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rrmoore73

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 7, 2012
31
0
I'm not tech savvy and I am lost when it comes to my AppleTv.
A) when I stream Pandora from my iPhone or iPad through my Apple TV, it pauses randomly.
B) as I'm currently watching a show through Netflix, the show is is pixelated and buffers at times
C) if I download a movie from iTunes it literally takes 23 hours to download, which is comical because I have 24 hours to watch it.

I have the most recent Atv and even returned my prior one, assuming was wrong with it and causing these problems. Then I assumed it was my wifi (I have Verizon fits), so I upgraded to a 'faster package'.
Then today. When I simply tried to stream a song I have ON my iPhone through the Atv, it even randomly played the music.
Please help. What is the problem?
My Atv, my router, my wifi?
Thanks in advance.
 

bucksaddle

macrumors 6502
Dec 4, 2008
295
44
Then I assumed it was my wifi (I have Verizon fits), so I upgraded to a 'faster package'.

Upgrading to a "faster package" from Verizon will have no affect on your Wi-Fi speeds and from what you have posted it does sound like your Wi-Fi is an issue. Can you plug the Apple TV directly into your router with an Ethernet cable - this would be the first troubleshooting test.

if I download a movie from iTunes it literally takes 23 hours to download, which is comical because I have 24 hours to watch it.

You have 30 days to watch the movie until you hit play - once you have done that then you have 24 hours to finish watching it.
 

Julien

macrumors G4
Jun 30, 2007
11,835
5,430
Atlanta
...My Atv, my router, my wifi?
Thanks in advance.

Is your ATV connected by WiFi and if so is it in (or surrounded by) a metal case or rack?

Also haw far and how many/type walls separates the ATV from your WiFi router and is your WiFi router an n?
 

SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
You can try changing the channel your router operates on for Wi-Fi to help avoid interference.

Is the router adequately cooled? Don't box it in and stack other electronics on it which will cause a dramatic heat increase and adversely affect performance.

Lastly, if you can, try and connect the ATV to your router with a hardwire connection, Ethernet, and see what you get in performance.
 

mic j

macrumors 68030
Mar 15, 2012
2,663
156
You can try changing the channel your router operates on for Wi-Fi to help avoid interference.

I'll second that. I was getting interruption when airplaying iTunes music to my Airport Express (which was using wifi for communication with the AEBS). I went through every wifi channel, recording the S/N, which I have to say varied only slightly. Chose the lowest S/N and have not had a stutter since. I have to admit that it surprised me that it worked as well as it has.
 

rrmoore73

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 7, 2012
31
0
Hello.
Sorry, what's the S/N and where would I get that information?
Also, people have suggested using an Ethernet cable. As my router is on the other side of the room,then it's not practical. Also, isn't the whole idea is for all this stuff to work wirelessly. Isn't that what we are striving and paying all this money for?


I'll second that. I was getting interruption when airplaying iTunes music to my Airport Express (which was using wifi for communication with the AEBS). I went through every wifi channel, recording the S/N, which I have to say varied only slightly. Chose the lowest S/N and have not had a stutter since. I have to admit that it surprised me that it worked as well as it has.
 

SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
Hello.
Sorry, what's the S/N and where would I get that information?
Also, people have suggested using an Ethernet cable. As my router is on the other side of the room,then it's not practical. Also, isn't the whole idea is for all this stuff to work wirelessly. Isn't that what we are striving and paying all this money for?

It may not be practical for you, but you could do it temporarily as a means of testing to find out what the problem is.

As for paying for wireless, no that's not the object of these products, it's just one of many features. When I can, I use Ethernet for all my stuff as its by far more stable and faster than a wireless connection. The only things I have on wireless are the iPhone, iPad and Nintendo Wii, because they do not have Ethernet ports.
 

slothrob

macrumors 6502
Jun 12, 2007
443
0
Also, people have suggested using an Ethernet cable. As my router is on the other side of the room,then it's not practical. Also, isn't the whole idea is for all this stuff to work wirelessly. Isn't that what we are striving and paying all this money for?
The aTV works well through wifi, that's how mine is connected, but it is small, has a small antenna, and has little tollerance for interference since it is sending a dense file. In addition to the other suggestions, move it away from things like cable boxes whose electronics can generate a radio signal or act as insulation against radio transmission. I had stuttering on Netflix and moving my aTV from next to my cable box to the empty shelf above it resolved the problem.

Out of curiosity, were you using the iPad to stream Netflix, or were you using the aTV to access Netflix directly?
 

SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
I had stuttering on Netflix and moving my aTV from next to my cable box to the empty shelf above it resolved the problem.

That's interesting. I'll have to keep that in mind in case I ever use the ATV on wireless again or someone else is having problems. Thanks for that. :)
 

slothrob

macrumors 6502
Jun 12, 2007
443
0
That's interesting. I'll have to keep that in mind in case I ever use the ATV on wireless again or someone else is having problems. Thanks for that. :)
My wifi performance is borderline enough that I will still have pausing once every month or two, but it used to be nearly every night. Airplay was and is hardly ever a problem, since it buffers.
 

SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
My wifi performance is borderline enough that I will still have pausing once every month or two, but it used to be nearly every night. Airplay was and is hardly ever a problem, since it buffers.

Is your router close enough you could use Ethernet?
 

slothrob

macrumors 6502
Jun 12, 2007
443
0
Is your router close enough you could use Ethernet?
Not where the router is. I could move it closer, but I wanted to see if I could get wifi working reliably, before I moved it, since it is nicely out of sight (which I assume doesn't help things, since it has to go through 2 plaster walls with wire lathe that probably comes close to creating a Faraday cage). Any Netflix glitches are rare enough that I'm not really considering moving the router, anymore. For HD iTunes content I sometimes pause it for a minute at the beginning to allow it to buffer, just as insurance.
 

SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
Not where the router is. I could move it closer, but I wanted to see if I could get wifi working reliably, before I moved it, since it is nicely out of sight (which I assume doesn't help things, since it has to go through 2 plaster walls with wire lathe that probably comes close to creating a Faraday cage). Any Netflix glitches are rare enough that I'm not really considering moving the router, anymore. For HD iTunes content I sometimes pause it for a minute at the beginning to allow it to buffer, just as insurance.

Alrighty then. I thought maybe since the modem was right there, that the router would be too. If its working well enough for you, and you're happy with it, that's what counts. :)
 

BeK

macrumors regular
Mar 2, 2012
183
14
Although, I may not have noticed, if it weren't for this news story, because I use my ATV's with Ethernet! :p

Interesting. My ATV is hard wired and I have a host of buffering issues at least a few times a day. It's VERY frustrating.
I called Apple customer support and was told that they are not honoring any exchange policy for ATV's with "so called" Wifi issues. I spent $100 on this thing and I am frustrated with its performance. I have it mounted behind my 50" HDTV which is also wall mounted.
 

darster

Suspended
Aug 25, 2011
1,703
1
I would have never known mine was one of the models with those serial numbers. However, I have mine wired and have not had any problems and have never tested via wifi. Since I plan to keep all my streaming devices hardwired, i will just keep it. My Roku 2 in my bedroom has a horrible wifi reception. I have the new TC, and all my other wifi devices such as iphone and ipad, have DL speeds over 50 Mbs is my bedroom, while the Roku 2 can only eek out 3 or 4 Mbs, unless I move the Roku away from tv and close to the door, and then i can squeeze out 15 Mbs.
 

BeK

macrumors regular
Mar 2, 2012
183
14
I would have never known mine was one of the models with those serial numbers. However, I have mine wired and have not had any problems and have never tested via wifi. Since I plan to keep all my streaming devices hardwired, i will just keep it. My Roku 2 in my bedroom has a horrible wifi reception. I have the new TC, and all my other wifi devices such as iphone and ipad, have DL speeds over 50 Mbs is my bedroom, while the Roku 2 can only eek out 3 or 4 Mbs, unless I move the Roku away from tv and close to the door, and then i can squeeze out 15 Mbs.

Tell me something. How do you know for a fact that your device actually recognizes that a Ethernet cable is connected to it? Is there conformation in the setting menu?
In the settings, my ATV displays a signal strength which doesn't make any sense to me bring that it's hard wired. Does your state the same thing?

ImageUploadedByTapatalk 21373341636.975784.jpg
 

darster

Suspended
Aug 25, 2011
1,703
1
Tell me something. How do you know for a fact that your device actually recognizes that a Ethernet cable is connected to it? Is there conformation in the setting menu?
In the settings, my ATV displays a signal strength which doesn't make any sense to me bring that it's hard wired. Does your state the same thing?

View attachment 422198

Because when I go into settings, network, it shows an Ethernet address. Plus I never set it up to use wifi.
Also when I click on About, it shows ethernet address instead of signal strength.
 
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