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General discussion

Connecting Apple TV to Uverse Wireless??

Apr 17, 2009 3:04PM PDT

UVERSE has been a technological nightmare so far. Right now our main issue is getting our Apple TV to work with the new AT&T Wireless. Our internet signal shows up on our Macbook Pros and we can get on the internet; however, my iTunes has only synced once with Apple TV, but hasn't shown up since in my iTunes, and it's never shown up in my husband's iTunes that he knows of. So the only music and pictures the Apple TV is showing on our TV is what's is stored in the Apple TV library. Does anyone know how to get our Macbook Pros to connect with the Apple TV via the new Uverse Wireless?

Discussion is locked

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Just checking.
Apr 17, 2009 10:47PM PDT

Do you have a support person to help you set it all up?

The reason I ask is that networking is still too hard for most of us. This is why the various books and services are out there.
Bob

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We had a professional Uverse installation.
Apr 18, 2009 1:07AM PDT

In fact, we had several. The first installation had the TV going, but then in quit, so two days later, the team came out again, said it was a cable problem, so the "outside" guy came and fixed the cable/box issue, but the TV still wouldn't work. The inside team came back, installed two more DVR receivers, and it still wouldn't work until they called into the office where they had to do some internal fix.

Everything was finally fine with the TV, but for internet, we had to remove our Apple airport station (router behind router issue) and we finally got internet back. I'm assuming the Apple TV is another router behind router issue although it's not really a router. Device behind a device, perhaps, since it, too, is wireless, and our AT&T wireless device isn't wanting to let our Macbooks recognize it? Just a guess.

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Looks grim.
Apr 18, 2009 4:38AM PDT

At the top of the networking forum at http://forums.cnet.com/5204-7589_102-0.html?forumID=62%20&tag=forums06;breadc we have our sticky posts which discuss preferred settings for wifi and routers.

But here's the grim news. Unless you want to learn a great deal more about networking we have to let others maintain our stuff.

There is not enough detail and I can't possible write a step by step for each network since each differs in some way. This is why I have friends that roam about town setting things up.
Bob

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Just a thought,
Apr 18, 2009 7:55AM PDT

Using the AppleTV software one one of your Macs, can you make it connect to the wireless router?

AppleTV is not a router so should not be affected by the Router behind Router problem. Your Airport base station should not be a problem either as you can use the Apple Airport software to turn off the routing function.
You can also turn off the Wireless and Routing functions of the cable modem and connect the Airport Base station directly to the modem.
That way the ABS acts as the Router for your network, as a DHCP server for all your connected devices and, the clincher, the AppleTV talks nicely to the ABS and everyone is happy.

P

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Accessing Airport Basestation when using U-Verse
Aug 11, 2009 12:11PM PDT

I just got all set up with U-Verse and I can not access my airport through Airport Utility as before. The light on the front of the base-station is flashing yellow no mater what I do.

I would like to continue using my airport base-station and express as print servers despite the internet coming from the Gateway router provided by ATT.

Is there a way to configure the Airport in this way?

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Turn off the Routing & DHCP
Aug 12, 2009 12:17AM PDT

functions of the Airport.

See above


P

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Can you assists
Aug 12, 2009 1:44AM PDT

I am not sure how to turn of the routing and DHCP, can you please elaborate?

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Using airport utility,
Aug 12, 2009 11:33AM PDT

connect to the Airport and in the setup, turn off DHCP.

Your router is already providing DHCP support and having two such devices on a single network can cause problems.

You may have to connect the airport directly to your Mac to access it if you cannot reach it across your network.

P

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This is all very useful information
Aug 13, 2009 3:25AM PDT

P, thanks for your advice, while useful, it seems, either I am missing something or there is no way to turn off DHCP. Have you been able to do this? If so how?

J

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airport
Nov 6, 2009 11:40AM PST

I helped someone set up an airport express to work with AT&T DSL router. The trick is that you need to access the airport device by a computer via wifi and turn it into a client. Do that and your airport will then work on the DSL router (of course you need to enter in the MAC filter, etc.) but that worked for her.

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I've discovered a work-around solution (Apple TV to U-Verse)
Aug 27, 2009 2:03PM PDT

For the past several weeks I've been grappling with connecting my Apple TV to the U-Verse Wireless gateway. I've tried almost everything I've seen in the forums and help sites -- opening up ports in the firewall, putting a $ in front of the password, assigning full access to the Apple TV MAC address in the router configuration settings, contacting AT&T support, etc. -- and nothing worked.

I've discovered a work-around that, while not perfect, will suffice until Apple and/or AT&T and/or 2Wire figure out why these devices don't play nice together.

If you have the full U-Verse service, you probably have one or more set-top-boxes that connect with your TVs. The set-tops I have, the VIP1200 series, have an Ethernet port in the back.

If you plug your Apple TV directly into the Ethernet port on the set-top-box, the U-Verse gateway will recognize it as a node on the local network, with full access to iTunes and the Internet.

Ok, so it's not a fix -- Apple TV isn't operating wirelessly, but it works. The only requirement is that your Apple TV is located where the set-top-box is.

I'm posting this in the hopes that it will help one of the poor souls like me who have spent countless hours banging their heads against the wall trying to figure out how to make this work.

Best of luck!
Geo2

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It's surely better than nothing
Aug 28, 2009 3:03AM PDT

thanks

P

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Perfect fix!
Nov 25, 2009 4:56AM PST

Plugged the ethernet cable in and it worked in seconds!!

Thanks

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AppleTV and AT&T UVerse
Jul 29, 2010 8:09AM PDT

Eureka Macheesmo!! The ethernet cable tip is exactly perfect!!! After about 24 hours or so of headbanging and teeth gnashing...why, oh why didn't I find this tip before the self-flagellation?? Thanks to all who shuffled us along!!!

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There is nothing wrong with self-flagellation,
Jul 29, 2010 9:00AM PDT

especially when it takes you to the solution


Happy

P

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(NT) novice starting the process...
Apr 8, 2011 7:13AM PDT
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Novice seeking assistance!
Apr 8, 2011 7:17AM PDT

Am such a novice that I posted the title only when trying to get help! The A T & T guys come Monday and I hope to have U-Verse hooked up when they leave plus Apple TV. Do I understand that I need an ethernet cable from the Apple TV unit to the set-top box, as described in the messages, PLUS a HDMI (?) cable from the Apple TV to the TV set itself? Is the Apple TV accessed thru iTunes and can that be done by any computer that is on the wifi in the house? Would be most appreciative for any help! Phineas Gage

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Had Uverse recently.
Apr 8, 2011 7:28AM PDT

No. The Uverse mothership (the techs called it that) has wifi and worked fine with our Roku. I expect it to work fine with AppleTV.

As to the HDMI, that's not a Uverse issue but is my preferred connection.
Bob

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Wired
Aug 27, 2010 7:04AM PDT

is the preferred, and faster method of connecting. WiFi has less bandwidth. Wired also seems to handshake better than WiFi in most of these instances.

I have a Verizon FIOS subscription and I ran cable down to it, and I get superior results and throughput in streaming.

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(NT) great worked for me!
Oct 31, 2010 4:30AM PDT