Apple TV 4K Ethernet Issues?

[Jozone]

Has anyone had issues with AppleTV 4K consistently getting a 169.*.*.* IP over ethernet? Its driving me nuts -- I've tried multiple cables and switches, and on a consistent basis it will flip back to 169 (and then sometimes work normally). This was not an issue with my 4th Gen, and no other devices on my network have the issue. It works fine on wireless, but given the congestion of my apartment building, I try to keep as many of my devices hard wired when possible.

Given the troubles I've had with Dolby Vision/HDR on my Vizio, I probably should have just stuck with my 4th gen.

 

[priitv8]

I've had mine wired from day 1 and without any problems.
I have done IP reservation on DHCP, but that really should not matter much.
I'd pay a visit to Apple (store/service) and check if it needs replacement.

 

[Audit13]

Sounds like you may have a lemon. I concur with @priitv8 and would visit the Apple store.

I had a bad experience when setting up my new 64 GB 4k over wi-fi. It would connect to my Wi-Fi network but kept saying it was not connected to the Internet and could not activate. After I activated using a network cable, I disconnected the cable and returned to using Wi-Fi which has worked perfectly for the past few weeks.

 

[Michelasso]

Has anyone had issues with AppleTV 4K consistently getting a 169.*.*.* IP over ethernet?

Only over ethernet? Or also via WiFi? Usually that happens when DHCP on the router is unable to assign a regular IP address (so the host - the ATV 4K in this case) assigns itself one.

I would check in the router if the ATV 4K is visible at all. But as an immediate workaround remember that you can assign the IP address manually it should be Settings/Network/Ethernet/Configure IP). It's better if you check in the router which IP addresses are already used and use for the ATV a free one, but if you aren't quite skilled with that just get the IP address from a device wired and change the last number to something a bit high (as a final .233 - for example 192.168.1.233). Usually DHCP in the router assigns the IP addresses from the bottom. Be sure the first 3 numbers are the same (they aren't always 192.168.1.x - it depends on the router default configuration).

 

[jtara]

A .169 address means that it was not able to get an address using DHCP.

It is probably a problem with your router. Maybe you have more devices than addresses in the DHCP pool. It depends entirely on your router setup. You would have similar problems with other devices. Maybe your router is just flakey. Maybe the wiring is flakey, and when the rats chew on the cable, it goes out.

Setting a static address is a bad idea, unless you know what you are doing. You have to be careful not to use a static address used by another device, and also make sure the address is outside of your DHCP pool.

I set up assigned addresses for each "permanent" device in my router's DHCP setup. So, Apple TV always gets the same address, Mac Mini always gets the same address, etc. I have a DHCP pool for "guest" devices.
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I'd pay a visit to Apple (store/service) and check if it needs replacement.

It's more likely your router than the Apple TV!
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Only over ethernet? Or also via WiFi? Usually that happens when DHCP on the router is unable to assign a regular IP address (so the host - the ATV 4K in this case) assigns itself one.

This could equally happen with Ethernet OR WiFi. But the router would have separate subnets and separate DHCP pools for Ethernet and WiFi. So, perhaps too small a DHCP pool for Ethernet, but sufficient for WiFi.

 

[gpspad]

Second that, had a similar problem and it ended up being a bad switch I was using. It drove me nuts for weeks resetting routers.

Try plugging the ATV to a different port to see if that works. Sometimes a single port on a switch will fail. Replacing the switch solved my problem.

Also beware that the ATV 4k has a Gigabit port, using an older 10/100 port on a router or switch will work, but your not getting the true speed out of it.

 

[jtara]

Also beware that the ATV 4k has a Gigabit port

It's always bugged me that my Apple TV gets higher test speeds on Speedtest on WiFi than on Ethernet!

But that will not push me to get a 4K, because I don't have a 4K TV, and I know that 100mbps is more than enough for anything the Apple TV is doing.

 

[Michelasso]

This could equally happen with Ethernet OR WiFi. But the router would have separate subnets and separate DHCP pools for Ethernet and WiFi. So, perhaps too small a DHCP pool for Ethernet, but sufficient for WiFi.

Well, yeah.. That's why the only way to know is to dig into the router. Unless it is a bad ethernet connection (cable, switch if any, ethernet ports).

 

[fehhkk]

Could be a bad Ethernet cable, or bad switchport.

 

[gpspad]

Well, yeah.. That's why the only way to know is to dig into the router. Unless it is a bad ethernet connection (cable, switch if any, ethernet ports).

When i had my problem I went nuts resetting routers, thinking my Time Capsule was dieing.

In the end I found it by just unplugging the ethernet cable the ATV was using and plugging it into a port I new worked. When it did it dawned on me it was the switch.

One thing that would indicate the switch is how many ports are not working?

If there is more than one address with the 169xxxxxx ip number its the switch or router. Start by getting your basic setup to work than gradually add things on to it one by one.

I would unplug then restart (not reset) your router, than gradually add things back. If you want start with nothing else but the ATV in a different port. Then start adding things back. If a different device then spits out the 169xxxx address that is your culprit.

After my problem, I figured out why network admin's are hoarders that always seem to keep a spare switch or router around. Trying a new switch, and all my 169xxxxx addresses dissapeared.

 

[Jozone]

Thanks for all the input on this one guys. Few things of mention:

• This is consistent across multiple switches, and multiples cables, but does not persist on wireless.
• My 2 switches are a brand new Ubiquiti 8 port gigabit, and a gigabit Netgear switch (I actually bought the Ubiquiti thinking the Netgear was bad)
• My apartment complex has an "enterprise" grade setup, with hardwired ethernet ports in the bedroom and living room.
• I am now suspicious that its a problem with the building's vlans, and the AppleTV (aka, this **** isn't getting solved)
• Looks like I will be on wireless until I move!

 

[gpspad]

I am always a little behind the times, and was running 100Mbs switches up until last month. It never dawned on me that they were outdated until I switched from DSL to 250Mbs Xfinity (which is still slow, but they are the only provider in town).

As soon as I got the new internet connection all the wifi devices worked much better, I will eventually update my ATV's to the 4k versions with Gigabith ethernet, but for now they are all working well off AC wifi.

The biggest issue with me was moving from using iTunes as a media server to Plex, that solved all kind of frustrating connection issues. AC wifi isn't bad if your internet connection is fast enough.

 

[jd3101]

Thanks for all the input on this one guys. Few things of mention:

• This is consistent across multiple switches, and multiples cables, but does not persist on wireless.
• My 2 switches are a brand new Ubiquiti 8 port gigabit, and a gigabit Netgear switch (I actually bought the Ubiquiti thinking the Netgear was bad)
• My apartment complex has an "enterprise" grade setup, with hardwired ethernet ports in the bedroom and living room.
• I am now suspicious that its a problem with the building's vlans, and the AppleTV (aka, this **** isn't getting solved)
• Looks like I will be on wireless until I move!

Did you ever get this resolved? I've just recently been having the same issues (even though the ATV has been rock solid on ethernet for years).

 

[Jozone]

Did you ever get this resolved? I've just recently been having the same issues (even though the ATV has been rock solid on ethernet for years).

So -- in the end, it was backtraced to the apartment complex's enterprise setup and a ridiculous ACL that only allows 1 MAC address on a port (aka, no switches allowed, unless of course you only had a single device plugged in ). I've never heard of this configuration anywhere else (which could be circumvented by a router serving its own DHCP) -- In the end, its lived happily ever after on wireless. When I move out, it will, however, go back on wired.

 

[hinesmj]

No problems for me at all. Had it hardwired from day 1.

 

[colodane]

No problems for me at all. Had it hardwired from day 1.

Same here, and at two different locations with different ISPs and different routers.

 

[vbmike73]

Sorry to bring up an old issue, but I'm having these same problems with my setup.

I have an Orbi mesh system and two Apple TVs (4K and 4HD versions). Both of these Apple TVs will connect to the WiFi with no issues. However, I cannot get either one to connect via ethernet. I have tried multiple cables (CAT5, CAT6) which will work connecting other devices, like my MacBook or whatever, but they refuse to connect to the Apple TVs.

So I have ruled out that it's a ethernet cable issue, and it's not a single Apple TV device issue. So I talked to Apple support, who suggested the only possible reason could be that the Orbi is blocking its ports that the Apple TV needs to connect to; Port 123 mainly, but also 3689 and 5353. I should also point out that when it's plugged into the ethernet port and the WiFi is off on the Apple TV, I only show a WiFi MAC address. I do not show an IP or any other numbers on the Apple TVs Network settings.

I've been looking around the Orbi admin login area, and I can't find anything that looks like it could be blocking those, but I don't know if I'm looking in the right area. Can anyone help me diagnose what's going on here? I was convinced thew first time talking to Apple that the ethernet port on the 4K was just bad, so we set up a service repair on it. But when I plugged in my older 4HD and it had the same issue, I knew it was no longer the port.