Time capsule as second router

Question

Time capsule as second router

Hi,

I have had my 500gb Time Capsule for a while and have used it just for backing up. Now I want to use it to extend the coverage of my wifi signal by connecting it via powerline adapters to the other side of the house. I have a TP-LINK router which, for the moment, I am trying to connect it with directly using an ethernet cable.

I am running Mountain Lion which may be a problem as I have seen a number of posts suggesting reverting to Airport Utility 5.6 from 6.1 which is what I am now running. Frustratingly I did get it working yesterday for a period, was able to back up (first time since I moved home) and was able to connect to it's network in the other room (Albeit that it was running as a separate network and my Iphone 4s wouldn't switch between the two networks automatically.

Now Airport Utility can only recognise it when I first plug it in having restarted it and my router. I then try and edit the settings (using posts from here) but with no joy and usually Airport Utility then cannot find it and suggests it was "previously part of your network. check that it is still in range..etc.).

I'm pretty new to networking and understand very little but have been working with trial and error for some time. Now it is just taking too much of my time and I am consistently failing. Any help would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks

Max

Time Capsule 802.11n (1st Gen), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), Macbook Pro 13" with 24" Cinema Dis

Posted on Sep 30, 2012 7:42 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 30, 2012 1:39 PM in response to oldpathwhiteclouds

Partly at least this is a problem with Mountain Lion.. perhaps exacerbated by using EOP adapters that don't pass bonjour packets like they should. This is important for the Apple discovery mechanism.

I don't have an easy solution. Partly at least because the TC is not working properly even when it is setup correctly as main router sitting right next to the computer.

Let me get the setup straight though.

You have actually got ethernet connecting to the two.

I have a TP-LINK router which, for the moment, I am trying to connect it with directly using an ethernet cable.

What TP-Link? Since this is now the main router for the network.. some of them do not handle bonjour properly either. If it is a router, could you swap the roles.. put the TC in as the main router and the TP-link as the extension.

Or buy another apple router.. this is often the only way to get things to work.. the new airport express is not too expensive. Or you can pickup secondhand an older airport express or extreme.. they are both very reliable cf the Time Capsule which are a lot more prone to failure..

If you are stuck with the current layout.

I suggest you set things manually..

Set the TC to IP address. Even in bridge mode, this will stop it falling out with the TP-Link.

So say TP link is 192.168.1.1 then make the TC 192.168.1.254 (top of the range to keep it out of the way).

Set the TP-Link to offer DHCP leases that are fairly short time.. say 10min. This will help keep things up to date.

Set the wireless and TC names to SMB compatible.. short, no spaces pure alphanumeric.

You can even set the wireless name to be identical to the TP-link.. same security.. wpa2 personal is the only suitable setting (AES on the TP-Link).. same passkey.. but set a fixed and different channel on the TC.

If you are going to find out what goes wrong, I would also use a computer directly plugged into the TC or using 5ghz (which means using a different name for 5ghz) and get to the logs and see if there are error messages.

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Answer 2

Oct 1, 2012 7:18 AM in response to LaPastenague

Thanks for the helpful reply LaPastenague. I have switched them and the TC is now recognised by my Macbookpro and is happy. It has narrowly avoided being hammered to death by me but lives on to back up my macbook pro in case the worst should happen and it should be abducted.

The TP-Link (WR1043ND http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WR1043ND ) is now in the other room and is behaving much better than the TC just working with no obvious fuss. I am now able to back up my stuff on the TC and can choose between the two wireless routers.....but.....

I really wanted my wireless devices (iPhone 4S, wife's iPhone 3GS and Macbook Pro and other future members of the family) to switch automatically between the two routers to pick up the best signal. I had hoped to do this with the TC extending the TP-Link router because the TP-Link router is probably the better router.

I'd be very grateful of any help with this. It may be that I need to understand much more about networks than I do now to work this out. I'm afraid some of the reply above was lost on me.

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Answer 3

Oct 1, 2012 2:16 PM in response to oldpathwhiteclouds

The setup for roaming networks is fairly simple. I did explain it but if you want specifics..

1. Using the airport utility.. go into the TC and setup wireless with a new short name.. no spaces .. pure alphanumeric. eg I name 2.4ghz wireless TC24ghz .. I do recommend a different name for 5ghz.. TC5ghz as that removes at least one level of trouble. Up to you though. Apple devices that support 5ghz are supposed to switch transparently.. IMHO wireless is voodoo and less is left to the automatic self help the better.

2. Setup WPA2 Personal security and a suitable wireless passkey..

3. Lock the channel for 2.4ghz to channel 1.

Now on the TP-Link

1. Give it exactly the same name for the wireless TC24ghz

2. WPA2 AES security.. same passkey

3. Set the channel to 11.

Not everything roams properly.. but that is the client problem not the actual routers issues.

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Answer 4

Oct 2, 2012 7:58 AM in response to LaPastenague

Thanks for that. In fact I think the trouble I have been having was because of the Belkin 1Gbts HD Powerline Adapters (F5D4078uk). While everything would set up right and work the line would then infuriatingly drop off and then not work again. I have updated the firmware on them and hopefully that will do the trick, they seem to be working for now.

I have followed your instructions above and now the two routers are working exactly as I had wanted and finally I can put this to bed.

Thank you so much for your attention to this LaPastenague

Max

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