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imac abuser

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 1, 2004
631
1
Hello,
I'm using Apple TV and I'm having a problem with it waking up my iMac to access the drive. I have home sharing on, and wake for network access. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Chris
 

EmpyreanUK

macrumors regular
Mar 6, 2011
224
22
Hi Chris,

Which version of OS X is your iMac running? There is a known issue on 10.7 (I believe all versions) whereby the computer will not wake up 'on demand'. There is a thread on MacRumors that myself and others have been contributing to in an attempt to work out a solution, but thus far there are no definitive resolutions. There are, however, a few things detailed in the thread that you may be able to try with some chance of success:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1195152/
 

Mac Eagle

macrumors member
May 5, 2010
89
41
Welcome to the club. Sorry I can't offer any help but you are not alone with this issue. I have aTV 2nd and 3rd gen with latest gen Time Capsule and continually have this issue. Sometimes it will work, but most of the time I have to make an annoyed trip to my 2011 iMac to wake it up. If you do a search you will find many threads on here about it. If you find a solution, you will be a hero.

I honestly think it is on the mac side and not the fault of the aTV because other computers and Remote app on phone/iPad will not wake it either, even though the wake setting is on on the iMac. :mad:
 

EmpyreanUK

macrumors regular
Mar 6, 2011
224
22
Based on nothing more than my own messing around with my (also 2011) iMac and my Airport Extreme, my personal suspicion is that the issue is that the computer, for whatever reason, does not maintain its registration with the Bonjour sleep proxy, rather than the machine not being able to take delivery and wake up to WOL packets.

My suspicion regarding this suspicion is that the iMac's problems with maintaining its registration with the Bonjour sleep proxy is caused by a bug in the SMC.

If anybody is interested in how I've arrived at this position then I will take the time to outline my observations in the hope that somebody more intelligent than I will be able to take things further (or at least discredit them as stupid), but I personally cannot be bothered, for the time being, to try and investigate this any further. My plan is to wait and see if Mountain Lion (or even 10.7.4) fixes the issue, and then carefully consider my next move from there if it doesn't.

Irrespective, shelling out for ML in the hope that it will fix something that should have worked from day one will be a bitter pill to swallow.
 

chenks

macrumors 65816
Oct 23, 2007
1,187
489
UK
Based on nothing more than my own messing around with my (also 2011) iMac and my Airport Extreme, my personal suspicion is that the issue is that the computer, for whatever reason, does not maintain its registration with the Bonjour sleep proxy, rather than the machine not being able to take delivery and wake up to WOL packets.

My suspicion regarding this suspicion is that the iMac's problems with maintaining its registration with the Bonjour sleep proxy is caused by a bug in the SMC.

If anybody is interested in how I've arrived at this position then I will take the time to outline my observations in the hope that somebody more intelligent than I will be able to take things further (or at least discredit them as stupid), but I personally cannot be bothered, for the time being, to try and investigate this any further. My plan is to wait and see if Mountain Lion (or even 10.7.4) fixes the issue, and then carefully consider my next move from there if it doesn't.

Irrespective, shelling out for ML in the hope that it will fix something that should have worked from day one will be a bitter pill to swallow.

is this just an iMac issue?
I have a 2011 Mac Mini but haven't bothered testing wake from sleep.
 

MonkeySee....

macrumors 68040
Sep 24, 2010
3,858
437
UK
I have a late 2010 iMac and my Apple TV wakes it fine. I have an Airport Extreme.

I've had to turn it of though as it continuously wakes through out the night and its bloody annoying.

Any ideas how to stop this? I'm thinking its maybe one of my external harddrives (one of which is being used for time machine)
 

whooleytoo

macrumors 604
Aug 2, 2002
6,607
716
Cork, Ireland.
I have a late 2010 iMac and my Apple TV wakes it fine. I have an Airport Extreme.

I've had to turn it of though as it continuously wakes through out the night and its bloody annoying.

Any ideas how to stop this? I'm thinking its maybe one of my external harddrives (one of which is being used for time machine)

Found an Apple KB article here. (Relates to Snow Leopard, but probably still true for Lion).

It suggests that the occasional waking is necessary for the device to stay registered with the sleep proxy on the Base Station/Time Capsule.
 

GarrettL1979

macrumors 6502
Feb 15, 2012
330
0
So if working properly, is the apple tv supposed to be able to wake a sleeping computer for iTunes access?

I ask because my ATV 3 has never been able to do this. I have to use the remote app to access/wake up my home shared iTunes library on my MBP-- which is a slow process and only works about half the time.
 

chenks

macrumors 65816
Oct 23, 2007
1,187
489
UK
So if working properly, is the apple tv supposed to be able to wake a sleeping computer for iTunes access?

I ask because my ATV 3 has never been able to do this. I have to use the remote app to access/wake up my home shared iTunes library on my MBP-- which is a slow process and only works about half the time.

yes, but i believe you need to have a pc/mac that supports it *and* a router that supports it (which is only an AEBS or Time Capsule).
 

MonkeySee....

macrumors 68040
Sep 24, 2010
3,858
437
UK
Found an Apple KB article here. (Relates to Snow Leopard, but probably still true for Lion).

It suggests that the occasional waking is necessary for the device to stay registered with the sleep proxy on the Base Station/Time Capsule.

That sounds exactly what it is. Cheers for the link :)
 

EmpyreanUK

macrumors regular
Mar 6, 2011
224
22
So if working properly, is the apple tv supposed to be able to wake a sleeping computer for iTunes access?

I ask because my ATV 3 has never been able to do this. I have to use the remote app to access/wake up my home shared iTunes library on my MBP-- which is a slow process and only works about half the time.
Yes, the ATV is supposed to be able to 'see' that there is an iTunes library open on a sleeping Mac and then awaken it if the ATV user selects it.
 

elmo151

Guest
Jul 3, 2007
550
0
NYC
Welcome to the club. Sorry I can't offer any help but you are not alone with this issue. I have aTV 2nd and 3rd gen with latest gen Time Capsule and continually have this issue. Sometimes it will work, but most of the time I have to make an annoyed trip to my 2011 iMac to wake it up. If you do a search you will find many threads on here about it. If you find a solution, you will be a hero.

I honestly think it is on the mac side and not the fault of the aTV because other computers and Remote app on phone/iPad will not wake it either, even though the wake setting is on on the iMac. :mad:

have you contacted apple about your problem?
 

erpetao

macrumors regular
Jun 19, 2011
223
95
yes, but i believe you need to have a pc/mac that supports it *and* a router that supports it (which is only an AEBS or Time Capsule).

What about a time capsule + netgear 8 port switch? (to increase the number of Ethernet ports). The mac mini is attached directly to the TC, but the ATV is connected to the switch.

Does this setup work to wake the Mini when ATV tries to access the Mini's iTunes?
 

chenks

macrumors 65816
Oct 23, 2007
1,187
489
UK
What about a time capsule + netgear 8 port switch? (to increase the number of Ethernet ports). The mac mini is attached directly to the TC, but the ATV is connected to the switch.

Does this setup work to wake the Mini when ATV tries to access the Mini's iTunes?

providing the time capsule is the network host, then it doesn't matter how the mac mini (or any other devices) is connected.
 

Bdub12

macrumors regular
Feb 23, 2011
153
94
Fredericton NB Canada
I've only noticed this problem recently. It's not a sleep issue. I have to restart iTunes on my 2011 iMac to see my library, even if my iMac is awake, on my ATV3s and my iOS devices.

Homeshare while the mac was sleeping worked flawlessly until just recently. I don't know what has changed.

It use to "just work" and now it does not.

BTW, my iMac is hardwired to an Airport Extreme, which is hardwired to the ATV3s.
 

x64Man

macrumors newbie
Jul 5, 2011
19
0
ATV2 with 4.4.4 wakes my MacBook Pro fine, but ATV3 doesn't, my conclusion is ATV3 new software issue.
 

chenks

macrumors 65816
Oct 23, 2007
1,187
489
UK
ATV2 with 4.4.4 wakes my MacBook Pro fine, but ATV3 doesn't, my conclusion is ATV3 new software issue.

without more detailed information about your specific network setup etc, it is not possible to simply come to that conclusion.
 

mic j

macrumors 68030
Mar 15, 2012
2,663
156
I've only noticed this problem recently. It's not a sleep issue. I have to restart iTunes on my 2011 iMac to see my library, even if my iMac is awake, on my ATV3s and my iOS devices.

Homeshare while the mac was sleeping worked flawlessly until just recently. I don't know what has changed.

It use to "just work" and now it does not.

BTW, my iMac is hardwired to an Airport Extreme, which is hardwired to the ATV3s.
I have had to do this as well over the last couple of days. Yesterday I installed the latest iTunes version. That did not solve the problem. I also use a Time Capsule, usb HDD containing movies connected to it and all done wirelessly.
 
Last edited:

x64Man

macrumors newbie
Jul 5, 2011
19
0
without more detailed information about your specific network setup etc, it is not possible to simply come to that conclusion.
Ok, latest Apple Time Capsule, latest MacBook Pro with iTunes library on it, everything hard wired. This works flawlessly with 2 ATV2's but not with my ATV3, so (in my opinion) I have came to this conclusion.
 

GarrettL1979

macrumors 6502
Feb 15, 2012
330
0
yes, but i believe you need to have a pc/mac that supports it *and* a router that supports it (which is only an AEBS or Time Capsule).

sounds like even people with an AEBS or Time Capsule are having the same problem. That said, I have an old linksys router which is certainly not helpful.

----------

Yes, the ATV is supposed to be able to 'see' that there is an iTunes library open on a sleeping Mac and then awaken it if the ATV user selects it.

any advice on making this work?
 

erpetao

macrumors regular
Jun 19, 2011
223
95
providing the time capsule is the network host, then it doesn't matter how the mac mini (or any other devices) is connected.

What does the "time capsule is the network host" mean? That is the one connected to the modem? That is the one with the DHCP server?
 

chenks

macrumors 65816
Oct 23, 2007
1,187
489
UK
What does the "time capsule is the network host" mean? That is the one connected to the modem? That is the one with the DHCP server?

yes, it means that the TC or AEBS is the device controlling the network (that is what the apple support article suggests anyway).
 

EmpyreanUK

macrumors regular
Mar 6, 2011
224
22
any advice on making this work?
Beyond checking that the basic configuration is correct ('Wake for Network Access' checked under Energy Saver prefs. in system config, and the wireless network you wish to use the service on being first in the list of networks if connecting the Mac via WiFi), there isn't a lot that can be done. There are a few suggestions in the thread I linked to earlier in the article which people have had varying success with.

As difficult as these things are to gauge, it would appear that the majority of people find that none of the solutions proposed so far work, and that people are simply waiting for Apple pull their fingers out and fix this.

Should it work with the Airport Express?
If you're using an Apple TV then you don't need any Apple networking hardware at all, as the ATV performs as a Bonjour sleep proxy.
 
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