Time Capsule remote access 2023

You need to have the Time Capsule connected directly to a simple modem.......the kind that has only one Ethernet port. In other words, the Time Capsule functions as the main router on your network. Or, you could have an AirPort Extreme connected directly to the modem and the Time Capsule connected to the AirPort Extreme via a wired Ethernet cable connection.

Remote access of the Time Capsule is not going to work if the product that you might call your "modem" is really a modem/router or gateway type of device. This type of device will always have 3-4 Ethernet ports, not a single Ethernet port. The Tesserax instructions will not work with a modem/router.

A simple modem will look something like this:

A modem/router or gateway will look like this:

Please provide the make and model number of your modem to confirm.

You cannot set up the Time Capsule in a router mode of DHCP and NAT if you are also using a modem/router.

That creates two routers on the same network and a Double NAT error on the Time Capsule. Port Mapping or Port Forwarding will not work with a Double NAT error.

If you want to use the modem/router to set up Port Mapping, also known as Port Forwarding, the Time Capsule must be configured in Bridge Mode......not DHCP and NAT and all of the port settings have to be made on the modem/router.

I don't know how to do this with the modem/router that you have, or any other modem/router for that matter. You have the values that the Time Capsule requires for remote access. Ask the support folks for the modem/router how to use those values on the modem/router. The Time Capsule must be set up in Bridge Mode....Apple calls this "Off (Bridge Mode)". There are no other settings to apply on the Time Capsule.

Life would be tons easier and you would have a much better chance of setting up the Time Capsule for remote access if you replace the modem/router with a simple modem. We can help with this type of setup.

As Bob has tried to explain to you, the user tip article I provided only works if the Time Capsule is connected directly to a modem ... NOT to a combination modem/router, or gateway device ... like the one you have.

In essence, you have two NAT routers, each with their own firewalls enabled. That means you need to configure port mapping on both devices, simply configuring for one or the other will not work.

So, the first step is to create port mapping to allow for AFP traffic to enter your Zyxel gateway with the destination being the Time Capsule. The next step would be to then create an AFP-related port mapping on the Time Capsule to allow this AFP traffic to get to the Time Capsule's internal drive.

One very important note! Using AFP (or SMB) over an unprotected connection to/from the Internet comes with a significant security risk. Basically, if that traffic is intercepted anything (and everything) on your Time Capsule's drive will be readily available to anyone. I strongly do not recommend you doing so ... but that is totally up to you, of course.

My support tip would cover the second set of steps to configure the Time Capsule for port mapping.

You are probably still on your home network, so not a valid check.

You won't know if things really are working until you take your Mac down to the coffee place and log on to the Wi-Fi there, then try to connect to the Time Capsule.

As far as trying to connect from an iPhone. You can't. No afp support on an iPhone.

The simplest option.....if it is possible.....would be to set up the Zyxel device to operate as a simple modem only in Bridge Mode. Then, the Time Capsule could be configured for Port Mapping. Zyxel support would probably need to advise whether it is possible to set up the modem/router to function only as a simple modem.

If the Zyxel device cannot be set up to operate only as a simple modem, then Port Forwarding settings will need to be set up on the Zyxel modem/router.......if....it has this capability. So, all the port settings will need to be configured on the Zyxel modem/router.....not the Time Capsule.

For this, you would likely need to get Zyxel support involved, since the settings on the Time Capsule would remain as they are now, and would not be changed.

For what it's worth, I do have my Time Capsule set up with a simple modem and I am able to access the Time Capsule hard drive from any remote connection over the Internet using a Mac. Recently, I tested to see if I could connect back to the Time Capsule from the Wi-Fi on board an international flight and things worked just fine.

I've tried to explain that I know how to set up the Time Capsule for remote access with a simple modem.....or.....with another AirPort set up as the main router on the network and the Time Capsule is set up in Bridge Mode.

I'm assuming that if the Zyxel modem/router can be reconfigured to act as a simple modem that the same type of setup that I use would work with the Zyxel product. But, I don't have a Zyxel product here to work with to test things out.

I can't help if the Zyxel product will continue to function as a modem/router other than to say that the Time Capsule must be set up in Bridge Mode and all of the port settings will need to be made on the Zyxel modem/router.

When I use another AirPort as the main router on the network, and the Time Capsule is then set up in the correct Bridge Mode, the settings on the main AirPort router to allow remote access for the Time Capsule look like this on the main AirPort router (not the Time Capsule).

But, I can't say what the settings might look like on a Zyxel modem/router. With a Zyxel modem/router, it will probably assign an IP Address to the Time Capsule in the 192.168.1.x range so the Private IP Address for the Time Capsule will be different than what is shown in the example above.

I don't know if your modem/router supports afp protocol. That is another question.

Open Finder on the Mac

Click on the Go menu at the top of the screen

Click Connect to Server

Enter afp://Public IP address of the modem/router:8888

So if the Public IP address of the modem/router from your ISP was for example 123.56.789, you would enter

afp://123.56.789:8888

Then, a connection box will appear asking you for the Base Station password of the Time Capsule. Enter the password and if the modem/router settings are correct, you will connect to the Time Capsule disk.

I will be amazed if this works for you.

You will need to contact your ISP to make sure that they are providing you with a Static Public IP Address. This is usually only available with a business account.

The Tesserax instructions will not work with a modem/router or gateway. I will let Tesserax explain when he sees this post.

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