App on tablet doesn't see 2 of 3 WiiM's -- says they're "On Other Networks". Mesh network issue?

[RSF]

Per the title, when I bring up WiiM Home App on a tablet, it shows one device (a WiiM Amp), but shows the other two (Mini and Pro Plus) as "Online" yet "On other networks":


When I bring up the app on my phone, however, everything works fine -- all three WiiM's show up perfectly.

All devices are on the same (TP-Link Deco) mesh network, using the same SSID. None of the devices are set up with device isolation, and UPnP is enabled.

Anyone have any insight into this, or recommendations for what to check? It's probably something about the tablet's networking setup(?). Thanks in advance.

 

[QuarryHunslet]

I have seen something very similar, and also use TP-Link Deco devices.

On your Tablet, try closing the WiiM Home app, and turning your WiFi off for a few seconds, then turn it back on and open the WiiM Home app again, are the other devices now showing correctly?

 

[hgo58]

Make sure the Deco is configured in Access Point operation mode.

The SSID is not related to what network you access. It is just a name. It can be anything.

Setting the mode to Access ensures that all is in same network.

 

[harkpabst]

Just today somebody recommended to disable "fast roaming" as the single most important matter when dealing with TP Link Deco mesh problems at ASR:

KEF LS60 Wireless Just Announced

Today I spoke with a Kef sales representative at the “Noir et blanc” hifi event in Brussels, Belgium. https://www.noir-et-blanc.com/blog/ Very well organized but few people attended today, strange. I asked him if Kef will ever solve the LS60 problem that the wireless speed drops over time...

audiosciencereview.com

I have no clue, I don't have any TP link devices any more.

 

[hgo58]

Fast roaming setting is only relevant if you move around. I guess the WiiM devices do not.

It's about getting all on same network and the SSID name is not the network. Multiple networks can use same SSID for the WiFi access points.

 

[harkpabst]

Fast roaming setting is only relevant if you move around. I guess the WiiM devices do not.

Routers are actively trying to determine the direction of a client through beam forming. Any error in this process or loss of connection could lead to errornous behaviour just as if the device had moved (when it hasn't).

 

[RSF]

On your Tablet, try closing the WiiM Home app, and turning your WiFi off for a few seconds, then turn it back on and open the WiiM Home app again, are the other devices now showing correctly?

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, even after rebooting the tablet, and turning wifi off and then on again, it shows the same behavior.

I should've also noted that this behavior began when I installed the mesh network. I used to have a main router and two wifi extenders, and the WiiM app worked fine on the tablet, as well as the phone.

Just today somebody recommended to disable "fast roaming" as the single most important matter when dealing with TP Link Deco mesh problems

Likewise, thank you for the suggestion. That "fast roaming" feature is disabled and has been since I installed the network.

It's about getting all on same network and the SSID name is not the network. Multiple networks can use same SSID for the WiFi access points.

Thanks for this. I believe there's only one network (as well as SSID) here in most ways, given that the WiiM app works fine on my phone (showing all devices just fine), and the SSID only appears once when doing a Wifi network scan, and all devices show in the Deco mesh network app.

But you're probably right that the WiiM app, running on the tablet, somehow sees some of the mesh points as in another network, in some way. Strangely, the WiiM Amp device shows in the WiiM app just fine, regardless of whether the Amp and the tablet are connected to the same, or different, mesh points.

 

[RSF]

Make sure the Deco is configured in Access Point operation mode.

I don't have another router present between my modem and the Deco mesh system. If I were to switch the Deco system to AP Mode, which system would provide routing functions like DHCP, UPnP, etc.?

 

[RSF]

try closing the WiiM Home app, and turning your WiFi off for a few seconds, then turn it back on and open the WiiM Home app again, are the other devices now showing correctly?

Update: the following steps make the App work to show all the WiiM devices:

1. Open the WiiM app (which shows the one WiiM present and the other two "On other networks")
2. Turn off Wifi on the tablet, keeping the WiiM app open
3. Wait a few seconds
4. Turn Wifi back on
5. Suddenly all three WiiM's appear in the WiiM app

That's very close to what you suggested, except in my case the WiiM app needs to be running while wifi is cycled off and on.

So, many thanks for that since at least I have a workaround for now.

 

[QuarryHunslet]

Update: the following steps make the App work to show all the WiiM devices:

1. Open the WiiM app (which shows the one WiiM present and the other two "On other networks")
2. Turn off Wifi on the tablet, keeping the WiiM app open
3. Wait a few seconds
4. Turn Wifi back on
5. Suddenly all three WiiM's appear in the WiiM app

That's very close to what you suggested, except in my case the WiiM app needs to be running while wifi is cycled off and on.

So, many thanks for that since at least I have a workaround for now.

That may well be what I have done in the past, but couldn’t quite remember the exact details, because it doesn’t happen too often.

 

[hgo58]

I don't have another router present between my modem and the Deco mesh system. If I were to switch the Deco system to AP Mode, which system would provide routing functions like DHCP, UPnP, etc.?

Your modem is the router.

If you don't set the Mesh Network as Access Point then it will also be a router and then you will have two networks.

You should not use same SSID for both networks as your phone may then sometimes be on one network and sometimes be on the other and you will get the behaviour you see.

Note that the SSID is just a name for a WiFi access point and is independent of the network configuration. If multiple access points have same name a device just selects one of them. Probably the one with strongest signal.

 

[harkpabst]

I don't have another router present between my modem and the Deco mesh system. If I were to switch the Deco system to AP Mode, which system would provide routing functions like DHCP, UPnP, etc.?

Glad to hear you found a workaround.

For the sake of clarity, maybe you should add what other network devices you have in use. Nowadays it's most common to have the modem, the router and the wireless access point all in one box. But reading your posts it seems like the situation may be different with your setup.

Also, there must be at least two devices spanning your wireless, as with a single device there's no mesh at all ...

 

[Wiimer]

Per the title, when I bring up WiiM Home App on a tablet, it shows one device (a WiiM Amp), but shows the other two (Mini and Pro Plus) as "Online" yet "On other networks":
View attachment 13836

When I bring up the app on my phone, however, everything works fine -- all three WiiM's show up perfectly.

All devices are on the same (TP-Link Deco) mesh network, using the same SSID. None of the devices are set up with device isolation, and UPnP is enabled.

Anyone have any insight into this, or recommendations for what to check? It's probably something about the tablet's networking setup(?). Thanks in advance.

I have been in router mode since birth until now.
(To be honest I am not familiar with it at all. I did go into AP mode once, but I had trouble with it so I went right back to it.)

I currently have two Tp-link BE65 connected to my provider's modem in router mode, with four SSIDs.

SSID 1: Main 1 (6GHz) / For smartphones
SSID 2: MLO (6GHz & 5GHz) / not used
SSID 3: Main 2 (5GHz & 2.4GHz) / Mainly for AV (including WiiM)
SSID 4: IoT Network (2.4GHz) / for IoT devices

IPv6 Disabled
Fast Roaming Disabled
All other settings are left at default.

Under these conditions, the seven WiiM devices work fine and have never experienced any major problems. In addition, there is no particular decrease in communication speed due to the duplex router.

I don't expect this to help you, but just wanted to share my Tp-link router situation.

 

[hgo58]

I have been in router mode since birth until now.
(To be honest I am not familiar with it at all. I did go into AP mode once, but I had trouble with it so I went right back to it.)

I currently have two Tp-link BE65 connected to my provider's modem in router mode, with four SSIDs.

SSID 1: Main 1 (6GHz) / For smartphones
SSID 2: MLO (6GHz & 5GHz) / not used
SSID 3: Main 2 (5GHz & 2.4GHz) / Mainly for AV (including WiiM)
SSID 4: IoT Network (2.4GHz) / for IoT devices

IPv6 Disabled
Fast Roaming Disabled
All other settings are left at default.

Under these conditions, the seven WiiM devices work fine and have never experienced any major problems. In addition, there is no particular decrease in communication speed due to the duplex router.

I don't expect this to help you, but just wanted to share my Tp-link router situation.

If you always and only uses access points from the Mesh Network all will be fine. What I suspect for the OP is that the phone or WiiM sometimes connects to the Mesh Network and sometimes to the main router (modem) if they all have same SSID.

 

[Buryme2wice]

If you always and only uses access points from the Mesh Network all will be fine. What I suspect for the OP is that the phone or WiiM sometimes connects to the Mesh Network and sometimes to the main router (modem) if they all have same SSID.

If the above is the case would it not be wise to switch off the wifi output on the router? (assuming the settings allow it).

 

[RSF]

For the sake of clarity, maybe you should add what other network devices you have in use. Nowadays it's most common to have the modem, the router and the wireless access point all in one box. But reading your posts it seems like the situation may be different with your setup.

Also, there must be at least two devices spanning your wireless, as with a single device there's no mesh at all

Apologies for delay in response -- for some reason I no longer get emails notifying me of new entries in watched forum posts.

My network:

• A standalone modem (not a combo modem/router or "gateway")
• The TP-Link Deco mesh router system (model X55)
  • Three nodes, one of which is what they denote as a "main" node, and other two as satellites or subsidiaries.
  • All three manage the same network, which has both a 2.4G and 5G band using the same SSID
  • No IoT or guest network is enabled
• Three WiiM's (shown in the original screenshot): Mini, Pro Plus, and Amp)

What I suspect for the OP is that the phone or WiiM sometimes connects to the Mesh Network and sometimes to the main router (modem) if they all have same SSID

The main modem is just a modem; it has no router.

Given:

• My phone always works fine to connect to all three WiiM's
• Per @QuarryHunslet 's suggestion, the tablet connects to all three WiiM's just fine if I toggle its wifi off and back on
• I can see all devices (WiiM's, phone, tablet) in the TP-Link Deco app (which shows which devices are connected to the Deco system)
• The LinkPlay "Legacy" app (predecessor to the WiiM Home App but compatible with current WiiM devices, albeit with limited functionality) can see all three WiiM's with no problem ...

I think everything's on the same "network" in many/most senses, although with multiple Deco nodes, and multiple streams, there's obviously something "separate" within that network that confuses the current WiiM Home App.


Thanks again to everyone for ideas/suggestions.

 

[RSF]

An update, in case others have this problem and see this post:

Another workaround is to just close the WiiM App and reopen it a couple seconds later. That works about 90-95% of the time at least on the current app version (3.0.1.241115). If it doesn't work the 1st time, close and reopen again; 2 cycles work 99+% of the time.

It needs to be around 2 seconds between closing and reopening; it doesn't work if there's more than ~10 seconds . And by "close" I mean closing the app entirely by swiping up in the recent apps view -- not just opening up another app on top of WiiM and switching back to WiiM.