Apple TV homesharing keeps dropping out ...

Oh dear. Do you work for Apple?

I notice you don't mention whether you have Home Sharing working from an iTunes library, which is what this thread is about. Not Airplay or iCloud.

Just tell me (and the multitude of other technically savvy people out there who cannot get this feature to be stable over wi-fi) EXACTLY what will cure it, and we'll do it. We just want the machine to do what it did previously.

Here's the challenge. Your solution must not involve:

a) replacing any epuipment, or

b) moving/rewiring any equipment from it's previously working position

Remember, our setups DID work perfectly, and now they DON'T. The only common variable in the equation is the new Apple software updates - either ATV, iTunes, or possibly Lion.

PS Tried full restore - didn't work.

Over to you!

I agree with your last post. I bit the bullet today and placed a call with Apple Support. They were quick to point to my router (Belkin N300) as the source of the problem. They very much seemed to prove it was the router when I used a new wi-fi network created on a macbook to bypass the router and ATV did work for a whole album. The Apple guy said I needed to open the ports as detailed on the Apple web site (Article ref: HT2463) to allow my router to work. I tried this and there was an improvement but hey guess what after 20mins I got an error. "An error occurred loading this content: Try again later". Not a very useful error message. I tried again straight away and the ATV disconnected from the iTunes library again. The support guy said if opening the ports doesn't work then I will need to replace the router.

I remembered I had an Apple Express that I wasn't using so I have tried to set up another wi-fi network which I assume by passes the router (but I am not sure). I hope to check with the support guy tomorrow. Anyway I tried this and guess what, same error as I described above. I do seem to have shifted the problem but it is still not working correctly. Let's see what happens with Apple support tomorrow. I can't help feeling I am going to end up buying a new router but I am still not 100% convinced that this is all of the problem.

I have wondered if the reason that some people have this problem and some people don't is that some routers are not being supported.

BUT! Everything worked fine with my router (D-Link DIR-625) before the last round of software updates (4.1, 4.2, etc). And my router works fine with every other task. I have fooled around opening ports, and not had any luck. I'm not thrilled with the idea of buying a new router when this one does every task given it except streaming audio to the ATV2 from iTunes.

This is very frustrating to hear that people are still having problems when I have configured my ports and made other router/computer setting modifications and it works perfectly.

The ports in the Article ref HT2463 are correct BUT.....port 3689 should be UDP and not TCP. You shouldn't set your router for both TCP and UDP for each port. It has to be specific to one or the other.

Just turning off your firewall would seem to open all ports but you still must specifically perform the point forwarding for those ports.

Also, do not use DHCP. Give your ATV a fixed IP address as well as your computer. When you use the point forward, the IP address for the port should be the one you gave for the ATV.

Your DNS should be the same on the ATV and on your computer.

Your date and time should be set to manual on the ATV but in the same time zone as your computer. Your computer should be set to automatic.

Your lease time for your router from your ISP should be set for at least a week.

Yes, Apple has screwed up somewhere with their configuration and where it once worked now doesn't but there is a workaround.

You're not a PC user by any chance, are you?

Thanks for all your advice and everything, but that all seems a bit technical. I don't think Mac users even have firewalls, do they?

I wouldn't know where to begin in implementing your 'workaround'. And I've been a daily Mac user for around 20 years.

Apple products are supposedly designed for 'the rest of us' to ..ahem.. 'just work'. And they do, generally.

And my Apple TV did, perfectly, until recent updates.

Beatmunga:

iMac, iPhone4s, iPad2, ATV2 at home. Do I work with PC's? Yes. You asked previously exactly what will cure it and earlier within this thread prior to my last postings, I shared what I have found to make it work and how to perform the steps. Now while your equipment may not be the same as my own, the overall concept is the same.

Mac's do have firewalls (currently my Mac's firewall is disabled but my routers is enabled). Routers also have their own firewalls.

Yes, Mac's are designed so that code cannot be changed. It's supposed to just work. That is what was/is so appealing with Mac. But when you throw in all the other equipment that Apple cannot control like your ISP modem or router to receive your internet signal, they can only do so much in the way of making it just work. There are too many variables for one configuration to work for everyone.

Likewise my router does everything I expect except stream iTunes to ATV.

I can't help feeling Apple have got it wrong somewhere, it should not be this difficult to stream from one Apple device to another.

Thanks for your advice, I will see if it will make a difference to my set-up.

No I don't work for Apple, I work for state government. I got an email from this thread because I was subscribed back in January (page 6 this thread) when I was having an issue with my iTunes Library sharing no longer working. I went through the process of restoring my ATV2, Airport Ex and Qwest DSL modem settings to factory settings. Reconnected my computer's iTunes accounts to the Apple TV and it still didn't fix it.

This may sound odd but I had read elsewhere that about the same time Apple added WiFi syncing to iPhones instead of connecting them with a cable it broke the home sharing connection after awhile. The fix for me is explained here.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3679932?answerId=17385083022#17385083022

After my iTunes Library was again working for awhile, I did turn wifi syncing back on and it's still working.

We often jump back and forth between our "Music" iCloud AND our 2 computers iTunes Library accounts on our ATV2. The ATV2 just got a software update and I am now listening to some music and Bible audio files on it as I type this and have not had a problem this evening.

Here is my equipment and settings.

1. Qwest Actiontec M1000 DSL modem

Downstream Rate: 7168 Kbps

Upstream Rate: 896 Kbps

ISP Protocol: PPPoE

ATM Encapsulation: LLC Bridged

2. Airport Extreme (newest model) ethernet cable to DSL modem

Used Airport Utility 6.0 for setup

Station Software 7.6.1

Internet Tab: Using DHCP

Wireless Tab: WPA/WPA2 Personal Wireless Option Button:802.11n b/g compatible

Network Tab: Off-Bridge Mode, My DSL modem is feeding all the IP addresses to the Airport and devices.

Disks Tab: Enable file sharing CHECKED

3. MacBook (OS X 10.7.3) using Wifi

iTunes 10.6

4. PowerMac G4 tower (OS X 10.5.8) ethernet cable to Airport

(My media server always on and running iTunes)

iTunes 10.5.3

5. Apple TV 2 (ATV2) using Wifi

Software 5.0 (4099)

6. iPad2 using Wifi sync

7. Two iPhone 4 using WiFi syncing turned on again.

Hope something here helps someone.

Thanks for that detailed info. I'm guessing I know why your setup works: the Power Mac being used as your home sharing 'server' is connected via ethernet.

Not an option for me unfortunately. My phone point, mac and TV are all in different rooms. This is why wi- fi was invented.

(I am also increasingly thinking that Lion could be to blame. My problems started when I was forced to upgrade to Apple's first truly flaky OS a few weeks ago due to concerns about losing my previously paid for MobileMe features on March 1st.)

I would be interested to know if you get an uninterrupted evening's video streamed from your Macbook library to ATV2 over wi- fi using Home Sharing.

Hi beatmunga

I'm using Windows 7 and have the same issue so I doubt highly Lion is to blame.

The only real fact posted on this blog that is not disputed is that the issue began to occur with a specific iTunes update. I cannot believe routers are to blame, and even if some obscure setting was required you must ask yourself how it is everything else you are using through the router is fine, and your apple TV isn't. If it's down to the touchiness of the router this is still unacceptable and in need of a fix. To the posters considering replacing their routers based on the inept advice of Apple Support I beg you to not waste your money.

9 pages of blog comments over months and Apple still refuses to acknowledge the issue while at the same time causing a new error with the latest update completely stuffing up the sort order of TV shows. This problem demonstrates that not even a first pass test was performed on the update as there is no way it could have been missed.

To some of the previous posters I suggest you don't pick on bloggers listing alternative products. The Apple TV product is so bad I'm desperately shopping around for an alternative myself and personally appreciate the advice.

Thanks Ramma.

Great post, agree with everything you've said.

We will be proved right on this eventually, despite the Apple apologists who are trying to shift the blame elsewhere.

Ramma, Beatmunga, thanks for the support. I assure you I don't work for Buffalo, in fact I am a journalist. Perhaps I should start listening to Bible audio tapes, clearly one Apple fan is getting some help from somewhere. I personally play Black Sabbath records backwards while sniffing my dirty undies and drinking rat's blood, and that's done little good.

Listen, I just got fed up wasting my time with the ATV2, clearly its Apple's buggy update (even my coworkers with ATV endure dropouts now, the only one who hasn't didn't update his device), but with three kids my viewing time is limited and I just want the bloody thing to work like it used to before that fateful update.

I did a bit of homework, I think Western Digital make some good stuff too that's cheap and does the job. I chose the buffalo because it was the cheapest and seemed the simplest. That said, i had to f%$k around with my network settings to get the thing to work, and it's slow loading content, the video quality outputs at 1080 but my TV is only 720, which *****, and of course there is no Airplay for my iPhone, BUT, I can access media of all format (including .iso and VOB files), the remote is full function and includes volume, 32x fast forward etc, there are 2 x USB ports.

If you don't like buffalo there are other brands like iO data and western digital that make sub $100 media players.

ATV looks gorgeous on screen and I used to love it so much. But then it stopped working, and our problem has been officially ignored for months, and despite the best intentions and kind attention of many posters, there is still no definitive solution for those who don't have a degree in IT. I refuse to pay for customer support. My advice: get another cheap streamer, they might look ugly but at least they work.

When I wrote my response it was from the MacBook and its iTunes library was what was playing to the Apple TV 2. In the ATV menu under the now Computer button it lists both my Macs. Last night I checked playing from both computers libraries, first the G4 then the MacBook. I switched from the G4 after about 30 minutes to the MacBook and played from it for a couple hours. I specifically chose files I knew weren't on the cloud.

As stated earlier I've not had any issues with our libraries since the iPhone wifi sync remedy was used and fixed my iTunes library sharing. My wife didn't even know about the cloud option until recently (I forgot to tell her) and she was playing from the libraries all day long.

The modem, airport and G4 are in my office. The rest of our equipment is used in the living room.

Hi Guys

I have the problem with what appeared as Homesharing going to sleep after about 10 minutes when using WiFi. I read all the advice on this discussion most of over my head I'm no Tech head. Did some experiment with my IT dude at work today. we had success when we disconnect the modem from the net. The Apple TV configed and asked I wanted to continue without Internet I pressed yes . No stoppages at all.

I came home and set it out with No Internet connection - it worked continuously, so I plugged in the phone line for ADSL Internet to the modem - it kept working - so I tried to confirm the config again in Apple TV - the Apple TV then blacked out and refused to respond I shut off the power and powered up again

The system has continued to play uninterrupted whilst on Wifi and connected to the net

So we thought the problem was caused by the Apple TV streaming into the modem blocking the Homesharing - I can't explain how or why - connecting it up once it was running seemed to force something - not sure what but for the first time in 6 weeks it working. Fingers crossed.- It is fixed - at last I'm again enjoying what I brought - use of my Library through my home sound system