Apple TV WiFi goes super slow requiring reboot

[millerrh]

So my Apple TV has had this problem basically since I got it, but it happens infrequently enough (maybe once a week) that I just deal with it. But now it is starting to get on my nerves. Basically, I'll notice that things look pixilated and not HD, I'll check the Speed Test and the speed will be very slow, typically around 1 Mbps. All I do is reboot the Apple TV without touching anything else and I'm getting ~100 Mbps.

This is driving me nuts. Does anyone know why it just will constantly nearly lose its connection like this? Anything I can do?

Before Reboot:

After Reboot:

 

[waw74]

have you tried rebooting your router or wi-fi basestation?

 

[millerrh]

have you tried rebooting your router or wi-fi basestation?

I have rebooted my router/wifi between the time I received the Apple TV 4K and now, but I have not done that as an immediate thing to try to troubleshoot this particular issue. But the Apple TV continues to drop signal and will regain signal upon reboot of the Apple TV without changing the router, so it seems like the issue is likely in the Apple TV, no?

 

[BJMRamage]

How are your other devices? if everything is slowing down, the router...if just the AppleTV, then I'd think that was it. now, why it is, no idea.

Do you have 2 signals being sent? I know there was a time when we had a 2 & 5ghz and the AppleTV kept trying to switch between the two, causing a slow-down. I can't remember the fix but we had to call Xfinity to get it resolved. it was renaming or something. I think both initially used the exact same name so we could continue to connect no matter how far without much issue - it would auto-switch to whatever signal was better. But we then gave them unique names and now it stays put on the 5Ghz.

 

[millerrh]

How are your other devices? if everything is slowing down, the router...if just the AppleTV, then I'd think that was it. now, why it is, no idea.

Do you have 2 signals being sent? I know there was a time when we had a 2 & 5ghz and the AppleTV kept trying to switch between the two, causing a slow-down. I can't remember the fix but we had to call Xfinity to get it resolved. it was renaming or something. I think both initially used the exact same name so we could continue to connect no matter how far without much issue - it would auto-switch to whatever signal was better. But we then gave them unique names and now it stays put on the 5Ghz.

Every other device is fine, so that's another reason that I don't think it's the router's fault, but something with the Apple TV. I am using a Google Wifi Mesh system with this particular Apple TV near one of the mesh points. It's possible it might be switching 2 vs. 5 ghz or even grabbing onto the wrong mesh point or something. Next time this happens, I might open up the Google WiFi app and look at those things. Thanks for sparking that idea. Something else to troubleshoot at least.

 

[BJMRamage]

^ We would also notice there was a brief pop-up stating lost connection but then it would continue to play, then sometimes fritz out.

good luck

 

[Ruggy]

You are using a mesh system on the router?
Ok, I don't know what the Google mesh system is but my experience of mesh on routers is they have a page somewhere that prioritizes content. Or prioritizes devices.
That is, you might have a game mode or something which prioritizes traffic for playing games, which means your TV is at the bottom of the list and gradually bandwidth is being assigned to something else.
It could be something along those lines: that is the priority is being lowered for some reason until you reboot it then it naturally gets kicked back up the order.

 

[millerrh]

You are using a mesh system on the router?
Ok, I don't know what the Google mesh system is but my experience of mesh on routers is they have a page somewhere that prioritizes content. Or prioritizes devices.
That is, you might have a game mode or something which prioritizes traffic for playing games, which means your TV is at the bottom of the list and gradually bandwidth is being assigned to something else.
It could be something along those lines: that is the priority is being lowered for some reason until you reboot it then it naturally gets kicked back up the order.

I just checked and the priority function is only for a set time, not indefinitely. I’ll have to see what things look like in the Google WiFi app when things go to poop again.

 

[daflake]

Mine does weird WIFI disconnects from time to time as well where I have to reboot it. Nothing else has a problem, just my ATV4. Never found a solution other than simply rebooting it from time to time.

 

[millerrh]

Mine does weird WIFI disconnects from time to time as well where I have to reboot it. Nothing else has a problem, just my ATV4. Never found a solution other than simply rebooting it from time to time.

Yep, that seems exactly like mine. Always figured it was a software bug that would have been fixed, but several updates have come and gone without improving the situation.

 

[daflake]

Yep, that seems exactly like mine. Always figured it was a software bug that would have been fixed, but several updates have come and gone without improving the situation.

Yep, that was my thought as well. I have just gotten used to it not being right. Usually I just reboot it before I start watching and don’t have any problems for the evening.

 

[waw74]

with this particular Apple TV near one of the mesh points

how near?
sometimes being too close can cause a problem too.

if the aTV and Google Wifi are close, and you can do it easily, you might try running an ethernet cable between the 2.

you'll need to verify, but from a quick search, it looks like both ethernet ports on the repeaters turn into LAN ports, so you should just be able to connect the ports on the aTV and the Google Wifi.

you don't mention if its an aTV 4 (now HD) or 4k
the 4/HD only has a 100Mb port, so speed test should top out a bit below that (but it will be more than enough for streaming)
the 4k has a gigabit port. so speed test should reflect your internet speed.

 

[millerrh]

how near?
sometimes being too close can cause a problem too.

if the aTV and Google Wifi are close, and you can do it easily, you might try running an ethernet cable between the 2.

you'll need to verify, but from a quick search, it looks like both ethernet ports on the repeaters turn into LAN ports, so you should just be able to connect the ports on the aTV and the Google Wifi.

you don't mention if its an aTV 4 (now HD) or 4k
the 4/HD only has a 100Mb port, so speed test should top out a bit below that (but it will be more than enough for streaming)
the 4k has a gigabit port. so speed test should reflect your internet speed.

The google WiFi and AppleTV 4K are only about 5 ft apart. In theory I could run a cable between them but I don’t because I’m using the output port for my receiver which doesn’t have WiFi. Although I hardly ever use that receiver’s WiFi connection so maybe worth swapping.

I do have another ATV4K hooked via cable in my office with zero problems. So maybe not a bad idea.

 

[Tech198]

Wired is typically better than Wi-fi for steaming... as its more stable. Sounds like interfere most probably.. try another channel 6 or 11.

Even using Eithernet over Power is better... Although this is technically still Wi-fi, it doesn't go through the air, so not affected by the same level of interference, but can still have issues.

 

[Pastorinni]

Yep, that seems exactly like mine. Always figured it was a software bug that would have been fixed, but several updates have come and gone without improving the situation.

I have this same exact issue has anyone found a solution?

Went to apple store yesterday about it they couldn’t replicate it but gave me a brand new one (they had 0 replacements units in stock I complained and they literally opened a box from the shelf right then and there).

Got home issue persists. I have to reboot every time. When the tv wakes from sleep there’s a 90% chance it’s gonna happen.

Same setting atv 4K and Google Wifi, I don’t even have a mesh system just a single google Wifi router (moved to a smaller apartment only need one)

 

[HDFan]

In theory I could run a cable between them

As a test I'd run the cable and use ethernet rather than WiFi to see if that makes a difference.

 

[millerrh]

I have this same exact issue has anyone found a solution?

Went to apple store yesterday about it they couldn’t replicate it but gave me a brand new one (they had 0 replacements units in stock I complained and they literally opened a box from the shelf right then and there).

Got home issue persists. I have to reboot every time. When the tv wakes from sleep there’s a 90% chance it’s gonna happen.

Same setting atv 4K and Google Wifi, I don’t even have a mesh system just a single google Wifi router (moved to a smaller apartment only need one)

I ran a cable from my Gooogle WiFi to my ATV and it fixed the problem. If you only have one, maybe an answer is to get a second you can put near your TV. You get a wired connection and better mesh coverage.

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

Are you using 5ghz WiFi or 2.4ghz??? 2.4 can be plagued by interference. We have 400mbps fibre and it's usually 403+ BUT on the 2.4ghz setting it drops to 0.3mbps!!!!!!!!! at times due to interference from neighbours who are using channels 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 etc. We have have the 2.4ghz setting switched off.

 

[millerrh]

Are you using 5ghz WiFi or 2.4ghz??? 2.4 can be plagued by interference. We have 400mbps fibre and it's usually 403+ BUT on the 2.4ghz setting it drops to 0.3mbps!!!!!!!!! at times due to interference from neighbours who are using channels 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 etc. We have have the 2.4ghz setting switched off.

Since mine is now wired, I'm not sure what it was on. But we also have another Apple TV that is still on Wireless that doesn't have this problem as often. It is currently on 5.0 GHz. That said, no other device in our house has acted like this, so this seems unique to the Apple TV.

 

[cynics]

Logic would dictate that the sole device with the problem would be the problem. However networking operates outside the boundaries of logic. Power cycling the router should also fix it since it seems to need to renew the IP the ATV is using. I would try power cycling the router AND modem just to see the duration before it happens again.

Also when its happening log into the google app and look at data usage on your network. Make sure the AppleTV or something isn't saturating bandwidth. 100 mbps isn't difficult this day in age, Apple, Sony, Microsoft, etc can do that. Google gives you the ability to see that in the app though.

 

[millerrh]

Logic would dictate that the sole device with the problem would be the problem. However networking operates outside the boundaries of logic. Power cycling the router should also fix it since it seems to need to renew the IP the ATV is using. I would try power cycling the router AND modem just to see the duration before it happens again.

Also when its happening log into the google app and look at data usage on your network. Make sure the AppleTV or something isn't saturating bandwidth. 100 mbps isn't difficult this day in age, Apple, Sony, Microsoft, etc can do that. Google gives you the ability to see that in the app though.

If you do the Speed Test app within AppleTV, wouldn’t that show you the bandwidth the AppleTV is getting as well? Or is looking at it through the google WiFi app different? Because when doing it through the AppleTV app, I was getting like 1 mbps (screen shots at the beginning of this thread).

 

[cynics]

If you do the Speed Test app within AppleTV, wouldn’t that show you the bandwidth the AppleTV is getting as well? Or is looking at it through the google WiFi app different? Because when doing it through the AppleTV app, I was getting like 1 mbps (screen shots at the beginning of this thread).

Yes that is accurate. I recommend testing a different device at that moment to verify other devices aren't effected. Its easy to notice slow streaming performance, more difficult on a phone using mobile webpages, messages and such.

 

[millerrh]

Yes that is accurate. I recommend testing a different device at that moment to verify other devices aren't effected. Its easy to notice slow streaming performance, more difficult on a phone using mobile webpages, messages and such.

I have run a test to see that other devices on the network also aren't slow by using the Speed Test App (or Website on computers) to confirm it wasn't the entire network. So it's definitely something about the Apple TV.

 

[cynics]

I have run a test to see that other devices on the network also aren't slow by using the Speed Test App (or Website on computers) to confirm it wasn't the entire network. So it's definitely something about the Apple TV.

You said your other AppleTV does this on occasion?

 

[millerrh]

You said your other AppleTV does this on occasion?

Yes, but not nearly as frequently. Where this one would do it about once a week or so, I can probably count on one hand the number of times the other has done it. Could possibly be some interference around this specific device - it is around a lot of metal electronics and speakers and such.

However, it's weird that just restarting it without changing anything about its positioning would go from 1 mbps to 100 mbps. That to me made it seem like a software issue. However, simply plugging in an RJ45 cord from it to my Google Mesh point solved the problem, so I'm not as worried about it now.