WiFi audio streaming reliability issue

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scanboyca

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Sep 12, 2014
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Hello,

I am having problems reliably streaming my BCD536HP audio via WiFi on my local home network. The audio stops streaming after a while. Sometimes it works for a couple hours. Other times it will stop after just 30 minutes. I have the same problem when using VLC or the "BCD536HP Audio Player" app on my Win7 64-bit Pro laptop.

When the audio streaming stops it cannot be restarted. The only thing that works is to power cycle the scanner then restart the audio stream. Also, when the audio streaming stops, the Uniden Remote Control app also stops updating and cannot reconnect. I am able to ping the scanner when when the issue happens so know there is some level of connectivity.

Are other folks having issues like this with extended periods of audio streaming on their local WiFi network?

The Uniden Remote Control app can run for days without hanging up. The problem only seems to happen when streaming audio.

Thanks
 

MStep

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May 2, 2005
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New York City
Hello,

I am having problems reliably streaming my BCD536HP audio via WiFi on my local home network. The audio stops streaming after a while. Sometimes it works for a couple hours. Other times it will stop after just 30 minutes. I have the same problem when using VLC or the "BCD536HP Audio Player" app on my Win7 64-bit Pro laptop.

When the audio streaming stops it cannot be restarted. The only thing that works is to power cycle the scanner then restart the audio stream. Also, when the audio streaming stops, the Uniden Remote Control app also stops updating and cannot reconnect. I am able to ping the scanner when when the issue happens so know there is some level of connectivity.

Are other folks having issues like this with extended periods of audio streaming on their local WiFi network?

The Uniden Remote Control app can run for days without hanging up. The problem only seems to happen when streaming audio.

Thanks

For whatever it's worth, I usually run the 536 on my local wi-fi network using ProScan and for the most part it is very dependable. Since they have a 30 day free trial of the fully functional program, perhaps you can run that and see if you have the same issues.
 

HopperD

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I have the same setup as you and the only time I've experienced problems is when trying to run both VLC and the app at the same time. If that's what you're doing then it won't work. You can only use one of them at a time otherwise VLC or the app will stop working.
 

scanboyca

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Sep 12, 2014
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Problem continued

This problem just happened again this afternoon. Monitoring my BCD536HP over my home WiFi this time using the "BCD536HP Audio Player" app and displaying scanner info (metadata) using a Windows app that i wrote myself. That app that uses periodic scanner status push using PSI Remote Control instructions over WiFi like the Uniden Remote Control app. Both of these apps are running on my Windows7 laptop also connected via WiFi.

Everything was working fine for couple of hours when all of a sudden audio stopped working and scanner metadata stopped flowing as well.

I was able to ping the scanner so it is still connected to my WiFi. To recover, I usually cycle power on the scanner. This time I tried something different. I went to the "Wi-Fi Setup" menu on the scanner, selected "Set Connection" then "Infrastructure Mode". Got a " Looking for networks" message on the scanner display for a couple of seconds then a list of WiFi SSIDs appeared. I selected my WiFi network (first one in the list), pressed select to confirm my WPA2 password... Got a "Connecting to network" message then low and behold I started getting scanner metadata again and was able to restart audio streaming.

Something in the scanner's IP stack is crashing but still allows the ping (ICMP) to keep working.

Sigh...
 

scanboyca

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Sep 12, 2014
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Did you ever get this resolved? I am having the same issue.

Nope. Same problem still happens even when using the Uniden-supplied Android Siren app on local WiFi. As a work around, I purchased a wifi-controlled AC power outlet so I can remote power cycle my scanner when its wifi takes a dump. I know it's not good practice to yank power from the scanner this way for fear of corrupting the SD card but that hasn't happened so far (knock wood).

If Uniden could fix this issue then this scanner would be so much more enjoyable to use. Right now it is frustrating to have to reboot the scanner several times a day.
 

buddrousa

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What is happening is when your router drops the scanner ip for the renewal the scanner does not see the change. I am still running on my IP from the last time I typed in this thread. Have the router reserve the IP address and your problems will go away. I have been connected for over 13 months without a drop.
 

JamesO

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McLean, VA
Anyone having this problem should post the router make, model and firmware version.

Also note if the router has been rebooted without the scanner restarted.

Is the scanner running on a UPS or floating on a battery for power?

I would bet the problem may be with the router or router firmware moreso than the scanner because I would expect more people to be discussing this type of issue if the scanner or wifi dongle was the source of the problem.
 

buddrousa

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James you are correct in the world of plug and play you still have to have computer skills , network skills , A friend of mine had a problem with a new 2016 JEEP the solution from JEEP and the dealer remove the battery for 5 minutes then replace the battery and they were told if the problem happens again repeat removing the battery. That is a nice fix for a 2016 GRAND CHEROKEE and that cost more than 500 dollars.
 

JamesO

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I deal with a LOT of home networking. You cannot just go to a store or online and buy a router and actually expect it to work properly and reliably even from a name brand supplier.

I learned this the hard way after many, many home network installs. To this day, I REFUSE to use any Netgear routers. If a custom has an existing Netgear router, it goes in the trash if I work on the network. Maybe Netgear has sorted out their problems, but I was burned too many times with crappy hardware and unreliable firmware from Netgear.

As of this date, I only use some of the older Linksys/Cisco routers or most of the current Asus offerings. I often run 3rd party firmware as well. I had installed over 100 Linksys/Cisco WRT-54G routers back in the day and because of Linksys changing the hardware version and so many firmware changes, I started to see MANY, MANY network problems. Well after fielding phone call after phone call I realized there was a common set of problems, I took my worst site, reflashed the router with DD-WRT and low and behold no more phone calls!!!

So I quickly worked through all my sites and reflashed the firmware and fixed all sorts of reliability problems. At the time I then started to deploy only the Linksys WRT-54GL Linux based boxes with DD-WRT from day one. ROCK SOLID after that. To this day I still use these as test boxes when I have network problems.

Kind of sad but funny as the same time that the hardware vendors cannot get their firmware right. But you can come along and reflash the box with firmware that has not been modified for YEARS from a 3rd party open source and change an unreliable box to a ROCK SOLID performer.

Unfortunately it took me MANY, MANY, MANY of my hours to live through these nightmares. But when you have a large install base, you quickly will see common problems.
 

rjdj2000

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If you know how to manually assign the IP in your router, try setting it for your 536 so that the router doesn't use DCHP to set the IP. Mine is set that way and runs 24/7 for the online stream I provide. It doesn't lose connection as the router is not resetting anything for the DCHP lease for the WiFi. It is worth a shot.
 

outer_llimit

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Jul 4, 2003
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Winipeg, MB
Note: As the forum helpfully tells me in the top-right corner, "You last visited: 11-13-2005 at 3:45 AM." Which is just before I got married. Now that that's over with, back to scanning!

> Everything was working fine for couple of hours when all of a sudden audio stopped working and scanner metadata stopped flowing as well.

I had the same problem with the audio, and solved it by moving the scanner into the room with my Wi-Fi router.

But now that it's in another room, I do all my listening over the network. (Like my previous scanner, I'm using it as a programming project.)

But this hasn't solved the PSI (Push Scanner Information) problem. When I send a PSI command to the scanner, it only sends for a few minutes. I keep having to hit a button to resend the PSI command.

Is this by design? Should I automatically resend the PSI command automatically every N seconds?
 
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