Time Capsule to extend network.

Question

Time Capsule to extend network.

I'm using my Mac Mini's AirPort to wirelessly connect to internet via a clear 4G to wifi modem in the attic. I wanna use my Time Capsule to connect to the Mac Mini via ethernet and extend the network. But when I set it up like that using Airport Utility, the Time Capsule restarts, spins for a minute and then flashes the yellow light and the Air Port utility can't find it anymore.

This happened previously and after a few days the Time Capsule seems to have "fixed" itself. With no intervention on my part, the green light was back & airport utility could see it again. But it was logging onto the network wirelessly as a whole separate user. When I set it up to extend the network again, it disappeared again.

I unplug and replug in the Time Capsule. Restart the computer. Nada.

What gives?

Posted on Dec 11, 2011 7:56 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

LaPastenague

Level 9

67,208 points

Dec 12, 2011 12:46 AM in response to Captain Avatar

You are setting it up the wrong way.. the mac mini is handling the router function.. sharing the 4G connection to the ethernet. So when you plug in the TC it should use bridge mode.. so do this.

Plug the TC into the computer and reset.. when it comes up again, use the airport utility to set the Internet connection sharing on internet tab to bridge ie off.

The TC should be restarted and then get an IP from the computer.. mini.. and you can then use the wireless to connect.

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Answer 2

Dec 12, 2011 7:41 PM in response to LaPastenague

I think I did what you were saying, but I'm not certain we're trying to do the same thing here.

The 4G to wifi modem is in my attic. It picks up a 4G signal and creates a wifi network to join. The mac mini is right underneath it so it gets a decent signal via it's internal airport. But in other parts of the house my mobile devices get weak signals. So I want to plug my TC into my mini via ethernet, to use it's wireless router function to extend the network, or make a new network- either way, just so that the locus of the network for my mobile devices is down here in my living room instead of my attic.

You said that the Mac Mini is handling the router function? I didn't think that the mini could put off a signal. That's what I understand a router to do, take some kind of internet signal and create (or extend) a wireless network for other devices to join. I did not think the mini could do that by itself. I thought I needed a wireless router of some kind like the Time Capsule to do that. The 4G to wifi modem is acting as a router, but like I said, the signal is pretty weak anywhere but right where the Mini is.

When I did what you said, everything happened like you said it would. In the Network Settings, it assigned itself a new IP address, but like I was saying, AirPort Utility can no longer see it. (I guess that's to be expected since you had me disable its wireless functions, but I don't think that's what I should be doing.) But I don't see how I'm going to tell the Time Capsule to make a new wireless network or extend my current one if the AirPort Utility can't see it.

Now, when I instead do what I thinbk I'm supposed to be doing and choose the oprion in the AirPort Utility "Connect to a network using Ethernet to extend the network or create a second network" I then get a Menu that says, "Select the device or network Time Capsule will connect to using Ethernet. If you don't see it, make sure it is connected, and in range." It does NOT show me my Mac Mini. It shows the wireless netowrk to which it is connected though. If I pick nothing as it says I can, it essentially starts the whole process over.

If I pick the wireless network to which my Mac mini is connected I then get these choices:

1) I want to connect Time Capsule to my network using Ethernet to extend my existing wireless network

2) I want to create at additional network.

Presently whenever I choose either of these options, AirPort Utility seems to think everything is hunky dory, and tells n=me to wait for my Time Capsule to restart. But it doesn't. It just sits there with it's green light solid. Eventually the AirPort Utility times out. When I close AirPort Utility and bring it up again, its back the way it started- Set up with Wireless disabled connected by ethernet.

I've had other kinds of errors. Once it said nothing was plugged into the ethernet port, when clearly it was. Once it said the ethernet IP address was invalid. It was the DHCP address it assigned itself. I tried copying the IP address from the 4G to Wifi modem but it didn't like that. When I told it to set up its own again I was back in the loop from the paragraph above.

I've already gone back to the factory defaults once, should I do it again? It seems like I'm telling it to do the right stuff, but it just don't wanna do it.

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Answer 3

Dec 13, 2011 12:57 AM in response to Captain Avatar

So I want to plug my TC into my mini via ethernet, to use it's wireless router function to extend the network, or make a new network- either way, just so that the locus of the network for my mobile devices is down here in my living room instead of my attic.

Yeap, I think we are both on the same page at least to this point.

You said that the Mac Mini is handling the router function? I didn't think that the mini could put off a signal. That's what I understand a router to do, take some kind of internet signal and create (or extend) a wireless network for other devices to join. I did not think the mini could do that by itself.

Ok, here we are going adrift. The mini receives the signal via its airport card.. from the 4g wireless router in the attic. It then uses ICS to share the internet signal it picks up to its ethernet network. If you didn't do this I am not sure how you expect it to work.

Go to system preferences .. in the networking area, click on sharing, and go to the tab for internet sharing.

Select sharing from airport and to the ethernet. You have now made the mini a bridge or router to the rest of the network.

I thought I needed a wireless router of some kind like the Time Capsule to do that. The 4G to wifi modem is acting as a router, but like I said, the signal is pretty weak anywhere but right where the Mini is.

Unfortunately apple makes their wireless products to only work with other apple products, except for WDS which is unsuitable. So what you really want here is a wireless repeater.. you are going very round about in order to produce a repeater.

So let me give the details a little more clearly.

You have the mini now setup running internet sharing.. so it is receiving wifi from 4g wifi router.. this is bridged across to the ethernet port.

So all you need the TC to do is connect to the mini, and bridge ethernet to wireless. So you will run it in bridge mode.. you DO NOT turn off the wireless in the TC.. but you need to make sure its channel will not interfere with the wifi from the 4g router.

Reset the TC again.. go to airport utility and go to internet page.. and set connection sharing to off (bridge). Then update the TC.. when you do this the TC will now be working with an IP address from the mini or wifi 4g router (I have no idea which).. and you should then be able to connect to the TC wireless from your downstairs.

Note.. this is a horrible messy setup.

So is this wifi router in the attic got ethernet?? is there a power point nearby where you can plug in an EOP adapter?? You can then setup EOP adapter next to your computers downstairs plugged into a bridged TC by ethernet.

If you cannot get that setup, then buy a wireless repeater.. it has to be universal and not apple product, because they cannot do this. In Australia the product that is cheap and reasonable is Asus RT-N12 or N13U.. as you can switch them to universal repeater mode from router mode.

But your network via the mini is possible albeit so messy you will have no end of trouble even understanding it.

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Answer 4

Dec 13, 2011 4:56 AM in response to LaPastenague

Okay, I figured out how to turn on the Ethernet Internet sharing in syste prefs, but I am still confused by this:

"Reset the TC again.. go to airport utility and go to internet page.. and set connection sharing to off (bridge). Then update the TC.. when you do this the TC will now be working with an IP address from the mini or wifi 4g router (I have no idea which).. and you should then be able to connect to the TC wireless from your downstairs."

I don't see anything that says "bridge" anywhere. I'm not sure what you mean by "Internet page" either. Neither do i see "connection sharing". We're still talking about the AirPort utility, right? Not system prefs? Not that system prefs seems to say any of that either. My AirPort Utility gives me a series of choices, and none of them sound like what you're saying. System prefs has "Internet sharing" which is what I just set for the Ethernet, and "web sharing" is web sharing what I'm turning off? I'm using Snow leopard BTW.

Sorry to be so dense. Thanks so much for all your help. I may have no end of trouble trying to understand this. I matter how I set it up.

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Answer 5

Dec 13, 2011 11:55 AM in response to Captain Avatar

Ok.. I must learn how to put pictures into the posts.

Please open airport utility.. and find the TC.

Click on manual setup.

There are 5 icons across the top.. one is internet.

Click on internet.

In the internet setup area, there are two options.

The top one is connect using... and you should select ethernet.

The bottom one is connection sharing. Click the options available.. one is Off, (bridged mode).

Select that.

Update the TC.

It is now bridged. It will not act as a router. It will act as a wireless access point and switch.

That is how you must use the TC to connect.

Now when you bridge it, and update the airport utility may well lose connection to the TC.. that is expected. The TC will change IP address so it now belongs in the network of the mini and 4g wifi router.

If you plug it into the ethernet port of the mini, you should be able to access the TC on the mini still, but you might need to do it by wireless from downstairs.. you will not be able to do it by wireless on the mini, because it is client linked to the 4g wifi.

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Answer 6

Dec 13, 2011 8:55 PM in response to LaPastenague

Aha! Manual Setup was the missing tidbit for my slow brain. Press that button and everything you ever said suddenly made perfect sense. And it worked! It told me that the modem's wireless network would not allow itself to be extended. But it let me create a second network using the Ethernet connection! Airport Utility can still see it and Time Machine seems to be backing up over the ethernet cord as well! Thank you SO MUCH!!!

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