Apple TV name followed by random number when using AirPlay

Agree with gusjc. Going into the Apple TV's Settings menu then re-selecting the name seems to have cleared it up (i.e. removed the numbering on the same on other Apple devices around the house). Probably a Bonjour thing.

Just fixed this my self. Can confirm:

- Assign static IP (I did it on the router side off MAC address)

- Reboot / reset ATV network connection and confirm assigned address

- Change AirPlay name

and no more number!

Nevermond....stupid number came back this morning even with static IP. Off to try adding a space.

Eugh this is annoying. Never had this problem with ATV 2 or 3, but since connecting my 4 it's been constant. I've tried

- static and dynamic IPs both through the device and the DHCP server (Airport Extreme)

- custom device name, including with a space at the end

- various reboots, Airport reboots etc

- wired / wifi (Ethernet always the preferred!)

any suggestions?! This is very frustrating, particularly in an all Apple environment!

Thanks.

tvOS 9.1 released yesterday seems to have finally fixed this issue for me. We'll see if it returns!

tvOS 9.1 bought this issue back for me, I was stuck with this issue on my Apple TV 3 since September 2014, i had it reset, replaced, reconfigured, routers changed, names changed, tried different networks (always wired) and nothing ever fixed it, it just kept on counting. Once i got the Apple TV 4 it was perfect, i couldn't believe "it just worked" again like it should, but now its back. Don't go holding your hopes high thinking it will get fixed, it won't.

I find this disappointing that 4 years on this problem is still evident on the latest apple TV

Yep, you were right. The issue is back again with the latest beta. smh

The change name menu also includes an option to give a custom name.

you can call it what you like and the name still screws up.

This issue comes from the network thinking that there is 2 of the same device name on the network. If you have 2 iMacs with the same name on the network, it will add a (2) to one of them. Difference is, the iMac will tell you it found another device on the network with the same name. The Apple TV does not. As fas as I can figure the name of the device is conflicting with the cached name of the same device. I am still investigating this and have not found an answer, I just know what is causing it.

Dont think so. Sometimes mine says Apple TV (34).

Explain that!

Hey Guys,

We resolved this at our school a few months ago. Here's what we found through various posts and experimentation:

The problem for us is the way that Bonjour functions, as it is a peer-to-peer dynamically updating database. Example:

- AppleTV1 was originally at 192.168.1.20. Various computers on our network saw that and logged it and associated it with the name and the Bonjour ID number.

- AppleTV1 reboots and DHCP assigns it a different address. ComputerA notices and says "it's on 192.168.1.50", but ComputerB says "no, it's on .1.20". So there's confusion as to whether it is the same device or not, and the system decides to solve it by saying AppleTV1 (1) is at .1.50.

Now imagine this scenario repeating 300 times over as different devices argue over the proper location of AppleTV1, and especially if it gets a 3rd IP, and then a 4th. Since we have so many devices, it's almost impossible to "reset" the bonjour database.

SOLUTION:

Our solution has been:

1) Assign Static IPs to our AppleTVs so that their network address never changes.

2) Immediately after assigning the new IP, change the name of the AppleTV.

example: AppleTV1Rocks, 192.168.1.30

- now the network repopulates that the device with the name "AppleTV1Rocks" now lives at .1.30. Everything on the network will get that information, and that info will never change, resulting in no further confusion between devices.

So far it has worked for us, with 20 Apple TVs on one campus and 30 on another.

Usually after doing this, Macs / phones need to be restarted. Because the mac needs to face the conflict that what it previously associated with a particular Bonjour ID number now has a new name and new IP.

Also for Macs as you are trying to help them "forget" the old settings, it can help to stop and start mDNSResponder, as described here:

http://osxdaily.com/2009/09/15/disable-bonjour-by-turning-off-mdnsresponder/

Hope that helps!

Just curious,

Do any of the folks running into this have a server running DNS internally on the network?

Maybe it’s Ping?