Home Network Set Up (Help/Input needed)

[sassenach74]

Hi there, I'm soon to be ordering a new iMac (specs in sig) and I'm toying with the idea of getting a Time Capsule.
I've read as many threads as I can regarding the Time Capsule, and also threads about using the Xbox 360 on the network.
Unfortunately, either I missed or didn't understand them, but I couldn't find anything that helps with my predicament/idea.

Below is my intentions for my home network:



Overview:
I would like to have the Xbox 360 and BT Wireless router in the living room, and the iMac and Time Capsule in the Office.
I want to connect the BT router to the Xbox 360 with an Ethernet cable
I want to connect the iMac to the BT router wirelessly
I want to connect the Time Capsule to the iMac with either ethernet or wirelessly (prefer wireless if possible)
I will use the Time Capsule with Time Machine on the iMac
I’d like, if possible to connect the iMac to the Xbox 360 using Connect360 software from Nullriver, so I can view pics, play music, play videos from my iMac using the Media centre on Xbox 360

Questions:
Is there any of the above that isn’t possible to achieve with the above hardware?
If not, what changes/additional hardware can be added to achieve this?
What special steps need to be taken in the network set up proccess ?
Any security issues need to be addressed?

Additional info:
I also have a windows vista (ultimate) laptop that I would like to connect to the network wirelessly, to access the Time Capsule and the iMac, is this possible?

 

[waw74]

You can have the TC join your existing wireless network. Although if the BT router is 802.11 B/G (it probably is) then all of your backups will be at G speed. And there is a good chance that if a backup is happening, it will eat most of your wireless bandwidth, meaning the iMac (and anything else on the wireless) will probably have a slow internet connection.

There is no way to simultaneously join 2 wireless networks from the iMac, so no B/G to router and N to time capsule at the same time.

As in your picture you could

• Have the iMac join the BT router wireless
• Hardwire the iMac to the TC
• Turn the TC wireless off.

- this would allow you to have full speed backups which wouldn't kill your wireless, and you shouldn't see a slow down in internet even during a backup.

------OR------
if you are completely opposed to hardwiring the TC & iMac, I would

• connect the TC to the router by ethernet,
• set up a wireless-N network on the TC (set the TC to N-only.)
• Make the following networks - make your own names

"MyNetworkName-G" from BT router
"MyNetworkName-N" from Time Capsule​

Your other devices could then join whichever network was appropriate for them.
You might experience internet slowdowns on the N network if a backup is happening.

----------------
a Hardwired backup would probably be minimum 2 to 3 times faster than a wireless N connection and maybe close to 10 times faster than a wireless G.
And this is all depending on wireless quality, they wireless options could be slower. Those are just guesstimates on the numbers also.
I would hardwire for the initial backup just for the sake of time.

 

[sassenach74]

You can have the TC join your existing wireless network. Although if the BT router is 802.11 B/G (it probably is) then all of your backups will be at G speed. And there is a good chance that if a backup is happening, it will eat most of your wireless bandwidth, meaning the iMac (and anything else on the wireless) will probably have a slow internet connection.

There is no way to simultaneously join 2 wireless networks from the iMac, so no B/G to router and N to time capsule at the same time.

As in your picture you could

• Have the iMac join the BT router wireless
• Hardwire the iMac to the TC
• Turn the TC wireless off.

- this would allow you to have full speed backups which wouldn't kill your wireless, and you shouldn't see a slow down in internet even during a backup.

------OR------
if you are completely opposed to hardwiring the TC & iMac, I would

• connect the TC to the router by ethernet,
• set up a wireless-N network on the TC (set the TC to N-only.)
• Make the following networks - make your own names

"MyNetworkName-G" from BT router
"MyNetworkName-N" from Time Capsule​

Your other devices could then join whichever network was appropriate for them.
You might experience internet slowdowns on the N network if a backup is happening.

----------------
a Hardwired backup would probably be minimum 2 to 3 times faster than a wireless N connection and maybe close to 10 times faster than a wireless G.
And this is all depending on wireless quality, they wireless options could be slower. Those are just guesstimates on the numbers also.
I would hardwire for the initial backup just for the sake of time.

Thanks for the in depth reply, very helpful and much appreciated.
Both methods that you have suggested would be great for me, I'm not at all opposed to hard wiring the TC to my iMac.
I also don't mind hard wiring the Router to the TC to get the benefit of N speeds, although this would incur the additional cost of a Xbox 360 wireless network adapter (not cheap).
I think I will go ahead and order the TC, then figure out which of the 2 methods I will use.

If anybody knows of any extra steps (security or otherwise) or alternative methods I'd very much appreciate your input.

 

[waw74]

I also don't mind hard wiring the Router to the TC to get the benefit of N speeds, although this would incur the additional cost of a Xbox 360 wireless network adapter (not cheap).

I'm not familiar with the BT home hub, but from a quick look online it looks like it has 2 ethernet ports. And from a quick read of the manual it appears you can do one to the Xbox and one to the TC.
if that doesn't work, you can probably get a cheap network switch and plug both things into one port on the home hub.

on amazon uk, there are switches for about 20 pounds for a price estimate, probably easier to go to a local store though.

 

[sassenach74]

Thank you for going to such lengths to help me out, you set an example to the forums.
I've been thinking about your first post, and it's helped me make the decision that I will set up as per your first solution..ie hard wire the TC to the iMac.

Again, thank you for the fantastic advice.