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Apple TV 4k Setup Fails w/error 301003

Just bought a new Apple TV 4k to upgrade from our older 4th gen Apple TV. Unplugged the old Apple TV. Plugged in new Apple TV 4k. Same *WORKING* cables, so I know the HDMI and ethernet cables are good.


Powered it up just fine. Paired with the remote just fine. Activating it? Not so much.


  • If I try "set up with device", it spins for a few seconds and then my iPhone reports "Setup failed (301003)".
  • If I try "manual setup", I get a message to the effect that the Apple Activation Server is temporarily unavailable.


retrying, restarting the setup process all result in the same thing.


I've even try powering down the entire network back to the fiber optic terminator and rebooting the network one device at a time. Same results.


Similar question here have pretty much useless "answers" (e.g., Follow the instruction at Get help with Wi-Fi networks on your Apple TV - Apple Support ... which has nothing to do with this problem, since we're connected via copper, not wi-fi.)


When I replace the 4k Apple TV with the 4th gen Apple TV, things work just fine. Since the ethernet cable is known good, my assumption is that either the ethernet port or the controller on the 4k Apple TV is defective.


Any suggestions appreciated, else this is going back to the Apple Store.

Apple TV 4K, tvOS 11.3, setup/activation failure

Posted on May 28, 2018 10:17 PM

Reply
2 replies

May 29, 2018 3:07 PM in response to NCarey

Hello and welcome to Apple Support Communities NCarey,

I see that you're having an issue when trying to set up your new Apple TV. I recently purchased a new Apple TV, so I understand wanting to get it set up and start using it, and I'd be happy to provide you with some information that can help.

Let's have you start by taking a look at this article with some steps that can help with setting up your Apple TV:

Set up your Apple TV
If after going through these steps the issue still remains, you'll want to contact Apple Support. You can contact them with this link:
Contact Apple Support
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Have a great day!

Apple TV 4k Setup Fails w/error 301003

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