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time capsule setup query

Hi,

please, consider this:


equipment: internet modem, time capsule 2 TB, apple tv, refurbished 2013 imac 21.5-inch 2.7GHZ quad-core i5, Onkyo amp TX-SR309, Toshiba LCD HDTV

22AV600UZ


set-up idea: modem --(ethernet, wan)--> tc --(ethernet, lan)--> imac --(usb)--> printer

tc --(wi-fi)--> atv --(hdmi)--> tv OR stereo + atv --(optical audio)--> stereo (am not sure yet which configuration will work best)


The plan is to stream audio and video from imac to stereo and tv respectively. Modem and imac are in basement office; tc, atv, tv, and stereo are upstairs. I like to be able to listen to tv and video via tv speakers only and to music via stereo and its speakers only (no surround sound). I may also use airplay to do occasional mirroring from imac to tv via avt.


Does my set-up idea make sense? Can anybody give me some constructive feedback on this?


Best

Frank M.

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1)

Posted on Jun 26, 2015 6:23 PM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Jun 27, 2015 12:13 AM

Your basic setup is fine... except that wireless may or may not work.. I am not sure I understand your location of the modem and imac in the basement with the TC upstairs.. as well as ATV.. if that is the case run ethernet also to the ATV as that will work a lot better than wireless.


set-up idea: modem --(ethernet, wan)--> tc --(ethernet, lan)--> imac --(usb)--> printer

tc --(wi-fi)--> atv --(hdmi)--> tv OR stereo + atv --(optical audio)--> stereo (am not sure yet which configuration

You are not going to be able to control which speakers your music and video come out from.. You would need to do that from the amp.. BUT I could be wrong.. I am really answering the Time Capsule part of this.. for airplay or apple tv questions you will need to ask in the respective areas of the forum. As long as you are prepared to play around and be flexible I am sure you can get a setup which works.

18 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Jun 27, 2015 12:13 AM in response to dubwisedude

Your basic setup is fine... except that wireless may or may not work.. I am not sure I understand your location of the modem and imac in the basement with the TC upstairs.. as well as ATV.. if that is the case run ethernet also to the ATV as that will work a lot better than wireless.


set-up idea: modem --(ethernet, wan)--> tc --(ethernet, lan)--> imac --(usb)--> printer

tc --(wi-fi)--> atv --(hdmi)--> tv OR stereo + atv --(optical audio)--> stereo (am not sure yet which configuration

You are not going to be able to control which speakers your music and video come out from.. You would need to do that from the amp.. BUT I could be wrong.. I am really answering the Time Capsule part of this.. for airplay or apple tv questions you will need to ask in the respective areas of the forum. As long as you are prepared to play around and be flexible I am sure you can get a setup which works.

Jun 27, 2015 7:49 AM in response to LaPastenague

Hi Pastenague,


thank you for your feedback. I don't understand why "wireless may or may not work". I assume that if the imac in the basement is linked via lan ethernet to the time capsule upstairs, I can then easily wi-fi stream imac data to the apple tv connected to stereo and tv, all of which are upstairs as well and on one level. After all I read about it, I assume that tc and atv are more than powerful enough for the short distance wi-fi has to travel between the two devices. So, I am a little puzzled about your doubt. It's the whole point of buying time capsule and apple tv - to be able to make a wi-fi link between the downstairs imac and upstairs stereo and tv. If this won't work, I'll scrap the whole idea, keep the imac in the basement and continue to drag around CDs and flash drives but then, I ask again - why wouldn't it work? Whence your doubts?


And apropos running lan ethernet from tc to atv: the plan is to eliminate cable connections, otherwise I would have not bought tc and atv and stay in the basement with the computer stuff.


And I know that the video/sound management is ultimately something to figure-out at the amp's end. The three possible connection scenarios are:


(1) atv --(hdmi)--> amp

amp--(hdmi)--> tv


(2) atv --(hdmi)--> tv

atv --(optical audio)--> amp


(3) atv --(hdmi)--> tv

amp --(optical audio)--> tv


With music playback via stereo only in mind and because it is said that (1) compromises picture quality, I prefer so far (2). Your feedback is greatly appreciated, Pastenague!


Best


Frank M.


PS: this is unrelated, but I wonder whether you noticed that each time one orders stuff from Apple, the devices are rather dated. For example, the atv I ordered a few days ago, is really from 2012 (at least that's what the copyright info says on the box). In the same vein, when I bought my present iMac in early 2009, I received an iMac built in early 2008. I am reluctant to even check on the Time Capsule. I find this weird as a business practice because I expect to always receive the latest product possible when purchasing something new. What's your take of this?

Jun 27, 2015 3:18 PM in response to dubwisedude

Of all the network tasks video streaming is the hardest.. my experience is that wireless can work and work well but if you make too heavy a demand on it, then it has issues.. I guess I am a little lost as to how this is all wired up.. and it just seemed a waste of opportunity to not wire the TC to the ATV if they are in close proximity.


You have the modem in the basement. That would have to be wired directly to the WAN port of the TC upstairs.. which in turn is wired to the iMac downstairs. Is this correct?


The problem of connecting wireless is that unlike ethernet which works perfectly in any location.. wifi is like real estate.. location location location..


Many people have their AV systems all stacked in a closed cabinet under the TV.. it has tinted glass on the front.. and metal cases everywhere.. all of those things block wifi perfectly.. !! And since wifi works in straight lines.. it cannot bend around corners or find little holes to come through.. location is highly important. In the end test it and see. That is the only way to do it.. but I would encourage you to think wiring if the possibility is there.. otherwise suck and see.. My own setup for the moment uses video over a wireless link.. and other than being lazy and too old to worry.. I find the wireless link breaks down once a day on average. Even my wife now tells me to restart the router and she restarts the other one to restore the link.. I was using two apple wireless routers.. I actually swapped to a completely different brand and it was reliable for more than a day.. blessed relief.. about 3 days later.. and then completely broke down.. even restarts would not work so back to the apple setup.. That is how wireless is. If it was just data it would be no problems but with video streaming the setup is much more difficult.


Wireless works on single link, half duplex. And no matter the range the problem is this is very poor configuration for streaming video which should be full duplex so the stream can continue. We can get deeper into it if you want.. but the proof is simply try it and see.. if it works poorly then run ethernet or at worse, use EOP (home plug) adapters which do tend to be more reliable if they work.. nobody knows until you install them if they will work because it depends on the house circuits.


With music playback via stereo only in mind and because it is said that (1) compromises picture quality, I prefer so far (2). Your feedback is greatly appreciated


Depends on the quality of the AMP, the size of the TV and how good your eyes are. Never take "it is said" to be definitive.. I discovered that myths abound in the world of hifi even more than wifi. Test it yourself and see.. put your eyes on the TV and swap between a direct hdmi connection and a hdmi via the amp.. The difference might be so small your eyes cannot tell the difference..


I am old and use older equipment so any switching I do is via a remote to the amp.. if you want digital switching between different outputs you might be worthwhile investing in more recently made AMP or proper switching gear.. as that is a real pain if you cannot get a setup that works well for you.. Just be less than convinced by hearsay and try different options yourself.


(at least that's what the copyright info says on the box).

I think you are basing far too much on the box.. which is printed once and after all the copyright doesn't change. It will only change with change of model.


Feed the serial numbers into a selection of websites where it will attempt to give you actual place and week of manufacture.. which is buried in some serial numbers. Apple is not going to hold old stock .. as with any company stock will go out as it arrives in pretty smart order.. the only time apple would stockpile is before a release.. and they usually sell out the whole lot in a few days.. it is their marketing strategy.. !! Stock of items will generally operate on modern principles of supply on demand.. as high levels of stock mean cash tied up and doing nothing.

Jun 28, 2015 7:03 AM in response to LaPastenague

Hi LaPastenague (I take from your handle that you like fishing or at least the taste or characteristic of a pastenague?!),

thank you for taking the time and mustering the effort too write such a long and detailed reply to my query!

As for possible wi-fi interferences:

I live in the deep country side with only very few if any neighbouring networks, I have no microwave, I use a DECT 6.0 1.9GHz cordless phone, time capsule is sitting quite centrally on a small table, and apple tv sits on an open wood furniture close to the tv at about 20-feet distance to time capsule. I gathered from the received feedback that I may or may not experience wi-fi glitches and interferences but all agreed that the set-up [time capsule --(ethernet)--> apple tv] would be the safest and optimal solution.

I must admit, by now you guys have shaken my confidence in wi-fi enough for me to ponder putting down the suspended ceiling and drilling through the hardwood floor in order to connect time capsule to apple tv via ethernet - I am still resisting the thought, though. And if I do it, I wonder what's the use of tc's wi-fi as all will be connected via cables and tc being nothing more but a hub and backup device. Which brings me to the question: could I then connect, e.g., a tablet via w-fi to tc?

On side note since you mentioned you being old: at 53, I am not the youngest neither nor am I tech-savy, and I am not thrilled by the potential prospect of fiddling around to resolve networking problems. But, behold, if I run into trouble with this, I'll have a 90-days recourse to the helping hand of the apple team.

Cheers!

Frank

Jun 28, 2015 3:59 PM in response to dubwisedude

LaPastenague has a long and interesting background.. but they abound in Australia and they are the curse of fishing world here.. a decent size stingray weighs about 3x any decent fish.. and so you think you have finally caught a whopper.. and although some people eat them.. mostly we just throw them back.


If you live in the middle of nowhere.. give it a try.. never over worry about what people say until you prove it yourself. In your setup it could work fine.. I live in the middle of suburbia and the wireless signals when I do a survey go on and on and on.. So it is a poor area for doing wireless.. house construction also matters .. I see some professional installers who talk about houses as kind of mystical places.. some are wifi sinks.. it seems no matter how much signal ou put out .. it just disappears into the walls.


I wasn't sure if you already had the TC .. since you have it.. go for it.


There is still lots we can do to make this work as well as possible.


Get a cheap exercise book and make a log of your experiments.. because you will forget what you have tried after a while..


And we are happy to give some help.


I still recommend wiring things up.. but if that is a major hassle.. see how wifi works.. as long as you consider it voodoo black arts .. you just need to find the right combo of chicken livers and rattle shakes to calm the spirits of ether.

Jun 29, 2015 8:28 AM in response to LaPastenague

Hi there,

man, I just came across your complex reply to someone who experienced considerable time capsule troubles after a power outage. Especially in winter, power shortages are quite frequent where I live, so I wonder whether it is always such a big issue with time capsule, etc., if power fails. I don't want to run into big trouble with these devices each time there's a power problem and perhaps even have to scrap hundreds of dollars of hardware because it got corrupted beyond recovery. I have also seen power surges briefly causing a fluorescent green flare coming from wall plugs and switches when lightings hit the surroundings. Does this pose an additional and potentially destructive danger? You know, if the hardware is really so vulnerable, I may return it all, stay ethernet connected in one location of the house only, and continue to use CDs and USB keys in order to enjoy music and movies upstairs. As it is now, if the weather turns real bad, I can simply unplug sensitive hardware without having to worry about anything, and so far power failures never had a negative effect on either the modem or the iMac - it just shuts off, that's all. Please, send me some feedback. Thanks!

Best

Frank

Jun 29, 2015 2:10 PM in response to dubwisedude

The latest version of the TC and AE do seem to have a power supply issue.. it is not universal and it can come later in the life of the device.. but good clean power is essential.. Network gear is especially vulnerable to brown outs, spikes and other typical power issues.


If power in your area is bad.. put the TC and whatever else you use on a UPS. I guess they might cost $100.. you don't need a large heavy one.. the consumption by the TC etc will be 20-30W.. UPS has much better built in protection than say a protected power board.


I don't use a UPS.. I use a direct SLA battery. I am very pleased with this since it is efficient and cheap.


I wrote up the plans for it.


https://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/diy-ups-dc-controller


I pulled the power supplies out of a pair of older Time Capsules for one guy and powered them from SLA battery setup. His power is terrible.. and this has kept his equipment running for up to 6hours without power.


For most people that is far more hassle than is required and I have not changed over an AC model airport to DC operation yet. Just get a UPS though.. any large computer store will have them or order online.

Jun 29, 2015 2:16 PM in response to LaPastenague

Thanks for your reply. Man, this is getting complicated. My next best bet would be to let go of time capsule as well as apple tv and content with a direct internet connection to imac which in turn connects to tv and amp via "wd tv media player" and backs up to "wd my passport ultra", thus foregoing wi-fi as well as any mirroring option. What do you think? But I'll look into the ups thingy anyway...

Best

Frank

Jun 29, 2015 3:23 PM in response to dubwisedude

You are now getting into stuff of wars..


Apple builds a closed garden with high walls.. if you live inside the garden and use Apple consistently it works very well.


So the whole Mac + TC + iTunes + AppleTV + iOS control apps.. is a great way to go.


If you want to step out of the garden.. then WD Live TV and plex server plus USB hard disk connection to the network also works really well.


The most difficult thing is to try and straddle the wall. The two systems don't mix particularly well.


My advice is look at your program source material.. if you mostly use iTunes, then stick to the Apple system. Trying to integrate bits of this and that and you end up with camels. (A horse designed by a committee).


You have 2 weeks from when you get the TC to decide if it works for you.. if it does stick to it. Don't keep second guessing yourself.


If you have issues with it.. then for sure plan on another route.


I considered myself an eggs spurt on hifi /video/home theatre in the past and wifi in the present. Since my hearing range is now voice .. and barely that in one ear.. I leave the hifi part to my kids who mostly walk around with wireless headphones clamped to their ears oblivious of the world beyond them. Maybe due to their using the volume control on the amplifier to test how well the roof is connected.

So I need to confess being rather out of hifi-video world.. You probably need to read and post a bit in the forum areas where people are trying to figure out how to tie up computers/home entertainment/networking/control apps. et al.


In one way the TC is the least interesting bit of this.. since it is merely network.. It has no media extensions or use whatsoever.. people are still frustrated that apple refuse to make a proper iTunes home server.. and Apple are going their own way to protect copyright so don't want to have home servers.. rather everything tied to the cloud.. which will be fine in about 20 years when we are all on Gigabit fibre. Any wireless router would work in place of the TC as long as it handled airplay. (Most do now).

Jun 29, 2015 4:00 PM in response to LaPastenague

I would love to stay in the garden, especially now that I have tc and atv waiting to be installed which I can only when I receive the imac in a few weeks as I have only now returned the macbook pro i purchased and then found way too small. I just don't want to get lost in the garden, spend countless hours weeding, or stumble unexpectedly and take a hard fall. I don't have the time, nerves, or the cash for this, so it ought to be a smooth ride or none. And then there's the annoying absolute need for a router to make everything interacting. I still don't really understand why. Why can I not just plug the modem to the computer using a switch which also provides connections to the backup device as well as the interface for tv and amp - of course, except for the backup, all via ethernet. Why a router? And so we ask why, why, but why? And the universe, oblivious to our trials, remains silent...and so we patch up the dams of our most needed believes with whatever mud we can find.

Thanks, mate!

Frank

Jun 29, 2015 4:57 PM in response to LaPastenague

oh, and it's the modem model CM550A, pretty dated...but you made me have a great idea: I checked on the isp's website and found that he provides also routers plus the free service of a technician who comes and sets it up connected with up to four devices. Now is this a deal? I guess I'll have to rent the router if I don't purchase it, but at least it would eliminate one big headache. And if I go this way, does it make a difference to my apple devices (imac and atv)? For backups, I could then get the "WD My Passport Ultra 2TB". What do you think?

Frank

Jun 30, 2015 2:59 AM in response to dubwisedude

Most routers work fine with Apple stuff now.. although occasionally you can have issues with airplay.. and some other specific Apple protocols.


Generally ISP prefer to use modem routers because it allows them greater control over you network.. and more remote interaction..


I think renting is a bad idea.. but if you can buy it outright then great .. go for it. If it is rented work out the cost over 2years.. as replacement should be on a 2-3year basis.

time capsule setup query

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