@Bungo, I had the same problems using my Flex 2i with my Google mesh WiFi, independently did what you describe, and found as you did that the problems disappeared. Just one more data point for other users of mesh WiFi - Bluesound 2i + Roon doesn’t appear to play well with mesh WiFi, or at least not with Google’s brand of it.
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I ended up doing the same thing. Got tired of fighting with it and dealing with their “support” was a total dead-end so I used a powerline instead - almost no issues at all since then. Performance is decent but I would very much advise caution for anyone looking to use the “i” range in wireless configuration
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I’m experiencing the same BluSound Node 2i drop outs with Roon on nearly every track I play, from both my library (external SSD) and via Roon favorites from Tidal. Conversely, when I stream to the Node 2i direct from Tidal, Amazon HD or using the BluSound desktop app, no drop outs at all, perfectly secure connection. My Node 2i is powerline ethernet linked (WiFi was a train wreck for me too…)
Thoughts? I’m inclined to still keep the Node 2i as it was fairly cheap and works via the BluSound app. Have also explored maybe swapping it out with a Denon DNP800NE network streamer, but that’s not Roon-ready…
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Hi
I was having dropouts over the last week from both my library and Tidal, I’ve 5 end points, all VAS bluesound or NAD. Everything played fine from Bluesound and Airplay just a problem in roon.
Traced it to the kitchen Pluse mini2i, but it wasn’t it was the home plug swapped it out for the spare one and no issues since. Ive never been able to get airplay units to work in my house with out home plugs.
Twice now when I’ve had issues in roon its turned out to be hardware once a cable and this latest time the plug they worked with everything else but failed in roon. One thing I did notice is the Blusound speaker this time and the NAD amp last time lost their graphic and turned into the generic speaker drawing.
I suggest you swap out the home plug as a test.
James
Thanks for the tip, James. I’ll give that a try. FYI (if it matters) I’m using the TP-Link AV2000 Powerline Adapters. Stay tuned…
-Matthew
Same adapters as this thread:
They seem to have a bit of a reputation…
Given the fuss that some seem to make over ‘noisy’ Switched Mode Power Supplies, I wouldn’t want those TP-Link things plugged into the mains anywhere in the house.
WiFi was a complete no-go for me, so I’m kind of locked in to using the powerline adapters (TP-LINK or otherwise…LMK if anyone has another brand/unit to suggest to swap out).
So, why would Tidal and my local library stream fine to the Node 2i via the powerline/ethernet connection but Roon drops out over the very same connection?
According to many posts above, it isn’t Roon Ready. A forum search will reveal lots of similar complaints.
Gotcha. Probably as simple as that. Thanks.
I paid for a year of Roon, but since about a month or 6 weeks ago, I gave up using it. I love the features with the artist information, and Roon’s track and artist radio features, and what it picks for me. It used to work better, BUT, now, every time I use it, it drops out or starts skipping parts of songs and skipping ahead to new songs. This is when using two Bluesound Node’s (one a 2i, the other a 2) and a Bluesound speaker. Mac mini core with plenty of ram. Good fast internet, Eero mesh network.
As it has become time consuming and annoying to deal with, I have pretty much given up. I can connect via ethernet to Eero units in some rooms, but not all. Super frustrating.
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I did a quick test: when I stream my local library (on external SSD into my laptop) from Roon I got no drop outs at all. As soon as I switch to streaming Tidal from Roon, though, drop outs happened in every track (actually, the track freezes, then skips to the next track in the queue, and repeats the freeze/skip glitch ad infinitum). So, to stream Tidal I just have to (ironically) use the BluOS app.
what is it about Roon Ready that affects WiFi standards?
have had similar experiences with a variety of hardware, including a Node 2, Pulse, and various Squeezeboxen. what they all have in common is the use the 2.4 GHz band. i hypothesize Roon does not work with older Wifi protocols. it’s not a network throughput issue, since these same devices work with the native apps/servers.
I’m using 2.4 GHz WiFi to a Raspberry Pi 3B+ running Ropieee, and streaming works just fine, no issues whatsoever, with no antenna on the Pi, either. So I’d probably conclude it’s the Bluesound WiFi drivers that are the issue here, not Roon or 2.4 GHz.
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Could be the Bluesound WiFi as you say. Having said that, my Bluesound Node 2i and Flex 2i work flawlessly in wireless mode with Tidal and Amazon HD. The only way to get them to work with Roon is to hard wire both with Ethernet cables. It may be the integration that is problematic somehow. Not sure, just speculating
what sort of wireless network do you have?
One of the reasons roon is problematic is that it unpacks the flac in the core server and sends uncompressed pcm. A lot of other services send the compressed flac and let the hardware unpack it. As I understand it Amazon and others adaptive streaming to compress or drop quality, roon just sends at full throttle.
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Sigh. I guess I may need to crawl under the house with a bunch of cable and extend ethernet to the living room. The Pulse speaker will be harder, as the whole point is to be able to have it playing outside where we are, when we are. Frustrating.
I use a Node 2i, Pulse Mini 2i and Pulse Flex (original).
All work very well with Roon with no issues now, but I did need to make some changes.
The two 2i products are both wired, one direct to switch, the other into a Google WiFi point. Neither works reliably on Google WiFi. Both worked fine on previous Netgear WiFi.
Older Pulse Flex works absolutely fine on Google WiFi.
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I can tell you I tried the Node 2i with Roon and it was terribly laggy using WiFi . It also vanished many times from the list of audio components in Roon and then later would magically reappear .
I have zero interest in using the Bluesound with Roon.
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