Connectivity issues and recommended solutions

Sometimes connectivity issues on your Wi-Fi network can cause problems with the performance of Play-Fi products.  These include dropouts, when audio playback is interrupted in one or more rooms during a song, stuttering, when a song has small skips while you are listening to it, and lost connections, where a speaker is completely disconnected from the streaming group.

In most instances, these issues are each caused by your Wi-Fi set up, and can be easily fixed with a simple upgrade to your network.  Not only will your Play-Fi products work better, your overall experience with Wi-Fi at home should improve quite a bit. 

Here are some specific conditions to check for if you are experiencing connectivity issues:

Older routers; crowded network conditions:

• You have a router provided by your Internet Service Provider, or
• Your router is 802.11g (or lower), or
• Your router is five years old (or older), or
• You are using Play-Fi products in an area with many wireless networks nearby, or
• You are using Play-Fi products in an environment with a lot of wireless devices (like phone systems, earpieces, headphones, or microwaves)

We recommend upgrading to a new router/access point, with 802.11n dual band wireless.  The upgrade will improve the performance of all of your streaming activities, not just Play-Fi.  Click here for a list of specifications and routers we recommend.

Large streaming range or difficult streaming environment:

• You live in a larger home, or
• Your Play-Fi products are placed beyond several thick walls or floors

Be sure you have a top quality router, as suggested above.  Plus, we recommend adding one or more additional wireless access points to your network.  This will extend the range and reliability of your Wi-Fi at home.

Building materials that hinder Wi-Fi:

• Your Play-Fi products are in an area with a lot of pipes, metal, tile or water flow

These materials may be interfering with the Wi-Fi signal getting to the speaker, causing dropouts.  Try moving the speaker a few feet away from the area.

Wireless network extenders aren’t working:

• You are using wireless network extenders at home, and still experiencing performance issues

We recommend wiring the extended access points to your main router. 

Competing audio products disrupting the network:  

• You have another wireless audio system in your home that uses the Wi-Fi network

We recommend disconnecting or unplugging it when your Play-Fi products are in use.   Some of these products (like those from Sonos and Samsung) use hubs and network extenders that are not Wi-Fi certified. These products may disrupt normal Wi-Fi traffic even when they are not active. 

If you are curious about why these conditions cause problems for your Wi-Fi performance, click here for more details.  You can also reach out to customer support for help.