Q: Problem setting up Airport Time Capsule

Hi,

Try the help in this support article >  Wi-Fi base station: Understanding and resolving a blinking amber status light - Apple Support

Plug the TC into the Mac using ethernet.

Swap the Airport utility to ethernet operation.. this is hidden in the strangest location.. click on Other WiFi Devices.

If the TC still will not show up.. make sure the Ethernet configuration on the computer has IPv6 set to link-local only.

Still no luck reset the TC to factory so you are positive you have its IP.

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.

Now type in the IP of the TC manually. Click File and Configure Other.

Type in IP 10.0.1.1 which is always the default IP of the apple routers.

No password is needed at this stage.. you are going to create one when the setup wizard starts.

TC shows up but it says NO DNS SERVER

That is easy to fix.. but this is a very simple setup and I see no reason for all your problems.

I strongly believe if things don't work out the first time around.. no biggie.. reset to factory and have another go.

Now the wiring is important.

Netgear LAN port to TC WAN port. (the one next to the power with sunburst symbol).

Any LAN port of the TC to the Mac.

Repeat the setup wizard. Once completed go back through the screens and make sure it is as follows.

Click the icon of the TC in the airport utility.. the summary page will show.

The summary page should show a single IP address.

Click the edit on the summary page..

1. WAN port is set to DHCP.

It should auto fill in all the values.

My configuration here matches yours exactly.. Other than your IP will be 192.168.0.x or 192.168.1.x in all likelihood.

Notice how the gateway address and the DNS server are the same. It is grey but you can type in your own DNS if you want. The correct value to use if you do it manually is your ISP dns servers.. just look it up.

OR use google public DNS which are very good. And easy to remember. The Chinese lucky number. 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (which might be less lucky??)

2. Your wireless tab should show create a wireless network.

3. And last of all the Network tab should show bridge.

Once you complete that setup click update.. and wait for the TC to come up.. if you still have issues there is a strange fault where the wan port of the TC can be finicky with some modems and routers or your ethernet cable is no good.

I strongly recommend you test another cable.. and once you have this setup.. change the connection from Netgear to any LAN port of the TC. LAN ports seem more reliable than WAN.

Any further issues give me your screenshots exactly as I have..

There are other ways of doing this if you still have issues.. but what I have posted here is the normal standard setup.

23RMP wrote:

 

I am following your screenshots and almost all of them are the same except I am extending my wireless network and even though I am directly plugged into my modem/router it keeps saying it cannot find a connection - I've changed wires.

 

I really dont understand why this isn't working

You cannot extend the wireless..

That will not ever work. Do exactly what I said.. Plug the WAN port of the TC into the Netgear. It is essential to operation that the TC is plugged directly and permanently into the netgear. It will not work extending wireless to non-apple brand wireless router. You MUST create a wireless network. It can have the same name and same password as the netgear but in this case that would be wrong. Use a short simple and different wireless name eg TCwifi.

Nor will ethernet work.. as you can see it is not able to connect to the network. Because you have set wireless to extend and it cannot.