ATV4 cannot find mac until I restart it

[MarvinHC]

I have had this problem for a while now, so maybe someone has a fix.

Very often my Apple TV 4 doesn't find my MacMini's library. All systems are up to date.

Often restarting the homeshare app on the Apple TV solves the issue, sometimes I have to restart the Apple TV altogether to make it work. It sometimes happens also on my ATV 3 but that one seems to be a lot more reliable.

Any ideas for a permanent fix?

 

[HDFan]

That's my major beef with my pre-4K Apple TV. It looses network connections, particularly to HomeShare. Rebooting fixes the problem.

 

[steve62388]

I have witnessed this sort of behaviour with Home Sharing and Airplay devices many times. A restart always seems to solve the problem but it's very frustrating. I have no idea what causes it or how to fix it. I'm guessing it's instability in the protocol.

 

[waw74]

also try rebooting your router, i've seen that clear up problems with network broadcasts

 

[HDFan]

Is your MacMini using DHCP or are you using a static IP address? I'm wondering if when you reboot with a new DHCP address that causes the problem because the Apple TV is using the old address.

I just changed my Network settings to DHCD with manual address to see if that makes a difference.

 

[MarvinHC]

Is your MacMini using DHCP or are you using a static IP address? I'm wondering if when you reboot with a new DHCP address that causes the problem because the Apple TV is using the old address.

I just changed my Network settings to DHCD with manual address to see if that makes a difference.

The problem is not when I reboot, rebooting is the solution.

 

[HDFan]

The problem is not when I reboot, rebooting is the solution.

I'm talking about when you reboot your MacMini, not the Apple TV.

 

[MarvinHC]

I'm talking about when you reboot your MacMini, not the Apple TV.

I know, but as said, rebooting either of the devices usually helps (and because it is faster I usually reboot the ATV).

Personally I don't mind that much but the ATV was supposed to be the 'easy family friendly' solution and this is kind of ruining that... ( I have trained the kinds in the meantime how to reboot the ATV.)

 

[HDFan]

To repeat what I said earlier, is the MacMini getting its IP address via DHCP? On your MacMini open settings, network, and select your adapter (likely Ethernet, with the word "connected" underneath). If "Configure IPv4" is set to "Using DHCP " try changing it to "Using DHCP with manual address", specifying an IP address on your network that isn't being used by any other device.

When your Mini reboots using DHCP it may get a different IP address. If your Apple TV tries to connect using that old address, it isn't going to work. If the address doesn't change between MacMini boots then maybe it will fix the problem. Don't really know, but worth the try.

 

[Tech198]

Is the Apple TV up to date ? Also try doing a "restore" under Settings > System

If ifs loosing connection only sometimes its not the Mac mini nor network settings, as if it was, it wouldn't work for anything else, not just Home sharing.

 

[HDFan]

If ifs loosing connection only sometimes its not the Mac mini nor network settings, as if it was, it wouldn't work for anything else, not just Home sharing.

At any given time I can have many active network connections: Netflix, Plex, Infuse, Home Sharing, HBO, etc. Home Sharing can go down, possibly for the reason given above, but all of the others can be still be active. Internet can go down, taking Netflix, but not Plex server or home sharing on the the local network.

Of course, as you say, if the Apple TV loses network connectivity then everything goes down.

 

[mavots]

I've been having this problem for a while now as well.
Ever since migrating from a 2010 Mac Pro to a 2018 Mac Mini.
Like the OP, ATV4 no longer automatically connect to iTunes on my Mini. This was almost never an issue with MP.
My "solution" has been to restart the ATV4 and the iTunes library appears.
I also use DHCP, however on weekends I do not shut down the Mini so the DHCP connection is always on. ATV shuts down between sessions of course.

There must be a solution to this. It is only since moving to the Mac Mini that this behavior presented itself.