Time Capsule - should I just take it back?

[pad07]

I bought a Time Capsule today but seemingly it's unusuable. I've spent hours now trying to configure it, with all failing. Even Apple support on the phone failed repeatedly, I ended up hanging up through annoyance.

This is my set up:

I have a BT Home Hub 2.0 with WPA2 security already. I want to keep this as the main internet access point for my house, for all devices except my MacBook.

I have the Time Capsule, and want it to be in a different room to the Home Hub (i.e. not connected to it directly), but connected to it wirelessly. I want to use the Time Capsule for my MacBook's backup with Time Machine.

Is this possible then, or is it a futile cause? At the minute I feel I've wasted money on something that's never going to work.

 

[diamond.g]

I bought a Time Capsule today but seemingly it's unusuable. I've spent hours now trying to configure it, with all failing. Even Apple support on the phone failed repeatedly, I ended up hanging up through annoyance.

This is my set up:

I have a BT Home Hub 2.0 with WPA2 security already. I want to keep this as the main internet access point for my house, for all devices except my MacBook.

I have the Time Capsule, and want it to be in a different room to the Home Hub (i.e. not connected to it directly), but connected to it wirelessly. I want to use the Time Capsule for my MacBook's backup with Time Machine.

Is this possible then, or is it a futile cause? At the minute I feel I've wasted money on something that's never going to work.

Sounds pretty broke. Are you able to set it up at all?

 

[noddy1000]

I have a very similar set up (MacBook/Time Capsule/HomeHub as router and wireless access point), but with a V1 HomeHub.

It works just fine.

Reading your question, are you trying to use the TimeCapsule as the wireless access point for the MacBook and the HomeHub for all other devices? That seems a bit complicated and, if you don't mind an internet stranger saying, pointless. ;-)

Much simpler to have everything going through the HomeHub and the Time Capsule just acting as a wireless hard drive, not a router.

I think when I set mine up, I just chose to "Add Device To Existing Network" to add the Time Capsule to the network. Your MacBook talks to the HomeHub, which talks to the Time Capsule. Or at least, that's how it works in my brain!

Give it a go, although backing up large files over wirelss is a bit slow, the convenience of not having to think at all about backing up is brilliant.

Of course, I could be missing the point...! If so, sorry...

 

[pad07]

I have a very similar set up (MacBook/Time Capsule/HomeHub as router and wireless access point), but with a V1 HomeHub.

It works just fine.

Reading your question, are you trying to use the TimeCapsule as the wireless access point for the MacBook and the HomeHub for all other devices? That seems a bit complicated and, if you don't mind an internet stranger saying, pointless. ;-)

Much simpler to have everything going through the HomeHub and the Time Capsule just acting as a wireless hard drive, not a router.

I think when I set mine up, I just chose to "Add Device To Existing Network" to add the Time Capsule to the network. Your MacBook talks to the HomeHub, which talks to the Time Capsule. Or at least, that's how it works in my brain!

Give it a go, although backing up large files over wirelss is a bit slow, the convenience of not having to think at all about backing up is brilliant.

Of course, I could be missing the point...! If so, sorry...

That's what I want; to use the TC merely as a wireless backup drive, which takes the internet connection from the Home Hub.

I'm fairly sure I did it properly, and I got to the "Add to existing" bit, and filled in the Home Hub WPA key, then on applying the settings it says it is restarting the TC, and it just spins on that for ages then eventually says it was unable to connect.

Thenafter even when connecting directly to the computer by ethernet the TC is not discoverable in Airport Utility, nor by any other means and I have to hard reset using a pin on the back to push the button in.

I wish it would work! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[noddy1000]

Ahhh - I see...! You're trying to do exactly what I have done, but it just doesn't work. At All. Very frustrating!

I'm not an expert by any means, but if the TC doesn't mount wirelessly OR when wired by ethernet, that does sound like the TC is pretty broken.

If you've tried everything (and it sounds like you have), phone support can't help and it still doesn't work I vote for taking it back and getting another....

When it's set up, it's great - so persevere.

 

[pad07]

Ahhh - I see...! You're trying to do exactly what I have done, but it just doesn't work. At All. Very frustrating!

I'm not an expert by any means, but if the TC doesn't mount wirelessly OR when wired by ethernet, that does sound like the TC is pretty broken.

If you've tried everything (and it sounds like you have), phone support can't help and it still doesn't work I vote for taking it back and getting another....

When it's set up, it's great - so persevere.

Thanks for the kind responses. I will persevere and try a few more times to set it up, then take it back.