Installing certificates without USB on Apple TV is a elegant and easy way to get PlexConnect on your Apple TV. Installing a certificate on your Apple TV is essential to get PlexConnect running because of the silent Apple TV Software update from August 27, 2013. Installing certificates over the air (OTA) on Apple TV can used for any certificates, not only for the PlexConnect ones.
Up to now, it was necessary to connect your Apple TV to your computer (Mac and Windows PC) via a micro USB cable. Some people including me noticed that not every micro USB cable is working to get the Apple TV recognized in the iPhone configuration utility.
Here’ how to installing certificates without USB cable on Apple TV2 or 3:
- The latest version of PlexConnect from Github needs to be running.
- Create certificate files for Mac or Windows (Step 2).
- Copy all three certificate files to default directory .cer (Mac)/.der (Windows), .pem and .key to …/plexconnect/assets/certificates)
- Complete Apple TV configuration steps in the PlexConnect Install Guide (steps 3 & 4 in Mac and 4 & 5 in Windows guide)
- Go to the Apple TV Settings.
- Select ‘General‘ then scroll the cursor down to highlight ‘Send Data To Apple‘.
- Set ‘Send data to apple‘ to ‘No‘.
- This time press ‘Play‘ (not the normal ‘Select‘ button) and you will be prompted to add a profile.
- Enter the URL for the .cer file: http://your-Plex-Server-IP-address/trailers.cer […/trailers.der for Windows] (don’t forget to add http:// and use your PlexConnect IP address). Click on ‘Submit‘.
Using this work around is really an easy way to install certificates without USB cable to an Apple TV over the air (OTA).
Stay tuned! 😉
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Thanks for the tutorial!
It works great on Yosemite 10.0.1 and 7.0.2 on ATV3!
I think it was better than the micro usb cable did`t work for me.
This method seems easy and works at first time!
ThankYou once again! 🙂
Hi man,
I’ve got a small question. After I set the ‘send data to apple’ on no and I click on the play button (I only have one play button but it’s the same as the select button) the apple TV doesn’t redirect me to the profiile page but just asks me if I want to send data to apple…
Can you please help me?
Hi pepijnp,
you do not have the original Apple remote control? What kind of remote do you have? Try instead of the remote control the Apple iOS app (https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/remote/id284417350?mt=8).
You must use the single play button, not a combined one.
Cheers,
Gee Are
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Hi Are,
I run correct version of Python, I try to create certificate file with .der and .cer. I copy these file in plexconnect\assets\certificates
I add profile from ATV but error 4001 back me.
22:29:14 PlexConnect: ***
22:29:14 PlexConnect: PlexConnect
22:29:14 PlexConnect: Press CTRL-C to shut down.
22:29:14 PlexConnect: ***
22:29:14 PlexConnect: started: 22:29:14
22:29:14 PlexConnect: Version: 0.4-dev
22:29:14 PlexConnect: Python: 2.7.6 (default, Nov 10 2013, 19:24:18) [MSC v.1500
32 bit (Intel)]
22:29:14 PlexConnect: Host OS: win32
22:29:14 PlexConnect: IP_self: 192.168.1.250
22:29:15 WebServer: started: 22:29:15
22:29:15 WebServer: ***
22:29:15 WebServer: WebServer: Serving HTTP on 192.168.1.250 port 80.
22:29:15 WebServer: ***
22:29:15 WebServer: started: 22:29:15
22:29:15 WebServer: ***
22:29:15 WebServer: WebServer: Serving HTTPS on 192.168.1.250 port 443.
22:29:15 WebServer: ***
22:29:15 DNSServer: started: 22:29:15
22:29:15 DNSServer: ***
22:29:15 DNSServer: DNSServer: Serving DNS on 192.168.1.250 port 53.
22:29:15 DNSServer: intercept: [‘trailers.apple.com’] => 192.168.1.250
22:29:15 DNSServer: restrain: [‘mesu.apple.com’, ‘appldnld.apple.com’, ‘appldnld
.apple.com.edgesuite.net’] => 127.0.0.1
22:29:15 DNSServer: forward other to higher level DNS: 8.8.8.8
22:29:15 DNSServer: ***
22:29:27 WebServer: serving .xml: /trailers.der
22:29:51 WebServer: serving .xml: /PlexConnect/assets/certificates
Help me please!!!
Hi Erik,
did you copy the cert files also in the folder C:/Cert?
Cheers,
Gee Are
Hi Are,
I create cert files in C:/Cert and after I copy these in plexconnect/assets/certificates.
But AppleTV give me error 4001. Check the url.
Hi Erik,
which path (http://…) did you address on your Apple TV?
Cheers,
Gee Are
I try with:
http://192.168.1.250/plexconnect/assets/certificates
and
http://192.168.1.250/trailers.der
Hi Erik,
the first is definitely wrong, the second should work. Is your Plex Media Server running? It should.
Alternatively try http://trailers.apple.com/trailers.der or …cer
It this doesn’t work, too, the most common reason is a wrongly created cert file. Try to generate it again and look for the correct Python and OpenSSl versions!
Cheers,
Gee Are
Thank You Are,
with http://trailers.apple.com/trailers.der finally works…
You’re welcome!
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At the end I entered http://Ip address/trailers.cer
I also tried to change my DNS on the apple tv (I tried with automatic, and tried to put the ip of my mac as a DNS)
It always give me “An error occurred while adding the profile [109]. Check the URL and try again”
My apple tv is running on 7.0.1 (6912) if that can help
Hi Amir,
first, try http://trailers.apple.com/trailers.cer, then http://trailers.apple.com/trailers.der and http://your-PlexMediaServer-IP/trailers.der.
If this does not work you need to install the cert files via USB. I experienced the same problem from time to time.
Cheers,
Gee Are