Really need help on finding whats wrong with my internet please

What I'm wondering is if its the TC?

Most likely, it is. Check to locate the model number of the TC on the bottom of the device, likely embedded in the foam pad base. A 3rd Gen version is model number A1355.

The Time Capsule, on average, has a useful life of about 3 years before it starts to head downhill. If you have a 3rd Gen TC, the device is at least 4 years old and as much as 5 and a half.

Check to locate the model number and report back on that.

The issue is really the internal power supply, which starts to head downhill at about 3 years of age, on average. This affects the stability of both the wireless broadcast and wired Ethernet connections.

I cannot remember whether it is feasible or not to try to have the Time Capsule repaired by installing a new power supply. One of the problems here though, is that Apple considers the TC a sealed unit, so they offer no repair parts......and you have to go looking for a used unit to scavenge parts.

Fortunately, the 3rd Gen is much better about holding on for up to 3 years or so, since the 1st and 2nd Gen had some real issues. The result was that most of these earlier generation models failed before they reached even 2 years of age.

I'm going to ask LaPastenague, one of the experts on the forum who has a lot of experience with repairing the Time Capsule, to take a look at this post.

In the meantime, it would not hurt to perform a factory default reset on the Time Capsule and start all over again with a new setup. There is no guarantee that this will help, but frankly there is not much else that you can do at this point.

QwertyMan11 wrote:

It's a A1355 yes, a 1Tb one. Maybe the HDD I understand could go wrong but what about the connectivity issues?

They are a good solid model.. perhaps the best so far but nothing lasts forever..

The ethernet on these seems to go first.. which would mean the connection from wan port to the main router.

If it is in bridge try using a LAN port.

As per Bob's suggestion.. do a factory reset.. I would also take the firmware back to 7.6.1

It is easy to do.. hold down the option key while you click the version.

Just select from the list that appears.

You might find introducing Yosemite into the mix does lead to strange things happening.

However there is no logs etc.. so it is almost impossible to work out.

No luck I think it is time to shrug and say .. well done TC.. lasted 4-5 years.. and buy a new one.

The power supply tends to last the distance in these.. unless it is clogged up with dust and running hot. Place your hand on it.. is it hot.. or just warm.. ??

You won't find spare parts.. I do build a power supply replacement but I haven't really needed it for this model.. most of what you buy on ebay etc is unsuitable.. they are from earlier models.

So you think that when I get the problem it's power related, as both WiFi and wired (via powerline) both drop.

Yes, the power supply on the TC is heading downhill. This is normal and expected for a 4+ year old device. If you got 5, that is remarkable.

Pat yourself on the back and get another TC or hard drive for backups.

I'm happy to buy another one if need, it's just I want to prove that it is this first, as if not I buy another one and it's the same problem I have.

You have a 14 day return privilege if you buy from Apple. If the new TC does not solve your issue, simply return the device for a full refund or credit. I've been through this and had the same issues that you are reporting.

Both of my 3rd Gen TC starting having the same issues almost 3 years to the day from their purchase date. If you got 4 years you have done very well. 5+ is tremendous.

Why down grade the firmware? What will that do/give me?

If you check above, I did not advise you to do this. But given that 7.6.1 is more stable than 7.6.4, it could not hurt to try.

If I factory restore what will that do?

Probably nothing. It's worth a try though, since there is not much else that you can do. Sometimes, settings can become corrupted. Clearing out the old settings and starting over again might help, but it won't change the fact that your TC is in need of replacement based simply on its age. If you value your backups on the TC, you should copy or archive them to another hard drive. Your TC is going to fail soon with no warning beforehand.

I take it I can't use the backup settings to restore afterwards?

Not sure what you are asking here. A factory default reset wipes out the network settings, so you have to set the TC up again. It will not affect the data that you have stored on the hard drive.

With you saying about "only lasts a while" is it worth buying a new shape one refurbished from Apple? Are the newer shape any better reliability?

A refurbished product is one that has been returned by a user to Apple either because it failed during the warranty period and was replaced, or the user did not choose to keep the device. You cannot know how long the hard drive might have been in use previously on a refurbished product.

For that reason, I do not recommend that users purchase refurbished Time Capsules, but some users have had good luck with them.

Why down grade the firmware? What will that do/give me?

On the older units i find the earlier firmware more reliable.. The 7.6.4 introduced a number of new functions that work poorly on older AE and TC so it is simple to revert to older firmware and see..

It is a 3min exercise.. and might do nothing.. but you are trying to prove where an issue is.. this is part of that testing.

If I factory restore what will that do? I take it I can't use the backup settings to restore afterwards?

All routers need the occasional reset. Wrong settings creep in.. and particularly in situations where there is power outages or OS that works poorly (read Yosemite) then strange and wonderful things happen.

A backup of settings is only useful if it was taken before the problems started.. did you?? If not forget it and configure from scratch.. that is a key part of getting things to work.

Not sure what is meant by the use LAN port instead, thought I had to use the WAN if I connect it to my Sky hub?

When the TC is bridged.. it has no WAN port. There is no routing.. but I have found the LAN ports are more reliable than the WAN port.

With you saying about "only lasts a while" is it worth buying a new shape one refurbished from Apple? Are the newer shape any better reliability?

I would not buy a refurbished.. I doubt this model is understood very well and its issues happen in some situations and not others.. I think a lot of them are put back in stock without any sort of repair. They are tested .. found working and hence resold.. but the situation in people's homes is not a test lab. When people connect them to modems and routers that the device has issues with it fails again.

I find it hard to recommend the new one.. especially as it has now been out more than a year.. and firmware has not improved.

It is about refresh time and I would wait to see if a new one is coming.

If you need wireless buy a wireless router.. if you need backup use a local USB drive.

Repair of the TC is complicated.

See https://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modem s/apple-time-capsule-repair/new-issue-with-a1355-gen-3-tc

I figured this out long ago so they were already showing up with issues within 3 years.. if you get 4 or more years out of modern equipment.. that is beyond its design lifespan.

you say you had the exact same problems, do you mean the ones I'm having

Wireless and wired connections began to lose their Internet connections. At first, the drops occurred maybe a few times a week. A month later, the drops had increased to 3-4 daily.

Most of the time, the drops would be intermittent and then the connection would establish itself again in a few minutes. The drops became longer as time passed and sometimes the connection would not restore itself unless I powered off the TC and restarted. Things would be OK until the next drop.

I usually keep an extra router or two on hand here, and replacing the TC with another router immediately solved the connection issues. That is how I knew that the TC was the culprit. As I said, both TCs on the network started acting up about the same time once they reached 3 years of age.

I have repaired several TC of that model.. mine had a failed ethernet port.. that was unreliable at first.. and got progressively worse.. wireless was ok.. but of course without ethernet it could not connect to the rest of the network.. it took me ages to nut out the problem.. When the unit was started cold.. after several hours off it would work well but would die after a few hours that got down to shorter and shorter times. Like 10min.

The TC light stays green.. there is no way it registers issues internally. The power supply is still ok.. it is the main board converter that supplies power to the ethernet chip that goes bad.

If the main power supply is going bad, then I would expect some other issues to show up.. did you check for heat?? I would expect it to be either over hot or over cold.

Test from cold after several hours off.. if it works ok for a few hours (or less) and is repeatable.. that after cool off it works.. then it indicates internal aging of the parts.. and is well within the age limit of the unit.. ie I expect 3years and then it needs replacement.. anything else is bonus.. and so I think your worrying about details that are not relevant to the main issue.. it is not working.

I also use a cloud backup service to backup my Mac, just thought it convenient to have as local backup, although I honestly don't think I've used it.once to recover!

Backup to an external drive then.. it is cheaper, faster and more reliable.

It is always good to have multiple backups.. on site and off site.

If you find 2.4ghz too slow then get a router with 5ghz.. and possibly AC wireless.. there are plenty around.

So reading between lines, seems the TC isn't really recommended that much? If it is, it's only lasting for 3 years.

I would trust very little equipment now that goes beyond 3years.. you are always going to find it is better to sell off working products and buy new.. than wait for things to die when they are valueless and thrown away.