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Leopard, firewall, ethernet port - ATV appears in iTunes but will not sync

Additional information: Apple TV connected via ethernet; shows in iTunes; can reach YouTube; set to sync either Automatic or Custom; firewall either off or set to allow iTunes connections. Click "Sync".

Error message: "The Apple TV is not responding. Check to see that any firewall software running on this computer has been set to allow communication on port 3689."

(Note: I do not see how under Leopard to open or close specific ports directly (without using Terminal or some third party utility) as was possible under Tiger, and as Apple's help articles still blindly suggest.)

Network Utility port scan reads "Open TCP Port: 3689 daap
Port Scan has completed ..."

"daap" ! Yeah, what he said. But I don't know what it means.

The ATV used to sync. No change to network.
I've tried resetting the ATV, turning it off and on, repairing permissions, blah, blah, blah.

The ATV is supposed to be an appliance: you turn it on and it works. (Not even an on-off switch.) Instead it's turning into another techno-project.

iMac Core2Duo 20' 2.4, Mac OS X (10.5.4), PowerMac G4 Quicksilver; LaCie Edmini network drive

Posted on Aug 20, 2008 8:49 AM

Reply
21 replies

Aug 20, 2008 9:03 AM in response to Eden Sarfaty

DAAP, DPAP and DMAP are all  protocols for sharing media across the same subnet on a LAN.

Under Leopard, just ensure that itunes is listed in the specific program list to ensure that port 3689 is open.

Other reasons you might be getting this error message is that file sharing applications and security software may be stopping you using this port, your router may also be blocking or routing data from this port.

Oct 5, 2008 8:44 PM in response to Eden Sarfaty

Try this, as I was just having a similar problem (Apple TV showed up, but couldn't sync ...port 3689, blah. blah...

• Go to Security=>Firewall
• "Set Access for Specific Applications" is selected by default
• Click the + sign and when it goes to add an application, find and select iTunes
• Make sure it says "allow incoming connections" in the pull-down

You should be good to go from there. Hope it helps.

Oct 5, 2008 9:27 PM in response to sachemcst

Hi, I'm having this identical issue. I basically had a tsunami of updates today, including 10.5.5, iTunes 8.01, and AppleTV 2.2. Music was cutting out on us tonight at dinner, so I thought it might be 2.2. Did a factory restore to 1.0 and now cannot basically get the AppleTV to communicate with iTunes, do an update or even sync. The wireless connection shows strong (5 bars) and I have all incoming connections allowed on my firewall. AppleTV had been working almost flawlessly heretofore. Please advise. I'm getting the dreaded port 3689 message all the time now, cannot update AppleTV or get it to sync properly.

Oct 20, 2008 3:34 PM in response to Eden Sarfaty

I have been watching and waiting for a fix to the dreaded 3689 port problem. Maybe I missed it but I still haven't seen anything that works for me. I get the firewall warning with both Airport connection via Time Capsule and Ethernet connection straight between Macbook and Apple TV. One strange twist is that if I try the advertised fix of Preferences/View/Sharing, there is no firewall tab visible. Without the firewall tab visible, I can't add specific ports. Going straight to firewall in the security pane gives me the ability to add iTunes to the specific applications but I don't see an option to give instructions for specific ports. Allowing all incoming connections does not help. I have reinstalled iTunes, Leopard, removed link between Macbook and ATV then reconnected, to no avail. I can see ATV in iTunes and I can see the Macbook on ATV but I can't sync or see the content one to the other. My ATV is full and is almost worthless to me now unless I delete my purchased content. I have been a Mac convert for 3 years but I must say this ATV is very reminiscent to my Windows experience. Help! Help? Anyone? Thanks in advance.

Oct 27, 2008 1:59 AM in response to madtowngirl

Eureeeka!
I have just been through all this too. Endless firewall port 3698 etc.
The only thing is I kept stopping and canceling after the firewall error.
I tired this -
In itunes check custom sync and apply. Then check automatic again.
Wait 3-4 minutes. Sync starts.
Magic.
This is via ethernet - I did not try wirelessly.
Does this work for anyone?

Nov 2, 2008 4:05 AM in response to jbb1965

I don't know if it will help but I have been having the exact same problem and having read all the forums there doesn't seem to be one solution that solves the problem.

Somebody suggested de-authorising your computer on another thread and it worked for me, my ATV has been back up and running for several hours without the dreaded 'Port Error'.

Hope this works for you.

Nov 2, 2008 12:08 PM in response to Eden Sarfaty

Ok, Just dealt with this problem.

Like everyone else - all of a sudden had a problem synching ATV. Got Port error 3689. No firewall.

I released my itunes library on ATV
unplugged ATV
Released ATV from itunes
Rebooted

Once I fired itunes back up and asked it to detect ATV, I went through the normal setup process and everything is A OK.

Seems to have nothing to do with open ports, but a glitch in ATV or ITunes.

Uninstall your library on ATV, and reset it.

Hope this works for everyone else.

Leopard, firewall, ethernet port - ATV appears in iTunes but will not sync

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