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How to enroll Apple TVs
Apple TVs are becoming a significant entity in enterprises. It is one of the most promising streaming and signage tool used today in enterprise infrastructures. Hexnode supports the management of Apple TVs with a set of easy enrollment methods. They can be enrolled in Hexnode via different methods:
Apple Configurator Enrollment
Apple Configurator is a macOS tool that can be used to supervise and enroll Apple devices in mobile device management solutions. Apple Configurator is also used for creating configuration profile and deploy applications for enterprise and educational institutions. The enrollment can be completed through a wired setup or wirelessly over-the-air.
Follow the steps below to enroll Apple TV to Hexnode using Apple Configurator:
- On the Hexnode portal, go-to Enroll > Platform – Specific > tvOS > Apple Configurator.
- Choose the required domain and assign a user from Select User option and click Save.
- Open Apple Configurator on the host Mac. On the menu bar, click on File → New Profile → Wi-Fi, select Configure.
- Enter the SSID, security type, password, and any other relevant settings required to connect to your Wi-Fi network.
- Click Save from the File menu.
- Open Apple Configurator 2.0 on your host Mac machine.
- Go to Blueprints and click on Edit Blueprints.
- Click on New from the bottom left and enter a name for the blueprint.
- Double click on the blueprint, this will take you to the Info page. Change the blueprint Target to Apple TV.
- Go back to the All Blueprints page and select the blueprint.
- Click on the Add button (located on top of the Configurator) and choose Profiles and select the Wi-Fi profile. Alternately right-click on the blueprint and click on Add and choose Profile to add the previously created Wi-Fi profile.
- Select the blueprint and click on the Prepare button on top of the Configurator. Or else, right click on the blueprint and select Prepare.
- Choose Prepare with: Manual configuration. Enable the options Supervise devices and Allow devices to pair with other computers and click Next. If Allow devices to pair with other computers is not selected, the device cannot be detected by Mac or a PC when connected via USB.
- Now you should choose the enrollment server to remotely manage the device. Select a server that you have already created for your Hexnode portal. However, if you haven’t already created a server, click on New Server from the drop-down and click Next.
- If you are creating a new server,
- Specify a name for the server and enter the URL, which can be found at Enroll > Platform – Specific > tvOS > Apple Configurator on your Hexnode MDM console and click Next.
- The trust anchor certificates for the MDM server will be automatically added, click on Next.
- Now choose the organization used to supervise the devices. To create a new organization, select the New Organization from the drop-down menu, and click Next. Note that this step will be hidden if no organization is already registered in the Apple Configurator.
- Skip the Sign in to Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager page.
- Enter the information of your organization and then select Next. The information includes Name, Phone, Email and Address.
- Select Generate a new supervision identity and click Next.
- From the Setup Assistant screen, select any of the three options from the drop-down: Show all steps, Show only some steps, and Do not show any of these steps. If Show only some steps is selected, choose the steps to be shown during the device activation from the same page. Click Prepare.
Connect the Apple TV to the Mac running Apple Configurator using a USB cable.
OR
Connect the Mac running Apple Configurator and the Apple TV by pairing them over a network.
To pair them over a network,
- On your Apple TV, go to Settings > Remotes and Devices > Remote App and Devices.
- On your Mac, open Apple Configurator 2.
- Click on Apple Configurator 2 in the menu bar and choose the Paired Devices.
- From the search results, click Pair next to your Apple TV.
- Enter the 6-digit pin that appears on the screen of your Apple TV.
- On the All Devices page in the Apple Configurator, select your paired Apple TV.
- Right-click on the device, select Apply, then choose the required Blueprint and click Apply. This will raise a prompt to Erase the device. Proceed with erasing and follow the on-screen instructions on your Apple TV after reset to complete the enrollment.
You can find the installed profile in Apple TV from Settings > General > Device Management.
ABM enrollment
Apple Business Manager was introduced by Apple to help Business and Educational organizations remotely deploy Apple devices. Using ABM, a brand-new Apple device can be enrolled in Hexnode without a technician ever touching it. After the devices have been enrolled in Hexnode, you can apply DEP policies via the Hexnode portal.
Here is how to assign Apple TVs to the Hexnode server via ABM:
- Log in to your Apple Business Manager account.
- Complete the two-step verification.
- Click Devices. Search and select the required devices from the list. You can filter devices based on their source, order numbers, device types, etc. Then, click on Edit corresponding to the Edit MDM server option. In the case of a single device, click on Edit MDM Server that appears on the screen’s top center.
- Next, select the Assign to the following MDM option, and choose the required MDM server to which the devices are to be assigned.
- Confirm your action to complete the assignment.
Create a configuration profile with required configurations in Hexnode and attach it with the devices for streamlined enrollment. The device is now ready for deployment. If you have a new device, activate DEP by connecting it to the internet and applying Remote Management configurations. If you have an already activated device, reset the device to its factory settings to initiate the device enrollment procedure. After resetting, connect the device to a Wi-Fi network and apply Remote Management.
ABM Enrollment via Apple Configurator
Apple devices purchased before March 1, 2011 and other non-Authorized resellers or non-Apple purchased devices cannot be directly enrolled via ABM enrollment. Such devices can be enrolled in DEP with the help of Apple Configurator. Also, Apple TV’s that were previously Released from DEP can also be added back using this enrollment method.
Step A: Create a Wi-Fi profile in Apple Configurator
- Open Apple Configurator on the host Mac. On the menu bar, click on File → New Profile → Wi-Fi, select Configure.
- Enter the SSID, security type, password, and any other relevant settings required to connect to your Wi-Fi network.
- Click Save from the File menu.
Step B: Prepare a Blueprint and attach the Wi-Fi profile
- Open Apple Configurator 2.0 on your host Mac machine.
- Go to Blueprints and click on Edit Blueprints.
- Click on New from the bottom left and enter a name for the blueprint.
- Double click on the blueprint, this will take you to the Info page. Change the blueprint Target to Apple TV. Click on Back.
- Select the blueprint and click on the Add button (located on top of Apple Configurator). Choose Profiles and select the created Wi-Fi profile. Alternately right-click on the blueprint and click on Add and choose Profile to add the Wi-Fi profile.
- Then select the blueprint and click on the Prepare button on top of the Apple Configurator. Or, right click on the blueprint and select Prepare.
- Choose Prepare with: Manual configuration. Enable the options Add to Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager, Activate and complete enrollment, Supervise devices and Allow devices to pair with other computers and click Next. If Allow devices to pair with other computers is not selected, the device cannot be detected by Mac or a PC when connected via USB.
- Now choose the enrollment server to remotely manage the device. Select New Server from the drop-down and click Next.
- Specify a name for the server and enter the URL, which can be found at Enroll > Platform – Specific > tvOS > Apple Configurator and click on Next.
- The trust anchor certificates for the MDM server will be automatically added, click on Next.
- Now choose the organization used to supervise the devices. To create a new organization, select the New Organization from the drop-down menu, and click Next. Note that, this step will be hidden if no organization is already registered in the Apple Configurator.
- Sign in to your Apple Business Manager account. Note that this account should have administrative permissions to manage devices.
- Select Generate a new supervision identity and click Next.
- From the Setup Assistant screen, select any of the three options from the drop-down: Show all steps, Show only some steps, and Do not show any of these steps. If Show only some steps is selected, choose the steps to be shown from the same page. Click Next.
- Then select the previously prepared Wi-Fi profile and click Next.
- Click on Prepare.
Step C: Pair the devices and associate the Blueprint
Connect the host Mac and the Apple TV either wirelessly or via a USB cable. To pair Apple devices over a network, refer Step 4: Applying Blueprint to the Apple TV in the Apple Configurator Enrollment.
Now, apply Blueprint to devices. To do so, select the device and click on Blueprints, select the required Blueprint, and click on Apply.
If the device is supervised, the Wi-Fi profile will automatically install on the device and you will be prompted to initiate the erase action on Apple Configurator. However, if the device is not-supervised, you will be notified that the Wi-Fi profile installation cannot be completed without manual intervention. Install the profile by physically accessing the device and manually reset the device to its factory settings.
- Open Apple Configurator on the host Mac. On the menu bar, click on File → New Profile → Wi-Fi, select Configure.
- Enter the SSID, security type, password, and any other relevant settings required to connect to your Wi-Fi network.
- Click Save from the File menu.
- Open Apple Configurator 2.0 on your host Mac machine.
- Go to Blueprints and click on Edit Blueprints.
- Click on New from the bottom left and enter a name for the blueprint.
- Double click on the blueprint, this will take you to the Info page. Change the blueprint Target to Apple TV. Click on Back.
- Select the blueprint and click on the Add button (located on top of Apple Configurator). Choose Profiles and select the created Wi-Fi profile. Alternately right-click on the blueprint and click on Add and choose Profile to add the Wi-Fi profile.
- Then select the blueprint and click on the Prepare button on top of the Apple Configurator. Or, right click on the blueprint and select Prepare.
- Choose Prepare with: Manual configuration. Enable the options Add to Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager, Activate and complete enrollment, Supervise devices and Allow devices to pair with other computers and click Next. If Allow devices to pair with other computers is not selected, the device cannot be detected by Mac or a PC when connected via USB.
- Now choose the enrollment server to remotely manage the device. Select New Server from the drop-down and click Next.
- Specify a name for the server and enter the URL, which can be found at Enroll > Platform – Specific > tvOS > Apple Configurator and click on Next.
- The trust anchor certificates for the MDM server will be automatically added, click on Next.
- Now choose the organization used to supervise the devices. To create a new organization, select the New Organization from the drop-down menu, and click Next. Note that, this step will be hidden if no organization is already registered in the Apple Configurator.
- Sign in to your Apple Business Manager account. Note that this account should have administrative permissions to manage devices.
- Select Generate a new supervision identity and click Next.
- From the Setup Assistant screen, select any of the three options from the drop-down: Show all steps, Show only some steps, and Do not show any of these steps. If Show only some steps is selected, choose the steps to be shown from the same page. Click Next.
- Then select the previously prepared Wi-Fi profile and click Next.
- Click on Prepare.
Step C: Pair the devices and associate the Blueprint
Connect the host Mac and the Apple TV either wirelessly or via a USB cable. To pair Apple devices over a network, refer Step 4: Applying Blueprint to the Apple TV in the Apple Configurator Enrollment.
Now, apply Blueprint to devices. To do so, select the device and click on Blueprints, select the required Blueprint, and click on Apply.
If the device is supervised, the Wi-Fi profile will automatically install on the device and you will be prompted to initiate the erase action on Apple Configurator. However, if the device is not-supervised, you will be notified that the Wi-Fi profile installation cannot be completed without manual intervention. Install the profile by physically accessing the device and manually reset the device to its factory settings.
Connect the host Mac and the Apple TV either wirelessly or via a USB cable. To pair Apple devices over a network, refer Step 4: Applying Blueprint to the Apple TV in the Apple Configurator Enrollment.
Now, apply Blueprint to devices. To do so, select the device and click on Blueprints, select the required Blueprint, and click on Apply.
If the device is supervised, the Wi-Fi profile will automatically install on the device and you will be prompted to initiate the erase action on Apple Configurator. However, if the device is not-supervised, you will be notified that the Wi-Fi profile installation cannot be completed without manual intervention. Install the profile by physically accessing the device and manually reset the device to its factory settings.