HomePod Nerdy question about AirPlay2 and HomePod

[tubular]

Nerdy question here.

I've got a pair of OG HomePods which get balky when I try to make a stereo pair. I'd like some help in understanding why. I suspect that I'm just in a noisy environment, but I'm wondering.

Both my WiFi router and the Mac mini I'm using as my media center (just audio) are running 802.11/n. My media center is also wired to the router. HomePods accept 802.11/n but can also handle 802.11/ac.

I'm wondering whether solid stereo pairing effectively requires, or would be made more consistently by, 802.11/ac.

My question is this -- when my media machine ("tubular," like me, a nod to Mike Oldfield) is feeding my HomePods, do the HomePods make a peer-to-peer connection directly with the media machine, bypassing my WiFi router? Is that one of the things HomeKit negotiates when you select a speaker? Or does everything always go through the router?

 

[malcky77]

Your media centre (the Mac mini) you have said is wired to the router.....so there is ZERO wifi activity going on with your Mac mini based on what you have said.....(only 1 of the connections will be active....ethernet takes priority over wifi)
Your router is what is dishing out the wifi signal to any device in your house....and if it is capable of broadcasting a 802.11/ac signal then that would be the best option for speed....although 802.11/n has a further reach distance wise.

My personal fix for a LOT of wifi issues that people seem to mention on lots of forums is to have dedicated 2.4Ghz wifi SSID and a dedicated 5Ghz wifi SSID......then for each and every wifi device in the house....delete/clear/forget whatever wifi connection it used to be connected to and then re-join either the 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz SSID depending on if the device in question is 5Ghz capable? This only work well IF you have full 5Ghz coverage in your house to start with (I have 2 access points in my house to ensure full coverage).
I have done this split SSID method for over 10 years and over 3 house moves and have NEVER had issues with anything wifi related in any of the 3 houses......I will do this method forever, no matter what devices I have.

Lots of people will argue that this is NOT necessary in this day and age as the devices will choose what SSID it wants to use based on the signal Strength its receiving.....for some people a single 2.4/5Ghz SSID will work fine, for others it won't as it always depends on the users own environment and stuff......HOWEVER, if you DO NOT give a device a choice to move/roam between 2.4/5Ghz bands that to me fixes a lot of wifi issues right there.

Again......this only works perfectly IF you have good 5Ghz coverage to start with.

 

[tubular]

In general, yes, everything would go through the router. But Airplay does allow for peer-to-peer connection. Saith Apple about the AppleTV:

A device can discover Apple TV using any of three methods:

• Bonjour discovery
• Bluetooth IP address advertisement
• Peer-to-peer discovery

Devices prefer peer-to-peer discovery but will typically establish a connection using the method that’s the most responsive or the one most recently used.

Since that's all about Airplay, I think the same would likely hold for the HomePod.

Currently, my cable modem/router caps out at 801.22/n. I could contact my cable company about updating it.

Part of the problem, probably, is that I'm in a very noisy environment -- there are about thirty different Wifi routers visible to me at the moment, and I'd imagine that crowds the airspace.

 

[waw74]

it should all go through you wi-fi network and not direct

a lot of times, rebooting the router can clear up airplay issues.

things can be too close for wifi, if your devices are within a few feet of the wifi base, it can cause interference. you should give them some space. I'd try to go 3-5 feet minimum.

The modem/router/wifi combo from providers typically aren't the best for wifi performance.
You could look at a separate wifi access point, and turn the wifi on your router off.

I'm using one from ubiquiti, should be in the $150-200 range. I'm using the access point flex at home, it's about the size of a Red Bull can, and just sits on a flat surface somewhere. If you own your home, they also make smoke detector style that will attach to the ceiling. They're all PoE, so you only need to run ethernet to where they are. They come with a power injector, or if you have a PoE switch, you can use that too. You will need to install management software on a computer, as the individual devices don't have a web interface. That software doesn't have to be running once you're configured.

Ubiquiti Store

Rethinking IT

store.ui.com

most of the major network manufacturers also have access points. Those might be a bit easier to configure as they'll probably have a web interface built in.

Depending on the size of your home, you can also install multiple access points, as long as you've got ethernet scattered around the house.

Or one of the mesh systems like Eero or Orbi will also work.

 

[tubular]

it should all go through you wi-fi network and not direct

Well, poking around a little, I found out that my router is 802.11/ac capable after all.

I guess I don't do enough video streaming via WiFi to have noticed a problem with /n, since my main two workhorse machines are both copper to the router, as is the media mini. (RTFM, Tubular!)

Anyway, I've reconfigured the networks to prioritize 802.11/ac. Hopefully this will keep the HomePods happier.