Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: Dhiroj
Dhiroj Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Configurator hangs "Preparing" Apple TV

With the new updates to Configurator and Apple TV, support for WPA2-Enterprise secured WiFi networks was supposed to be a long-awaited reality. For us, not yet...


Using instructions at:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5438

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5437


we unplugged the HDMI cable from the back of the Apple TV and plugged in a Micro-USB cable from a MacBook Air (beacuse there is no way to connect both at the same time <grumble>.) We setup a profile in Configurator with WiFi credentials and all appropriate network settings. WiFi is the only tab on the Profile that we had changes to. When we click the Prepare button at the end of the process, Config says that it's preparing, a circle spins, and that's it. It hangs there for hours. We've let it go for half a day and it never finishes. The profile shows up on the Apple TV after interrupting and disconnecting, but WiFi will not connect. This is very disappointing.


My first thought was to somehow connect the HDMI and Micro-USB at the same time so I could watch what's happening on the ATV while Config is "Preparing" but that appears to be an intentional impossibility.


So I'm given no error code to help figure out whats' going wrong, and I can only see one side of the process. From searching the support forums it appears that no one else has had this problem. Can that be? Is there something on our network that could be the problem? Any help would be appreciated.


This is on a college campus with WPA2-Enterprise, 802.1X, PEAP, WiFi and user authentication, all of which should be accommodated in the profile config...

AppleTV 2, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)

Posted on Aug 29, 2013 9:32 AM

Reply
5 replies
User profile for user: Wade Shepherd
Wade Shepherd
User level: Level 1
5 points

Aug 31, 2013 5:48 AM in response to Dhiroj

I have worked through this problem also. I got WPA2 Enterprise Wi-Fi working, but it wasn't simple. For one thing the Apple Configurator knowledge base articles you listed for creating/downloading a profile to an Apple TV (those are the newest ones I could find also) don't match what I see on the current version of Apple Cofigurator, 1.3.1, and the newest version of the Apple TV OS, 5.3 (6105). The instructions in the Help section of Apple Configurator were better for me. I also found it impossible to plug both the HDMI and micro-USB connectors in at the same time. That wasn't a big problem, but it was annoying.


I did not have the spinning gear problem you saw. For me the process went through properly and a window came up saying that the download succeeded. I documented the steps I took and can send them if you would like, but I'm not posting them here since they ran about 25 pages with pictures.


I ran into another roadblock after getting the profile to download. When I tried to connect to WiFi the Apple TV couldn't authenticate to WPA2 Enterprise on startup. I eventually found a process that worked.


1. Power down the Apple TV.

2. Plug in Ethernet to the Apple TV.

3. Power Up the Apple TV.

4. Wait for Ethernet networking to settle down.

5. Unplug Ethernet and the Apple TV should switch to Wi-Fi in 30 seconds or so.


My first guess on why powering up directly into Wi-Fi doesn't work is that our network requires a fairly close match in the clocks for systems attempting to authenticate and Apple TV doesn't acquire a clock time until it is connected to the network. In any event I never got Wi-Fi networking to work on our Enterprise network without first connecting to the wired network which doesn't require authentication.


Note: My Apple TV was purchased in October 2012.

Reply

Configurator hangs "Preparing" Apple TV

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.
Learn more Sign up