HT201510: Setting up Time Capsule for the first time

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Beatles78

Q: Connecting Time Capsule for first time to ATT Router

How do I connect my time capsule to my ATT router when all the WAN ports are being used?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4)

Posted on May 23, 2016 7:52 AM

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Q: Connecting Time Capsule for first time to ATT Router

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  • by Bob Timmons,Apple recommended

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons May 23, 2016 9:38 AM in response to Beatles78
    Level 10 (105,055 points)
    Wireless
    May 23, 2016 9:38 AM in response to Beatles78

    Connect an Ethernet cable from one of the LAN <--> ports on the ATT router (there are four of them, you can use any one that you want) to the WAN "O" port on the Time Capsule.

     

    If all four of the LAN <--> ports are already being used on the ATT router, then you will need to add an Ethernet switch to the ATT router to provide more ports. Ethernet switches come in 5-port, 8-port, 16-port, etc versions.

  • by Beatles78,

    Beatles78 Beatles78 May 23, 2016 12:11 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Wireless
    May 23, 2016 12:11 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    Yes. all the LAN ports on the ATT router are being used.  The ATT guy told me the same thing, to get a switch (as well as a cable) and that should fix the issue. Does it matter what type of switch I get?

  • by Bob Timmons,Apple recommended

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons May 23, 2016 12:33 PM in response to Beatles78
    Level 10 (105,055 points)
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    May 23, 2016 12:33 PM in response to Beatles78

    Method 1......Look for a Gigabit Ethernet switch. I would buy an 8-port switch and connect that to one of the LAN ports on the ATT router. Then, you will have seven available ports left on the switch to connect the Time Capsule and other devices.

     

    Method 2......If you don't want to buy a new switch, you do have the option of using one LAN port on the ATT router to connect to the Time Capsule WAN port.  Then, you will have three LAN ports that you can use on the Time Capsule to connect other devices.

     

    So, the one device that you disconnected to make room for the Time Capsule on the ATT router will now connect to a Time Capsule LAN port.....and you will still have two free LAN ports on the Time Capsule for more devices if you need them.

     

    My recommendation is Method 1 because it is considered better wiring practice,  but Method 2 will work and you save $50 or so if the budget is tight.

  • by Beatles78,

    Beatles78 Beatles78 May 23, 2016 3:06 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Wireless
    May 23, 2016 3:06 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    Hi Bob, thank you so much! I will do Method 2 for now...as i'm sure i can do the better practice if I do eventually get a switch.  With that said, i set it up, but is it supposed to show as a new network? shouldn't it be extending my current network like i had asked it to when i was setting it up? Please let me know what the proper technique is, as I assumed i'd still connect my computers and such to my normal ATT wireless network but that the time capsule would make it faster since it's connected to it? My computer is connected to the ATT network and in the airport utility, it's showing it's disconnecting but the unit is showing green. I have yet to set up time machine - i want to get this all right first.

     

    Thank you!

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons May 23, 2016 3:21 PM in response to Beatles78
    Level 10 (105,055 points)
    Wireless
    May 23, 2016 3:21 PM in response to Beatles78

    I am assuming that the Time Capsule is located in close proximity to the ATT router, correct?  If that is the case, the Time Capsule will be set up to create a new network with a name and password of your choosing.  You would want to back up your Mac using Time Machine using the Time Capsule wireless network......since backups would not be officially supported by Apple if you were using the ATT wireless.

     

    The Time Capsule wireless will run circles around the ATT router as far as performance, so you would want to use the Time Capsule for most of your wireless connections.....and maybe reserve the ATT wireless for "guests" or some other use like that.  If you don't need a second wireless network, it is possible to turn off the wireless function on the ATT router with assistance from ATT support.

     

    Now, if the Time Capsule were going to be located a few rooms away from the ATT router.....then....the Time Capsule could be set up to "extend" the ATT network. But, it makes no sense to try to have the Time Capsule extend the ATT network if the TC will be located close to the ATT router.....since that will create wireless interference effects that will affect both the ATT and TC wireless.

     

    If you set up the TC to create a new wireless network, you should be able to click the WiFi menu at the top of the Mac's screen and "see" the name of the network. Click on the name of the network and enter the password if required, and you are now using the TC wireless.

  • by Beatles78,

    Beatles78 Beatles78 May 23, 2016 3:30 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Wireless
    May 23, 2016 3:30 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    Ok with that said, does the TC HAVE to be in the same room as the router and if not, how would it connect to the router then? I don't need it to be near the router but wonder how it can be connected to the router or even extend the network if it's in a different room. Please let me know as it would probably be good for it to be in the center of the house and extend the network (or the basement) rather than be close to the router as a separate network.

     

    Thank you!

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons May 23, 2016 5:01 PM in response to Beatles78
    Level 10 (105,055 points)
    Wireless
    May 23, 2016 5:01 PM in response to Beatles78

    There is zero signal loss through an Ethernet cable up to 300+ feet, or about 100 meters, so the TC can be located virtually anywhere that an Ethernet cable can be installed to establish a permanent wired connection from the ATT router to the TC.

     

    If you decide to locate the TC a few rooms away from the ATT router, then all that you need to do is change the name of the TC wireless network to match the same name and password as that of the ATT router. This way, you will have in effect, one "big" network.

     

    The wireless signal will be much faster in the area near the TC, and slower in the area near the ATT router, so you would want to locate the TC where you will be using most of your wireless devices.  Here I am speaking of the signal speed over your local network.  The Internet signal speed that you receive from ATT will limit the speed of the Internet connection to the current plan that you have with ATT.

  • by Beatles78,

    Beatles78 Beatles78 May 23, 2016 8:59 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Wireless
    May 23, 2016 8:59 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    But the TC would have to physically be connected to the Router, correct? So the cable would have to go through walls, etc.

     

    Thank you for clarifying about having them on the same network and how that works to have a "big" network!   In your opinion....is it best to have the TC setup on its own network or better to have it combined with my ATT network as one big network?

     

    I do not quite understand your last statement in your last paragraph, however. "The Internet signal speed that you receive from ATT will limit the speed of the Internet connection to the current plan that you have with ATT."

     

    Thank you!
    Stephanie

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons May 23, 2016 9:21 PM in response to Beatles78
    Level 10 (105,055 points)
    Wireless
    May 23, 2016 9:21 PM in response to Beatles78

    "The Internet signal speed that you receive from ATT will limit the speed of the Internet connection to the current plan that you have with ATT."

    I was stating the obvious.  If your plan with ATT is for a 20 Mbps connection, then your Internet connection speed will never be any higher than 20 Mbps. But, the TC is capable of handling much higher speeds.....easily up to 400-500 Mbps.

     

    Fortunately, when you back up your Mac to the TC, you will not be using an Internet connect speed, you will be using the speed at which the TC is capable, so backups will occur much more quickly than they would on the ATT router.

    is it best to have the TC setup on its own network or better to have it combined with my ATT network as one big network?

    There is no right or wrong answer here. It's what you want.

     

    But the TC would have to physically be connected to the Router, correct?

    Always. I tried to make that clear above when I used the phrase "permanent wired connection" to describe the connection between the ATT router and the TC.

  • by Beatles78,

    Beatles78 Beatles78 May 24, 2016 7:17 AM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Wireless
    May 24, 2016 7:17 AM in response to Bob Timmons

    Thank you for all your responses, Bob! I really appreciate them! I guess i will leave my setup as is.

     

    One other question...I just downloaded the airport software to my PC to enable that computer to access the time capsule as well to store documents. My question is that that computer is unable to see the files that were backed up from my Mac. All it sees is the Time Capsule as a drive in File Explorer.....but then i try opening the series of folders and i never see the actual files backed up from my Mac. So i looked online and created another partition, one for backups for my mac, and one as a storage device my PC can access too. I shared that folder on my mac....but I'm unable to access from my PC. any ideas?

  • by LaPastenague,

    LaPastenague LaPastenague May 24, 2016 4:49 PM in response to Beatles78
    Level 9 (52,471 points)
    Wireless
    May 24, 2016 4:49 PM in response to Beatles78
    My question is that that computer is unable to see the files that were backed up from my Mac.

    If you use Time Machine.. the backup is not able to be viewed on any computer but a Mac.

     

    So i looked online and created another partition,

    This is not possible. You might think you created another partition but if you did so .. it is likely the partition is inside the Time Machine sparsebundle.. so what you created was a virtual partition inside a virtual disk which a PC can not access.

     

    Create a Directory (Folder in Applespeak) under the DATA share volume..

     

    Copy your files to it from the PC.. you should then be able to see those files in the Mac.. and visa versa. Permissions can be a major issue though with later Mac OS particularly El Capitan.

  • by Beatles78,

    Beatles78 Beatles78 May 25, 2016 6:47 AM in response to LaPastenague
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Wireless
    May 25, 2016 6:47 AM in response to LaPastenague

    Hello!

     

    Ok I see.  Thank you for confirming! Now that i did that with the partition, how do I get rid of that now to make it entirely a backup drive or does it matter at this point? Before I had done that, i had actually created a folder under the "Data" shared volume and I DO in fact see that folder on both my Mac and my PC.

     

    Next question is my printer that i currently have plugged into the USB port on the Time Capsule. I can't seem to see that printer on my PC.  I also can't print to it on my Mac since it keeps saying software is "missing" even though Apple tells me it found software and if it can install it.

     

    Thank you,
    Stephanie

  • by LaPastenague,

    LaPastenague LaPastenague May 25, 2016 3:40 PM in response to Beatles78
    Level 9 (52,471 points)
    Wireless
    May 25, 2016 3:40 PM in response to Beatles78
    Now that i did that with the partition, how do I get rid of that now to make it entirely a backup drive or does it matter at this point? Before I had done that, i had actually created a folder under the "Data" shared volume and I DO in fact see that folder on both my Mac and my PC.

    You can create a partition inside the sparsebundle but from Mac OS you cannot delete it.

     

    To fix the problem the best solution is delete the sparsebundle entirely.. and if you want Time Machine backup of your computer start again.

     

    As you suggest though, an empty partition inside the sparsebundle is unlikely to do any damage.. you can just leave it be.

     

    Next question is my printer that i currently have plugged into the USB port on the Time Capsule. I can't seem to see that printer on my PC.  I also can't print to it on my Mac since it keeps saying software is "missing" even though Apple tells me it found software and if it can install it.

    Plug the printer into the Mac.. does it have the right drivers to print?? If not delete all the printers and start over.

     

    Getting USB printer to work on the TC can be difficult. Do you have the airport utility loaded on the windows computer?? If not you really need that for the bonjour service.

     

    No luck there are other methods of setting up.. but is it worth it?

     

    It is really better to plug USB printer into the computer directly.. it was never designed for network printing.. and it is a fudge to make it work.

     

    Not all USB printers work.. and some are prone to issues.

     

    Network printers are now cheap enough.. buy a proper network printer and relegate the USB to secondary duties or ebay.

  • by Beatles78,

    Beatles78 Beatles78 May 28, 2016 8:47 AM in response to LaPastenague
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Wireless
    May 28, 2016 8:47 AM in response to LaPastenague

    Thank you! Makes sense. I actually did get my macbook to print to the printer i connected via USB to the Time Capsule. Question is...how do I set up the printer that is connected to the time capsule to my PC if i got it to work on my macbook?

     

    I did download the airport utility loaded onto the windows laptop. What is this bonjour and do i need that too for a printer to work?

     

    Next question is....i connected an external drive also via USB to the time capsule. I cannot figure out how to SEE that external drive on my macbook.

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