Can I use a Time Capsule to extend my wireless network.

Question

Can I use a Time Capsule to extend my wireless network.

Hi, I have just bought a 3TB time capsule as my old (flat style) 500GB TC is reaching full capacity. The old style TC will then be surplus to requirements as a data storage unit, at least for myself, though it might be useful for my son to use as his Time Capsule.

Ideally, as we have a wireless 'blind spot' out in the rear extension of the house, it would be useful to use the unit to extend my wireless network (and also use it as a separate TC if possible). Is this possible? If it is how would I go about it?

Hope someone can help . . . .

Cheers

John

Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Oct 28, 2014 10:24 AM

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Answer 1

Oct 28, 2014 10:28 AM in response to John Morgan02

If you have another Airport device as your main wireless base station, you can extend that network wirelessly. Reset the old TC, log into it using Airport Utility and configure it to extend your existing network.

If you have a different (non-Apple) base station as your main wifi unit, you can join that wifi network as a client, and pass the connection to wired clients, but cannot extend it wirelessly.

Matt

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Answer 2

Oct 28, 2014 10:32 AM in response to Matt Clifton

Thank you for your reply, Matt. I will be using the new TC as my Base Station (this will be connected to my Virgin router via an ethernet cable).

Cheers

John

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Answer 3

Oct 28, 2014 10:39 AM in response to John Morgan02

Congrats on the new Time Capsule.

You might want to note that extending a network wirelessly will result in a loss, on average, of about half of the potential speed on the network. So, I would only do this if more range was really required, and you are willing to give up substantial speed in return

If you want to avoid this loss in performance, connect the Time Capsules using an Ethernet cable. LAN <--> on one Time Capsule to LAN <--> on the other.

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Answer 4

Oct 28, 2014 10:37 AM in response to John Morgan02

Should work fine. You only want one device doing the actual routing, doesn't necessarily matter which of the Virgin or new TC, although if you have a separate modem unit, you may not need the Virgin router at all (the TC can do its own routing).

Matt

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Answer 5

Oct 28, 2014 10:48 AM in response to Bob Timmons

Hi Bob,

Thank you. Appreciate the caution. Are you saying that I will experience a loss of signal overall - i.e. the signal which I currently have when I am near the base station will drop? My reason to try and utilise the old TC to extend my network is that at present, once I move from my living area, where I have a 'signal', out into the kitchen, which is in the extension, the signal goes completely. I suspect this is due to the situation of the Base Station, which is at the front (upstairs) of the house and the constuction of the house - the exterior walls being solid sandstone and the extension being on the opposite side of said wall at the rear of the property.

Cheers

John

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Answer 6

Oct 28, 2014 10:52 AM in response to Matt Clifton

Thank you, Matt. My internet is supplied by Virgin Media and the router was supplied by them. I assumed that I had to use their unit to connect to the internet. Are you saying that I can connect the cable directly to the TC. I'd like to do that if it's possible - it would free up a 'plug' socket which would be useful. 😁

Thanks

John

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Answer 7

Oct 28, 2014 10:57 AM in response to John Morgan02

Generally, you can use any router and it's certainly better to have fewer network devices in your system. For example, if you have a cable TV internet, you'll have one box (the modem) which takes in coaxial cable and has a network cable coming out to your router. If you have DSL, you'll have a phone input to the modem and an ethernet cable coming out. You cannot do away with the modem, but the connection from the modem can go into any routing device you have, including the Time Capsule. You MAY have to restart your modem (unplug power, wait 30 seconds, plug back in) after changing routers.

If you have a single modem/router box (coaxial or phone goes in, ethernet comes out), then you must use it, but you could set it up as a bridge (i.e., turn its routing off) if you'd rather do routing on your own device. You would have to contact Virgin in this case so they can help you reconfigure it.

Matt

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Answer 8

Oct 28, 2014 11:02 AM in response to John Morgan02

Is it possible for you to consider connecting the Time Capsules together using a wired Ethernet connection?

Here is what Apple has to say in their support document about extending:

Adding Wi-Fi base stations when it is unnecessary can reduce Wi-Fi throughput because the Wi-Fi network will require more data management overhead. The network configuration also becomes more complex. In the case of a wirelessly extended network, throughput may be reduced to less than 60 percent of that of a single device. The general rule is to keep the Wi-Fi network as simple as possible. You can accomplish this by using the minimum number of Wi-Fi base stations required to service the physical network area and by using Ethernet wherever possible.

Extending the range of your Wi-Fi network by connecting Wi-Fi base stations together using Ethernet is always the best option, and will provide the best throughput.

Wi-Fi base stations: Extending the range of your wireless network by adding additional Wi-Fi base stations

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