Q: Homesharing between work and home

I'm not entirely sure about the Apply TV video streaming part....but I use a free VPN service called Hamachi to use HomeSharing with my iTunes music library.  It used to work fine, until Yosemite and now the latest version of iTunes has a ton of bugs that is killing it for me... But from a Mountain Lion computer (about to dump Yosemite...and I won't touch El Cap with a 10 foot pole) everything works as it should.  Hope Apple gets it together and restores basic functionality to these newer OSes.  I really like Yosemite over all, but reliability is awful.

It still works, mind you...so definitely give it a try to see how Apple TV works.  Or, if you're savvy with routers, and have one that's compatible with VPN Passthrough (or flashed with DD-WRT), you can buy Apple Server for like $20, and host your own VPN.  I prefer Hamachi because it uses a relay server that gets around annoying office firewalls.

By the way, LogMeIn bought Hamachi "recently", but it's still free for up to five computers...I highly recommend giving it a try.

https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/

Apple TV doesn't support VPN.

I'm skeptical that bugs are causing the previous posters problems, Apple don't want people using VPN with licensed content.

The Mac OS X server app, $25, gives you VPN access and will auto configure your TimeCapsule and or Airport extreme.

I use an iMac  and through OS X server enable the VPN service. Everything but the AppleTV supports direct VPN tunneling.

Follow  Todd Oltoff YouTube videos on how to get VPN enabled and how to use home sharing.

Re: VPN on Apple TV

Re: VPN on Apple TV

^may help.

Allow me to appease your skepticism, Mr. Churchil.

Before I show you, know that no hardware has changed in my setup other than I bought a Mac Mini with Yosemite on it.  Also, I have bought a grand total of ZERO iTunes Store-based music.  I have been collecting music for 20 years, and I rip everything myself and maintain a rather OCD library.  So, this isn't a DRM/License issue.

Before, when it was Mountain Lion to Mountain Lion on iTunes 11 over VPN, it worked perfectly.  I'd come to work, turn on my system, start up iTunes, load my "home" library, and it would play without a hitch.

Then I got the Mac Mini with Yosemite... Now when I start up, iTunes doesn't see the Home Share on the work Mountain Lion computer.  ...but when I remote into my Mac Mini, that iTunes can see the work Mac on HomeShare!!!  ...???!!!???...  To fix, I have to close down the remote iTunes app (on the Mac Mini at home), and turn it back on.  Then magically, my work computer's iTunes suddenly sees it, and I can play music... for a while...

[UPDATE:  They might have fixed this next issue...it hasn't happened this week yet...  Before it was happening a couple times per day.]

I'd finally be listening to music and working the day away... Then all of a sudden, my music would stop.  Thinking it was a connection issue, I go to iTunes to reconnect, but I see I'm still connected!  ....but my "Music" library has disappeared!  But my Smart Playlist is there... I start using that.... then THAT disappears too!  I have to restart both iTunes apps to get the functionality back.  ...

<Edited by Host>

-=R=-

Strangely, my reply was edited at the end there... I finished by saying that if those aren't bugs, I'm not sure what is.  Then I added some random Churchill quote to tie it all up... ah, well... The corporate beast strikes again....

It really doesn't matter what you have to tell me, Apple don't support VPN on their Apple TV, if it doesn't work, the simple reply is "well it ain't supposed to"

"Doesn't support" and "doesn't work" are two totally different things.  Apple doesn't "support" a lot of things because they want you to pay an Apple tax for overkill.  Those of us who know better make it work.  As for the Apple TV itself, I really don't know if it's possible whether they support it or not...for example, if I hardware VPN ALL of my traffic, there's no way they could do anything about it.  Sure, there might not be an option in the device's extremely limited GUI...but that doesn't mean you can't do it.

So, telling a user you "can't do something" when you've never attempted it yourself is pretty weak.  Give them some options to try, and if they are up to the technical task, maybe they'll come back successful and have a little nugget of goodness to share with the rest of us.

They state quite clearly in the ToU for iTunes that they may take steps to block or disrupt certain activities (many of which VPN can be used to try to workaround), all I'm saying if it don't work, don't assume it don't work because of a bug. Please don't assume you know what I have or can do, also I haven't at any stage said it can't be done.

Well, first of all, I'm just having a bit of fun.  You don't have to take it so personally...it's forum, not a job.  It's all good.

Lastly, you're right I don't know what you know/do/have done or not, but if you have you should offer up your exact experience so folks who are tinkering can learn from your experience instead of just saying, "well, it's not supported."  It's good to say that it's not supported, and being all smug when I clearly show you a bug is just lame too.  So, whatever, man.  If you're not down to play, all good.  Catch ya later.