Can't Use Apple TV/Netflix in Hotel Room. Why Not?

[eRondeau]

Sometimes the easiest answer is the most obvious -- call the hotel manager and ask him if the network blocks AppleTV connections. If the manager doesn't know ask how to contact the contractor that set it up for them.

[thebdpm]

Originally Posted by eRondeau

Sometimes the easiest answer is the most obvious -- call the hotel manager and ask him if the network blocks AppleTV connections. If the manager doesn't know ask how to contact the contractor that set it up for them.

When I pull into a hotel late at night, the last thing the person at the desk would know how to do is anything with the internet. I am completely on my own.

[APlotdevice]

Originally Posted by throAU

Because it is probably blocked.

Why is this?

One hotel
One DSL/cable connection

X number of rooms.


Their network most likely simply does not have enough throughput to cater for their customers streaming video over it.

Even if you circumvent their blocking, the bandwidth will still be shared amonst all the other visitors and will likely not be sufficient.

It also encourages you to use the hotel's PPV service.

[thebdpm]

Ok, over the last month, I have tried and tried with no luck. Either sharing wi-fi or the many tricks I have tried through this forum, it produces slow speeds.....if I can even get it to work at all! My thoughts of becoming seamless with all my other apple products is impossible without the browser like the other versions offer.

Maybe someday ATV will come out with one with a browser.


I just want to take the time to thank everyone for your wisdom and many suggestions. Thank you very much!!

[jeff92k7]

Originally Posted by thebdpm

<snip> it produces slow speeds.....if I can even get it to work at all!

This is to be expected and is not an issue with the Apple TV. It is an issue with the speed of the hotel's internet service. A lot of hotels will throttle or completely block connections to netflix because of the high bandwidth needs that those connections have. It takes too much bandwidth away from other guests who would like to use the internet too - often for more important things like actual business needs.

Don't blame the product because of the hotel's internet connection.

The apple TV is still a great travel companion since you can watch your iTunes library content on the hotel TV. I've never seen it as a reasonable Netflix interface in hotels because of the internet issues, but it works great for watching movies that you have already downloaded into iTunes.

[heisenberg123]

Most hotels, restaurants, cafes, have accept terms of the free use which requires you to launch the borwser on your phone, ipad, ipod, laptop to accept, since the ATV does not have a browser your porked

[thebdpm]

Originally Posted by jeff92k7

This is to be expected and is not an issue with the Apple TV. It is an issue with the speed of the hotel's internet service. A lot of hotels will throttle or completely block connections to netflix because of the high bandwidth needs that those connections have. It takes too much bandwidth away from other guests who would like to use the internet too - often for more important things like actual business needs.

Don't blame the product because of the hotel's internet connection.

The apple TV is still a great travel companion since you can watch your iTunes library content on the hotel TV. I've never seen it as a reasonable Netflix interface in hotels because of the internet issues, but it works great for watching movies that you have already downloaded into iTunes.

I don't know that I am fully confident in the ATV at this point. When I used to hook up my iphone via the AV Component cables, it worked fine as far as speed. Pixelated and somewhat slow at times (rare) but for the most part, it worked every time. Just did not like the quality. As far as the ATV, and sharing from my laptop, it has proved to be non-effective and IF I get it to work at all, speeds are far less than that of my old, pixelated method.

I have always loved Apple products. As for the ATV, I will take it back and figure something out until they get one with a browser. Carrying a 15 foot Ethernet Cable and "trying" to patch in and get it to work is a little exhausting.

Thanks

[xnatex]

Originally Posted by thebdpm

I don't know that I am fully confident in the ATV at this point. When I used to hook up my iphone via the AV Component cables, it worked fine as far as speed. Pixelated and somewhat slow at times (rare) but for the most part, it worked every time.

That's because you were downloading a low resolution version of the video you were trying to watch, because it was optimized for an iPhone screen and not a large high-def TV screen. That's why it was pixelated and not slow. You were downloading like half the resolution.

Also, when you used your iPhone, was it over the hotel's wifi, or 3G (or 4G or LTE or whatever)? Because you may be comparing the hotel's throttled wifi at 1080p (or 720p) resolution to your full speed data plan that is downloading mobile versions of videos, which is comparing apples to oranges.

I use an AppleTV at home for Hulu Plus and Netflix all the time. We have two in my house that frequently run simultaneously and never have any troubles you are talking about. Like others have said, the hotel doesn't want you hogging all of the bandwidth, so they limit you. You can also (as others have said) check your bandwidth at speedtest.net on your laptop and see what you're working with. This will also help you figure out if they have different restrictions on the wifi network vs wired networks.

But when you really get down to it, you can't blame the AppleTV for the hotel's restricted internet. I personally have never been in a hotel that doesn't take at least 1-2 seconds to load a facebook page (which is a long time when you really think about the total file download size).

Not sure if it has already been said, but you may want to consider getting yourself a wifi hotspot. It might cost you like $40 a month (I'm completely making up a price here), but it will always work when you have cell signal on it. Then you give it a nice tough password and authenticate your AppleTV once and you're good to go without any hassles. Just plug in your AppleTV and turn on the hotspot and enjoy.

[Legios]

Run a speedtest while on the hotel network, that should tell you what the bandwidth you are working with. Im willing to bet the ping is very high and the speeds are much lower then you think.

[lgoodkni]

i have done this many times. First add Couch surfer to your apple tv.
The reason many of you are not getting all your icons is because you are not logged onto their internet. As soon as you are the icons will reappear.

Start your apple tv and hit couch surfer. all it is is a small browser. Make a selection such as the google page and what you shuld get is the hotel acceptance page or page to type a password.

Then exit couch surfer. Your icons will come back and you can go to settings and select the wireless net.

You are on.