Ethernet & wifi at the same time, possible?

[gigatoaster]

Hello there

I have an Apple TV 4K HDR bought in July 22. I use Infuse Pro to watch my downloaded TV shows via Torrent. The wifi speed is not sufficient: a speed test performed on Infuse Pro shows 70 Mbps. This is not sufficient to play 30+ GB files (4K HDR), there are a lot of buffering.

I tried Ethernet and it worked, the speed shows 400 Mbps.

I tried plugin the Apple TV via Ethernet to the Mac mini and it worked, too. However, I lose internet functionalities like Photos, Netflix etc on the Apple TV.

Due to the setup in my living room, best would be to keep the router in wifi and use the Apple TV in Ethernet.

When I look at the network options of the Apple TV, it’s either Ethernet or wifi.

• Is it possible to use an Apple TV in both wifi & Ethernet?

 

[gigatoaster]

I just called Apple and they told me it’s not possible. There is prioritization on Ethernet and that’s it. It’s a pity, although my use-case is not common.

 

[Slartibart]

not sure wether I understand your setup correctly: you have something like a shared folder with movies on a Mac Mini to which you connect an Apple TV via CAT5/6.
I assume the Mac Mini connects via WIFI to the internet; additionally I assume you do not want connect the Apple TV and the Mac Mini via ethernet to your Router. (?)

In this scenario you can share the internet access of the WIFI connection of the MacMini via the ethernet connection with the Apple TV. That should give you access to the local movie folder as well as allowing for internet access.

 

[priitv8]

The issue for OP with appleTV is, that this device is not able to use 2 network interfaces simultaneously (aka multihoming). So it is either wired or wireless. Ultimately, at home, they normally connect to the same network anyway. And your aTV would end up with 2 IP addresses.
If the problem is in getting ethernet cable routed to the aTV, then you could try a network extender over powerlines:

Amazon.com: Ethernet Powerline Adapter

Amazon.com: ethernet powerline adapter

www.amazon.com

 

[Reverend Benny]

Not really sure what the the setup is here.

But why not just connect the ATV to the router via cable?
Or is it a case that you have the Mac-mini on a separate isolated network without internet connectivity that you want the ATV to get access too?

 

[gigatoaster]

Apologies for the confusion. I’ll clarify.

I use a Mac mini to download Torrent files. I use an Apple TV with Infuse Pro to stream the files. I can use the Mac mini (both are connected to the TV) but it’s more convenient with Infuse Pro. I use Share folder on the Mac and SMB auto on Infuse Pro.

For larger files (30GB+, 4K HDR or DV content), there are lags and buffering icon.

The router is next to the sofa, next to the optic fiber connection point. The sofa is in front of the TV. I need to move to optic fiber connection point next to the TV to have the router under the TV, where all elem of my setup are: TV, PS5, amplifier, Mac mini & Apple TV 4K.

I can connect the Apple TV via Ethernet but the cable will be in the middle of the room.

See the picture. Yellow triangle is mini & Apple TV and black rectangle is router, hidden under the sofa.

 

[Slartibart]

Apologies for the confusion. I’ll clarify.

I use a Mac mini to download Torrent files. I use an Apple TV with Infuse Pro to stream the files. I can use the Mac mini (both are connected to the TV) but it’s more convenient with Infuse Pro. I use Share folder on the Mac and SMB auto on Infuse Pro.

For larger files (30GB+, 4K HDR or DV content), there are lags and buffering icon.

The router is next to the sofa, next to the optic fiber connection point. The sofa is in front of the TV. I need to move to optic fiber connection point next to the TV to have the router under the TV, where all elem of my setup are: TV, PS5, amplifier, Mac mini & Apple TV 4K.

I can connect the Apple TV via Ethernet but the cable will be in the middle of the room.

See the picture. Yellow triangle is mini & Apple TV and black rectangle is router, hidden under the sofa.

View attachment 2396907

so your Mini connects to the router via Wifi, right? In that case sharing this connection on the Mini for the ethernet connection (and connecting the Apple TV via CAT5/6 to the Mini) will allow to access the internet from both. And the connection for accessing the share (as well as the internet) from the Apple TV is via that CAT5/6.

 

[priitv8]

Also, there must be something wrong with your WiFi router, if the speeds you attain at such a short distance are so low.
On my aTV 4K 1st gen (2017), Infuse consistently achieves over 100Mbps. My router is the white tower Apple Airport Time Capsule (802.11ac):

I can connect the Apple TV via Ethernet but the cable will be in the middle of the room.

Do you have power outlets at the router and the appleTV? if so, then you can use those as a wire instead of the CAT5/6 cable on the floor.
[aTV]---Ethernet--->[EthPowerlineAdapter]---HomeACwiring--->[EthPowerlineAdapter]---Ethernet--->[RouterEthPort]

 

[Reverend Benny]

I assume there is a regular cat5/6 ethernet cable that goes from your fiberbox to your router?
Why not just get a long ethernetcable from the fibrebox and route it to where you have the TV and hook everything up via cable to your router?
Or if you are happy with having your router under the sofa, get a long ethernet cable and use a small switch where you have the TV and connect everything to.

 

[brofkand]

Run an Ethernet cable to your TV, set up a switch and connect all your devices to the switch via Ethernet.

 

[gigatoaster]

so your Mini connects to the router via Wifi, right? In that case sharing this connection on the Mini for the ethernet connection (and connecting the Apple TV via CAT5/6 to the Mini) will allow to access the internet from both. And the connection for accessing the share (as well as the internet) from the Apple TV is via that CAT5/6.

Thanks for the suggestion. The options are not available, is there a reason?

 

[Slartibart]

Thanks for the suggestion. The options are not available, is there a reason?View attachment 2396997

The connection you want to share is the Wifi connection (again, assuming the Mac Mini connects by Wifi to the Router) - »Partager voter connection depuis« -> click on "Ethernet" and select the Wifi connection. Then tick the »Activé«-checkbox for "Ethernet" in the list for »Aux ordinateurs via:« .

You seem to have an additional ethernet adapter (en5/en4) on the Mini. If the Apple TV is connected to any of these you can share the actual Etherner-connection by just checking the checkbox besides e.g. »Adaptateur Ethernet (en5)«. But maybe these just from some experimenting you did before(?)

nota bene: to keep everything transparent and verifiable you should remove any virtual ethernet-connector you created in the past and do not use.

 

[gigatoaster]

The options are grey out. I can’t activate them. I am also surprised to see the adaptater (en5 and en4). No idea what it is.

I have only one thing connected to my Mac mini: a Rotel amplifier via USB. And the Apple TV connected via Ethernet to the mini. If I remove the Ethernet cable, options are still grey out.

 

[gigatoaster]

EDIT: actually, to remove the grey out options, I needed to click first on the little i for information and then activate the internet sharing.

It worked: I can see my pictures (Photos app) on Apple TV, Netlifx was buffering a bit so I’ll double check later but on top of that, the Infuse speed is now 400 Mbps instead of 70.

Thanks a lot for your help, @Slartibart 😊

This is avoiding me to lay down a cable in the middle of the living room.

 

[Slartibart]

EDIT: actually, to remove the grey out options, I needed to click first on the little i for information and then activate the internet sharing.

Yep, »Internet Sharing« has to be turned on first on the Mac. 🙃

 

[gigatoaster]

Screen mirroring from my iPhone Pro is not working anymore on the Apple TV. Same for my other devices.

I suspect it’s because the iPhone is on the network A (router) but the Apple TV on network B (Mac mini internet sharing, acting as an hotspot).

Is there a way to manage this? Unplugging the ethernet cable from the Apple TV is the workaround I found.

 

[Slartibart]

Yep, when the ethernet cable is disconnected you would not even need the same WLAN but could airplay peer-2-peer(as long as BT and Wifi are on on both devices).

Connect the ethernet cable and activate Wifi in the Control Center of the AppleTV.

 

[gigatoaster]

I tried several times but I’m sent to the network settings where I can only chose WiFi or Ethernet.

 

[erihp]

look into powerline networking, then everything easily be on the same subnet and you will have faster speeds and lower latency

 

[loopy123]

Get a mesh network where the satellites have Ethernet ports ( like eero 6 plus), connect ATV via Ethernet to the satellite. The mesh networks often have a very fast “back haul” from the satellites to the router so you will get better speeds than from Wi-Fi

 

[erihp]

Get a mesh network where the satellites have Ethernet ports ( like eero 6 plus), connect ATV via Ethernet to the satellite. The mesh networks often have a very fast “back haul” from the satellites to the router so you will get better speeds than from Wi-Fi

Wired is the best backhaul. If youre gonna recommend something you may as well start there. And honestly, Id recommend powerline before I'd recommend wireless mesh. Asking for issues.

 

[phrehdd]

Powerline can be excellent if your electrical is ideal. At times, it will not be a great choice.
Alternative - while not "mesh," you can check out using two routers in bridge mode. If you cannot connect via Ethernet, let the routers do the heavy lifting in WiFi and let your devices connect to those routers via Ethernet. The prices for WiFi 6 and 6e routers keep dropping.

I have an old pair of Zyxel powerlines sitting in a drawer. It is handy when I go troubleshoot networks to isolate certain type of problems.

 

[gigatoaster]

Thanks everyone. I’m considering laying an optic fiber cable and stick to it to the wall. I’ll check with someone to help me drill a hole and trunking to avoid something ugly.


It’s a pity I can’t use WiFi for torrent files above 30 GB!

 

[Reverend Benny]

Thanks everyone. I’m considering laying an optic fiber cable and stick to it to the wall. I’ll check with someone to help me drill a hole and trunking to avoid something ugly.


It’s a pity I can’t use WiFi for torrent files above 30 GB!

Sounds expensive, why not just use a regular Cat5e coppercable (or better) from your router instead or upgrade your router so something more powerfull (wifi6 or better) that can manage the traffic better and more important, that do receive security updates and are supported from the manufacturer.

 

[erihp]

Sounds expensive, why not just use a regular Cat5e coppercable (or better) from your router instead or upgrade your router so something more powerfull (wifi6 or better) that can manage the traffic better and more important, that do receive security updates and are supported from the manufacturer.

Fiber optic interconnects are actually quite low cost, and much thinner than cat5/6.

I assume fiber comes in for WAN so he wouldn’t need anything else to move the devices to the other wall.