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.
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Can't Use Apple TV/Netflix in Hotel Room. Why Not?
- Thread starter thebdpm
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They don't care
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.
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.
Apple TV/Netflix.....NOPE!!!
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!!
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!!
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.
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
Speeds are not the same
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
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
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.
Not all that difficult guys
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.
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.
Could you elaborate when you say you use the bearextender and builtin wifi to share your devices? I just ordered the bear extender and thought i could only use one device with it.
The Bear Extender is a USB Wifi Device that you use to connect to the Internet Source like your Hotel Wifi (like you do now with your macbook wifi adapter - you now have 2). It has better range then the Wifi Adapter built into your Macbook. Then you use the Macbook built in Wifi Adapter to create a Wifi Hot Spot for all of your devices. I.E. You share it.
I did a quick search on google for how to macbook wifi hotspot and found this:
http://macgroup.org/blog/2010/09/27/turn-your-macbook-into-a-wifi-hotspot/
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thanks for getting back to me. Since my post i searched on youtube and found an old video from bearextender that describes how to share the connection. I cant wait to get mine now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCcjHSEZqsA
Recommend a good antenna?
You have a choice of 2 antenna's when you purchase the BearExtender. I decided to go with the more expensive one for better coverage. I found this to work pretty well. I tested while on travel and I could connect with the BearExtender where I could not with any of my other devices due to the range.
I also carry a ThunderBolt-Ethernet Adapter for my MacBook Air. If your room has a Ethernet connection this or course works better then the BearExtender because you are hardwired. Your MacBook WiFi Hotspot will work the same as described.