Unable to stream from latest iTunes in Windows XP to AppleTV 3rd-gen

Question

Unable to stream from latest iTunes in Windows XP to AppleTV 3rd-gen

I'm using iTunes 11.3.1.2 Windows XP SP3 with an AppleTV 3rd-gen fully updated on the same WiFi and with the same AppleID for Home Sharing.

The AppleTV recognizes my shared library name on the network when I select "Computers", but after a few seconds the connection fails, so I cannot see or stream music or movies in my shared library.

Also, iTunes is unable to see the AppleTV as an AirPlay server in the WiFi when I click the stream button and a list of devices appear.

I had reinstalled iTunes, rebooted Windows, disabled its built-in firewall, and turned off and on the Home Sharing in iTunes and the AppleTV. I even performed a full restore of the AppleTV software connected to my PC and iTunes over USB: Same results.

I also checked my WiFi router's configuration to be sure nothing is being blocked or filtered in my WLAN: Same results 😟.

The weird thing is this Home Sharing feature worked just fine with iTunes 10.x and 11.x on Windows 7 Home Premium, from which I was also able to see the AppleTV as an AirPlay destination, but that PC died a few weeks ago and I'm just trying to reshare my library from this Windows XP PC while I save for a Mac (yes, I'm done with Windows!).

So, is this a Windows XP-specific failure? Shouldn't iTunes work its magic in spite of the base platform?

Apple TV (3rd generation)

Posted on Aug 11, 2014 1:50 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 11, 2014 1:56 PM in response to fabio.esquivel

BTW, I'm able to AirPlay-stream music and videos to the AppleTV from my iPhone 5s and both my daughters can do the same from their iPod Touches 5th-gen. So I don't think it's an issue with the AppleTV at all...

Also, the Remote app in my iPhone is now unable to see my shared library as well; when it was over Windows 7 the app could see and connect to the shared library just fine, so it all points to Windows XP as the culprit, right?

Is there another diagnostic or workaround I may try?

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Answer 2

Rudegar

Level 10

170,706 points

Aug 12, 2014 3:52 AM in response to fabio.esquivel

likely your windows firewall are blocking some required ports

could also be your wifi router blocking them though

Well known TCP and UDP ports used by Apple software products

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Answer 3

Aug 12, 2014 10:05 AM in response to Rudegar

I disabled the Windows firewall, but still no connection. I doubt TCP/UDP ports are being blocked in my WLAN, considering I had never configured blocking, DMZ nor QoS rules on the WiFi router, only the usual NAT ranges for outside access, but that does not interfere with WLAN traffic. I use AES encryption over WPA2, but every device supports it flawlessly.

I have my suspicions on the WiFi router, a Cisco Linksys WRT120N vulnerable to the WPS hack (with no fix so far from Cisco), because the Remote app on my iPhone can't see the iTunes shared library either, so it's not just an AppleTV's issue.

However I already checked every configuration option: The router is practically on default settings except for the administration password. I disabled UPnP for security reasons, but nobody (iTunes or AppleTV) is complaining about it...

Maybe it's the wireless band each device uses: AppleTV, iPhones and iPod Touches (all newer models) are able to use the 40MHz 802.11n specs at 168Mbps, but the old PC with Windows XP SP3 may be stuck on the 20MHz 802.11b/g specs at 54Mbps. The burnt-out Windows 7 PC was also relatively new and its WiFi hardware could also use the newer specs as well and maybe that's why I had no problem sharing the library with it.

The Linksys has both radios on in Auto mode, so I will try to reconfigure it to use a single band that every device can communicate with, just to see if that helps and report back.

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Answer 4

Aug 15, 2014 9:38 AM in response to fabio.esquivel

I just tried what I said I'd try to no avail. I even used a CAT5 to connect the Windows PC directly to one port of the WiFi router, to avoid using the wireless, but I get the same behavior.

Any hints?

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