Q: Apple TV keeps disconnecting since last update

How did you perform the full restore of the Apple TV and adding the IP address of your ATV in the DMZ of your router?

0.7.3 didn't resolved the issue at all. I started to suspect Apple TV developer's talent. They should be replaced to better developers to fix this issue.

Apple, would you please address this problem directly?

Forget airplay.  Let's focus for a moment on the function of Apple TV alone.

I'm using all Apple products.  I'm connecting the Apple TV (model A1427) wirelessly to an AirPort Extreme 802.11n (5th Generation).

The Apple TV started with whatever version of the OS it originally shipped with in Early 2012.  I have periodically updated the OS.  It's possible that I have jumped over some updates (I may not have applied all updates in sequence).  For example, I may have updated to OS Version 7.0.2 and then to 7.1.2 without applying 7.1.1 when it was released.

I had no issues until I updated my Apple TV to OS Build Version 8.x.y.  I just installed the latest 8.1.3 on the Apple TV and the problem is the same.  I believe I had installed 2 other 8.x OS versions prior to that (8.1.1 and 8.1.2 I think).

I also just restarted the AirPort base station.  And I don't see any new firmware updates for the AirPort base station.  I also don't have any connectivity issues with any other devices on my AirPort base station wireless network

When restarting the Apple TV, it does not immediately go to the standard home page as though it can't establish a network connection (it only displays the gray Settings button and the orange Home Share button).  After waiting for 5 or 10 seconds, it brings up the standard page but it can't display the latest movies, TV shows, Music, etc.  When I go to Settings --> General --> About, it shows my Wi-Fi Network is connected and the signal strength has all bars (5).  When I go to Settings --> General --> Network, it shows my Wi-Fi Network is connected and the signal strength has all bars (5).  But the network connectivity seems intermittent.

  For example, when I go back to movies, the latest movies displayed.  But when I moved over to TV shows, it says I'm not connected to the network.  Yet when going back to Settings --> General --> About and Settings --> General --> Network I still see 5 bars.  When I went back the TV shows loaded, but when I moved to Music, again it says I'm not connected.  The Apple TV seemed to drop the connection at least 4 or 5 times as I used it within 2 to 5 minutes after restart.  When I let the Apple TV sit there for 10 or 15 minutes, it seemed to stabilize the network connection.  But after periods of sleep this can occur again.

Obviously if the Apple TV's network connection isn't stable, AirPlay from any devices (I've tried various iOS devices running 7.1.2 and an iMac running 10.8.5) will produce intermittent and inconsistent results sometimes requiring the Apple TV to be restarted before AirPlay is a valid option again.  The latter usually happens when selecting to AirPlay and the Apple TV network connection drops during the initialization of the AirPlay connection.

I've been putting up with this for months.  I just want my Apple Products to work and to work well together.  That's why I bought an Apple TV instead of Cromecast or Roku.  I had no issues before the OS 8.1.x updates.

Is there a fix?  Do I need to restore the Apple TV?  Or do I just need to enter the DMZ setting in my AirPort base station.  How long will such a work-around be needed?

Please explain.  And thank you in advance.

Sincerely, a loyal Apple customer for nearly 30 years.  (my first computer was an Apple IIGS)

Apple TV (2nd and 3rd generation): Restoring your Apple TV - Apple Support

     This appears to the the official documentation.  I don't know if this is what the other person followed.

I believe I've fixed the issue I was having, ie, that AirPlay refused to show up on any iOS device once the AppleTV had been upgraded to 7.X.X.

Basically, any AppleTV's running 7.0.2 or 7.0.3 need to succeed network activation before the AirPlay feature will broadcast/function. I've been testing this for hours and the result is consistent. Prior to a successful device activation, AirPlay will NOT work. This is NOT an issue with devices running 6.X.X revisions. It would appear that his activation requirement has been changed in the 7.X.X revisions of firmware.

To get the AppleTV to re-attempt network activation, you must re-set it under General > Reset > Reset All Settings.

Our network infrastructure prevented activation from occurring on the network we'd designated for our AppleTV's, so this is why I suddenly had a truckload of AppleTV's unable to AirPlay on 7.X.X. Something has changed here.

Anwyay once I re-set them and connected them to a different (more open) network, the AppleTVs were able to successfully activate on initial setup and AirPlay worked INSTANTLY thereafter. I am serious when I say this works consistently for me. Over a dozen AppleTV's now fixed after getting the activation part sorted. What's also good is that once it's activated, it remembers it's activated despite reboots or long periods of being powered off. These are 3rd generation models from 2013 & 2014 (all either A1427 & A1469).

If you're having trouble getting AirPlay to show up, please try this out - you'll know your AppleTV has failed activation if, under General > About it says 'activation (failed)' or 'activation (skipped)'. You'll know it's succeeded if there's no message about activation. Again, to make sure the AppleTV properly re-attempts activation you need to re-set settings as I suggested earlier.

I have a 3rd gen Apple TV. I was listening to spotify played on an iMac, streamed to the Apple TV. Connection to apple TV disconnected after some 5 minutes. Every time again.

I solved this problem by disabling the screensaver on the ATV, which was set to 5 minutes. At some point I realized the connection was lost as the animals of the screen saver appeared on the TV screen. The option to disable the screensaver when playing music does not appear to avoid disconnection under these circumstances.

I do not know why a screensaver on the Apple TV should cause disconnection from iMac to ATV. This is obviously a bug.

Just had this issue out of nowhere for the first time. No updates, no changes in equipment, and with a fully updated 3rd gen ATV purchased last summer. Random disconnects from network every few minutes for about 24 hours.

Going off what Steve (above) said, I changed the screensaver time from 5 minutes to 2. Unlike Steve, I was streaming video, not using music or AirPlay. I intended only to check if the disconnect now happened faster (it had felt like 5 minutes but I hadn't timed it). But, weirdly, that seems to have fixed the problem.