not able to access my time capsule

Open AirPort Utility on your Mac. Does the Time Capsule appear there?

If yes, click on the Time Capsule and an smaller window will appear with information about the Time Capsule.

Look for a setting for Status and click on the small amber dot there. What is the message?

If the Time Capsule does not appear when you open AirPort Utility, the Time Capsule will need to be reset and then set up again. This will not affect any of the data on the Time Capsule hard drive, as you have apparently been incorrectly told.

However, it is possible that the Time Machine backups on the Time Capsule hard drive have become corrupted and unusable. That is something that cannot be known until you first have the Time Capsule set up again and functioning on your network, when the Time Capsule will show up when you open a Finder window.

How do you have this Time Capsule (TC) configured to work with your current network if you are not using it for Internet access? By default, it is configured as a router and is expecting to be directly connected to an Internet modem for service.

If that's not what it's configured as, you will need to provide us with some details about your network. That is, what other network hardware (make & model) is being used and how is this all configured to allow this TC (previously) to be used for Time Machine backups?

The configuration that I'm referring to would have the TC connected directly to your existing Internet router by Ethernet.

You would then use the AirPort Utility to make the following configuration changes:

• Disable the TC's wireless radios.

1. 1. Run the AirPort Utility.
   2. Select the TC, and then, select Edit.
   3. On the Wireless tab, change Network Mode to: Off
   4. Select Update and allow the TC to restart.

• Reconfigure the TC as a bridge.

1. 1. Run the AirPort Utility.
   2. Select the TC, and then, select Edit.
   3. On the Network tab, change Router Mode to: Off (Bridge Mode)
   4. Select Update and allow the TC to restart.

In this configuration, you would normally connect to the wireless network provided by your Internet router. Since the TC will be in bridge mode & connected by Ethernet, it would be on the same network subnet as the router's. As such, your Mac should now "see" the TC.

Ok, thanks for the additional information. The "errors" you are seeing is that the TC is still configured as an Internet router (its default mode).

Based on what you described, you have two separate Wi-Fi networks. A "main" one that you use for Internet access, and the one created by the TC. You then switch networks to be able to access the TC. If this is the case, then you have a very inefficient network setup and you can make things much easier by reconfiguring the TC for this purpose.