I don’t know if it could be a problem within the Naim app. I have the IOS version and it works just fine,but I red here on the forum that there are some issues with the Android version. Anyway hope you will fix it!!
No .I use it in router mode. Btw I’ve disabled both NAT and. DHCP in my ISP modem/router to avoid any conflict between it and Orbi
Hmm, perhaps its an Android/Naim app issue then with the Orbi router - my Virgin router is in modem mode, so NAT and DCHP should be off…
Really don’t know. I don’t use Android devices so no idea about it
A quick update for anyone who comes searching for similar information. Having tried everything I could think of in the Orbi router settings, I was still seeing very poor response times from the UPnP server in the Naim android app. Wireshark didn’t provide any answers I could interpret as indicating a particular issue, but that may just be my ignorance!
I reverted to an Asus mesh setup using two RT-AC68U’s and experience almost instantaneous responses.
I can only conclude that the mix of Orbi mesh, the Naim Android app and UPnP is not a good mixture!
The fatal issue with the Netgear Orbi is that it does not support IGMP snooping, so it causes the problem of discovery as you are having now.
To work around around the issue, you will need a Cisco switch or any unmanaged switch that supports IGMP snooping, and you can hook both the NDX and a Netgear device to the same switch.
If the delay is the time it takes for the UPnP server to appear on the Android device… then it is highly likely it is an interoperability issue between your Android device and your Orbi wifi product.
The options are to check if there is a later bug fixed firmware for your wifi or Android device, replace your wifi product (can you get a refund) , try a different Android device or try an iOS device.
This interoperability issue may also affect slow navigation performance.
There are some very low level wifi / framing timing issues which can affect some Android implementations with some wifi implementations when the application on the wifi client is trying to communicate in a certain way and also undertake SSDP based discovery resulting in discarded wifi data.
If it is this bug, then the fact of supporting IGMP snooping (group filtering) is moot, as we are talking about handling the UPnP SSDP group so we don’t need that filtered. IGMP snooping on wifi simply prevents sending not required group traffic on the wifi which otherwise would reduce overall throughput performance.
It is best to resolve, as these methods are increasingly used in home network applications other than Naim, home automation for example.
I know it doesn’t help, but in the past I have had nothing but grief from ASUS products and their implementation of certain network protocols which is why I don’t use them now. However here you might have more luck in using an iOS device with your ASUS wifi product.
I always had issues with Netgear routers wifi and my android phone for Roon control. As soon as I switched to using Unifi products it all just worked and have had no issues since with multiple Android devices.
Thanks @Simon-in-Suffolk, really appreciate the detailed response. I’ve tried several android devices with up to date firmware (admittedly all Samsung), but that didn’t solve the issue. I don’t have any iOS devices and if the issues between Android and the Netgear may cause other network/device issues in future with other hardware, I think I need to consign the Netgear to other duties - sadly its beyond return to supplier.
My ASUS mesh is working reasonably well with Android/Synology NAS/NDX using my mesh networking scenario in the initial post, so I’m sticking with that for now. If I do any network upgrades in future this scenario is going to be the first one I test, so I can return the product if it doesn’t handle SSDP discovery well.
What networking vendors have you had more success with?
Thanks @anon91915252, do you use your Unifi products in a mesh configuration? It was this that significantly amplified the problems I was having on my network.
The Ubiquiti Unifi products and BT Whole Home seem to work well, the latter being more plug and play for the technophobe.
But if the issue is purely with Android device handling multicast ( as used by UPnP and a lot of home automation) it might not change things, but if more interoperability issues it may help.
Remember ‘mesh‘ can mean many things in the consumer space, in my opinion it’s more a marketing term rather than technical… the Ubiquiti handles wireless and wired uplinks, and does load balancing between nodes/access points, so effectively is ‘meshing’.
The key thing is ensuring the access points operate as an extended SSID and cooperate with each other… usually managed singularly.
This functionality itself is separate to the issues you have experienced.
There can issues with certain netgear Orbi firmware releases. I am on an old version of the firmware as newer ones cause issues in internet connection for me. May be worth searching Orbi forum and see which is the recommended stable firmware release and try installing that version?
I have three access points all with same said, each on different non overlapping channels, each has a wired backhaul to the main switch, so yes it’s mesh but not how BT, Orbi stuff is sold as.
Its the cooperation of the access points I need in my house, the ability to move between APs based on best signal strength as I and my devices move through the building. If I look into networking products in future, its that capability that is most important, whether marketed as ‘mesh’ or not. Whatever is in the walls of my house, its certainly not conducive to wifi signal propagation!
If you have APs of the same make (preferably) and ensure the SSID info is the same across all access points, then you should be able to roam seamlessly. Ubiquiti, BT whole Home for example enable this consistently. If you connect the APs together via Ethernet or wirelessly, some support load balancing and band steering (cooperation) … I know Ubuiquiti devices support these.
Underneath the covers the protocols that are needed to support the fast transitioning / secure roaming are 802.11r and 802.11v which allow devices to quickly roam across an ESSID. I expect most modern consumer products support these. These protocols are not new and are mature.
Your client needs to support these protocols as well as 802.11k, most modern portable devices will support these. (This allows the client to search stronger signals whilst connected)
Thanks @Simon-in-Suffolk, and all those who have contributed, this has been a really illuminating discussion.
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