Apple TV incompatible with iMac and Airport Extreme Card

[deboni]

I was told by Apple store staffers that it this would work: install an Airport Extreme card in an iMac, and create a network (as if connecting two computers). During setup an Apple TV would detect this network and use it for displaying iPhoto library on an attached HD TV.

But this will not work, is not supported by Apple, and here's why they say so:

Both ATV and iMac must be clients of network services to intercommunicate. A server is needed for these services. While the iMac can be such a server, it cannot also be a client at the same time (at least not without deep technical hacking that may break in subsequent software releases).

The solution is to buy an Airport Express or Extreme Base station, and make both the ATV and iMac use it to communicate.

I'm disappointed that Apple's staff didn't know this before I got involved, but in fact one of the support line staffers tried to tell me ATV would not work over wireless at all; this is clearly incorrect, and I managed to convince him so. Utimately, it required four phone calls to Apple, and Tier 2 product specialist support to provide the answers above.

Why did I ever think it WOULD work? I've used a laptop with wired and wireless Ethernet to share an internet connection; two laptops with wireless can share files and perform iChat sessions. Since the provision of photo files from iMac to ATV seems merely another form of file sharing, and no more bandwidth-hungry than video iChat, I still don't fully understand why is SHOULDN'T work. The protocol stacks are available to all processes, why can't one be a client and another a server, on the same machine?

In any event, be warned - this sort of cheap and quick connection is not viable.

Tom

 

[gr8tfly]

from the TV Tech Spec page at Apple:

"Internet access is required and a broadband connection is recommended."

Which implies you need the following:

(from Connect Your TV page):

"Wired or wireless network"

At a minimum, the TV needs internet access for software updates - there is no option to do it directly through iTunes.

I know this doesn't help, but I can't imagine you would own one anyway, without having internet access. (which would give you a LAN automatically, in most cases)

 

[imlucid]

Apple TV won't work in a "Computer to Computer" wireless network. However, it WILL work if you set the iMac up to share its internet connection (ethernet, or dialup) via Airport. Then the Apple TV can join it.

To do this, launch System Preferences and select "Sharing".

Click the "Internet" tab

Make your settings and you should be good to go.

Kevin

 

[deboni]

No, it evidently won't.

Apple TV won't work in a "Computer to Computer" wireless network. However, it WILL work if you set the iMac up to share its internet connection (ethernet, or dialup) via Airport. Then the Apple TV can join it.

To do this, launch System Preferences and select "Sharing".

Click the "Internet" tab

Make your settings and you should be good to go.

Kevin

In response to the previous two responses to my original posting, the iMac does have a broadband connection to the Internet, and sharing that connection IS turned on.

Tom

 

[imlucid]

In response to the previous two responses to my original posting, the iMac does have a broadband connection to the Internet, and sharing that connection IS turned on.

Hmm, that should work (I've tested it before). I'm not sure what in particular is going wrong here though.

Kevin

 

[deboni]

Hmm, that should work (I've tested it before). I'm not sure what in particular is going wrong here though.

Kevin

Excuse me, are you saying you have succeeded in getting a configuration like the one I described to work? Let me be perfectly clear about what I have:

1) A TV Cable broadbad box ethernetted to an iMac
2) An Airport Extreme card in the iMac
3) Internet connection sharing enabled (a software base station) in the iMac
4) A computer-to-computer network created on the iMac
5) An AppleTV connected to an HD monitor, maybe 25 feet away from the iMac

The Apple TV does not detect the wireless network created by the iMac's Airport Extreme card. The Apple TV has already failed (failed to restore factory default settings) and was replaced by a local Apple Store.

Please expand on what you did, and how you got it to work.

Tom

 

[imageforce]

wireless router?

you have a wireless router ?

 

[deboni]

wireless router

you have a wireless router ?

The Airport Extreme card becomes a software wireless router when I enable Internet Connection sharing. I create a wireless network in the Airport tab of the Network System Preference.

TD

 

[Little Newton]

Hi, I have a similar setup and it works fine.

I have a cable modem, PowerMac G4 with airport card, no router.

It should work. My only problem was that I used a proxy in my internet settings and the manual (do you have a manual?) was quite clear that AppleTV would not work with an internet setup that used a proxy. My use of proxy with my internet provider was optional. I turned it off and up it popped as a network for my AppleTV to join.

To set up Internet Sharing:

Open System Preferences, click Sharing, and click Internet.
Select how you would like to share your Internet connection, then click Start.
If you select "Share your Internet connection with AirPort-equipped computers," click AirPort Options to give your network a name and password.

 

[gr8tfly]

The catch might be where you created a Computer-to-Computer network. This creates a wireless ad-hoc network, which is different than the wireless router created when you share the internet connection. I haven't used the computer-computer for a while, but I believe if you disconnect from it, you should be able to use the "shared over airport".

 

[deboni]

The catch might be where you created a Computer-to-Computer network. This creates a wireless ad-hoc network, which is different than the wireless router created when you share the internet connection. I haven't used the computer-computer for a while, but I believe if you disconnect from it, you should be able to use the "shared over airport".

In response to the past two postings, in my setup, Proxy use was not selected, and we tried it with and without creating a wireless network. It seems to me this step is necessary, but I'm not sure.

Now I begin to wonder whether the Airport Extreme card is working. We've already traded the Apple TV for a new one, because the first one failed to Restore Factory Defaults twice, and the local Apple Store folks swapped it for a new one.

One major problem I have in troubleshooting all thjis is that it's all happening in Florida, and I'm in California.

T