HT201510: Setting up Time Capsule for the first time

Learn about Setting up Time Capsule for the first time
donmadison
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: How do I setup Time Capsule to extend existing wireless network?

Must TC be connected via ethernet to my existing router?

If so, would it be via one of TC's LAN ports, not its WAN port?

I presume I'll use the WAN port later, when I want to create a new network -- meaning use TC as my router.

Airport Utility currently does not list my wireless network when I tell it I want to extend an existing network.

 

BTW, the Macbook Pro I'm using is late 2008, but has been upgraded to OS X 10.8.5.

MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2008), Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Nov 12, 2013 11:34 PM

by LaPastenague,Solvedanswer
LaPastenague LaPastenague
Level 9 (52,880 points)
Wireless
A:

Must TC be connected via ethernet to my existing router?

 

You cannot extend wireless on a non-apple router. So if the router you mention is non-apple you need to use ethernet.

 

If so, would it be via one of TC's LAN ports, not its WAN port?

 

 

You need to bridge the TC.. when you bridge it the TC has the WAN port allocated to LAN.. so you will effectively have no WAN port and 4 LAN ports when you run the TC in bridge.

We do recommend to plug the router to the TC via WAN just to keep network straight.

 

Airport Utility currently does not list my wireless network when I tell it I want to extend an existing network.

 

That doesn't surprise me.. the new airport utility is next to the absolute min and will basically show you apple stuff and nothing else.

Posted on Nov 13, 2013 12:19 AM

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donmadison

Q: How do I setup Time Capsule to extend existing wireless network?

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  • by LaPastenague,Solvedanswer

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Nov 13, 2013 12:19 AM in response to donmadison
    Level 9 (52,880 points)
    Wireless
    Nov 13, 2013 12:19 AM in response to donmadison

    Must TC be connected via ethernet to my existing router?

     

    You cannot extend wireless on a non-apple router. So if the router you mention is non-apple you need to use ethernet.

     

    If so, would it be via one of TC's LAN ports, not its WAN port?

     

     

    You need to bridge the TC.. when you bridge it the TC has the WAN port allocated to LAN.. so you will effectively have no WAN port and 4 LAN ports when you run the TC in bridge.

    We do recommend to plug the router to the TC via WAN just to keep network straight.

     

    Airport Utility currently does not list my wireless network when I tell it I want to extend an existing network.

     

    That doesn't surprise me.. the new airport utility is next to the absolute min and will basically show you apple stuff and nothing else.

  • by donmadison,

    donmadison donmadison Nov 17, 2013 9:49 PM in response to LaPastenague
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 17, 2013 9:49 PM in response to LaPastenague

    >> You need to bridge the TC..

     

    Yes, that sounds right if it means just letting the TC connect to my existing network as a backup drive, not as a network base station. I didn't see any options to do that, probably because TC says to use Airport Utility to set it up, but Airport Utility's focus is on networks. It's default dialog implies it will create a new network, and I was alert enough to know that I didn't want that, but not alert enough to look past the option to "extend a network".

     

    It's kind of a moot point now because after somehow getting TC to work with Time Machine, AirPort Utility kept popping up after restarting my computer, as if it really wanted me to use TC as a router, so I finally found some time when the rest of the familiy would let me disable internet service temporarily, turned off the exiting router, reset TC to factory settings, then let it be the router.

    Works fine, and seems to be much faster, perhaps because it automatically switches to the 5GHz channel when it can, where my old router had 2.4 and 5 GHz channels, but required selecting one or the other statically.