Time Machine and new Google Wifi questions

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Time Machine and new Google Wifi questions

I posted this on the Mac forum but got no replies, so I am reposting here as well.

Hi all, novice here. I recently got google fiber with the network box and it is working well. Big fan of the speeds. However, I am having some iMac (2012) issues now that might be related. BTW: I still have the previous spectrum wifi network there but not selected, only while I am updating accounts with the new information.

First problem is that my Time Machine is no longer doing back-ups. Running Air Port Utility shows internet (google) but no airport devices. If I log off the new google wifi account and back to the old one, it shows the Time Capsule. But, obviously, that is not what I want. Nor do I want to mess things up by changing something I shouldn't. That happened earlier today when I tried to rename the network while in Airport Utility/editing Time Capsule with the new google name and created havoc. I didn't realize I was creating a second new network with the same name. After talking with the tech who set up my google - I undid what I did, I think. But still have no backup.

It might be worth mentioning that I also just tried to reset the Time Capsule and simply plug it into the back of the Mac with an ethernet cable, but then the Airport Utility showed no internet (new google) connection. Hmmm. So I unplugged it again & thought I would just ask the experts here. I know just enough to be dangerous.

My question is: what do I need to do to get the back-ups started again? I'm thinking of just hardwiring the TC to the back of the Mac. Should that be the main way to utilize the Time Capsule at this point - just as a 2T backup device? Is there another easy option without disrupting my google network? We do have some range issues on another floor of our home. But my main concern is for backups.

Second issue is that my computer keeps restarting, showing a gray screen and giving me a "sleep wake failure" message. After the restart it is fine, until it does it again. At first I thought it was a bug with Word since I had done the recent update. But now I think it is related to the wifi change somehow. Is that possible? Do I need to delete the old wifi network information off the computer ASAP? Any ideas are appreciated. If I need ask this on a new thread I can.

Thanks so much for your advice & lack of judging of a non-computer type person. 🙂

iMac, macOS High Sierra (10.13.3)

Posted on Mar 21, 2018 1:49 PM

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Answer 1

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LaPastenague

Level 9

67,262 points

Mar 21, 2018 2:51 PM in response to Pseudonym111

Since Sierra, Time Machine (TM) has become increasingly unreliable.

The setup you are trying to use is unsupported. Apple insist you have the computer directly connected using either ethernet or wireless to the Time Capsule (TC).

It is possible to directly connect the TC to the Mac.. but the setup is complicated and the unreliable nature of the backup to network target is still there.

I strongly recommend you use the TC in some other way.. buy a cheap portable 2TB (larger if you wish) USB drive.. plug it into the back of the iMac and there you have it.. Time Machine is faster and much more reliable to local disk.

If you still wish to pursue using the TC on the network.. we are happy to help.. and it might work OK.. except that the same problem keeps happening.. it will disappear from the network on a fairly regular basis.

Second issue is that my computer keeps restarting

..

I still have the previous spectrum wifi network there but not selected, only while I am updating accounts with the new information.

How often is the restart happening?

Can you swap over to the spectrum wifi network for a day or so just to prove if the problem is the google network.

I do see failure to wake problems fairly frequently in older Mac computers.. but never here in discussion about airport routers.. ie it is really hard to see a connection between networking and what is really an internal computer issue.

If it happened just when you swapped over .. there might be some connection but I doubt it is as simple as a different wifi network.

A 2012 computer (assuming you bought it that year) is now 5-6 years old.. that is really a decent lifespan and well worth counting your shekels, drachmas etc.. and see if a new computer is on the horizon.

Removing the old wifi is a good thing to do but mostly we recommend people do it to fix wifi issues.. I cannot see how failure to wake is a wifi issue.

A clean install of the OS could also be worthwhile.. which I would not do until you have followed the above recommendation and made a bootable clone of your computer to a USB drive.. even if you don't want to do backups that way. Carbon Copy Cloner is free to use for a month.. and you can easily set it to create a bootable clone for you .. which immediately boot from so you can then test if the wake problem goes away.. it could be bad internal drive on the iMac.. but then allows you to confidently do a clean install of OS and recover your Apps and user files.

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Time Machine and new Google Wifi questions

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