How Can I Use Second Time Capsule to Back Up Older iMac?

[kapalua12]

I have a new iMac and new 3 TB Time Capsule that backs up the new iMac via Time Machine via WiFi. I also run Crash Plan + as well as do nightly automated clones via CCC of both of my iMacs.

I have a 2010 iMac that I still use (DVD drive, etc) that used to be connected via WiFi to a 2 TB time capsule which I have disconnected from the network and is sitting unused on the shelf. The older time capsule still has the backups of the older iMac and I've been using CCC to clone the older iMac daily plus using Crash Plan + for all my machines.

The Goal:
I want to connect the older 2 TB time capsule to the 2010 iMac via Ethernet Cable directly to the older iMac and let it continue to backup the older iMac via Time Machine but turn off the WiFi function of that older Time Capsule since I use WiFi from the new Time Capsule for everything.

I want the older iMac to continue to get it's WiFi signal from the new Time Capsule I recently purchased. So the new time capsule and network were configured with the same passwords. Is that a problem?

What are the steps I need to follow to turn off WiFi on the older time capsule yet use it only via direct ethernet cable via time machine to the 2010 iMac? Which Ethernet Port on the time capsule should I use? Will the older iMac get confused as to where it's getting it's network signal from if it has an ethernet cable connected to it yet I want the 2010 iMac to continue to use the new WiFi from the new Time Capsule? Please guide me through the steps? It's probably
easier than I am making it out to be....Thanks!

 

[skorpien]

It's definitely easier than you're making it out to be

What I would do is connect the older TC to the new TC via Ethernet (old TC's WAN port to any LAN port of the new TC) and disable both DHCP and wireless on the old TC. To disable DHCP, turn Connection Sharing to Off (Bridge mode) in AirPort Utility. Then turn wireless off in the Wireless tab. This is all done through manual setup.

Your old Mac will be able to connect to the new TC's network and will still be able to access the old TC's HDD for TM backups.

This also gives you the added benefit of using the old TC's LAN ports in addition to your new TC's ports. You lose a port on the new TC but you gain 3 on the old one.

 

[kapalua12]

Is it really that easy? So the old time capsule does not need to be wired directly to the old iMac via the Ethernet port of the iMac and the old iMac will still find the correct time capsule even though the old time capsule is plugged into the new time capsule?

 

[skorpien]

Yes, no, and yes. When you're in AirPort Utility, just give the HDDs of the two TCs different names and you'll be set. When the old TC is in bridge mode, its hard drive will appear as a target drive for Time Machine for any Mac that is connected to your network in addition to the new TC's HDD.