apple tv keeps dropping home sharing connection.

My suggestion is to plug in with Ethernet and if you don't have Ethernet do you have a free Coax jack near your Apple TV? Or do you have Directv with or without whole home?

Home sharing with the new Apple TV / iTunes update is just broke. Only works for a bit unless you restart iTunes or disable / re-enable Home Sharing. Use to work great until the last updates. This is not a network (router, firewall, ...) issue - just a (bad) regression in Apples software. Hopefully they fix this soon, hard to believe its been broke this long already. The Remote app update also fails to connect to Apple TVs (but does connect to iTunes) for many people as well. Poor QA all around. :(

There are a *ton* of posts about this:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3845423?answerId=18078180022#18078180022

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3808863?answerId=18078351022#18078351022

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2613875?answerId=18078326022#18078326022

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3860579?answerId=18078599022#18078599022

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3861987?answerId=18078600022#18078600022

etc...

Try going to your Network settings and select "Using DHCP with manual address" - then give yourself a unique IP address (one that's not being used on the rest of your network).

This has fixed the issue for me (about a week now with no problems at all).

I had previously had the same issue as everyone, starting from when the new Apple TV software was released.

hi,

tried this as every hint I found here... nothing works longer than 1 day....

Tweety

I have the same connection issues with my Apple TV2. I've been on the phone to Apple support twice now and have tried everything including connecting via Ethernet but nothing solves the issue.

What I'm getting from these forums is that the Apple TV just doesn't work properly. Is that the case? I tried using a WDTV Live before and that wasn't compatible with Lion. I guess I'll have to return my Apple TV and try to find a different option.

I'm having the exact same problem with my apple tv 2 1080p. I have to restart iTunes to get the apple tv to bring up content.

I have to do this every time the apple tv sleeps.😟

Hi, I do not think that this is an network issue

- there are other streams around here focusing on this and in at least two of them the same problem accours with fixed lines (normal Ethernet)

- I once have a total lost of home sharing and run the network test build in in the ATV. that stated " no problems"

so I'm very convinced that this has nothing to do with networks ... there might be sideeffects of poor WiFi connections, but this is not the "root cause"

- I also have both platforms for iTunes (Mac OS and Windows 7) both platforms have the same isues ... so it is not an operating system problem

- I sometimes look streamed videos on an ipad with home Sharing ... ando also there are the problems... not so obvious as on the ATV but also very often...

.. so my conclusion is simply that this is an iTunes problem ..... and I'm still blame myself several times a day that I updated (for the very first time) both platforms (mac and Win) at the same time

nice weekend

Tweety

I agree that it is not a network or wi-fi issue.....but it isn't an iTunes issue either. I have not, as I've stated before, updated my iTunes, neither has my daughter. We are both using 10.5.3 still. The problem started immediately following the latest update for Apple TV. I believe it is a problem with the Apple TV software. As for Homesharing with the iPad...that has never been ideal, so I don't think it is connected to this issue. I have two ATVs and both were Homesharing just fine, not dropping out at all during the many months we were using them prior to the latest software update for them.

Give it a try:

Enabling and checking the Multicast settings on the router might solve the problem in some cases.

Just google for more information regarding apple tv and multicast.

Cheers Stefan

I think, you are right. With my experience now it is indeed not a network or wifi-problem nor an iTunes issue.

Like others I have after the last ATV software update the problem of loosing homesharing. I have two ATV's, one wired, one wireless. Both with the same problem. Sometimes loosing homesharing after 5 minutes, sometimes after 20 minutes or even one hour, but always the same problem.

Some weeks ago I tried to use my iPhone and iPad as a remote (with the airplay function). What I did not expected at all was that this was working flawless. Not any interruprion.

So my conclusion is: when airplay is working, there is nowhere a problem with iTunes (on my iMac) nor with the network. The problem must be the new software of the ATV. For some reason something in this software interrupts the homesharing after a while. Why and how I don't understand.

There's an update to iOS that apparently fixes an "AirPlay video problem"... let's hope that it's connected in some way and there'll be an Apple TV update soon.

Just as a matter of interest - does everyone here have an iPhone? Could it be an issue with iPhones on the network that cause it?

Probably getting ahead of myself!

Just thought I would add to the mix. When I first bought my first Apple TV (3rd gen) a few weeks ago, everything connected and worked beautifully - iphone remote app, home sharing, etc. Though now i have to reset everything all the time to get it to connect again. So disappointing. I want to be able to walk into my home from a long day at work, take out my iphone and immediately use the remote app to stream music from my phone to the apple tv and stereo - WITHOUT HAVING TO TURN ON MY COMPUTER AND ITUNES!!!!

This flipping ***.

Okay - I restored (in settings tab) ATV and it immediately started to download updates. Not sure why ATV kept telling me there were no updates when I tabbed to ATV updates in settings. Anyway, after the restore and putting in all my settings again, I was back in action, all systems connected, including iphone and ATV. Will post again if I start losing my connections again.

There's an update!http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4448?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Featuring:

Fingers crossed!

Hi all. I resolved my lack of connection issue by buying a second-hand Airport Extreme from eBay. Seriously. Plugged it in to my BT Home Hub, changed my WiFi connection from the Hub to the Airport and now it works like a dream. No dropouts except for when the Home Hub overrides the network connection and forces my iMac to move from my new network to the Home Hub.

I've just had BT Infinity installed so, after the 'settling down' period I'm going to drop the Home Hub completely and just use the AIrport.

As far as the update goes, the replacement ATV that I got from the Apple store has the older OS so I'm unsure if I should update or not. I was never entirely sure that it wasn't the new OS that screwed my connection in the first place.