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Manhattan Aero
Manhattan Aero > Troubleshooting

Network troubleshooting steps

If the Manhattan Aero is having trouble connecting to services – Freely, streaming apps, or both – the issue is usually with the network connection or something on the network filtering specific traffic. The steps below cover the most useful checks.

For specific issues, such as streams failing during ad breaks, see the dedicated pages too.

Quick checks

  1. Restart the Aero. Through Settings → System → Power & Energy Saving → Restart. If that doesn’t help, unplug it from power for 10 seconds and plug it back in.
  2. Check the Wi-Fi signal strength. Press the Settings button (bottom right of the remote), then go to Network → Wireless Network and note how many bars are showing.
  3. Restart the router. Unplug it from the mains for about 30 seconds, then plug it back in and wait for it to fully reconnect.

If the issue continues

The most common causes we see, in order:

  1. ISP content filtering. Some broadband providers run filtering by default that can block legitimate services:

    • Virgin Media: Web Safe
    • Sky Broadband: Sky Broadband Shield
    • BT: BT Web Protect
    • TalkTalk: HomeSafe
    • Plusnet: Plusnet Protect

    Sign in to your broadband provider’s account and check whether any web filtering is on. Turning it off temporarily is a good way to confirm.

  2. DNS-based ad-blocking. Pi-hole, AdGuard, NextDNS, or similar on your home network can block ad and tracking domains, which some streaming services need to load properly. Try disabling it temporarily to confirm whether it’s the cause. See also Streams fail during ad breaks.

  3. Wi-Fi extenders and mesh networks. If the Aero is connected through a Wi-Fi extender or one of the satellite units in a mesh system, try moving it closer to the main router temporarily to confirm whether the issue is signal-related.

  4. Try Ethernet, or vice versa. If you’re using Wi-Fi, try a wired Ethernet cable to the router (Cat5e/​Cat6 is fine). If you’re already on Ethernet, try Wi-Fi instead. This helps narrow down the issue.

  5. Try a mobile phone hotspot. Connecting the Aero to your phone’s hotspot, even briefly, will tell you whether the issue is with your broadband connection in general.

  6. Try alternative DNS. If the rest don’t help, try switching to Google’s public DNS:

    1. Go to Settings → Network → Network Configuration and select Manual.
    2. Select Static IP Setup when it appears.
    3. In Primary DNS Address, enter 8.8.8.8.
    4. In Secondary DNS Address (marked optional), enter 8.8.4.4.

    If that resolves the issue, the original DNS (usually your ISP’s default) was likely interfering.

    Setting DNS this way fixes it for the Aero only. If you’d rather fix it for your whole network, set the same DNS on your router instead (your router’s manual or app will show how), then put the Aero back to Automatic under Settings → Network → Network Configuration. Some ISP routers, including the Sky and Virgin Media hubs, may not allow DNS changes – in that case, stick with the setting on the Aero.

If you’ve worked through these and you’re still stuck, please get in touch. It helps if you can tell us:

  • Your broadband provider
  • The make and model of your router
  • Whether the Aero is connected directly to the router, or through an extender or mesh
  • Whether you’ve changed any of your router’s default settings (DNS, content filtering, and so on)

Need more help? Contact support