TimDanaher
Level 1 (29 points)
iOS Apps

Q: Apple TV 3 Woes... Any Suggestions?

Apple TV Woes... Any suggestions?

 

here's my setup: Living room: Virgin fibre optic modem > Airport Extreme > Apple TV 3, latest software.

 

KItchen: (downstairs) Airport Express > Apple TV 3, latest software.

 

Now, this setup should 'just work', no? Trouble is, it doesn't. While the ATV in the living room never misses a beat, the kitchen ATV is constantly  throwing up error messages, such as 'Home Sharing not turned on' (it is), 'Your ATV is not connected to the network' (when it is). When it works, it generally drops out after 5-20 minutes, with the above error messages. I've restarted and reset multiple times, but the problem persists.

 

Applecare have been singularly unhelpful with the problem.

 

floor construction between rooms is standard wooden joist & floorboards, no insulation. Interestingly, I get limited wireless in the kitchen (hence the AP Express, which is sitting right next to the ATV behind the television) so maybe the AP Extrem is at fault? I would have thought I'd get better range than that.

 

I've swapped two ATVs for the one in the kitchen and had the AP Express swapped out at the Genius Bar, all to no avail. At the moment, the setup is using dynamic IP addresses. Would switching to static help, maybe? Also, disconnecting the AP Express in the kitchen seems to improve things, in that the problem occurs less frequently, but it still happens.

 

Sorry for the ramble. Any ideas what I can try next?

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.1), 2.2 GHz i7, 16GB RAM, 500GB Mom. XT

Posted on Nov 19, 2014 2:46 AM

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TimDanaher

Q: Apple TV 3 Woes... Any Suggestions?

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  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Nov 19, 2014 8:31 AM in response to TimDanaher
    Level 10 (104,521 points)
    Apple TV
    Nov 19, 2014 8:31 AM in response to TimDanaher

    Intermittent problems are often a result of interference. Interference can be caused by other networks in the neighbourhood or from household electrical items.

     

    You can download and install iStumbler (NetStumbler for windows users) to help you see which channels are used by neighbouring networks so that you can avoid them, but iStumbler will not see household items.

     

    Refer to your router manual for instructions on changing your wifi channel or adjusting your multicast rate.

     

    There are other types of problems that can affect networks, but this is by far the most common, hence worth mentioning first. Networks that have inherent issues can be seen to work differently with different versions of the same software. You might also try moving the Apple TV away from other electrical equipment.

     

    The following article(s) may help you.

     

    Troubleshooting Wi-Fi networks and connections

    Recommended Wi-Fi settings

    Sources of Interference

    Wifi Diagnostic Software (for Mac users)

     

    You may also find some help on this page, where I’ve collected some of the more unusual solutions to network issues.

  • by TimDanaher,

    TimDanaher TimDanaher Nov 20, 2014 2:29 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (29 points)
    iOS Apps
    Nov 20, 2014 2:29 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    Thanks, Winston, I'll look into it... As luck would have it, the ATV in the kitchen has been playing continuously for over a day, now, without dropping out...