Solution for Apple TV 2, Xfinity router, Ethernet connection and Home Sharing

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20 points

Solution for Apple TV 2, Xfinity router, Ethernet connection and Home Sharing

I have read over the past week the problems people have been having configuring their Apple TV and Home Sharing. I was experiencing the same issues as others....until tonight. I finally got it to work with an Ethernet connection. Previously, I was only able to get it to work via wifi and home sharing would drop after awhile.

1) Xfinity router settings. Like others I was suspicious if the Xfinity router was causing the issues because of the separation between wifi network and Ethernet network. It's not the router problem. I disabled the firewall. Enabled port forwarding. Gave a static IP address to the Apple TV. Added forwarding of ports

123 TCP

3689 UDP (all other support says this should be TCP but searched through and found a thread that suggested changing to UDP...this was the key)

5353 UDP

80 TCP

443 TCP

53 TCP

DMZ is off

Device discovery is disabled

Port triggering is disabled.

The wifi is setup and functional using DHCP. Lease time is 1 week.

RESET ROUTER AFTER ENTERING CONFIGURATION.

2) Mac computer. As of this posting the latest version of iTunes installed. Latest Safari version. All programs updated. Turned on Home Sharing. Turned off firewall. Gave Mac a static IP address. Set Mac for hard drive to never sleep. Set monitor to sleep after 15 minutes. Set date and time to automatically find based upon time zone. ( Apple TV needs to be set to the same time zone as computer and set to manual). Enabled file sharing amongst users on Mac.

3) Apple TV. Ethernet connection. Configured TCP/IP to static IP address I configured on router for the Apple TV. Turned on AirPlay. Set date and time to manual and set as the same time zone as the computer with iTunes. Turned on Home Sharing. Using latest version of Apple TV.

Once the router was reset ( not restored and not just resetting the wifi. A complete router reset), the Apple TV found my iTunes library. It's been running now for over an hour and no drop in the home sharing. Working beautifully. I will be testing in the next couple days allowing the Apple TV to sleep, turning the firewall on the router to a minimal setting to see if it changes anything.

Just tested the AirPlay from my iPad 2 to the Apple TV while the Apple TV is connected via ethernet connection and it works. At this point it appears that the setup is correct and complete with no errors.

As a side note, the Ethernet connection between my router and Mac is via commercial devices using the power outlets as the wiring.

Hope this helps many of you that were/ are struggling to get this to work like I was.

AppleTV 2

Posted on Feb 17, 2012 9:51 PM

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Answer 1

Feb 19, 2012 10:20 AM in response to spma3

Hey, thanks for posting to my issue, they do look similar. Tell me, do you think ALL the steps above are required, or Just the hard reset of the router? And how did you do that exactly?

Thanks

Drew

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Answer 2

spma3 Author

Level 1

20 points

Feb 19, 2012 11:12 AM in response to DrewInTheUK

Drew,

I haven't tested the firewall settings yet to see if I can bump my routers firewall at least to minimum but I would say that you should definitely perform the port forwarding, the time zone steps and giving each fixed device ( router and computer) a fixed IP address.

For Xfinity, your router has an IP address similar to 10.0.0.1. Enter that into any Internet browser address field and that is how you access your routers settings. At the login screen, put in your username and password. Once in go to the firewall tab on the left and choose custom security. Click the box to disable the entire firewall and save the settings.

Next Go to the Connected Devices. To the right of each connected device is an edit tab. Click edit and at the edit device screen, de-select DHCP and give the device an open available IP address. Not sure what static ip is available? Go to the Connection/ Local IP Network and change the DHCP ending address from 255 to say 250. You now have IP addresses 10.0.0.254, 10.0.0.253, 10.0.0.252, and 10.0.0.251 free to use as static IP addresses. If the router gives your device a hosted name of "unknown", Put the name of your device in the comments field so that you can see at the connected devices page, what your static ip address is assigned to. While not necessary, it helps. Once you give the devices the IP address, click save.

Lastly, click the "advanced" tab on the routers main menu to the left. Click on port forwarding and click on enabled. Click on "add port forwarding". Under service name, give a name like "AppleTV123". Under service type, for port 123 choose "TCP". Under Server IP address, enter the static IP address your gave for the Apple TV device ( i.e. 10.0.0.254). At the start public port, enter 123. Do the same for end public port and private port. Click save. Do this for each forwarded port that Apple suggests and that I listed in my previous post. The important thing is that port 3689 is UDP and not TCP. This is what made it work for me. Once you have all the ports in, Click on port triggering under advanced and make sure it's disabled.Do the same for DMZ and device discovery under advanced tab. Finally under the "trouble shooting" tab, click on "Restore/reset gateway" tab. At the top is "Reset" press the reset button to restart the gateway. Click on that and all your lights on your router will turn off except the power button. Based upon other conditions, your router will reset within a few minutes , maybe faster.

I'm not sure what computer you are using but Mac under settings date and time, it allows you to choose the time zone and to sync the date and time automatically. I accepted this and just made sure the Apple TV settings for date and time are set to manual but have the same time some as the computer.

This should do it. My Apple TV has gone to sleep and regained the Home Sharing connection. I have had zero drops since I performed this.

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Answer 3

Feb 20, 2012 7:09 PM in response to spma3

Thank you! My Apple TV is usable again! It is responsive and plays music (what a concept)!

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Answer 4

Feb 22, 2012 4:37 AM in response to spma3

I experienced a similar problem of Apple TV not connecting to the library from one of the Mac computers on my network . I have wifi connections (not ethernet). After two days of struggling , i just recycled power to the apple TV and Lo and Behold , back connected to the Library.

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Answer 5

spma3 Author

Level 1

20 points

Feb 22, 2012 7:12 AM in response to meencurryfromtexas

Prior to connecting my Apple TV to the ethernet cable, wifi worked albeit with some issues like having to unplug, wait 30 seconds and plugging the power back into the Apple TV to get reconnected. Or having to go to the computer and sign off Home Sharing and then sign back on. After awhile of doing this it became frustrating. The solution that I have presented here is one that I have found that finally makes Apple TV work the way that all of us expected it should. Since performing this configuration, I have had zero issues. If you are frustrated and have experienced weeks of messing around with trying to get it to work, at least you have one method that has been tested that truely works.

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Answer 6

Spits

Level 1

10 points

Feb 26, 2012 12:31 AM in response to spma3

So what you're really saying here is that the update from Apple is complete garbage. Apple TV was supposed to be the next great thing. The only way to access and/or rent movies, music, TV shows,etc. The greatest thing since Vimeo and Youtube. It was supposed to be EASY. And it was UNTIL THIS NEW UPDATE. PLEASE APPLE read what these guys are doing to work around your stupidity and implement it into a new fix. Otherwise employ SPMA3 at Apple. He seems to know way more than you do.

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Answer 7

spma3 Author

Level 1

20 points

Feb 27, 2012 4:28 PM in response to Spits

Thanks Spits for the complement. Just tryin to help those out where I once was with this.

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Answer 8

Darincmr

Level 1

0 points

Feb 28, 2012 7:07 AM in response to spma3

Hi spma3,

Seems like this is one of the first real resolutions that I have seen (lots of different threads on this home sharing issue).

I have been having the same issues with home sharing and Apple TV2s (I have 3 of them). However, I am Win 7 (64 bit). Seems like what you did to rectify this issue is only for Mac. Have you seen a similar work around for Win 7 (64 bit)?

Cheers

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Answer 9

BigN

Level 1

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Feb 29, 2012 6:54 AM in response to spma3

Not sure that I understand why port forwarding is necessary. According to my Cisco RVS4000 Router's Help page on this topic, Single Port Forwarding is used when one wants to open a specific port so external users can see servers behind the Gateway. So given that Home Sharing should allow my PC, my wife's iPad2 and my ATV2 (which are all wired on my domestic LAN) to share, I cannot see how spma3's action actually fixes anything! Home Sharing is intermittent for me, with the symptoms as per lots of other peeps in this thread.

In my case, I can sometimes play music via the ATV2 from the PC's iTunes Library, but it will just stop. Sometimes AirPlay Mirroring of the iPad2 works, and I can view photos off my NAS. But just not all the time. So basically I have seen what the ATV2 is capable of doing, but just cannot get it to be consistent.

Given that Apple products "just work", I think Apple itself needs to fix this. And it is very similar to the AWOL problems I had with two AEX boxes. Eventually I gave up with these, and bought a Sonos system for my streaming audio. It "just works" 100% of the time!

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Answer 10

spma3 Author

Level 1

20 points

Feb 29, 2012 2:21 PM in response to BigN

BigN,

Port forwarding allows communication by external hosts (you must sign in to enable Home Sharing within iTunes) with services (iTunes) provided within a private local network. By your explaination, you should be able to disconnect your connection to the internet and as long as your internal private network is functioning, you should be able to use Home Sharing. This isn't the way it works.

Even with the firewalls disabled, connection issues with Home Sharing were apparent until the port forwarding was implemented.

The link below are the well known TCP and UDP ports used by Apple Software products. While I agree you shouldn't have to perform these steps of port forwarding, something is blocking the communication to freely flow. My belief is that it was something in the iTunes update but I can't confirm that. Regardless, performing the configuration has restored connectivity to Home Sharing without ANY problems. All my devices (iPad, iPad2, iPhone4, iPhone 4S) are able to connect to my iTunes account on the iMac wirelessly even though both the iMac and Apple TV are connected to the network via ethernet.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1629

As I stated previously, this did fix the issue. I guess fix isn't the proper wording. It has made Home Sharing useable and work as its intended. If you are looking for Apple's products to "just work" then no, it's not fixed.

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Answer 11

BigN

Level 1

0 points

Mar 1, 2012 7:46 AM in response to spma3

spma3,

Appreciate your further message. As you say "it's not fixed", but at least your solution appears to be a viable workaround!

My Cisco RVS4000 Router will permit me to forward ports for up to 15 applications. Of these, thirteen already have default entries added, although none of these are presently Enabled. For example, here's just 2 lines...

Application HTTP NTP

External Port 80 123

Internal Port 80 123

Protocol TCP UDP

IP Address No entries at both

and the Enabled box for both is unchecked. In fact none of these 13 possibilities is Enabled.

To do what you are advising, I would need to...

1) Enable the above Port 123 entry, changing it from UDP-->TCP.

2) Add new entries for 3689 UDP & 5353 UDP... using the two free slots at the end of the table.

3) Select three of the default entries, and reconfigure them for 80 TCP; 443 TCP; 53 TCP, all as per your guidance. And Enable them.

Now, my present setup here has...

1) My PC is wired straight to Port 2 of the Router, and has a Static IP Address set.

My new ATV2 is hard-wired into the same subnet, albeit thru a series of switches, and again a Static IP is set. My understanding is that hard wiring an ATV automatically disables its WiFi.

3) My wife's iPad2 is set for DHCP, so it can pick up an IP Address when on the move. It connects into the LAN using one of two WAP4410N Wireless Access Points. Ch-1 & Ch-6, with same SSID and security stuff set up on both. The WAPs in turn are wired in, again with Static IPs set. So depending where she is in the property she can connect with excellent signal strength, reaching the ATV2 by WiFi+LAN.

On the Router DMZ is OFF, Port Range Triggering has no entries, nothing is Enabled, so is OFF. No idea about Device Discovery!

Home Sharing is ON for the PC, ATV2 and iPad2, with the same Apple ID/Password set for each. It does work, just not consistently as it should.

So to fully implement your idea, all I need to do is to enter these details. But I am unclear which IP Address I should put in at each new Single Port Forwarding entry field. Certainly not the iPad2, as its DHCP allocated value will change. Is it the ATV2 or the PC? Not sure, please clarify.

BTW, I have no plan to deactivate my AVG Firewall on this PC. It is happy to pass all traffic related to iTunes, so cannot see this as a factor. Time zone same on all equipment.

I tried with just 3689 UDP and 5353 UDP yesterday, and things were definitely better. I used 192.168.20.227, the IP Address for the ATV2.

Look forward to your answer.

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Answer 12

spma3 Author

Level 1

20 points

Mar 1, 2012 8:07 AM in response to BigN

BigN,

1) Thats correct. Change it to TCP

2) Correct

3) Correct

Hard wiring will automatically disable the Apple's wifi BUT I have been able to connect to it using wifi on the iPads

Wife's iPad2 set for DHCP is the way I have mine set up as well. The only difference is that I didn't let it select the channel automatically, I have mine set at Ch-11. If you find there are interference issues, you may want to try selecting one channel or another.

Device discovery is probably something that is unique to my router.

Home Sharing looks ok.

The IP address you should put in to each single port forward entry would be the Apple TV2 static IP that you gave it. (192.168.20.227)

I currently have my firewall deactivated but you are correct, this is the point for the port forwarding so you shouldn't have to deactivate it for the information to flow to the correct location. I have yet to turn my firewall back on to test if it had any effect. With regard as the time zone, as long as you don't have the Apple TV set to automatically get the date and time, that should be good.

iTunes has port 3689 listed as TCP but I had issues until I changed this to UDP. That's what finally made it work for me.

Hopefully with the rest of the ports activated, it will work for you as well. Good luck.

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Answer 13

BigN

Level 1

0 points

Mar 1, 2012 9:54 AM in response to spma3

Many thanks again spma3. Did as you said, but the iPad2 would no longer connect to the internet. Rebooted router - same. Rebooted WAPs in turn, connection came back after first was ready.

I have restored my router as it was for now, as I have no more time to spend on this today! Will repeat the process ASAP, taking more care, and doing just one small step at a time to identify which port change may be causing this here. Will advise findings ASAP.

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Answer 14

spma3 Author

Level 1

20 points

Mar 1, 2012 11:05 AM in response to Darincmr

Darincmr,

I would think the same concepts apply for Win7 but I cannot test that out. The only other variable that I have read regarding Win7 is the Bonjour service and some other people having to make changes to it. Search the threads with that in mind. Sorry can't help out much more than that.

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Answer 15

spma3 Author

Level 1

20 points

Mar 5, 2012 10:48 PM in response to spma3

Just an update. I did reinstate my routers firewall with it not affecting the connection to Home Sharing. This was expected as that is the point to enabling port forwarding.

After two and a half weeks using this configuration I have not had anymore issues with Home Sharing. It just didn't create a work around for Apple TV but also Home Sharing overall. I can see the shared library on my wireless iPad and iPhone from the iMac.

Hopefully this has created a work around for you as well.

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