"You stated you wanted the TC as external hard disk.. I assumed that you would place files on it.. and that those files would not be on your Mac. If you want a purely external drive the TC is the hardest way possible to achieve it."
Well, that explains a lot. What works with a 2012 MBP 15" retina display? I've tried the Seagate Wireless and now this.
"If you are not using a backup software or Time Machine.. how are you backing up??
You will find it difficult to do it manually.. as you will surely forget something you need. "
Right now in theory I back up to amazon via jungle disk. I have my doubts that new files are going over. Pictures go to my computer from android phone via dropbox, but I'm about to have to pay for more space. Some files have gone to google. The thought was to get a TC and use Time Machine. Both mac products, and then I wouldn't have to pay for outside space every month.
"Now i am kinda lost.
The modem should be plugged into a router.. what modem exactly do you have?? What kind of broadband? Is the modem also a router or is that role passed to the Linksys??"
It's an Ubee modem, I think. That's what the front says (it's not a brand I've heard of). It looks like this. http://www.amazon.com/uBee-DDM3513-Docsis-Cable-Modem/dp/B005Y1UFIM
We have Xfinity, but I don't know if it's DSL or cable or what.
Our Linksys is our router. So there's an ethernet cable from the model (there's just one port on the back, so I know for a fact that's not screwed up) to the Linksys (where it goes into "internet" and then it works).
"What model is the Linksys?"
Goodness. Old. http://www.amazon.com/Linksys-Wireless-G-2-4-Wireless-Router/dp/B001G6I5MM That's it.
"Can you simply replace the Linksys with the TC.. that would be a lot easier."
Sure, if it'll work.
" So while the TC is now showing along with my other airport express (progress!), it says it's not found now that I've disconnected it. Is there a next step?
If you disconnect the TC.. then you cannot find it.. because it is disconnected.. I must be missing something.. but that makes perfect sense. Reconnect it and then you can find it.. the TC must be bridged and it must be plugged by ethernet into the Linksys.. "
I did all that you said, connected the TC to the modem, followed the prompts and your steps, the light went green on the TC, it said I was connected to my wireless network (rather than the one it was trying to make just for the TC), and it never went online. Nothing loaded. I couldn't get back here. I couldn't go to other sites. I couldn't get mail, my chat client was dead. So nothing. I unhooked the TC and went back to the linksys, and that's when I asked if there was another step I needed to do to actually get it to work and turn on once everything was done. It was happy enough, just completely not letting me online.
Sounds like this isn't working either. What's a good external drive that I don't have to physically connect to my laptop that will work via Time Machine? Like I said, I'll be storing a few files on it, but the majority will be TV/movies that I don't want to have to stream from iTunes, or store on my local drive. My pictures I do try to put in multiple spots, but a lot of what fills my drive are car and carseat manuals (I'm a professional carseat technician, and thankfully much better at that than this!) and movies, so if I could offload those then great, but if they're lost I can always redownload them.
You've been very helpful, and I appreciate it! Thanks.
