NETWORKING

We help to solve your Wi-Fi woes and connection conundrums Use your Time Capsule as a router

Fix Wi-Fi woes and connection conundrums

I have a 3TB AirPort Time Capsule. Q How can I use this to replace my ISP’s router? Your ISP will have provided you with A two different devices, probably rolled into a single box: a modem (DSL or cable) and a router, usually incorporating a Wi-Fi base station. Time Capsules cannot replace the modem part, but they can operate as three-port wired routers with Wi-Fi.

To use it in this role, connect it to your modem-router, and turn the modem-router’s Wi-Fi and DHCP services off. This is usually performed through its web admin interface, and you’ll have to consult its documentation to discover how to do that.

Connect one of the modem-router’s Ethernet LAN ports to the Ethernet WAN port on your Time Capsule, and any local Ethernet network cables to the Ethernet LAN ports on the Time Capsule. Ensure the modem-router is turned on and connected to the internet, then power up the Time Capsule, and open AirPort Utility in /Applications/Utilities.

Your Time Capsule should be shown there. Select it, and click Continue to configure it. Sometimes it doesn’t appear at first, and you may need to select it in the Wi-Fi status menu.

Rarely, the Time Capsule and modemrouter may end up using incompatible network settings, so that they cannot see one another. You can correct the IP addresses, for example, by connecting your Mac directly to the modem-router and using your web browser to access its admin interface. AirPort Utility offers similar advanced options when you select the Time Capsule and click on Edit.