Knowing how to connect your Apple TV to your hotel Wi-Fi can be useful when you’re on vacation, traveling, or on business. It is something to enjoy in your free time. IT is also great when you’re traveling with kids.
However, most people report having trouble connecting their Apple TV to wireless networks in hotels. So, we are going to discuss the features of Apple TV, the problem of connecting it through captive portals, how to connect it to Wi-Fi, and how to connect it to hotel Wi-Fi.
A little about Apple TV
Apple TV comes in a box with a remote that you can use to control it. It has a power supply port, a USB-C port, an HDMI port, and an Ethernet port. It supports Bluetooth 4.0 and has an IR receiver. The box has a capacity of 32GB.
Most importantly, it supports Wi-Fi 802.11ac. This means you can connect to both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless frequency bands. Another great feature is the Siri remote.
The remote comes with the same Bluetooth technology and an IR transmitter.
A big advantage is that it has a rechargeable battery and a charging connector. The main drawback is that you need to buy an adapter and cable to charge it via USB. Other features include:
- Voice Search: You can use Siri to search for media using your voice. It is similar to other smart remote controls. All you have to do is hold the button for a few seconds and say whatever you want.
- Remote Sensitivity Adjustment – One of the amazing features it is the touch panel on the remote control. Unlike other smart remotes, you can control your Apple TV just like you would your phone.
- Playback Control – Another great feature similar to most of the video players you use. can find in your browser is the playback control. By tapping the touchpad left or right, you can skip 10 seconds back and forth.
- Application Switching – Just like using your iPhone, you can switch between open apps and swipe apps from the menu to close them. To open the menu, double-click Start and handle the apps.
- Stream Control: Unlike most other Android devices, Smart TV that allow you to cast the screen of other devices if you are connected to Wi-Fi, Apple TV has a feature called AirPlay. You can adjust the AirPlay settings so that only a few devices can use the screen.
Captive portal issue
Now that you know the different features of Apple TV, we can discuss what is the problem when we want to connect it to the hotel Wi-Fi. Most, if not all, hotels use a captive portal to access their wireless Internet connection.
Captive portals are used for additional authentication when connecting to businesses, hotels, restaurants, and other networks. wireless. Also, some public hotspots use captive portals and may be free or paid.
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What happens is that when you try to connect to a wireless network, it redirects you to a page in your browser that usually requires you to log in with any of the above credentials places provide. Some captive portals may require payment, taking surveys, agreeing to terms, etc.
Unfortunately, Apple TV cannot access wireless networks which redirects you to a captive portal due to startup additional session. However, the problem is not something to worry about because it is easy to solve.
How to connect Apple TV to Wi-Fi?
First, let’s go through the steps to connect to a Wi-Fi network with your Apple TV as usual. Connecting your Apple TV to Wi-Fi begins with accessing Settings. So, go to the Settings of the device.
Next, you should select Network. Once you select it, you should go to Set up wireless connection. Choose a network from the list. Use the displayed keyboard to type the password and click Done. Select Done again, and you’re done setting up Wi-Fi on your Apple TV.
Connect Apple TV to hotel Wi-Fi
The procedure may seem complicated and you will probably need to use another device to perform it. Using another device, such as a MacBook Pro, allows you to access the website and authorize your Apple TV to access the Internet.
Using a MacBook
To access the Wi-Fi Fi of the hotel, we first need to know the MAC address of our Apple TV. To do this, go to Settings. There, you should choose General and click on Network. You will be able to see the MAC address right next to ATVMAC. Take a picture of it or write it somewhere.
Find out your Wi-Fi properties option-click icon. Type Interface Name >and the Address, it’s supposed to say MacMAC, once you do that, you’ll need to access Terminal on your MacBook, go to Applicationsand Utilities and it will find it.
Type ifconfig (interface name) | grep ether Run the command without connecting to Wi-Fi.When done, you need to type another command sudo ifconfig (interface name) ether TVMAC.
This will spoof your MAC address and match that of your Apple TV If necessary, enter your administrator password You can join the wireless connection now using your MacBook and authenticate to the captive portal.
Finally, type the same commands using the address instead of the name from the interface, for example, ifconfig (MacMAC) | grep ether and sudo ifconfig (MacMAC) ether TVMAC .You can turn on the Apple T V now, and it should work correctly.
Using an iPhone
We’ll show you how to connect your Apple TV to hotel Wi-Fi using your iPhone or an iPad if you have one. First, you must connect to the hotel Wi-Fi with the credentials provided.
Next, find out the IP address, the DNS server, and the >subnet mask. Once you do that, you need to select manual mode to connect your Apple TV to hotel Wi-Fi. Enter the IP address, DNS server, and subnet mask that you can see on your iPhone.
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Finally, you need to turn off iPhone and finish setting up Wi-Fi on your Apple TV. This way, the TV takes over all the settings and you can connect to the Internet just like you would with your iPhone.
The Bottom Line
Now you know a little more about Apple TV, and knows how to connect to Wi-Fi correctly. Also, by following these steps you can avoid any captive portal type wireless connection.
Remember, knowing how to connect your Apple TV to hotel Wi-Fi is important when you go on vacation with your family, or just want to enjoy some entertainment on your business trip. Have fun watching your favorite shows and movies.
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