Cannot access Time Capsules from Airport Utility

Searching the Internet has not come up with anything that works.

We don't know what you have tried, and don't want to waste your time asking you to try things that you have already done. So, it would be helpful if you could briefly mention what you have already tried.

However, if you have not performed a complete power cycle of your entire network, now might be a good time to do this.

Power off every device on the entire network.....modem. AirPorts, computers, iPhone, iPad, printer, etc.....in any order that you want.

Wait a minute

Start up the modem and let it run 2-3 minutes by itself

Then, start up the next device connected to the modem and let it run a full minute

Keep starting up devices one at a time about a minute apart until the entire network is back up

Check the network again using AirPort Utility

I've seen something either in AirPort Utility or deep in macOS lock itself into an odd state in a couple of networks, and restarting the macOS client was the only way I could get it to reconnect to the Time Capsule devices. I'd assumed it was related to a Wi-Fi monitoring tool I was using, and didn't pursue it further. FWIW...

I Have a similiar issue. We have moved from Century Link to Comcast. New modem even to assure it is working correctly. Ethernet cable from modem to computer, and trying to access TC wirelessly? The only other way I cna do it is

The only way I could access is through a USB port on the TC and Computer, but I dont know if that is feasible and I dont have a cable to do that. So, before I go out and try and buy one, I need to know if it will work?

Thanks,

Al

Mac Sierra 10.12.6

Sorry, but no. The USB port on the Time Capsule is there only to add a USB hard drive. You won't be able to use a USB cable from your Mac or modem to the USB port on the Time Capsule to view the settings on the Time Capsule drive, or do anything else for that matter.

You really have a different issue than the topic of this thread, so it would be best if you started a new thread for your issue.

Bigger al wrote:

The only way I could access is through a USB port on the TC and Computer, but I dont know if that is feasible and I dont have a cable to do that. So, before I go out and try and buy one, I need to know if it will work?

Thanks,

Al

Mac Sierra 10.12.6

Ah, okay. The ISP folks told you everything is working perfectly? You'll want to confirm that certainly, and that's because the ISP may have everything perfect but it's quite possibly different from whatever your previous ISP was using for a configuration, and because sometimes the ISP that claims everything is working perfectly is wrong. Shorter version: trust, but verify.

As for your ISP modem, you'll need to know how that's configured, and you may well need to get that switched into bridged mode if you want to use your Time Capsule as your gateway.

Or you can use your Time Capsule as an Access Point — what Apple calls "bridged" mode — and it'll act like another device on your network and can provide Wi-Fi if you want it. Configuring as an Access Point is common if you have another device — such as the ISP modem — providing DHCP and gateway services.

How the gear gets set up varies by ISP and by local requirements. By what the ISP requires and what the ISP allows, and by what the local configuration requirements are. ISPs routinely have differences in configuration details too, such as the ISP DNS server settings.

Probably best to start another discussion though, as it's very likely whatever is happening here is different from what the original poster in this thread has happening with their network — they did an upgrade of their OS and didn't change their network, where you swapped ISPs and didn't swap your operating system.

Actually I changed a setting to allow WAN connection and it started working. At least I think it is? (smile) Thanks for trying to help me.

This has been very frustating. when Comcast wanted to bridge my modem it made my time capsule the only wifi in the house and I didn't think it was strong enough to power everything so I denied that application from Comcast. Now I have both. yee haw. Thanks again.

aL

Make sure you don't have two devices both providing network address translation (NAT). That tends to cause subtle and weird problems.

Usual approach for not-enough Wi-Fi coverage is a wired backhaul if you can manage it, or an extended network based on Wi-Fi. Wired backhaul usually makes for a more stable and better-performing network configuration, if there's a way to get a wire to where you need the Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi backhaul works, though that backhaul can sometimes introduce some issues.

This preferably with all Wi-Fi devices configured as access points, which means that you can roam among the various Wi-Fi devices without the client having to disconnect and reconnect and change IP addresses. Configured as an access point, the Wi-Fi devices do not provide IP routing or DHCP or other network services, and are effectively "transparent" to the network traffic and roughly akin to an Ethernet RJ45 cable. This as opposed to the devices being configured as IP routers, which is the default for most consumer Wi-Fi devices, and which is most definitely not "transparent" to the network traffic, and makes for a much more complex network configuration (usually, often, variously) with multiple IP subnets and multiple DHCP servers and other added details.

Please keep in mind that two WiFi routers in close proximity both broadcasting a WiFi signal can often create wireless interference issues.

If things work OK, that is great. If you start losing WiFi connections, you will probably have to turn off the WiFi on the Comcast or the Time Capsule. Or, move the Time Capsule to another room.

Bob Timmons wrote:

Please keep in mind that two WiFi routers in close proximity both broadcasting a WiFi signal can often create wireless interference issues.

If things work OK, that is great. If you start losing WiFi connections, you will probably have to turn off the WiFi on the Comcast or the Time Capsule. Or, move the Time Capsule to another room.

Related: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels — in addition to AP transmitter separation, also pick non-overlapping channels. That gets tricky in built-up areas with other devices coming and going, and that usually means going to more APs and to lower power, unfortunately. Moving everything local up to 5 GHz can sometimes help here as that tends to be less congested than 2.4 GHz. There's not much reason to have two Wi-Fi devices located close together, though.

Powering everything off and then powering each device back up one at a time is the most basic of troubleshooting steps. It will solve about half of all issues about half of the time.