Setting Up Time Capsule for External Access

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Level 1

16 points

Setting Up Time Capsule for External Access

Hello all,

I am trying to set up my Time Capsule to be accessed without local Wi-Fi. I can use Back to My Mac to access the Time Capsule from my iMac, but not from my iPhone as Back to My Mac isn't intergrated into iOS. I use File Browser on my iPhone to access my TC from LAN, and it seems likely the TC can also be accessed through 4G using File Browser, too.

My first question is, can the Time Capsule be accessed through the internet (by port forwarding or something)?
Second question if the first is possible, how do I do so? (step by step instructions please)

I have the latest model of Time Capsule and AirPort Utility.

Thanks!

- Noah

OS X Mavericks (10.9.2)

Posted on Apr 13, 2014 2:48 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

LaPastenague

Level 9

67,202 points

Apr 13, 2014 3:17 PM in response to Siriusic

Filebrowser can be used to remotely access the TC.

There are instructions in the filebrowser website.. have you tried those?

http://www.stratospherix.com/support/gsw_timecapsule.php?page=6remote

The one area where I think you might have issues is global domain name.. as that has been problematic.

You really need a static public IP from your ISP for this to be successful.

See Tesserax doco on remote access especially the global domain instructions.

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3413

There is a hugely better method BTW..

Buy a vpn router and substitute that for the Time Capsule.. which can then be bridged behind the router.

VPN client is built into iOS and every mainline OS available. It is robust and has far superior security.

Note carefully the method you are going to use with iphone is opening your TC to attack. They have hidden the SMB port, but in reality.. any hacker will one day do a port scan on you and find it open.. no matter what port it is translated to.. at that point your password will be the only thing stopping access to outsider.. and they can often get around that.. or mount Man in the Middle type attack, since passwords in SMB are not secure.

Not that I think a hacker is going to waste their time doing it.. but it is just so you know.. it is fundamentally wrong.

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Answer 2

Siriusic Author

Level 1

16 points

Apr 14, 2014 12:22 PM in response to LaPastenague

Thanks for the reply,

I have read and tried the File Browser instructions, but I was unable to get it to work.

I have already looked into VPN, that was my ideal. I'm confused:

Buy a vpn router and substitute that for the Time Capsule.. which can then be bridged behind the router.

Are you saying if I buy a VPN router it would replace or substitute for the Time Capsule? As in I wouldn't need or use it? Also, what do you mean "bridged behind the router"?

- Thanks

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Answer 3

Apr 14, 2014 1:06 PM in response to Siriusic

You must replace the TC as the main router.. with a router that has vpn server endpoints.

The TC then is put into bridge mode.. and plugged by ethernet into the vpn router. It becomes a network hard disk and AP unit for the network. All routing is handled by the vpn router.

When you establish a vpn tunnel to the router your device is connected to the entire local network just as if you connected to the TC direct. You can now do anything in the local network just the same as you would do at home.

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