My ATV2 turns off randomly

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My ATV2 turns off randomly

I have an old Apple TV 2nd generation. It works fine in every way except that it frequently restarts after selecting a TV show or movie purchased in iTunes and Netflix. It seems to be triggered when loading new content, but after the new content has actually started. For instance, a TV show will begin playing, seem to skip at about 10 or 15 seconds into the show, then the whole ATV will restart and eventually load up the main home screen.

A few months ago this was simply an occasional annoyance. Now it happens almost every time we turn on a show or movie that we've purchased on iTunes or from Netflix.

The firmware updates have been applied. Power cord connection is good.

Any ideas?

Apple TV

Posted on Jan 7, 2016 10:57 AM

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Answer 1

Jan 7, 2016 12:16 PM in response to juaneclark

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.

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Answer 2

juaneclark Author

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Jan 13, 2016 10:37 AM in response to Winston Churchill

Can network issues cause an Apple TV to restart?

I have tried to hardwiring the Apple TV with CAT5. This doesn't seem to change things (other than a slight improvement in speed while it does work). The device still shuts off most often in the first few seconds after starting a new movie of TV show.

Does this still sound like network interference — interference with the CAT5 cable?

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Answer 3

Jan 13, 2016 10:45 AM in response to juaneclark

Yes network issues can cause your device to restart.

Yes ethernet can suffer from interference too, but admittedly its significantly less likely. However as I said in my previous post there are other types of issues that affect networks. To eliminate a hardware issue, I'd be inclined to take it to a wholly different location and try it with a different network and TV.

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