Apple Time Capsule Setup Manual
Time Capsule
Setup Guide
Contents
5 Chapter 1: Getting Started
6
About Your Time Capsule
7
About the AirPort Software
8
What You Need to Get Started
10
The Time Capsule Status Light
13 Chapter 2: The Time Capsule on a Network
14
Using your Time Capsule to Create your Wireless Network
17
Using Your Time Capsule on an Existing Wireless Network
21 Chapter 3: Setting Up Your Time Capsule
22
Using AirPort Utility
24
Creating a New Wireless Network
24
Configuring and Sharing Internet Access
25
Allowing Wireless Clients to Access Your Network
26
Setting Advanced Options
27
Using Time Machine with Your Time Capsule
29 Chapter 4: Tips and Troubleshooting
29
If You Can’t Connect to the Internet
3
29
If You Forgot Your Network Password or Time Capsule Password
30
If Your Time Capsule Isn’t Responding
31
If Your Time Capsule Status Light Flashes Amber
32
If Your Printer Isn’t Responding
33
Updating AirPort Software
33
Time Capsule Placement Considerations
34
Items That Can Cause Interference with AirPort
35 Chapter 5: Learning More, Service, and Support
37 Appendix: Time Capsule Specifications and Safety Guidelines
4
Contents
1
Getting Started
1
Congratulations on purchasing your Time Capsule. Read this
guide to get started.
Time Capsule brings the simplicity of fully automated backup to your Wi-Fi network,
without even plugging in a cable. With Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard, it’s easy
and automatic to back up all the computers on your network to a single Time Capsule.
The Time Capsule is also a fully featured AirPort Extreme Base Station with 802.11n. So it
creates your high speed Wi-Fi network in your home and shares your broadband
Internet connection, as well as acting as a central location where you can wirelessly
back up all of the computers on your network.
With your Time Capsule, you can:
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Use Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard to back up all the computers on your
wireless network, as well as computers connected to your Time Capsule using
Ethernet.
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Create a wireless home network, and then connect to the Internet and share the
connection with other computers and Wi-Fi devices, such as iPhone, iPod Touch, and
Apple TV.
5
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Connect your Time Capsule to your Ethernet network. Wireless-equipped Macintosh,
Windows XP, or Windows Vista computers can then have access to an entire network
without being connected by a cable.
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Connect a supported USB printer to your Time Capsule. Compatible computers on
the AirPort network, both wireless and wired, can print to it.
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Connect an additional USB hard drive to your Time Capsule. Compatible computers
on the AirPort network, both wireless and wired, can access information on the hard
disk.
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Connect a USB hub to your Time Capsule, and then connect multiple USB devices,
such as printers or hard disks. All computers on the network have access to those
devices.
Important:
Install AirPort Utility 5.3 from the CD that came with your Time Capsule and
use it to set up your Time Capsule. Previous versions of AirPort Setup Assistant and
AirPort Admin Utility are not compatible with the Time Capsule.
About Your Time Capsule
Your Time Capsule has five ports on the back:
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One 10/100/1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet Wide Area Network (WAN) port for
connecting a DSL or cable modem, or for connecting to an existing Ethernet network
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Three 10/100/1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet Local Area Network (LAN) ports for
connecting Ethernet devices, such as printers or computers, or for connecting to an
existing Ethernet network
6 Chapter 1
Getting Started
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One USB port for connecting a compatible USB printer, hard drive, or hub for
connecting several devices
Ethernet
activity light
Status light Internet WAN port
Power port
Power cord
Reset buttonUSB port
Ethernet ports
Security slot
The reset button next to the ports is used for troubleshooting your Time Capsule. The
status light on the front shows the current status.
About the AirPort Software
Your Time Capsule works with AirPort Utility, included on the Time Capsule CD.
Install AirPort Utility and follow the instructions on the following pages to set up your
Time Capsule and your AirPort wireless network.
Chapter 1
Getting Started
7
Note:
You must use AirPort Utility v5.3 to set up your Time Capsule. The Time Capsule
is not compatible with previous versions of AirPort software.
AirPort Utility
AirPort Utility helps you set up your Time Capsule to create a wireless network,
connect to the Internet, and share compatible USB printers and hard disks. You can
also connect your Time Capsule to an existing AirPort Extreme wireless network to
extend the range of your network.
AirPort Utility is also an advanced tool for setting up and managing the Time
Capsule, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Express Base Stations. Use it to manually adjust
network, routing, and security settings and other advanced options.
Z
AirPort status menu
Use the AirPort status menu in the menu bar to switch quickly between AirPort
networks, monitor the signal quality of the current network, create a computer-to-
computer network, and turn AirPort on or off. The status menu is available on
computers using Mac OS X.
What You Need to Get Started
To use your Time Capsule, you need a wireless-enabled computer that’s compliant with
IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11g standards, or with an IEEE 802.11n draft specification. To
set up your Time Capsule, your computer must meet the requirements listed below.
Note:
To use your Time Capsule with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard, you need to
use Mac OS X v10.5.2 or later.
8 Chapter 1
Getting Started
To set up Time Capsule using a Macintosh, you need the following:
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A Macintosh computer with an AirPort or AirPort Extreme Card installed to set it up
wirelessly, or a Macintosh computer connected to your Time Capsule with an
Ethernet cable to set it up using Ethernet
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Mac OS X v10.4 or later
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AirPort Utility v5.3 or later
To set up your Time Capsule using a Windows PC, you need the following:
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A Windows PC with 300 MHz or higher processor speed and a compatible 802.11a,
802.11b, or 802.11g wireless card, or a wireless card that complies with an IEEE 802.11n
draft specification
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Windows XP Home or Professional (with Service Pack 2 installed) or Windows Vista
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AirPort Utility v5.3 or later
Plugging In Your Time Capsule
Before you plug in your Time Capsule, first connect the appropriate cables to the ports
you want to use:
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Connect the Ethernet cable that’s connected to your DSL or cable modem (if you will
connect to the Internet) to the Ethernet WAN (<
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Connect a USB cable connected from the USB (d
compatible USB printer (if you will print to a USB printer), a hard disk, or a hub.
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Connect an Ethernet cable from any Ethernet device to the Ethernet LAN (G
After you’ve connected the cables for all the devices you plan to use, connect the
power cord to the power port and plug your Time Capsule into a power outlet. There is
no On switch.
) port.
) port on your Time Capsule to a
) ports.
Chapter 1
Getting Started
9
Important:
Use only the power cord that came with your Time Capsule.
When you plug your Time Capsule into a power outlet, the status light flashes green for
one second and then glows amber while it starts up. After it has started up completely,
the status light flashes amber until your Time Capsule has been updated with the
correct settings. The status light glows solid green once your Time Capsule is properly
set up and connected to the Internet or a network.
When you connect Ethernet cables to the Ethernet ports, the lights above them glow
solid green.
The Time Capsule Status Light
The following table explains the Time Capsule light sequences and what they indicate.
Light
Off
Solid amber
Flashing amber
Solid green
10 Chapter 1
Status/description
Your Time Capsule is unplugged.
Your Time Capsule is completing its startup sequence.
Your Time Capsule can’t establish a connection to the network
or the Internet, or is encountering a problem. Make sure you
have installed AirPort Utility and use it to get information about
what might cause the status light to flash amber. See “If Your
Time Capsule Status Light Flashes Amber” on page 31.
Your Time Capsule is on and working properly. If you choose
Flash On Activity from the Status Light pop-up menu (in the
Base Station pane of AirPort settings in AirPort Utility), the status
light may flash green to indicate normal activity.
Getting Started
Light
Flashing amber and green
Solid blue
Status/description
There may be a problem starting up. Your Time Capsule will
restart and try again.
Your Time Capsule is ready to allow a wireless client access to
the network. See “Allowing Wireless Clients to Access Your
Network” on page 25.
What’s Next
After you plug in your Time Capsule, use AirPort Utility to set it up to work with your
Internet connection, USB printer or hard disk, or an existing network. AirPort Utility is
located in /Applications/Utilities/ on a computer using Mac OS X, and in Start > All
Programs > AirPort on a computer using Windows XP or Windows Vista.
Chapter 1
Getting Started
11
2
The Time Capsule on a Network
2
In this chapter you’ll find explanations of the different ways
you can use your Time Capsule.
This chapter provides some examples of the different ways you can set up your Time
Capsule. It provides diagrams and explains how to get your Time Capsule up and
running quickly.
See Chapter 3, “Setting Up Your Time Capsule,” on page 21 to find out more about
using AirPort Utility to help set up your network.
See “Designing AirPort Networks Using AirPort Utility (Mac OS X v10.5 + Windows)” for
detailed information about AirPort networks and the Time Capsule. The document is at
www.apple.com/support/manuals/airport.
13
Using your Time Capsule to Create your Wireless Network
When you set up your Time Capsule to provide network and Internet access, Macintosh
computers with AirPort or AirPort Extreme Cards, and 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and IEEE
802.11n draft specification wireless-equipped computers, and other Wi-Fi devices can
access the wireless AirPort network to share files, play games, and use Internet
applications like web browsers and email applications. Computers connected to your
Time Capsule using Ethernet can also access the network to share files and connect to
the Internet.
With Mac OS X Leopard v10.5.2 or later you can set up Time Machine to back up all the
computers on the network to your Time Capsule. See “Using Time Machine with Your
Time Capsule” on page 27 for more information.
When you connect a compatible USB printer to your Time Capsule, supported
computers on the network (wired and wireless) can print to it.
14 Chapter 2
The Time Capsule on a Network
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