Setting up Time Capsule in Bridge Mode?

It should work......IF......the Time Capsule has already been set up to create a wireless network and it is operating correctly.

But, your initial post seems to be indicating that you do not even have the Time Capsule set up and working yet, so the instructions would not be applicable until you have the Time Capsule set up and working.

In other words, if you have the Time Capsule already set up, the instructions that you posted are simply "tweaks" to the Time Capsule setup. They do not tell you "how" to set up the Time Capsule from a factory default condition when the Time Capsule is new, and has not yet been configured initially to create a network.

If you set up the Time Capsule correctly, it is already configured in Bridge Mode. The only thing that you should need to do is turn off the wireless....if you want to, even though it is probably not necessary.

If this all sounds too confusing, you do have 90 days of free phone support from Apple Support. They will walk you through the setup of the Time Capsule. Then....you can turn off the wireless on the Time Capsule if you decide that you want to do this.

You will have to set up the Time Capsule to create a network first, then go back in using AirPort Utility and turn off the wireless function on the Time Capsule. You won't have to worry about "Bridge Mode" and other jargon this way, the utility will take care of setting things up correctly.

l’ll locate it right next to my Apple Express providing a Ethernet connection between the two.

Don't know if you realize it or not, but you will be losing tons of speed this way. The reason.....the Ethernet ports on the Express will only support up to 100 Mbps, so that is the fastest speed that the connection to the Time Capsule will be.

The Time Capsule has Gigabit Ethernet ports, so it can handle 10 times the speed that the Express can deliver. The bottom line......while things will "work", backups are going to be much, much slower.

I have an issue that's in the same ballpark, not exactly the same, so I guess I'll direct the question to Bob, I've been a longtime Time Capsule user for wireless back up until we just recently moved, into an area that has Verizon Fios. The Verizon people informed me we have to use their router because it is designed to work with their Fiber optic system, whatever, but at least it's also an AC router (I have the latest AC time Capsule). So now I just want to plug my time capsule into my imac, turn off the router function, and use the time capsule as the target drive for my time machine backups. The time machine was previously used as the main router in my previous house so it used to be used for a network. I don't want to have to spend money for a new drive.

You can indeed plug the TC into the Mac by ethernet and use it as TM target.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6486672

It is somewhat tricky to setup. And less reliable than using an external drive.

I don't want to have to spend money for a new drive.

Why not sell the TC, and use the proceeds to buy a USB3 external drive.. you should have change out of the deal.

Especially later iMac with USB3 ports.. you will find it is faster.. much faster than a TC even over gigabit. It is more reliable.. and for the money you can get a mighty big drive.

Thanks for the reply, I don't like the idea of selling a drive that has / has had my data on it, no matter if it was re-formatted or not, so that's not an option. I just wanted some instructions on how to do it. I looked at the link you gave and it sounded similar to an issue I had when I tried using an old time capsule with a newer one a couple years ago. Even with Apple support helping me, the old and new time capsule kept conflicting with each other. Too bad Apple doesn't make these things easy to configure and use in various setups. I have the time capsule currently plugged into the back of my mac with an ethernet cable, and I turned the wireless off, but time machine doesn't recognize the time capsule - no doubt because it's looking for the wireless signal and I don't know the next steps about how to configure the time capsule to just work over ethernet.

I don't like the idea of selling a drive that has / has had my data on it, no matter if it was re-formatted or not, so that's not an option.

Apple provide a secure low level format..

When you choose erase simply choose the secure ones..

Zero out data is a one pass full low level format.. 7 pass does it 7 times in a row.. in other words every track has 0 written to it 7 times..

It will take more than a week to finish and recovery is at best fragmentary. And that is by NSA super computer..

For all practical purposes the disk is gone..

An even better way IMHO is simply do a zero out data.. then actually copy Linux ISOs to the disk.. ie the same ISO however many times is required to fill it up.. that will be faster than 7pass erase and will be exceeding difficult to recover data from..

Unless you have the launch codes to the remaining ICBMs in your computer.. backed up to the hard disk.. I doubt anyone is going to fudge around trying to find your data underneath a linux iso.

Now for the setup of the TC.

I can give full instructions for setting up the TC in your situation.. but I need to know what IP the computer gets from wireless.. and i need to know the OS your running.

Hi all,

Sorry to slightly hijack this thread but it is very useful. I would just like some additional help for my AC TC setup please.

I currently use an ISP supplied AC combined modem and router (Virgin Media in the UK) and at the moment I have it in modem mode with the TC wired and this provides my wireless network. I backup 1 iMac wired and 2 MacBooks wirelessly.

I want to put the ISP equipment into router mode but still use the TC for all my backups, what is the best way of doing this?

Thanks

All you need to do is switch the TC from router to bridge mode..

But the way you do it is via a full factory reset.

Factory reset universal

Power off the TC.. ie pull the power cord or power off at the wall.. wait 10sec.. hold in the reset button.. be gentle.. power on again still holding in reset.. and keep holding it in for another 10sec. You may need some help as it is hard to both hold in reset and apply power. It will show success by rapidly blinking the front led. Release the reset.. and wait a couple of min for the TC to reset and come back with factory settings. If the front LED doesn’t blink rapidly you missed it and simply try again. The reset is fairly fragile in these.. press it so you feel it just click and no more.. I have seen people bend the lever or even break it. I use a toothpick as tool.

N.B. None of your files on the hard disk of the TC are deleted.. this simply clears out the router settings of the TC.

Plug the TC WAN port into the virgin media router LAN port,, after setting it up in router mode..

Run the setup wizard in the airport utility and it should automatically select bridge for your TC.. that is router bridge. You can also create a wireless network.

All of this is clear when you click the TC in the airport utility and go to edit.

Then check for bridge.

And create a wireless network (or off if you plan to use the virgin one instead). It is still better to keep the wireless running in the TC and indeed in both is no problem. Just use different names.

NOW.. one issue..

In later Mac OS.. yosemite in particular.. if the computer is connected to the virgin media router instead of directly to the TC it will simply forget where the TC is after a day or two. This is a big fat pain in the rear. You really need any Mac that will do backups to connect to the TC.. either by wireless or ethernet. (Even then it can still forget where the TC is after a day or two).

I'm trying to follow your instructions and apply them to my situation. My 2TB Airport TC served my Wi-Fi network for a couple of years. Recently my ISP supplied me with a new Internet gateway that is both modem and router. I don't need my TC's router function any longer, but of course I do want the device's back-up feature. Your post seemed to explain how to do what I need to do, but I seem to have hit a snag.

Firsts, I reset the TC, and the light on the front blinked rapidly, as you said it should. Then I connected my TC's WAN port to a LAN (Ethernet) port on the Wi-Fi extender that sits on my desk. (The ISP's gateway sits in my living room at the other end of the house.) Almost immediately, Airport Utility popped up. I had expected to see what appeared in your last post, but instead I got this—

Where do I go from here?

This is excellent and sorry if I confused you.. after a factory reset the TC settings have gone back to factory.. you start the new setup by clicking,

Other wifi devices (1) in the top left corner.. that opens a setup wizard and you go through that to setup the TC.

The (1) means there is a new device to setup.

Setup using the instructions.. ie DO NOT USE APPLE RECOMMENDED NAMES.. use your own names, short, no spaces and pure alphanumerics.

Setup the passwords.. usually now you can use both admin and wireless with one password... but to my way of thinking that is sloppy.. it means everyone who has the wireless password can access your TC and change settings.. no issues if it is only you .. still sloppy though.. the setup wizard allows you to select different passwords..

Anyhow track it through and once completed you can then get in to edit it.

I have been away so sorry also if this is messing you up.

I think I have good news. Today I started a fresh post of my own—instead of piggybacking on someone else's—and in the process talked my way through the problem. Your earlier input here was a big help. You can read my new post at "MacBook Pro can't connect to Time Capsule" in this community. (See Incoming Links below.) I mentioned you by your community handle in that post—favorably, I think you'll agree. Last I checked, it seemed my MacBook Pro and my Time Capsule were about to talk.

One more thing: I got a little notice that urged me to log out so these two can talk—in private, I suppose ... ? I encrypt my drive, and it said Time Capsule can't back up anything till I've logged out. Can you help me understand why?

Thanks!

One more thing: I got a little notice that urged me to log out so these two can talk—in private, I suppose ... ? I encrypt my drive, and it said Time Capsule can't back up anything till I've logged out. Can you help me understand why?

Some things require the TC to be mounted by TM.. if it is mounted in Finder without being under control of TM it won't backup.. that is my best guess.. but using encrypted drives certainly adds huge levels of complexity to it.