Ok @Robert_Salz let’s see if we can fix this!!
Let’s start by reviewing the problem…
Continuing to be frustrated with lack of performance. When Arc first was released it worked in ,my car, using CarPlay. Now it doesn’t.
Bad connection occurs intermittently, lately all the time in the car.
When I am in my car, trying to play music, Arc says there is a bad connection, the music, icons, et al. Comes up but times out, bad connection
You’re telling us that streaming music with ARC is unstable and the connection to your Roon Nucleus times out from time to time under the following conditions:
- ARC is connected to your BMW via CarPlay
- ARC connects to the Internet using the BMW hotspot
- The BMW cellular service is provided by AT&T
Assuming that’s correct, consider the next sections to narrow down the cause of the problem.
Temporarily Ignore CarPlay Memory
I’ve been told by ATT, that CarPlay uses up all the memory, thus there is no room for ARC to work.
It’s unlikely that the BMW’s head unit is constrained by physical memory/RAM.
The more common cause of ARC streaming issues are network related, so let’s set aside the memory topic for now.
AT&T Mobile Bottleneck
The FAQ at the bottom of the ConnectedDrive program page mentions these 2 gems:
- After 22GB, AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy.
- AT&T may slow speeds during times of network congestion.
Roon’s ARC FAQ states that there are “many factors that might affect ARC’s bandwidth usage.”
- Check the speed of the internet connection using BMW’s hotspot with an app on your mobile phone or visit https://www.speedtest.net in a mobile web browser. Here’s an example:
- Check ARC’s playback setting to see the streaming quality (speed) it will use:
- Play some music and confirm the signal path shows what’s streaming matches what the hotspot can keep up with:
- Estimate the bandwidth needed from the cellular plan.
- The ARC FAQ has the following info about using “Balanced” playback…
-
Files: Lossy files will be transmitted to ARC in original format. Lossless files will be transcoded to 256kbps Opus
-
TIDAL: We will request “High Quality” from TIDAL, typically this means 320kbit AAC
Qobuz: We will request “Standard Quality” from Qobuz, typically this means 320kbit MP3
Do you observe any issues with this type of connection?
Mobile Phone-Only Alternative
You’ve told us that ARC works fine inside your house and your neighbor’s house when you join her network. I’ll take that to mean your phone is using wifi to reach the Internet and communicate with the Nucleus server.
Use just your phone’s cellular service and confirm that ARC works as expected.
How does this type of connection compare to using the BMW’s hotspot?
Next Steps
I see a lot of finger pointing here, that no one knows what to do to fix my problem.
I am savvy with computers, so I know I am doing everything I can on my end.
To paraphrase Tom Cruise from the movie Jerry Maquire, help us help you - by sharing the step-by-step process you’re taking to troubleshoot.
I have a feeling that my BMW’s network from ATT is not very good; I get only so much data per month as I understand. When I run out of data, I get a weaker signal. At that point I don’t know what to do, as I need the network on, in order to use CarPlay.
Once you confirm the problem is AT&T throttling cellular speeds with the BMW’s hotspot, then we can share opinions on your options.