iTunes Home Sharing and the Actiontec MI424WR
Oryoki
Enthusiast - Level 1

I have a MacPro Desktop that holds a pretty huge iTunes library (35,500+ items). It's the mothership and is connected to my home network via ethernet. I have a Dell Media Center machine (Vista; also ethernet) hooked to the TV and basic home theater system. It's the number one player for Home Sharing. On them, Home Sharing works flawlessly.

My wife's HP laptop (Vista; wireless connection) and my MacBook Pro on the other hand are a little quirky. If hooked up via ethernet, everything is fine. When using them wirelessly however, Home Sharing (as well as the Shared links in Finder on the MBP) disappear. In fact, I can have iTunes up and running and watch the Home Share appear and disappear as I connect the MBP to the network one way or the other. The most bizarre thing is, it's worked wirelessly before. Nothing changed as far as I know, it just decided one day that it wasn't going to play nicely anymore, or something. After dwelling on this for a bit, I came to the conclusion it had to be the wireless router (Actiontec MI424WR for Verizon FIOS) that was causing the issue. It was the only common denominator.

Opening the interface, I went to Wireless Settings then Advanced Security Settings. Everything there was innocuously fine. At the bottom of the Advanced screen, however, is a link called Other Advanced Wireless Options. Inside this menu are a number of settings probably better off left alone. The one that struck me was the second one down called "Network". It was set to "Network (Home/Office)". Seemed logical but what were the other options? Of course I checked.

Whatever selecting "Broadband" actually did (I have yet to find it described in documentation in any detail) it solved ALL of my problems. The floodgates have reopened. From the laptop I can now see the entire mixed network as well as access the iTunes library on the MacPro. What was originally thought by the Apple Care Tech to be related to the size of the library ("I've never heard of one being so large") turned out to be nothing more than a setting in the router's wireless settings menu.

Now if I can just find out what it did, exactly.... 

Re: iTunes Home Sharing and the Actiontec MI424WR
dslr595148
Community Leader
Community Leader

#1 Do you have only one router OR least two?

#2 If at least two routers, what is the brand and model of the other router?


@Oryoki wrote:

Whatever selecting "Broadband" actually did (I have yet to find it described in documentation in any detail) it solved ALL of my problems. The floodgates have reopened. From the laptop I can now see the entire mixed network as well as access the iTunes library on the MacPro. What was originally thought by the Apple Care Tech to be related to the size of the library ("I've never heard of one being so large") turned out to be nothing more than a setting in the router's wireless settings menu.

Now if I can just find out what it did, exactly.... 


#3 Odd.

After selecting "Broadband", what else did you do?

For example, setting up a Static IP.

^^

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Re: iTunes Home Sharing and the Actiontec MI424WR
mikeyagi
Newbie

i was having the same problem. iTunes Home Sharing would set up, but the shared icons would not appear in the left column.

So i tried the OP's solution of switching from "home/network" to "Broadband" . That's the only thing i did.

And voila! Home sharing works.

But like the OP, i don't know what other things this does - good or bad. Does anyone know what this setting is really for? Does it degrade the speed, connection, etc? I hope this is a permanent solution but don't want it to have negative consequences.

I also hope it solves other issues i'm having with my Airport Express printer sharing. Crossing fingers.

Thanks to the OP for the fix.

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