Use an AppleTV when I travel off the home network

appletvtelevision

I have a first generation AppleTV and I am wondering if I take it on vacation and connect to an HDTV with an HDMI cable, will it enable me to pickup programming off the WiFi in my vacation are for viewing?

Best Answer

You may have an issue with the hotel wifi. Oftentimes hotel wifi networks require you to open a web browser to login and use the internet. The Apple TV doesn't have a web browser so you might not be able to login and use their wifi network

@The Disco Spider

Heres my WAY OVER complicated explanation to solve the issue of Hotel/Plane WiFi requiring you to use a Web Browser to login on a device that does not allow this type of authentication

Some Info

  • Most (All) Hotel WiFi networks that require you to login on a webpage by either agreeing to TOS, inputing your room number and last name, etc. authenticate using a MAC Address
  • It remembers that you were logged in by using a MAC address so if you leave for the day (disconnect) and come back later (reconnect) you do not have to login
  • MAC Addresses can be easily spoofed, allowing us to authenticate with the same MAC Address on a compatible device
  • This method could also be used to steal paid WiFi, so take the moral route and don't STEAL`

Get MAC Address of the Apple TV (or other device)

  1. Settings -> General -> About -> WiFi Address

Get WiFi interface and MAC Address (on your Mac)

  1. Hold Down Option key
  2. Click on the WiFi Button in the Menu Bar
  3. Write down the Address
  4. Remember the Interface Name (either en0 or en1)

Note: Disconnect the Apple TV/Device

Begin the Hack

  1. sudo ifconfig [INTERFACE NAME] ether [APPLE TV/DEVICE MAC ADDRESS] //Spoofs MAC address to Apple TV's MAC address
  2. Turn off WiFi and turn WiFi back on
  3. If a webpage does not open, open Safari and navigate to captive.apple.com to force the sign in page
  4. After logging in, once more navigate to captive.apple.com if you receive a Success then you are good to go
  5. sudo ifconfig [INTERFACE NAME] ether [ORIGINAL Mac's MAC ADDRESS] \ Put back MAC address or you will have EXTREME connectivity issues
  6. Turn off WiFI and turn WiFi back on
  7. Turn WiFI on, on your Apple TV/Device

This should work as I have tested with an Apple TV, PS4, and many other devices.

Note: This may not work in WPA3

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