Apple TV Death after update?

That is what makes this issue so odd, in that there would be such a wide array of issues with one update. One difference between ATV3 & 2 vs the original ATV is there is no hard drive inside. I would agree with the Cisco engineer if we knew how updates were applied.

From the couple of times that I have restored my ATV3 (before I found out how to do it on a PC), which only restored it to 5.1, it would seem that all settings from the previous setup were lost. This leads me to believe that this update is like flashing any type of memory. Just like flashing the BIOS on a PC or flashing a Lynksys Router, you are completely replacing any trace of the previous setup. Unfortunately, we end users will probably never know.

Nor will we ever know exactly what it is that Apple does to fix this issue. I just love the pat answers companies dish out that there is 'something wrong with your system or network' or 'you did something wrong when applying the update'. They must think that we are all idiots and have never in our life touched technology or built our own PC or local/wide area network.

All a bit comical if it weren't such a serious matter.

I completely agree Genekear; it is comical.

On the previous page, I gave Tim Cook's email address. No way is it his personal one, but it will be monitored by a 'high level' team representing him. I suggested that people send a short message entitled 'Apple TV update problems' in a bid to get Apple to at least acknowledge the problem.

Strangely, the forum operators deleted the email address from my entries. So the only way we can report this is through the Apple TV fault page, which disappears off into the ether and doesn't get a reply.

Gotta love the communication with customers from Apple. Not the forward-thinking approach they like to promote themselves as having. When it comes time to get new technology, I'm seriously considering a brand that communicates with customers properly. I'm not paying £25 to call Apple and have them give me some excuse that I'm not "watching it properly"'.

I will never update another Apple device again without waiting a few days and researching other's experiences. I have had the same problems as everyone else here with my ATV2, and can only get it to work when connecting with an Ethernet cable. Two days of researching, resetting, restoring, going out to buy a micro usb cable - all of it for nothing. I still have a box that worked perfectly well before the update (I was actually using it when the notification came up asking if I wanted to update!) and now will not work without the ethernet cable. Not sure about others, but still on a desktop here, so pulling everything out to plug in an ethernet cable is not an enjoyable experience. I wouldn't be so upset if this wasn't happening so close to when I updated to ios6 on my i phone 4s and could not connect to wifi for a few hours. I am really losing my faith in Apple. Was considering purchasing a MacBook Air soon, but now I am rethinking that. Guess I will have to take a trip to the Genius Bar today to see if they can get this useless piece of plastic sitting next to my computer to work today. Part of me wants to wait until another update is released fixing the issue since I have gone through the trouble of connecting with the ethernet cable, but the other part of me (that is writing this tirade) wants to go in the store and complain in front of other customers so Apple can see how upset releasing these things without throughly testing them makes their customers.

I've heard the lateest update supports configuation profiles. One of the advantage of a configuation profile is that you can tell it the name and password of your networks. You use the iPhone configuation utility to install profiles on the iPhone and other iOS devices. Has anyone tried to create a profile and push it out to to the device?

So here is my update. I packed up my ATV2 in its original packaging with the receipt and took it into the Genius Bar. I explained what was happening and the gentleman took my unit to the back to try it out on their tv. He came back and said he did not have a problem with it updating or receiving a wifi signal, and maybe the problem is my router. I asked why there would be a problem with my router after updating and not before, and he did not have an answer other than I should try a new router because they use Cisco routers in the store and he didn't have a problem. I said "So I have to buy a new router to fix the problem caused by Apple's update?" I also explained to him that there are pages and pages of posts where people are having the exact same problem after updating. He said "Well, that really means nothing because we have sold billions of these units, so a few pages of people complaining is minor in our world". I just looked him in the eye and said "REALLY?". So since I told him the unit is useless to me if I have to have an ethernet cable running through the middle of my living room, he replaced it with a new ATV3 (which he should have done anyway since it is still under warranty, but he did not know this because he never asked to see my receipt). I just connected the new unit and it is working fine. Guess I will not be installing any updates until enough time has passed to properly test them out in the future.

When I took my ATV2 to an Apple Store recently, the employee couldn't find the serial number in the system at first. Then it showed up. Part of the relentless effort on Apple's part to introduce bugs into every nook and cranny of the company's products. I'm finding it tedious.

About one and a half weeks ago I brought my Apple tv back to the store where I bought it. It's not an apple store, but an authorized apple reseller. Yesterday I've got it replaced by a new box. Back home I've tried with this new one, wich came with OS 5.0 and I've had the same issue, as with the old one after the update. It permanently lost home sharing after a couple of minutes. So thinking I've got nothing to lose, i tried the update 5.1 again - still the same trouble.

Next I did remove the ethernet cable and tried with WLAN - and id was working perfectly.

Back to LAN cable - home sharing lost!

Again back to WLAN - immediate connection to itunes media.

Strange thing

In a bid to try anything, I was experimenting with the 'Sharing' settings in System Prefences. When I unchecked the 'File sharing' box and then checked it again, the Apple TV could suddenly see iTunes on my iMac. But as soon as I started to play a film, it lost the connection again. Really weird. I'm using wireless, by the way - wired won't reach the Apple TV unit.

Something is screwed. Come on Apple, get it sorted. That's two weeks now without a word. Grow a pair, huh?

Ok folks finally got the chance to take my ATv3 to the Apple shop in Canberra Centre.

Walked up to the Genius bar and was told I had to make an appointment and come back later......

3 hours later took my ATV3 back again and talked to a great Apple staffer (Steffan) who listened patentiently to my explanation (I had a print out of this htead with me just in case!). I was *really* concerned about the whole Apple support/Genius bar thing due to previous experience with Telstra/Optus/ISP tech support where basically the support people treat you like idiots/liars/con-men asking you 'did you plug it in', 'have you done the update', 'was the unit swittched on'....blah blah blah. I have to say I was ready for that from Apple but the apporach was completely different. Steffan listened and understood, recognised that I have a pretty high lelvel of tech expereince and didnt insult my intelligence......

He asked whether we could plug the thing in and boot it up -we did - no wifi (thank goodness). Has asked if we could reset/upgrade in the shop, we did, no wifi again (thank goodness again). He immediately gave me a new one with no issues.

He told me he had updated his atv3 a few days ago without problems and that I shouldnt be worried about accepting the update when I got home. I told him I was very worried and could we do it in the shop? Sure he said. So we updated the brand new atv3 out of the box. Worked perfectly and when complete it had wireless. Brought it home and it works perfectly.

So after about 30 mins in the Apple store, thanks to Steffan, I have a new working ATV3 running 5.1. I wont be accepting any future updates for at least a month after they come out 🙂 I guess I am lucky that I have an Apple store nearby (only opened a few weeks ago) and the thing still failed in the store.

So it seems this update doesn't *always* fail.....maybe something to do with the configuration status at thet time of the upgrade - who knows?

So I am fixed - good luck to the rest of you who are still dealing with this issue.

How funny scubaal, I took my ATV3 into the Canberra Centre Apple store today too.

I've had the 'no wifi' issue ever since upgrading to 5.1, had restored back to 5.0.2 or whatever it was as suggested on here and it worked again for a while but when it stopped picking up wifi again last week I decided to take it into the store.

My genius appointment wasn't with Steffan - I think it was something like Gwillam? Anyway, he plugged in my ATV3 and it didn't pick up the store's wifi (like you, I was kind of relieved). He got me another one from out the back (which he said was the last replacement unit they had in the store). We checked that it worked in the store before I took it home. The funny thing was it didn't work at first when I plugged it at home but after unplugging and plugging everything back in again it's working now. I had the prompt to upgrade to 5.1 and I've been too scared to do it. I think I'll wait for the next update before upgrading the software.

После обновления на версию 5.1 мой Apple TV 3 перестал видеть Wi-Fi. При подключенном кабеле Ethernet просто постоянно перезагружался. Apple TV умер. После установки официального обновления от производителя.

Я живу в России, где нет поддержки от Apple.

Сегодня я смог установить прошивку AppleTV3,1_5.0.2_9B830_Restore.ipsw. После этого отлично работает и WiFi и Ethernet как и раньше.

То есть проблема однозначно в новой прошивке.

Я не являюсь сторонником jailbreak, но теперь с нетерпением жду когда станет возможным jailbreak для Apple TV 3.

Google Translate:

After the upgrade to version 5.1 of my Apple TV 3 could not see Wi-Fi. When connected to an Ethernet cable just continually rebooted. Apple TV is dead. After installing the official update from the manufacturer.

I live in Russia, where there is no support from Apple.

Today I was able to install the firmware AppleTV3, 1_5.0.2_9B830_Restore.ipsw. After this works fine and WiFi and Ethernet as before.

That is definitely a problem in the new firmware.

I am not a supporter of the jailbreak, but now look forward to when it will be possible to jailbreak Apple TV 3.

I had major issues with my ATV3 after updating to the 5.1 software. I could not connect to Itunes Match or photo stream through Ethernet, only WiFi would connect. I was also receiving can not connect to server messages. I spent time trouble shooting my network even though nothing changed. I also went to the apple store where they restored the device....nothing. Finally I decided to go out a purchase a mini usb and give it a shot restoring it to 5.0.2....and BOOM what do you know, everything is back to working flawlessly.

DO NOT UPDATE!!

Hi Peeps

Couldn't wait any longer so downgraded to previous version of software and firmware on my ATV3 all working fine now. But holding off on upgrading this unit until I hear good news.

Weird thing though ... I have another ATV 2 and hadn't touched it in a while, it's been sat connected to web and on standby attached to another TV. Last night I moved into another room fired it up and hey presto it had updated itself to 5.1 and even more surprising it all worked perfectly.

So my ATV 2 can do stuff my ATV 3 can't ....

N

That's good you managed to get it working.

So you downgraded the ATV firmware, but which software did you downgrade - iTunes?

Mine's an ATV2 by the way, and it's not working properly at all. I agree with Scubaal that it's a combination configuration problem.