Cannot connect to Time Capsule ethernet ports?

johnzini wrote:

I have bridged my Time Capsule to my ADSL modem with the TC connecting to the Internet with PPPoE enabled. Green lights all the way for the Wifi devices connected to my internal TC Wifi Network. They all have IP addresses of 10.0.1.x with Mask of 255.255.255.0. In fact, the "DHCP range" on the Network tab on my Airport Utility App, indicates that the DHCP Range is 10.0.1.2 - 10.0.1.200.

The first bit at least needs a bit more explanation.

Which device is bridged? From what you write it is the adsl modem.. with the TC doing pppoe client authentication?? NAT is on which would then be correct.

Do you actually pick up the public IP on the WAN port of the TC? The utility will show this.

And internet is working??

I have now tried to connect my MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display directly to the TC through one of the 3 Ethernet ports on the back of the TC via an Ethernet cable (Thunderbolt to Ethernet converter on the Macbook side). I cannot see the machine on the Time Capsule, and I cannot see the TC from the machine. When I have a look at the IP address that the TC has allocated to the MacBook, I see that it is 169.254.247.42, with a Subnet Mask of 255.255.0.0. I have tried renewing the IP address throught System Preferences\Network, and the IP address remains fixed to that 169.254 network. The Thunderbolt connection is Green and connected in the Network pane.

Please help...?

I would say this is a thunderbolt to ethernet converter issue. I don't use one but I have seen posts that people have issues with the them. The green light in this case is meaningless. Ring up apple support and explain the issue as there are some commands you might have to issue to get the converter working.

A 169.254 address is self generated when there is no connection so dhcp client in the mac can get an ip address.

I also tried to connect a Windows machine onto one of the other Ethernet ports of the ADSL modem at it gets an address 10.0.0.120 and the ADSL modem is doing NAT (which seems strange if it is in bridge mode).

The TC Wifi network is all 10.0.1.x with a 255.255.255.0 netmask. So it seems that as if there is a separate network on the ADSL modem ethernet ports from the TC. Not sure if this is at all relevant.

It is not relevant. What you are seeing is as expected.. the modem is still running its internal dhcp server.. but the computer you plug in will not be able to get internet connection. It is isolated from the ATM bridge of the modem, which is now working to the TC only.

Still it does give you a way of testing.. plug the thunderbolt ethernet adapter into the modem.. does the MBP now get an IP in the same pool as the PC was getting? If not, then I still think something has gone wrong with the thunderbolt adapter. If it does get IP then something is going bad on the TC port.. test the other LAN ports on the TC.. if that doesn't work then I would see if you can find a switch and put it between the two.. so you go..

TC.. Switch... ethernet. And just see if that fixes it.

How old is your TC? What is the model number A1xxx from the rubber foot?

I would go back to using the modem as full router, and plug the TC in as bridged device.

In theory the ethernet adapter can then be plugged into either modem or TC and in both cases get access. If you find it works then on the modem and fails on the TC, I would take both the adapter and the TC into Apple for testing because one or the other is faulty.