Hi @tahsu ---- Thank you for getting back to me and sharing your thoughts.
Moving forward, I just want to verify a bit of information based on what you have provided in your most recent response, and my apologies if I have misinterpreted anything previously posted.
So just to clarify, the only time these affects are being “felt” is when you are using Roon, correct? So if you leave the homeplugs in a connected/active state, when you get into range of the router and out of range of the “1200s” you are still able to access other application utilizing a Wifi connection without issue?
That is correct. I have only noticed with Roon, everything else appears to work as it should. I just walked from one end of the house to the other (a few times) with the Tidal app on directly. I tried streaming different songs, picking different tracks I have not listened to previously. It appeared to stay connected (moving between access points) with no drop outs noticed. Ditto Netflix
Hi @tahsu —— Thank you for touching base with me and confirming my thought(s) from the previous post.
Moving forward, while we understand that the you are able to connect to other service like TIDAL and Netflix, keep in mind that Roon is going to depend on stable communication between the devices inside your network, as opposed to a single device on your network communicating with a server on the internet. Using Netflix tells us your connection to the internet is working, but it doesn’t tell us very much about communication within your network.
We’re happy to continue working with you to understand why these homeplug devices don’t seem to be working properly, but I want to be clear that our team has a decade of experience troubleshooting networked home audio, and we’ve seen many, many issues with these types of solutions. With some effort, we may be able to identify why the homeplug devices aren’t working, but that doesn’t mean we’ll necessarily be able to move forward, particularly if the issue is related to the specifics of Devolo’s networking. We really do try to resolve issues even when they’re not related to our software, but at that point we’d probably need to ask you to pass on our findings to them and hope for the best.
I mention all of this because again, pinpointing exactly why these devices aren’t working as we expect can be quite time consuming, and based on our past experience the most likely outcome is that the Devolo units have issues with certain kinds of traffic that Roon depends on. As our CTO mentioned in the post I linked previously:
Poorly configured additional access points. If you need this kind of stuff to cover your home, you will be much, much happier with a mesh network. Often handoffs between repeaters cause problems. It is also very easy to misconfigure them such that the devices end up re-associating when they hop in a way that disrupts connections, or end up accidentally living on segmented networks. We’ve had several seriously puzzling support cases that ended with the user simply unplugging everything but the main router, and finding that not just Roon, but everything started working better.
WiFi “range extenders” or “repeaters”. These have too many tradeoffs to be considered an actual improvement. These never worked well because they were too “dumb”. Mesh technology (where all of the base stations are coordinating with each other out of band of the WiFi signal) work much, much better.
After spending time investigating a number of similar issues, my personal recommendation would be to investigate the various mesh network solutions that are out there, but we’ll do whatever we can to help get this working for you. Just let me know how you’d like to proceed here Ross, and we’ll do everything we can to get this 100% stable for you.
Hi @Eric, we do need to be a little careful here, as I continue to use Roon in my kitchen (using my Sonos) connected via the Devolo homeplug without issue, on a daily basis. Its just my lounge which appears to be problematic (via main router as previously stated) however I appreciate this issue may lie somewhere in the Network as a whole.
Having said that I am not keen on replacing a network which works with every other app and service apart from Roon, or at least, I am not experiencing issues with other items and so to replace it all feels disproportionate. Finally, unless there is anything else you can suggest I am not sure what else you can do and I do appreciate you have tried to help.
Hi @Eric - after my last email I tried to think if there was anything else I could try and I think I may have found a work around. I can log onto my home plugs to manage the various settings including setting up their wireless features. Currently both plugs have been repeating my router WiFi settings - accessed via the mains, in effect supposedly producing one blanket wifi network across the whole house. However we know practically not being a true mesh network means you get issues like we have been discussing in this thread.
When I was looking through the settings I decided to set the 2.5GHz network to a separate name (Roon) for the plug that is situated in the middle of the house. I have done some testing and I can access WiFi in my lounge, middle room and kitchen (a bit weak at the far reaches) which means the android device is not trying to switch devices but maintains a link to the same Devolo plug whilst on the ‘Roon’ 2.5GHz network. The upshot of this, I can connect and control Roon in all my rooms. So not perfect, but probably enough to keep me going until I invest in a proper mesh network.
I still intend to play around with the 5GHz channel on the same plug looking for the best optimisation between speed and connectivity knowing that we already have a solution.
Hi all, for what it is worth, maybe just another data point in this kind of issues…
I also found the Andoid tablet having difficulty finding the Roon core (on Rock).
I found in my case that just re-establishing the wifi link of the tablet (switching off wifi in the tablet and switching it on again) usually solved it. Not sure yet whether that always works…
I have two routers giving two wifi networks and it doesn’t seem to differ which one I use. One of the routers is connected to Roon via a switch.
Hi @tahsu ----- Thank you for the follow up and sharing the observations made during your troubleshooting. The insight is very appreciated!
I am pleased to hear that your tests have yielded some positive results and you have configured the Devolo plugs in such a way that you are now able to remain in contact with your core no matter what section of the house you are currently in. Well done!
Please let me know how things work out with the 5GHz channel on the mentioned plug, as I am curious as to what you observe. Has Devolo been able to offer any insight?
Hi @Eric. I have basically arrived at a solution that works. I now exclusively use the homeplugs, in fact I have them set-up as one Network (two wireless plugs with 2.5 and 5ghz merged). In this set-up I can access my sonos (connect via a wired homeplug), my Raspberry Pi 3 (with IQAudio DAC HAT) connected to my router and of course the PC the Roon software is installed to (also connected to a wired homeplug). The Router is named differently now, if I try and connect via that, it doesn’t want to play, connect to the homeplugs, its fine.