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Time Capsule Dropping Internet connection

R

Roofus

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 7, 2007
14
0
My time capsule drops its internet connection on a regular basis. Some times it will reconnect on its own. Sometimes I have to reboot the time capsule and the computer. Sometime I have to reconfirm the tc settings and once I had to delete the time capsule setting and reinstall.

The internet is high speed pppoe and the time capsule firmware is the latest version.

All the other time capsule setting are default. Would tweeking any of these help?

Thanks!
:confused:
 
There is no fix actually. The only thing you really can do is what you've been doing.

My time capsule does it like several times a day.
Drives me nuts!
I've searched for an answer about it and its an issue that Apple is refused to fix it for quite some time.

But if you do find the answer, PLEASE let me know.
haha
Sorry =/
 
do you have the original time capsule because they might have fixed it in the version that was most recently released. just wondering because i am thinking of buying one.
 
I think I have the original one because I bought it shortly after it was released.

I can't be positive though. Doesn't seem to have a model number on it.

I have upgraded to the lastest firmware version 7.4.1 but that made no difference!

I would be cautious in buying this device because ti is a very unreliable WAP/Router
 
Is the Time Capsule dropping the internet connection or is broadband router losing it? I had a problem when my Mac was connected via wi-fi where the DSL modem was losing the internet connection. After going through 2 DSL modems, I hard-wired the mac to the DSL via Cat 5 and the problem went away.

I talked with a network engineer from Qwest (also a friend who did a little more investigaiton than "well, let's swap the modem a 3rd time) and he was dumbfounded, but witnessed it himself and didn't believe it was possible until he saw it. Somehow the Mac was interfering with the modem's authentication with Qwest's hub down the road when the modem would routinely send out the password verification every 10 minutes or so.

He couldn't come up with a conceivable way the Mac could be interfering with an internal modem command, but after upgrading to a later version or Leopard, the problem went away.

Food for thought.:confused:
 
Thanks for the info . . . you make a good point!

I am assuming it is the Time Capsule but I could be wrong. That is based primarily on other posts on this and other forums from users with similar complaints . . namely that the Time Capsule doesn't work very well with a PPPoE modem. I have however used the same Time Capsule successfully with a DSL modem from a different IS provider.

I have Linksys b/g/n Router/WAP that I could use in the system to do an objective comparison however would be tedious because the problem is intermittent. For example , the system worked perfectly for 3 days and the yesterday it crashed at least four times! Today it has worked perfectly.

By the way I disabled the Time Capsule backup function to see if that made a difference but it didn't appear to do so
 
I noticed the problem because the internet light on my qwest modem would go dark (not red) and the DSL light would flash red in a pattern that indicated the password and user ID authentication between the modem and qwest's hub had failed for either bad password or ID.

I should unplug my mac from the cat5 going into my time capsule (in bridged mode connected to the 2Wire modem via the WAN port) and see if the problem is gone or not. I did try it about a year ago, but couldn't replicate it.

I would have to assume that if your able to back-up to the time capsule but can't get internet, the problem is more on the router end. Out of curiousity, who's your service provider and how do you hook-up to them? It might help to know your whole set-up...
 
Check apple.com forum for the TC losing connection issue.
Lots of users have complained about it after the recent upgrade.

I have one question about TC, is it possible to use it as plainly as backup disk and additional storage rather than media for time machine?
 
VS007 said:
Check apple.com forum for the TC losing connection issue.
Lots of users have complained about it after the recent upgrade.
Click to expand...

I have a friend with the PPPoE dropping problem. From what I found in the Apple Discussions forum, many have fixed the problem by rolling the firmware back to 7.3.2 (assuming it's not recently released TC). We did that last night, and it's been solid since then. I'm sure Apple is aware of the problem, by now, so I'd expect a "7.4.2" update in the near future.

If you bring up the TC in Airport Utility, then "Upload Firmware...", you can select 7.3.2 from the list.

VS007 said:
I have one question about TC, is it possible to use it as plainly as backup disk and additional storage rather than media for time machine?
Click to expand...

Yes, it can be used for anything you like. It's just a shared network drive.
 
gr8tfly said:
I have a friend with the PPPoE dropping problem. From what I found in the Apple Discussions forum, many have fixed the problem by rolling the firmware back to 7.3.2 (assuming it's not recently released TC). We did that last night, and it's been solid since then. I'm sure Apple is aware of the problem, by now, so I'd expect a "7.4.2" update in the near future.

If you bring up the TC in Airport Utility, then "Upload Firmware...", you can select 7.3.2 from the list.


Thanks! I will give that a try!:)
Click to expand...
 
I installed my TC yesterday and it is working so nice!

Just onw worrie...it keeps so HOT. Is it normal?
 
Roofus said:
gr8tfly said:
I have a friend with the PPPoE dropping problem. From what I found in the Apple Discussions forum, many have fixed the problem by rolling the firmware back to 7.3.2 (assuming it's not recently released TC). We did that last night, and it's been solid since then. I'm sure Apple is aware of the problem, by now, so I'd expect a "7.4.2" update in the near future.

If you bring up the TC in Airport Utility, then "Upload Firmware...", you can select 7.3.2 from the list.


Thanks! I will give that a try!:)
Click to expand...

Just to update my situation; I downgraded the firmware to 7.3.2 as recommended by gr8tfly and that seems to have solved the problem so far!:)
Click to expand...
 
gr8tfly said:
I have a friend with the PPPoE dropping problem. From what I found in the Apple Discussions forum, many have fixed the problem by rolling the firmware back to 7.3.2 (assuming it's not recently released TC). We did that last night, and it's been solid since then. I'm sure Apple is aware of the problem, by now, so I'd expect a "7.4.2" update in the near future.

If you bring up the TC in Airport Utility, then "Upload Firmware...", you can select 7.3.2 from the list.



Yes, it can be used for anything you like. It's just a shared network drive.
Click to expand...

Thanks!
 
Just to update my situation; I downgraded the firmware to 7.3.2 as recommended by gr8tfly and that seems to have solved the problem so far!:)[/QUOTE]


Maybe I spoke too soon it has crashed once since the downgrade to 7.3.2
 
where is the TC firmware version number????

Roofus said:
gr8tfly said:
I have a friend with the PPPoE dropping problem. From what I found in the Apple Discussions forum, many have fixed the problem by rolling the firmware back to 7.3.2 (assuming it's not recently released TC). We did that last night, and it's been solid since then. I'm sure Apple is aware of the problem, by now, so I'd expect a "7.4.2" update in the near future.

If you bring up the TC in Airport Utility, then "Upload Firmware...", you can select 7.3.2 from the list.


Thanks! I will give that a try!:)
Click to expand...

gr8tfly said:
I have a friend with the PPPoE dropping problem. From what I found in the Apple Discussions forum, many have fixed the problem by rolling the firmware back to 7.3.2 (assuming it's not recently released TC). We did that last night, and it's been solid since then. I'm sure Apple is aware of the problem, by now, so I'd expect a "7.4.2" update in the near future.

If you bring up the TC in Airport Utility, then "Upload Firmware...", you can select 7.3.2 from the list.



Yes, it can be used for anything you like. It's just a shared network drive.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Roofus said:
My time capsule drops its internet connection on a regular basis. Some times it will reconnect on its own. Sometimes I have to reboot the time capsule and the computer. Sometime I have to reconfirm the tc settings and once I had to delete the time capsule setting and reinstall.

The internet is high speed pppoe and the time capsule firmware is the latest version.

All the other time capsule setting are default. Would tweeking any of these help?

Thanks!
:confused:
Click to expand...

Getting the same problem since recent updates. I use a 1st generation TC(
Firmware 7.4.1), last year it was running ok. Lateley, when my upstairs neighbor, using an old MacBook g4 comes back home, the signal on my laptop PC drop. Shes has been away for 3 days lately, no problems....

I'm not sure if it's a double problem MacBook g4 or last firmware update....
 
uomolinux said:
Getting the same problem since recent updates. I use a 1st generation TC(
Firmware 7.4.1), last year it was running ok. Lateley, when my upstairs neighbor, using an old MacBook g4 comes back home, the signal on my laptop PC drop. Shes has been away for 3 days lately, no problems....

I'm not sure if it's a double problem MacBook g4 or last firmware update....
Click to expand...

Down grade to firmware 7.3.2 and performance will improve greatly.
 
Strange, my TC works perfectly fine. I've had issues with it on occasion but this has been more to do with backing up than the internet connection and I can count the number of times I've had issues with it in the year that I've had it. This is upgraded to the latest firmware btw
 
duky said:
Strange, my TC works perfectly fine. I've had issues with it on occasion but this has been more to do with backing up than the internet connection and I can count the number of times I've had issues with it in the year that I've had it. This is upgraded to the latest firmware btw
Click to expand...

Are you connecting to the internet via DSL or PPPoE?
 
duky said:
It's just cable internet. I don't think Comcast does DSL and I have no clue what PPPoE is to tell you the truth
Click to expand...

PPPoE = point-point-protocol over ethernet

It is this technology which I have, that seems to give the Time Capsule the most problems, dropping the signal.

People who use DSL, cable don't seem to have this problem.
 
Having the same issue with my 08 model with 7.4.1 The only way to get it back is to unplug the TC.
When it is down, airport utility won't even see the TC. And the green light is on.
 
chrisandersen said:
Having the same issue with my 08 model with 7.4.1 The only way to get it back is to unplug the TC.
When it is down, airport utility won't even see the TC. And the green light is on.
Click to expand...

Try reverting to firmware 7.3.2
 
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