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Home Sharing is not working following update to iOS 5.1 and iTunes 10.6

First, the problem:


I am not able to see any shared libraries when using the Music and Video apps on my iPhone 4.


Next, the specs:


  • iTunes 10.6 on MBP running Mac OS X 10.7.3
  • iPhone 4 runinng iOS 5.1
  • Wi-Fi connections for both MBP and iPhone 4
    • Both connect to same network using same SSID with static IP addressing and UPnP enabled.
    • MBP connects using 5 GHz N-Only anntena.
    • iPhone 4 connects using 2.4 GHz NG-Mixed antenna. (Hopefully next iteration of iPhone supports 5 GHz.)


Third, what I have tried:


  • Everything in "Troubleshooting Home Sharing" (KB Article TS2972 - http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2972).
  • Re-entering my Apple ID credentials for both Music and Movies in iOS Settings.
  • Re-entering my Apple ID credentials for Home Sharing in iTunes.
  • Setting up Port Forwarding for both the iPhone 4 and MBP in my router for the relevant TCP and UDP ports (just in case). However, this did not help.


Finally, what I have noticed:


  • My Remote app on the iPhone 4 works without issue and can control iTunes running on my MBP.
  • My Air Mouse app on the iPhone 4 works without issue and can control my MBP.
  • My wireless printer connected to the network via the 2.4 GHz antenna (it only supports 802.11g) is usable - I can print to it and access its embedded web server management tool.


So, in the end, Home Sharing no longer works on my iPhone 4 after updating both IOS and iTunes (all other apps and software updates are current for both the phone and the MBP). I believe I have ruled out any issues with which antenna is being used for which device. I am out of ideas on how to get Home Sharing to work again.


Any suggestions or possible solutions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you gurus in advance!

iPhone 4, iOS 5.1

Posted on Mar 8, 2012 7:33 AM

Reply
16 replies

Mar 8, 2012 4:25 PM in response to davidatgvc

So, I figured out my problem. After upgrading to iTunes 10.6, I set a password for Home Sharing via iTunes Preferences. The iPhone doesn't appear to support this feature. So, make sure your settings look something like what can be seen below:


User uploaded file


After unchecking the "Require password" box and clicking OK, I was once again able to connect to my iTunes library from my iPhone. Case closed!

Mar 9, 2012 6:51 PM in response to davidatgvc

I just wanted to add that I am also having the same problem with my iPhone, as well as on my computer, which are running iOS 5.1, and 10.6.8 respectively. I cannot connect to my family's computers. We are all supposedly "sharing" on the same username, we are on the same wi-fi network, and there do not seem to be any issues with the firewall. I also do not have a password enabled on my iTunes library. I have tried restarting iTunes, deauthorizing all computers and re-authorizing them, and turned on and off Home Sharing. I have no idea what else to try!

Mar 11, 2012 1:45 AM in response to superjones

We are having a problem last night here in Europe with getting Home Sharing to work with Apple TV and before everything worked fine.


Rented a movie and accepted an upgrade to Apple TV and iTunes. (Earlier in the week did a major firmware upgrade) Then every 5 minutes got thrown out of the movie and a screen came up asking to turn on Home Sharing, which was turned on on both the iMac (where I downloaded the rental) and the Apple TV. Did all of the obvious things such as disabling Home Sharing on both devices and reinstating it but to no avail...


I guess there's a bug in one or both of the upgrades?


Now that Steve (RIP) is no longer with us I hope Apple's quality standards are not slipping... Is someone at Apple reading this and what about a refund for the rental fee?

Mar 11, 2012 8:23 PM in response to gerardfromhuldenberg

Spoke to a "senior advisor" in the Apple TV department. Her suggestions: change channel in router to minimize/eliminate wifi interference from other users; move router away from any metal - i.e., DVD player, phone modem, etc.; keep router away from wireless 2.4 gH phones, which are "notorious" for crashing wifi routers. So she confirms that the problem is one of connection to router suddenly dropping out.

My own feeling is that none of these fixes will do the trick, because it seems pretty clear that there is a hardware component here - the timing of the drops seems like an overheating issue. It takes 35-40 minutes for the box to warm up enough for the first drop; then each consecutive drop happens quicker than the one before, as it heats up more. Each time it drops, its tiny brain gets a little more scrambled; last night it finally wouldn't start up again at all.

My suggestion is that everyone who is experiencing this problem, please call Apple tech support and ask to speak to a senior advisor in the Apple TV department. Make them aware of this problem!

Mar 13, 2012 8:22 PM in response to rosebudwagon

Just to update anyone having similar problem with Home Sharing dropping out - I did all the things listed in my prior post: basically moved router as far away from all other electronic devices as possible. Moved Apple TV off of television base/stand. Changed router channel. Shut everything down and restarted it.

It is now working fine. We have watched three 2-hour movies without interruption. Hope this helps someone else.

Mar 21, 2012 1:49 AM in response to rosebudwagon

Moving router, changing channels blah blah blah .... what a load of rubbish !!! How in **** can a Senior Tech advise this as a solution when the ONLY this that has changed is an upgrade in iTunes to 10.6.


My sharing files worked perfectly with an earlier version AND iOS 5.1.


The problem MUST Be iTunes 10.6 - its the only variable that has changed in my setup.


Back to basic "Helpdesk 101" skills Senior Tech - what has changed from a previous working environment ???


iTunes 10.6 - obviously Apple have no solution to the problem and are wasting people's time by getting them to move routers / change channels / redesign your house - all for what - a faulty application that they have released.


Message was edited by: GemDarWen

Mar 21, 2012 10:50 AM in response to rosebudwagon

See: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2972 and in particular "Check Firewall Settings". There was a more specific knowledge base article which I can't find for some reason.


I added rules to allow Bonjour (TCP 3689) and DAAS (UDP 5353) to my firewall software. As soon as I did this home sharing with Apple TV not only became more reliable, but home sharing across all my devices started working.

Home Sharing is not working following update to iOS 5.1 and iTunes 10.6

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