Wifi issues with Behringer XR16

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John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
edited May 2018 in Live
weve had this a while and never had any bother, but at last nights gig the wifi just wouldn't connect, half the time the mixer wasn't visible in the connection list, and when it was it just wouldn't connect.  The mixer was very close to the pubs wifi repeater, could this have been the cause?

ended up doing half the gig with the lead vocal mic straight in to the PA tops, and my helix through a poor little 8" monitor running flat out

ive heard people do have bother with them so what's the answer?  Hard-wired Ethernet (is that a thing for an iPad) buy a laptop or an external router? If the latter what do I need?  There seems to be loads of old Virgin ones an eBay, would that do?

cheers
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Comments

  • John_PJohn_P Frets: 2744
    External router.   Solves all the connection issues and makes the app a lot more responsive.  
    I just use a cheap dual band router,  did the sound for a local festival this weekend 3 days solid with hundreds of people and no connection issues.   
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  • maltingsaudiomaltingsaudio Frets: 3098
    Don’t know if you can bounce the WiFi channels on the XR16 but I do have a WiFi analyser on my phone it’s a free app, which means I can set my Airport Express to an empty WiFi channel
    www.maltingsaudio.co.uk
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    John_P said:
    External router.   Solves all the connection issues and makes the app a lot more responsive.  
    I just use a cheap dual band router,  did the sound for a local festival this weekend 3 days solid with hundreds of people and no connection issues.   
    Thanks for that, is there anything in particular I need in an external router?  Will an old virgin one our drummer has lying around do the trick?
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  • John_PJohn_P Frets: 2744
    John_A said:
    John_P said:
    External router.   Solves all the connection issues and makes the app a lot more responsive.  
    I just use a cheap dual band router,  did the sound for a local festival this weekend 3 days solid with hundreds of people and no connection issues.   
    Thanks for that, is there anything in particular I need in an external router?  Will an old virgin one our drummer has lying around do the trick?
    Worth a try - I just bought a cheapo from amazon.   Apparently any dual band WiFi router will work - setting up is just the same as you would at home but it’s connected to the mixer instead of the home broadband line.  

    The faster response made a big for me eg ringing out monitors using the rta is way easier.  

    The facebook x-air group is worth joining and full of helpful tips.  
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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8591
    The built in router is crap. External router is essential. Dual band is useful, in case the venue has a lot of radio noise and/or other Wi-fi routers in the neighbourhood, or too many customers with  ‘phone Wi-fi turned on.

    Get the router locked down: non-discoverable, password protected. You don’t want people trying to break into it and disrupt your gig.

    We also carry a laptop which we hardwire into the router. Not essential, but I like belt and braces. Our main use for the laptop is to record the gig, multi-channel, straight from the desk.
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    Thanks everyone, will sort out an external router
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  • simonksimonk Frets: 1467
    Our XR18 has been rock solid since we threw an external router into the mix.
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  • CabicularCabicular Frets: 2214
    I use AirPort Extreme  for my mixer gear
    seems to be very tolerant of environment and I have an XR18 as well as using Wi-fi for lights etc

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  • Emp_FabEmp_Fab Frets: 24210
    Can I strongly recommend using 5GHz only.  The 2.4GHz band is usually like the M25 on a Friday afternoon before a Bank Holiday.  Having an external router isn't going to make a blind bit of difference if you're still trying to compete for airspace with half a dozen other networks all on the same 2.4GHz channel - a problem made much much worse by the number of people using their phones as Wireless hotspots.

    2.4GHz is shit.

    Go 5 Gig or go home.
    Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.
    Also chips are "Plant-based" no matter how you cook them.
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  • robinbowesrobinbowes Frets: 3021
    Emp_Fab said:
    Can I strongly recommend using 5GHz only.  The 2.4GHz band is usually like the M25 on a Friday afternoon before a Bank Holiday.  Having an external router isn't going to make a blind bit of difference if you're still trying to compete for airspace with half a dozen other networks all on the same 2.4GHz channel - a problem made much much worse by the number of people using their phones as Wireless hotspots.

    2.4GHz is shit.

    Go 5 Gig or go home.
    ^^^ This is good advice.

    My mixer connection (Yamaha TF-Rack wired into an Asus RT-N66U) has been rock-solid since I turned off 2.4GHz on the router and went exclusively 5Ghz. My guitar wireless is much better too (Line6 G90).

    R.
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    Drummers going to bring over his router to give a try, if it isnt dual band we'll just get an airport.  I use a Line 6 G30 which is 2.4GHz and never had any issues at all, is the router in the XR-16 just a bit rubbish?
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  • John_PJohn_P Frets: 2744
    John_A said:
     is the router in the XR-16 just a bit rubbish?
    Yes.   It’s a strange move to save a few pence and affect the performance but it’s easily improved.  
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    Yes, it's a small saving in a critical area too, you'd think they would have addressed it
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    I've never been a fan of having built in routers, I always put the external router above peoples heads, generally on the speaker tops handle 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • robinbowesrobinbowes Frets: 3021
    Danny1969 said:
    I've never been a fan of having built in routers, I always put the external router above peoples heads, generally on the speaker tops handle 
    Yeah, good idea.

    I've got various Ubiquiti devices kicking around from when I used to work for them so I might try one of those instead of the Asus RT-N66U. 

    R.


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  • bignormbignorm Frets: 191
    Honestly.. buy a decent dual band router don't waste time faffing around with a router you have lying around. They're not expensive, it's a no brainer really.
    You'll save time and won't get angry at an unresponsive bit of kit. 
    We got a XR18 that we nearly sent back coz of constant wifi drop outs issues.
    Once we got an external quad band router set on 5ghz only, all the problems went away.
    I can't imagine gigging without the xr18 now.


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  • bignormbignorm Frets: 191
    John_P said:
    John_A said:
     is the router in the XR-16 just a bit rubbish?
    Yes.   It’s a strange move to save a few pence and affect the performance but it’s easily improved.  
    I'm surprised they added a built in router it's absolute pants and I'm sure it's responsible for a few people returning their mixers for a refund. 
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    bignorm said:
    Honestly.. buy a decent dual band router don't waste time faffing around with a router you have lying around. They're not expensive, it's a no brainer really.
    You'll save time and won't get angry at an unresponsive bit of kit. 
    We got a XR18 that we nearly sent back coz of constant wifi drop outs issues.
    Once we got an external quad band router set on 5ghz only, all the problems went away.
    I can't imagine gigging without the xr18 now.


    Just bought an airport
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