> On 21 Nov 2014, at 7:33 pm, Alan Smith <[email protected]> wrote: > > My home network has been wholly WiFi for nearly two years. Works well > enough, but I’m looking for improvement. Network consists of 2 iMacs, iPad, > iPhone and Apple TV to a Time Capsule base (and to an iiNet Bob Lite NBN FTTH > modem). (Phone not used much on network.) I seem to get noticeable > wait-time on Apple TV and AirDrop due to Time Machine backups. > > I just plugged in a Cat6 Ethernet patch cable from one iMac to the Time > Capsule. All seems to work OK. Apple - System Preferences - Networks show > both WiFi and Ethernet are now connected. Are there any settings or > preferences that need to be changed? Can the iMac be forced to use the > Ethernet connection for Time Machine backups to “free-up” the WiFi? Or is > this not relevant? >
This simplest and most obvious approach is simply to turn WiFi off on your iMac. This has to force it to use ethernet. If for some reason you find it necessary to have both WiFi and Ethernet running at the same time, go to Apple Menu > System Preferences > Network. Click on the little Gear icon at the bottom of the Services list at he left of the window. Choose Set Service Order... from the menu and move ethernet to the top of the list, if it's not there already. Click OK and close Network Preferences. It's not possible to specify any particular network protocol, at the user level anyway, for any particular activity. Your Mac will simply use the first one it finds. If, for some reason, it can't use the ethernet connection (cable unplugged, for example) it will default to the next available, ie, WiFi. By making sure that ethernet is at the top of the list as described above, you are doing all you can to "force the issue". BTW - it's advisable whenever possible to have at least one computer hardwired to your Time Capsule, since WiFi is not 100% reliable for a variety of reasons. You've obviously had a good run until now, but you are now enjoying the optimal configuration. Peter Hinchliffe Apwin Computer Services FileMaker Pro Solutions Developer Perth, Western Australia Phone (618) 9332 6482 Mob 0403 046 948 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Mac because I prefer it -- Windows because I have to. -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> Settings & Unsubscribe - <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug>
