Use Time Capsule as NAS with Ethernet connection to router?

It was probably not necessary to perform a factory default reset, but what is done is done, and it will not hurt to start over again. The TC is showing up under Other Wireless Devices because it is in effect a new TC that has not been set up yet.

Make sure that the Ethernet cable from the Velop node connects to the WAN "O" port on the TC.

Open up AirPort Utility again, click on Other WiFi Devices, and then click on Time Capsule there. When you click on Time Capsule, that will start up the setup "wizard" to configure the TC. The setup utility assumes that you want the TC to produce a WiFi signal, but if you don't need that, or don't want to use it for guests, etc., you can turn off the WiFi on the TC later as a separate action.

The utility will display a screen that looks similar to the example below, except that you will see a Time Capsule instead of an AirPort Express.

Network Name.....Type in a name for a wireless network that the TC will produce

Base Station Name....Type in device name that you want to call the TC. You can use the same name that you used before if you wish, or use a new device name

Password....Type in a password that will be used for both the wireless network and device name

Verify...Type in the same password to confirm

Click Next

When you see the message of Setup Complete, click Done.

For now, my advice would be to leave the WiFi network on that the TC is producing and simply not use it. Later, you can go back in using AirPort Utility and turn off the WiFi signal if you wish. You should be able to access and back up to the TC using the Velop wireless, but Apple will not officially support this since they expect you to use the TC wireless. As long as things work OK, you probably won't care that Apple frowns upon what you are doing.

Check to see if you can now access the TC using the Velop wireless. You may need to restart the Velop devices and restart your Mac as well.

I also have setup my 2TB Airport time capsule to a Velop system. But I don't have it connected to one of the wirelessly linked nodes, and I don't use it as NAS but rather to simply perform time machine backups of my iMac. It seems to be working fine with the following setup: Cable modem to wired Velop (1st node) via ethernet; ethernet from 1st node to TC set in Bridge mode and Wireless off; ethernet from TC to iMac.

I can set the iMac to work with the Velop via Wifi or via ethernet (which each show up as different "devices" in the Linksys app). I prefer to use the ethernet connection although there is no appreciable speed difference between the two since the Velop node/router is literally right next to my iMac. My assumption (could be wrong) is that connecting the iMac as LAN saves WAN bandwidth for my other devices in the household.

My question for you is, why have the TC ethernet connected to one of the wirelessly connected Velop nodes? Why not connect it directly to the first (wired) node? In the Velop app my TC shows up as part of the network (connected via ethernet)if I take it out of bridge mode but leave network mode off so it isn't creating another network. Would this work to allow your other devices to access your TC harddrive for remote storage on the network?

If the TC is in Bridge Mode, it does not matter whether the Ethernet connection to the TC is to the WAN port or one of the LAN ports, since all ports behave the same.....as LAN ports....when the TC is in Bridge Mode.

Turning off the WiFi on the TC will prevent WIFi devices from connecting to the TC wireless network, but if all of your devices are connecting to the Velop WiFi anyway.....and none are using the TC WiFi....then you are not really saving any bandwidth, because no devices are connected to the TC WiFi to use that bandwidth.

However, If you don't want to use the TC WiFi for guests or something similar, then it makes sense to turn off the WiFi if only to avoid broadcasting another WiFi signal that you won't be using anyway.

All devices on a network all share the same available bandwidth at any given time, no matter whether you have 1 wireless access point, or multiple access points. This assumes of course that the Velop system does not have settings to allow you to allocate a specific amount of bandwidth to each separate device. Or, if it does have this feature, you have not set up individual bandwidth allocations for each separate device.

Connecting wireless access points using wireless does use up a significant amount of available bandwidth. That's why you would want to connect access points using Ethernet, if all possible. No speed loss through Ethernet connections. Significant loss through wireless connections.

For example, my Internet connection plan is 300 Mbps and I use three AirPort Extreme devices all connected via Ethernet to different areas of the house. I get virtually identical performance in each area where an AirPort Extreme is located. if the AirPorts connected using only wireless, the system would lose half of the speed or more in the remote areas.

why have the TC ethernet connected to one of the wirelessly connected Velop nodes?

hlritter may have some other reasons, but preference and convenience come to mind as possibilities. And, if the Velop network is as good as the advertising claims, the performance through one of the remote nodes should be reasonably good.

Users often want to locate the TC away from their "main" network devices as a security precaution......in case of a break in and theft. The bad guys grab the main network items, but if you have the TC hiding away at a remote location, there's a good chance that it will remain undiscovered.....and you will still have all of your backups even though other devices have disappeared.

Makes sense, Bob. Am I right that running the internet to the iMac via ethernet from the Linsys/velop router (through TC in bridge mode), and shutting off the iMac's Wifi, saves bandwidth on my WAN for other devices on the network?

Just for reference, my internet connection speed is 400 Mbps with an Arris Surfboard cable modem that's rated to 686Mbps. I generally get a little more than 400 on the iMac (via ethernet or by wifi). Running speed test on my iPhone gets me 275 Mbps by Wifi in the room with the router (first Linksys node); 250 by Wifi in media room; and 120 by Wifi at the farthest point away from any nodes (I have the three node pack to cover the house, about 3000 sq feet).

All devices are connecting to the Velop wifi except the computer (iMac) which is connecting to the Velop via ethernet (although it could connect by wifi also). My thought was that by not having the computer connect via wifi, that would preserve wifi bandwidth on the Velop created network for the other devices. So that's mistaken then?

With my situation, I don't need to use the TC either as a wireless device or to create another network, just for Time machine backups. It's simply between the router and the computer because existing cables behind my work station made it easier to just leave it there (I unplugged the ethernet cable from the cable modem to the TC's lowest port, plugged it into the Velop instead, and then ran a short cable from the other port on the Velop to the TC again. The TC was already connected to the computer via one of its upper ethernet ports). Velop does have a system to let you "prioritize" up to three devices on your network. I've used two: for iMac and AppleTV. I'm not sure that it really matters for the former since the computer is not accessing the Velop via wifi.

My thought was that by not having the computer connect via wifi, that would preserve wifi bandwidth on the Velop created network for the other devices. So that's mistaken then?

It is always best to use an Ethernet connection if at all possible, because there is zero loss of signal speed through the Ethernet cable......at least up to about 330 feet (or 100 meters), and a wired connection is always going to be more reliable than wireless.

Remember that Ethernet and WiFi devices are all on the same network, so they all share the same available bandwidth. You are not really "saving" any bandwidth for WiFi by connecting the computer using Ethernet, but the computer is probably getting a faster connection over Ethernet than it is over WiFi unless the computer is very close to the wireless access point.

In other words, if your computer is a desktop, and you can connect it using Ethernet, that is the way to go. Most users don't want to be tied down by an Ethernet cable if they are using a laptop, so they use wireless most if not all of the time on the laptop. However, if you are updating the operating system on the laptop, or downloading a big file, it does make sense to connect using an Ethernet cable if the laptop will allow.

A WiFi signal begins to slow down the instant that it leaves the wireless access point and it slows down progressively as it as it moves further and further from the access point or it encounters any obstruction like a wall or heavy furniture. That's why for best performance you want to have line-of-sight between wireless devices if possible, or as close as possible to that goal.

Thanks, mate. That's very good to know. It sounds like it might make a difference to "prioritize" (Linksys's term) the iMac then. I always prefer wired connection for my desktop for these reasons you mention, even though it is literally two feet from the wireless access point.

The most time-consuming part of setting up the Velop system has been determining the right placement for the nodes. Linksys says that 2 nodes is enough for 3000 sq feet, but my experience is that it isn't, especially in an older home built with lots more and heavier construction materials than newer homes (no drywall at all, for example: lath and plaster, wood paneling or wood planking. The original part of the house was even framed with true dimensional lumber on 13" centers! Lol! Fortunately there's no brick!). In my house they need to be no more than 20'-30' apart, though the specs say they can be 30'-60'. I'm interested to see if I can get another node to connect in a separate shop building about 60 feet away from the first node. But so far the mesh system has eliminated all dead zones in the house and streaming has worked well.

Thanks again for your responses.

The only thing I don't understand is that the Airport Utility map shows the Internet and the TC icons (with green dots by them) but no icon for the Velop. Nor does it show Velop under Other Wi-Fi Devices. Perhaps the utility displays only Apple devices?

You got it. AirPort Utility is a utility for AirPorts....the AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule.

If I switch the Mac's wifi to the TC network, I am still connected to the internet. I didn't expect that

The Velop network has Internet access, so if you connect the TC to the Velop network, which you have done, the TC will also have Internet access.....since it is on the same network as the Velop devices.

I'm tempted to turn off the TC wireless, but I guess there's no particular reason to, and I don't want to risk having all this crash by messing with it!

If you don't need the "extra" wireless network that the TC provides (multiple WiFi networks in the same area can sometimes create interference effects between networks), then it would probably make sense to turn the WiFi off.

If you decide to do that.....

Open AirPort Utility

Click on the picture of the TC

Click Edit in the smaller window that appears

Click the Wireless tab at the top of the next window

Change the setting for Network Mode from "Create a wireless network" to "Off"

Click Update at the lower right of the window and the TC will restart with its new settings.