unexplaind intenet usage by my apple tv

Theoretically it is true that the usage of Apple TV to just stream music from your computer/iPod/iPhone should not use any internet, but in fact the opposite is true. In some way (and we still have to understand how) switching on Apple TV DOES send internet usage through the roof, although it SHOULD NOT. This is constantly happening to me.

It might automatically upgrade the software or load internet content in background, I have no idea about it, but obviously it is working using huge amounts in download.

So, people with limited caps, BEWARE...

marco from the world wrote:

Theoretically it is true that the usage of Apple TV to just stream music from your computer/iPod/iPhone should not use any internet, but in fact the opposite is true....but obviously it [Apple TV] is working using huge amounts in download.

So, people with limited caps, BEWARE...

May I ask how you've determined this? I just ran a test of my ATV2 and streamed video from my Mac running iTunes to the Apple TV and in two hours of constant video playback my router reported that I had used about 1.5MB of downstream traffic from the internet. That 1.5MB total included ALL downstream traffic including about five other internet connected devices that I have in my home (all pretty much idle, except for the Mac running iTunes and my Apple TV and the copy of Safari I was running to monitor my router traffic).

After that, I played one music video using iCloud on the Apple TV and I recorded over 46MB of traffic in less than two minutes (confirming that my router was indeed reporting internet download rates). The video I played was 43MB in size (on disk) so the numbers do add up since with iCloud playback you ARE using the internet to stream the content.

Thus, given my own tests I'd say that the Apple TV does NOT use "huge amounts" of internat data when you are just streaming locally from iTunes to your Apple TV. At the rates I measured (which includes things other than the Apple TV) I may only use about 500MB per MONTH while all of my internet connected device are idle and I'm just streaming locally from iTunes to my Apple TV.

With the amount of problem solving I have done I am now wondering if it is possible there is a conflict with our router and apple tv 2. After many days and hours talking to our ISP we have a brand new router(same type) and after testing it for a week before using avt2 it was fine. As soon I set it up and started using AirPlay on my iPhone it began to use our Internet download usage, over 800mb in one afternoon. We had all other devices switched off and we simply don't access any other feature in atv other than AirPlay.

We have a mobile broadband router with a home wifi setup and we live in a rural area where no one is within range to access our Internet. Those who are having the same issue do you also use a mobile broadband router?

mjbell79 wrote:

...As soon I set it up and started using AirPlay on my iPhone it began to use our Internet download usage, over 800mb in one afternoon. We had all other devices switched off and we simply don't access any other feature in atv other than AirPlay...

And what are you accessing over AirPlay? You do realize that if you use AirPlay to access content that is available via Apple's iCloud service, or web-based content, or any streaming content via an iOS app (such as the PBS app) then you are most likely using the internet and that will increase your data usage from your ISP. I just used AirPlay to watch the first hour of a movie that was physically stored ON my iPad and my router showed no increase in internet usage.

However, if you attempt to access content from your iPhone/iPad that is stored via Apple's iCloud service (and not physically present on your iPhone/iPad) then that will increase your internet usage since it first has to be downloaded to your iPhone/iPad from Apple's servers and then streamed to the Apple TV (this is true even if that very same content is stored on your PC/Mac within iTunes).

I only use it to play music stored on my phone. I don't even have iCloud as I realise you do use the Internet for that. I am totally baffled as I realise it predominately uses only your local wifi. Apple can't explain it either that's why I wonder if there is some sort of conflict happening with the router.

I am having exactly the same problem. I have had ATV2 since day one and never had any issues until about 3 weeks ago. I was alerted by my ISP that I was 30 GB over my 120 GB monthly limit. I then went back to check my usage stats, and noticed that around June 5th, the usage SPIKED to over 10 GB per day! And I was out of town for 5 of those days! My normal usage is less than 1GB/day.

At first I thought someone hacked into my router, so first thing I did when I returned home was change my router passwords. Then I continued to monitor the usage and connections. No new connections, but the high usage continued.

Finally got the usage to drop by unplugging the ATV2. Now, I wonder what happened on June 5th that caused this box to start downloading massive amounts of data?

exactly the same for me as every one else, wireless router, mac tv on and its using data .... even if im out it uses data .if its on its using download. i have to keep switching mac tv on and off so i dont go over my limit. really anoying...any suggestions?? cheers

It seems that everybody is experiencing the same issue: sudden huge increase of internet usage as soon as you switch the apple tv on and this WITHOUT STREAMING ANYTHING FROM iTunes or any other online media. This might not be a problem in locations without a download cap, but it becomes a real problem when the cap exists.

I have solved the issue just by NOT USING APPLE TV ANYMORE, as it is so annoying to switch on and off the internet connection everytime you use apple tv (and just keeping the home network working, athus voiding internet usage).

What amazes me is that so far Apple did not give any solution or any attention to the users.

Well, I did not use sophisticated software to monitor the traffic: I just read the amount used when the apple TV is on and when it's off. the difference is, as said, HUGE.

And no, obviously I'm not streaming, downloading, iClouding or anything else from the internet. I am just streaming music stored on my computer to my Home Theater.

Another proof of the hideen acrtivity of Appel TV on the net is that if I turn the internet connection off while using Apple TV (but obviously keeping on the Home Network) this huge consumption simply does not happen.

So the conclusion is quite obvious.

If your AppleTV is consuming intenet bandwidth check these settings. I do not have bandwith consummed by AppleTV and my answers in italics.

do you have iTune music match enable on AppleTV? no

do you have Screensaver enabled? what are the settings? Yes, Start after 2 min, Show During music, Photos>my Aperture library

What is your sleep settings? 1 hours

Send data to Apple > No

Airplay > on

"What amazes me is that so far Apple did not give any solution or any attention to the users."

Has anybody (anybody here) reported the problem to Apple?

I have an internet CAP and it concerns me, however I do not have the problem and it is not affecting everyone.

I just got Apple TV last weekend. I was curious if streaming from my PC to Apple TV came off my usage so I unplugged the modem. It streamed the movie fine and I even loaded up several movies while the modem was off. Clearly Apple TV is not affecting my internet usage because it's not actually downloading anything from the internet.

People experiencing huge increases in downloads must have something else going on.

Just a thought, any of you using Photostream. I dnot know for sure if the atv downloads the stream or if it uses it locally from the mac but when my photostream syncs after a lot of 10MB RAW files being saved, it can chew up LOTS of data...

Do you have a screensaver enabled? The one that loads up a Flickr stream for example. This chews data as it (pre?)loads images and displays them.

I'm aware that some ATV user have been reporting an issue with the unit switching on at random times, in the middle of the night etc. I could imagine a combination of this 'bug' together with a 'Flickr' screensaver causing unexplained data usage.

I have the svreansaver but it is from a file on my local computer