Q: iTunes freezes if its wifi network has no access to the internet
Hi all.
I'm running a 13" mac book pro with OS X El Capitan.
I have a very specific iTunes problem which is really bugging me. I'm a pro sax player and part of my work is performing as a soloist with backing tracks on my mac. To avoid having to walk back to the mac to start the backing track for every song, I use a tablet on a stand which I can place anywhere in the venue. I set up a wireless router next to the mac which both the mac and tablet connect to, and I run "retune" on the tablet (I think that's what its called) which is an iTunes wifi remote. The setup is really smart cos it allows me to choose new tracks from the playlist from anywhere in the venue instead of walking backwards and forwards to the mac every time.
The problem I have is that sometimes (maybe 1 in 5 times), I have a real problem starting iTunes when the mac is connected to a wifi network that has no actual internet connection. I'm sure that iTunes detects the wifi connection and then tries to access the internet to connect with the store. When it can't find the store it just locks up and I get the spinning wheel of death. Most of the time I can simply restart the program a few times and eventually it decides to play ball, but its a real pain. And I did a gig yesterday where it simply wouldn't have it, no matter what I did. So I had no choice but to turn off the router and keep walking back to the mac for every song.
I can't find a setting anywhere on iTunes that can deactivate the connection to the store and I really am stuck.
I've also tried alternative programs (I used Clementine briefly but I've just found it too flakey to be relied upon) and so I'm open to other suggests. But I need a player that has a remote app that I can use on my tablet.
Thanks in advance for the help.
MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2012), OS X El Capitan (10.11.5)
Posted on Sep 26, 2016 10:21 AM
I use a much older version of iTunes and in preferences I can disable Store, Radio, Sharing services, probably Genius if I had it. Check all your preferences settings including ones you think don't matter such as parental preferences (that's where Store is hidden on mine). Realize too that iTunes has morphed from being a simple media player to a 75% sales and marketing as well as do-it-all tool (a.k.a. bloatware) trying to do too much at one time and the developers probably can't even imagine any (i.e., the target everyday user) using it without the Internet. Add onto that you are trying to use a third party application to control iTunes and anything like that is likely to misbehave willy-nilly every time Apple introduces an update.
Remember with wi-fi you are subject to interfering signals from other wi-fi services in the area or stage equipment.
Posted on Sep 26, 2016 2:51 PM