or know what you might be thinking. So, things that are obvious to you are totally unknown to us. We will only know as much about your network as you can tell us. Thanks for your patience.
I ordered the Google Mesh, and it says that each unit has 2 ethernet ports
To connect the Time Capsule, use the extra Ethernet port on the "main" Google unit......the one that connects to your SB6183 modem....... if possible.
As LaPastenague mentions, once the Time Capsule is reconfigured, you will be able to use the 3 Ethernet ports on the Time Capsule if you need to connect more Ethernet devices.
Not sure if you want to bother checking some WiFi things on the Time Capsule at this time, since you will not be using the Time Capsule WiFi after that function is disabled.
Now unfortunately the bad news.......if your Time Capsule is 5-6+ years old, the power supply and the hard drive are both already overdue to fail, so you would not want to keep any data on the Time Capsule that you cannot afford to lose.......unless.....you are also backing up to another hard drive.
The good news.......you have done much better than most other users. Congrats on your very good luck!
Hahaha...I am horrifically technologically inept, so thank you for all the questions! Yes, I have a Time Capsule, and it is currently hooked up to my modem via ethernet cable. I'm currently using it both as a backup device and as a wireless router. I recently ordered a new wireless router which has not yet arrived (Google Wifi) which I will be using in place of the Time Capsule for my wifi as the Time Capsule can only process speeds of about 50mbps and I need something faster as my current internet streams at 400mbps (I wish I had known earlier that the Time Capsule could only process 50mbps...I've been overpaying for internet for years). I would, however, still like to use the Time Capsule for backups. My current modem is an Arris Surf Board, SB6183. I'm using a MacBook Pro laptop, if that helps/matters.
Thanks so much for getting back to me, I really appreciate it!!
(I wish I had known earlier that the Time Capsule could only process 50mbps
Mine......which is 7+ years old......easily handles the 300 Mbps Internet plan that my provider offers. The last check a few minutes ago checked in at 322 Mbps. Any Time Capsule that is working correctly would do the same.
My current modem is an Arris Surf Board, SB6183
Thanks for the info on that.
I recently ordered a new wireless router which has not yet arrived (Google Wifi)
When the new router arrives, power off the Time Capsule. You will then connect the Google WiFi router to the SB6143 modem using an Ethernet cable and set it up to provide a new WiFi network.
Use another Ethernet cable to connect from a free Ethernet port on the Google router to the WAN "O" Ethernet port on the Time Capsule. This connection will need to remain permanent.
You might wonder if it is possible to reconfigure the Time Capsule before the new Google router arrives. Because the Time Capsule will need to obtain new network settings from the Google router, it cannot do this until it is connected to the Google router.
Post back when you have the Google WiFi router set up and working with all your WiFi devices and we will continue with the modifications that will be necessary on the Time Capsule at that time.
I ordered the Google Mesh, and it says that each unit has 2 ethernet ports, so hopefully I'll be able to figure out all the connections! You guys are great!! Thanks so much for all the help! Technology improvement has far outpaced my ability to keep up with it!! :)
Thanks so much! I'll let you know when I get the new router up and running! I'm not sure exactly how old my time machine is...I'm pretty sure I got it in 2011, but it was refurbished so it's probably older than that. It's still doing backups everyday, so it's still working in that aspect. The last time I did a speed check it was about 40ish mbps, which is better than it was the other day when I was having a fight with my internet provider and it was going at 20ish mbps. I wish they had asked me about my wireless router when we were chatting...probably would have saved all of us a lot of time, and would have definitely saved the tech a visit to our house to check out our connection. Oh well.
Okay, I've got my Google Wifi all set up! Without some trial and error (mostly error), of course. I haven't yet connected my Time Capsule to the whole network yet because I'm afraid that I'll mess something up. You guys mentioned having to reconfigure the Time Capsule, and I'm not sure how to do this. I did look in the Time Machine preferences, but I wasn't able to make sense of anything on there. What's my next step? :)
All right, it looks like everything is connected properly, and the TC is showing up as a connected device on my Google Wifi. I initiated a backup about 5 minutes ago, and it's still saying "preparing backup." So we'll see how long it takes it to actually do a backup.
You guys are honestly the best. This is probably easy stuff for you, but for me it's like a foreign language being spoken under water. I have definitely not kept up with technology over the years, but I'm so thankful for those of you who have. :)
"Preparing" may take a long time.....1-2 hours or more in some cases.....before the new backup will begin. Let the process run until it completes or until you see an error message.
If an error message appears, please post back with the exact text of the message.
The TC backup ran this morning and looks to be functioning well! Thanks guys! My subsequent issue is that my Samsung M2020 printer seems to have gone rogue and I can no longer print to it. I remember when I got this printer that it was the most difficult wifi connection I've ever experienced...it took hours and multiple forums to figure out how to get it to connect. I remember reading that Samsung products and Apple products don't always play all that nice together at baseline. All that aside, the printer itself has been a piece of garbage from the get-go (poor printing quality, multiple flaws, etc) and I only paid $40 for it 2 years ago, so I think I'm going to "Office Space" the Samsung and get myself a proper printer. Any suggestions you have for a printer would be much appreciated!
Look for a printer that will connect to your main router......the Google WiFi device........using an Ethernet cable connection. Tons easier than trying to connect using WiFi. Then, your computers will all be able to send a print, scan, etc. signal over the Google WiFi to the printer.
Most popular all-in-one devices will have an Ethernet port, but the "bargain" models will not. So, the "bargain" may not be all that much of a deal given the extra headaches involved with trying to connect a printer to a WiFi network rather an an Ethernet network.
Time Machine and Wifi
