Is my Airport Time Capsule set up right?

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Is my Airport Time Capsule set up right?

A new purchase after a hard drive failure scare, I'm not sure I have this configured correctly, it has taken 12 hours to finish 20% of a 350 Gb initial backup.

I have Verizon FIOS network device, i've plugged an ethernet cable from one of the four LAN ports on the back of the device to the WAN port on the back of the Time Capsule. Turned it on, walked through the few pages of set up - basically taking defaults.

My family's content using the modem wifi - should I just use a USB to plug in the Time Capsule to the back of my iMac?

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)

Posted on May 27, 2015 4:14 AM

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Answer 1

May 27, 2015 4:28 AM in response to pzjg1

should I just use a USB to plug in the Time Capsule to the back of my iMac?

That is not possible.. The TC must be used via network.. either by wireless or by ethernet.

Turned it on, walked through the few pages of set up - basically taking defaults.

Open the airport utility.. is there any errors showing.. the TC will have a red circle under it with a number?? Click on the TC and that will show you the errors if there are any.

I suspect your iMac is connecting to the FIOS router and thence to the TC.. and by wireless this will be super slow.

To speed up the backup plug the TC into the Mac by ethernet.. or if that is not possible use wireless to the TC hopefully to the 5ghz and if you are close it should link at 450Mbps or faster for a new AC type wireless iMac.. which I doubt you have.

Certainly if the Mac is slow.. and you are running ethernet tell us.. but if you run wireless.. do change over to ethernet.. do it now.. allow both ethernet and wireless to run.. then turn off the wireless in the Mac.. the network should stop briefly but will pick up again about 5-10times faster over ethernet.

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Answer 2

pzjg1 Author

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May 27, 2015 4:37 AM in response to LaPastenague

I've got to run to work now but this sounds like the issue - iMac to FIOS to TC.

Just to clarify - I plug the TC directly into the back of the iMac in the ethernet port w/no connection from the FIOS router to the TC?

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Answer 3

May 27, 2015 4:56 AM in response to pzjg1

It is better for the TC to be plugged into the FIOS with ethernet and to the Mac by ethernet.. then you will have internet and backup without any fancy footwork.. but you can actually disconnect the TC since no one else is using it.. and plug solely into the Mac.. however the setup is tricky if you need internet at the same time over wireless.. to do it just to get backup completed.. then it is easy.. you will need to reset it however and change the TC to router mode..

If you really don't need the TC for wireless backups.. return it and just get external hard disk to plug into the Mac.. it is faster, cheaper and more reliable than other methods.

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