Time Capsule Nightmare

[Aristotelian]

I had been thinking about getting a Time Capsule for some time, and found a 2TB at a reasonable price (260 euros) at a local store. I bought it, and went home, eager for the bliss promised by my previous Apple experience.

First problem: after numerous attempts, Airport Utility finally upgraded correctly to the version that was required to interact with the Time Capsule.

Second problem: after numerous bug tests, Time Capsule still refused to acknowledge that I had indeed plugged in my ethernet cable.

Third problem: after switching back to the previous setup (wireless router with internet), airport utility does not even recognize the Time Capsule (it's still plugged into the power socket, flashing amber light). No computer in the house recognizes it.

This has taken about 2 hours, and I'm here to ask: Am I the only one who has had this kind of nightmare with Time Capsule? I was expecting "a few clicks" and am sorely disappointed.

Bleh.

 

[kubani1]

i must admit, i never really understood the appeal of time capsule, plus, i've never heard of any good coming from it.

 

[Emulex]

no just load the software on your mac and it does the rest. easy peasy. you using 10.6.8?

 

[MotionMan]

In addition to the great experience I had getting a replacement Time Capsule (search for my thread about it), the TC practically set itself up without any issues.

Maybe you got a bad seed? Take it back to the store for testing/an exchange?

MotionMan

 

[MotionMan]

So, update?

MotionMan

 

[SKORPI0]

2TB at a reasonable price (260 euros) at a local store.

I avoid Time Capsule, never had a successful backup/recover. I always use Carbon Copy.

Wow, I can buy 5 2TB drives for 260 euros ($377) here in the US. D:

 

[MotionMan]

I avoid Time Capsule, never had a successful backup/recover. I always use Carbon Copy.

Do you mean Time Machine?

Wow, I can buy 5 2TB drives for 260 euros ($377) here in the US. D:

With an n wireless router built in?

MotionMan

 

[TheStu]

Do you mean Time Machine?



With an n wireless router built in?

MotionMan

For the cost of the Time Capsule, you can get an Airport Extreme and a 2TB drive with enclosure to hook to the USB port.

/Just sayin'

 

[MotionMan]

For the cost of the Time Capsule, you can get an Airport Extreme and a 2TB drive with enclosure to hook to the USB port.

/Just sayin'

Isn't that what a Time Machine is, except the drive is inside the Airport Extreme?

Some people like all-in-one devices.

MotionMan

 

[TheStu]

Isn't that what a Time Machine is, except the drive is inside the Airport Extreme?

Some people like all-in-one devices.

MotionMan

No, it is definitely much cleaner to go the Time Capsule route but at least with the separate devices you don't lose internet if the hard drive crashes.

 

[rugby]

I had a 1TB Time Capsule for years without issue. I had gotten it from a friend where it never worked properly for them, too much wireless interference in their house.

 

[Aristotelian]

So, update?

MotionMan

Sorry about the delayed response. I think part of this can be chalked up to user error. I thought that the unit would replace the modem also, but I was mistaken.

So, I ran a cable from the modem to the back of the Time Capsule, and now the light on the front is a solid green.

However, the internet still doesn't work through the wireless signal broadcast by the Time Capsule, and I'm trying to figure out the 'why' there. I think I need to use the Manual Setup but am unsure how to configure that.

Apologies for the tone of the first post, but I was at my boss' house trying to set that up and was really frustrated that it simply was not 'a few clicks' to set up.

 

[Aristotelian]

Hi guys, another update:

I connected everything and set up the Time Capsule to bridge the connection between the wireless router/modem from the ISP, and the Time Capsule itself.

I'm currently backing up my MacBook over wireless (probably should have used the wired connection the first time), and am using internet through the Time Capsule. Great.

I'm trying to pursue some additional functionality:

a) Is it possible, for free, for me to put music of mine onto the Time Capsule and access it through the internet from anywhere in the world?

b) Is it possible for me to move all of my music to the Time Capsule, and somehow direct iTunes to read my music there?

c) Is there a way for me to hook up multiple computers to the Time Capsule, and have them able to access the disks of one another through the Time Capsule's network? Say, I have my work laptop upstairs and I'm on my pc downstairs, and I want to quickly grab a file that's on the computer upstairs - without having to go upstairs, put that file on the Time Capsule itself, and then access that file from another computer.


If a-c are possible, this would be a dream product. I could probably edit the title to "my noob related adventure with a Time Capsule" as opposed to "Time Capsule nightmare" - mods feel free to punish me accordingly

I'd really appreciate some help - I'm very, very new to Mac hardware and software.

 

[TheStu]

Hi guys, another update:

I connected everything and set up the Time Capsule to bridge the connection between the wireless router/modem from the ISP, and the Time Capsule itself.

I'm currently backing up my MacBook over wireless (probably should have used the wired connection the first time), and am using internet through the Time Capsule. Great.

I'm trying to pursue some additional functionality:

a) Is it possible, for free, for me to put music of mine onto the Time Capsule and access it through the internet from anywhere in the world?

b) Is it possible for me to move all of my music to the Time Capsule, and somehow direct iTunes to read my music there?

c) Is there a way for me to hook up multiple computers to the Time Capsule, and have them able to access the disks of one another through the Time Capsule's network? Say, I have my work laptop upstairs and I'm on my pc downstairs, and I want to quickly grab a file that's on the computer upstairs - without having to go upstairs, put that file on the Time Capsule itself, and then access that file from another computer.


If a-c are possible, this would be a dream product. I could probably edit the title to "my noob related adventure with a Time Capsule" as opposed to "Time Capsule nightmare" - mods feel free to punish me accordingly

I'd really appreciate some help - I'm very, very new to Mac hardware and software.

A: Possibly. You can very easily edit the ports that are accessible on the Airport Extreme/Time Capsule

B: Yes, and then once it is there, you just need to open up iTunes and point it to that location.*

C: You need to enable sharing on each system in question. Then they should show up in the sidebar (in either Windows Vista/7 or OS X) and you can navigate from there. For Windows, the systems will require passwords. You cannot get at Windows shared files from OS X if you do not have a password set on the account in Windows.

B*: The full process for you should be this. Go into iTunes and open the preferences (CMD+,) and then in the advanced tab, change the location for the iTunes library to your Time Capsule. Now Quit iTunes and move the entirety of your iTunes folder on your MacBook to the Time Capsule. Delete the files from your MacBook and reopen iTunes. Nothing will have changed and the music should playback just fine. (disclaimer, I have never tried this)

 

[MotionMan]

A: Possibly. You can very easily edit the ports that are accessible on the Airport Extreme/Time Capsule

B: Yes, and then once it is there, you just need to open up iTunes and point it to that location.*

C: You need to enable sharing on each system in question. Then they should show up in the sidebar (in either Windows Vista/7 or OS X) and you can navigate from there. For Windows, the systems will require passwords. You cannot get at Windows shared files from OS X if you do not have a password set on the account in Windows.

B*: The full process for you should be this. Go into iTunes and open the preferences (CMD+,) and then in the advanced tab, change the location for the iTunes library to your Time Capsule. Now Quit iTunes and move the entirety of your iTunes folder on your MacBook to the Time Capsule. Delete the files from your MacBook and reopen iTunes. Nothing will have changed and the music should playback just fine. (disclaimer, I have never tried this)

A. Wouldn't you need a static IP? Also, I would think the connection could get pretty flaky.

B*. I have done this with success.

C. This is easy to do and it only requires a network (Not TC specific).

MotionMan

 

[MotionMan]

Sorry about the delayed response. I think part of this can be chalked up to user error. I thought that the unit would replace the modem also, but I was mistaken.

Last year I went from a wired hub to an Airport Extreme. I gave my old hub to my sister (who lives in a different part of the state). She calls me up and says that it won't work. We tried everything I could think of, but could not get it to work. I told her to remove the hub and put everything back the way it was so she could at least get back to working on one computer as before.

So she says: "Hold on, I need to go get the old modem out of the garage."

Yep, she thought the hub replaced the modem. Once we retrieved the modem and wired things up right, the hub worked like a charm.

You are not alone.

MotionMan

 

[Aristotelian]

Thanks for the helpful responses guys, and I'm sorry to be asking so many questions.

I went to Google for my last question (which I thought would be easy) but apparently Apple doesn't have any software for windows that allows windows machines to backup easily on the Time Capsule?

http://techsupport.foreverwarm.com/time-capsule-windows

I can see the TC as a drive under My Computer on the Windows machine. If there is no software for the backups, as there is for Apple systems, is there a way to set System Restore points to be saved wirelessly on TC? I can't seem to find a way to do this (sorry if Windows questions aren't allowed here, but it's an Apple device!).

Thanks!

 

[dclive]

Simply use Windows backup software (Microsoft includes some) to back up to the tc's drive letter.