How to connect a MacBook Air (2010) to Apple TV with ethernet?

Question

Level 1

134 points

How to connect a MacBook Air (2010) to Apple TV with ethernet?

THE SITUATION. I use Apple TV often. At home, I use the wireless connection without a problem. I may work on my MacBook Pro while watching Apple TV and mirroring the MacBook Air or vice versa, depending on my workflow.

THE CHALLENGE: In Sweden, in the faculty dorm I currently inhabit, there's only a general WiFi connection to routers and servers located elsewhere. I have to use workarounds (like HP e-Print) to connect with my appliances.

A PARTIAL SOLUTION: In this environment, I can connect my MacBook Pro to Apple TV using an ethernet cable. Then I can use Apple TV in normal mode or with Airparrot, an application that allows me to mirror my desktop and audio on the TV. I stream a lot of BBC shows using a VPN that delivers signals to my laptops.

THE PROBLEM: My pre-Thunderbolt MacBook Air has no ethernet port. I can't connect the ethernet cable to it without an adapter. But the adapter isn't passive. When I use the ethernet cable to connect with my Apple TV, with an Apple adapter to the MBA, the ethernet will not work at all.

I take it someone didn't think this one through. Every device without ethernet availability -- including iPhones and iPads -- will be unable to connect with Apple TV in environments like this one, which are common in overseas multiunit housing and workplaces. Apple needs to devise a solution. Thank you.

MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.6.8), Apple User Since 1981

Posted on Mar 23, 2013 6:54 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

Bob Jacobson Author

Level 1

134 points

Apr 10, 2013 1:22 PM in response to Bob Jacobson

I figured this out for my MacBook Pro. First, i hardwired my MBP and Apple TV with a standard Ethernet cable. Then I enabled Systems Preferences/Sharing/Internet, then indicated "From" as Airport and "To be shared with" as Ethernet. Then I turned on Airparrot and could mirror with ease. To go back to WiFi Apple TV, unplug.

But that solution doesn't work with my Air. I can't use standard Ethernet except with an Apple adapter, to fit into the USB port. (My Mac then wants to switch to USB Ethernet as source, but that's not right. Source remains Airport, ie, WiFi.) In System Preferences/Sharing, there's no Ethernet to be "shared with," only Ethernet Adapter (en) and that seems not to work. USB Ethernet doesn't work, either. This is a sticking point.

Any thoughts or ideas would be most welcome.

Reply

Answer 2

Bob Jacobson Author

Level 1

134 points

Feb 12, 2014 11:19 PM in response to Bob Jacobson

Well, my original solution no longer works with Mavericks (10.9.1). I don't know if it worked or not with Lion or Mountain Lion, as I upgraded directly from Snow Leopard (10.6.8). And I don't know if it's the new ATV 6.0.2 or Mavericks. The only thing I know is, my 2010 Macbook Pro can't directly connect and send signals to ATV.

The problem is that Apple has altered the Preferences/Sharing settings. Where before I could hardwire my Mac to the ATV3, then use From: Airport and To: Ethernet to establish a connection -- whether that was logical or not, it worked -- now there is no From: Airport, only From: WiFi, From:VPN 1 [insert actual name] and From: VPN2 [the same]. None of those three work. in another Apple forum noting that the From: _____ , whatever it is, has to be directly connected to the network. I don't know the significance of that. Coming from my MBP, I would think they were part of the network. But in any case, I can no longer use the solution above.

I can use Airparrot in its conventional form, as a wireless service for mirroring screen and audio to an HDMI TV. The thing is, Airparrot puts a processing load on the old MBP in two ways, video processing the incoming signal and video processing its transmission to the ATV. Then Airplay adds audio processing. All in all, it's too much and slows down the presentation on the HDMI TV to where it's sometimes painful to watch, frames dropping everywhere, low resolution, audio lagging video, etc.

If I could get back the ethernet connection, at least the processing for transmission via wireless would disappear and Airparrot and the MBP could concentrate on pulling in the initial signals. But it seems not to be, at least using a VPN. Maybe it would work with a straight wi-fi connection, but I think I tried that in passing without postiive results. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Reply

Answer 3

Feb 13, 2014 4:41 PM in response to Bob Jacobson

Hi Bob,

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.

Considering your circumstances, the best and easiest choice would be to purchase an Airport Express for $99 (or less refurbished), connect it via ethernet to your wall jack or something like that, and create a network for your Apple TV ,MacBooks, and other wireless appliances. It'd be a little easier, and plus, when you need to go places without WiFi, you take the Airport Express and make your own wifi.

Best Wishes,

-Marcus

Reply