Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Streaming Sooloos drops out on ID41

Please can you advise on a problem that I have. I have a C15 running to my network and ID41 card on 861v8 running the network. All was working fine until recently (about a month ago) when songs would suddenly stop, sometimes 30 seconds in, sometimes a couple of minutes, but always stop rendering playing music useless at the moment. I have methodically tried to trace the cause by changing cables, rebooting the C15, rebooting the network, removing cables and refitting, etc. I have noticed when looking at the zones that it is ID41 that consistently drops out when the music stops. My current thinking is therefore that the ID41 card is faulty. Before I go to the hassle of disconnecting everything and sending the 861 back to Meridian to evaluate, can anyone out there think of anything else it might be or that I can try (as sending back the 861 will screw up watching TV and DVD whilst the unit is away)?
Thanks very much.
Bernie

Are you using any ethernet over power devices leading up to the ID41?

I have had similar issues recently using PoEs and am soak testing a potential solution.

Hi Bernie

What firmware revision is your ID41? You can find out in Device settings on your C15.L

Does it use a fixed IP address or DHCP? Again you can see this via the C15.

Has anything changed recently, software update, router change, new device added etc.?

Russ

The C15 and ID41 both go to separate Ethernet wall plugs and then picked up at the router elsewhere in the house (all on same ring). This has always worked fine until recently. I have tried swapping the wall plugs and tried different makes but still the ID41 drops out.
Thanks

Can you try wiring the ID41 direct and eliminate the Ethernet over mains as a test?

Russ

I had this incipient problem mainly streaming BBC Radio 4.

I had repeatedly rebooted all the network elements to no avail. The problem increased until even streaming music files was being interrupted after a few minutes.

Inspired by a comment from Ratbert (thanks Russ) about noisy devices, I switched off and unplugged the two EoP devices and switched off the 818v2/ID41. I then plugged in the EoP devies into the "other" plug outlet of the twinned power points. Then switched on distant (into the power) EoP first, then close EoP (out of power), then finally the 818v2/ID41.

I have since run Sooloos non-stop for 48 hours including streaming Radio 4 non-stop for 23 hours and palying many streamed music files. I put the 818v2/ID41 into standby for a few hours and started streaming R4 again - which has now been running for ~15 hours.

The trick (compared with just rebooting everything) appears to be the unplugging and replugging of the EoP devices (possibly the other gang is electrically cleaner and less noisy?) and then the sequence of power activation.

Thanks Russ and Gianni, I am at work now so can't follow your advice until I get home this evening. The reason I have not run Ethernet direct from the ID41 to the router is that I need a huge length of cable that I don't have (but will try to invest in). Also, from memory (but might be wrong), I think that the Sky Q router only has one Ethernet socket and this is currently being used by a Vodafone suresignal device.
Cheers
Bernie

Are you using the SkyQ router without any other switching?

My BT HH really did not like supporting Sooloos so following advice from the chaps around here I installed a number of dumb switches such as these. That is a highly recommended configuration in these parts

Gianni

Good advice on using switches rather than the router ports. Seems strange that the ID41 seems to be the most affected device, I had issues with mine dropping off the network and then reappearing but the two MS600's had no such problems, I wonder if this is a Meridian card driver issue? I know a while ago they released a fw update for the ID41 to make it more robust on the network but maybe that has been partially undone in subsequent releases, Roon users are also seeing similar if not identical problems.

Just thoughts, no evidence.

Russ

I do have a spare powered Netgear 8-plug switch I could try. Would you use this at the Sooloos end (i.e. connect the C15 and ID41 to the switch, then a single cable from the switch to the Ethernet wall plug to reach the router?
Thanks

That would be ok, it would be better to wire the switch directly back to the router at least for testing anyway.

Russ

If I get the problem of the ID41 dropping off the network, and that can't be solved by re-setting the ID41, unplugging all my EoP plugs and then plugging in again solves it for a couple or three months. I haven't needed to switch them to the other socket of a pair.

This is definitely a EoP problem, as my Sky box, connected the same way, also sometimes drops off the newtork and the problem is solved in a similar way.

Obviously an Ethernet cable would solve this problem, and wopuld be better in other ways, but I live in an old house and don't want new cable runs. I can live with restarting the EoP plugs a few times a year.