RT-AC68U DLNA problems (not seeing device/disconnecting)

[michael1991]

Hello,

I just bought a RT-AC68U and my TV (Samsung UE40ES6710S) has a hard time finding the DLNA server on the wireless network and gets disconnected after 20-30 minutes.

Sometimes I have to reboot the router or disconnect the USB device (2 TB Segate GoFlex Home or A-Data Stick 32GB connected via the USB3 port) so the TV can see the RT-AC68U.

When I finally succeed to connect the TV to the router and start seeing a 720p/1080p movie I can see it for about 20-30 minutes and it suddently gets disconnected (goes to TV mode)?! For the 20-30 minutes when it's working I can see the movie winouth any framing (it works perfectly!).

I previosly owned a RT-AC66U that did not make any problem (except framing)...seen the RT-AC66U anytime, could watch the movie for 2 hours with no problems...so it's not the TV or the USB device.

My firmware is: 3.0.0.4.374_379

Thanks!

 

[RMerlin]

Hello,

I just bought a RT-AC68U and my TV (Samsung UE40ES6710S) has a hard time finding the DLNA server on the wireless network and gets disconnected after 20-30 minutes.

Sometimes I have to reboot the router or disconnect the USB device (2 TB Segate GoFlex Home or A-Data Stick 32GB connected via the USB3 port) so the TV can see the RT-AC68U.

When I finally succeed to connect the TV to the router and start seeing a 720p/1080p movie I can see it for about 20-30 minutes and it suddently gets disconnected (goes to TV mode)?! For the 20-30 minutes when it's working I can see the movie winouth any framing (it works perfectly!).

I previosly owned a RT-AC66U that did not make any problem (except framing)...seen the RT-AC66U anytime, could watch the movie for 2 hours with no problems...so it's not the TV or the USB device.

My firmware is: 3.0.0.4.374_379

Thanks!

I would recommend upgrading firmware, as Asus updated minidlna to a newer version in recent updates. See if it helps.

 

[sztraik]

Hi,

long time forum lurker, first time poster here.

I have the latest firmware on the RT-AC68U and experience exactly the same issue with a Panasonic TV and other DLNA players on various devices not seeing it. No disconnections though.

 

[michael1991]

I was checking for the latest version by pushing the "check" button on the asus firmware tab and that was saing I had the latest version.

Now checking the asus website I see that there is a newer version from 2014.01.14 (3.0.0.4.374.583).

Just updated the firmware...will be back with updates.

Edit:

Updated the firmware, same problem...the TV can't see the RT-AC68U all the time needs rooter reboot or turning off/on DLNA and after 20-30 minutes the tv says that the RT-AC68U is not available.

Attached to post the router log for today when I was disconnected 2 times from the RT-AC68U while watching movies on the TV.

Later edit:

After reading lots of posts the disconnecting problem might be related to wifi drop (seen a similar post related to a xbox disconnecting after 20 minutes because of wifi drop).

Now the second part...why the TV can't see the RT-AC68U?...the DLNA server is on...did not have this problem with the RT-AC66U

Help PLEASE?! ...

 

[mtrains]

I am on Merlin's 374.38_1 firmware. I think there is a general issue with media server discovery in Asus 374.583 and Merlin's 374.38_1 and 374.38_2. I have seen situations where I will be playing music on a DLNA client/renderer on my PC and the media server will disappear from windows explorer. But the DLNA player will continue playing music without any hiccups. So media server is not going down, but for some reason it can't be discovered by whatever protocol is used to discover the media server. Then a few minutes later the media server will reappear in windows explorer.

On the other hand I have a Yamaha receiver with a DLNA client and it always finds the RT-AC68R media server and never drops out, even when my windows PC is not seeing it. Again this points to a media server discovery issue with certain clients.

It is possible that your issue is WiFi related.

I am staying on 374.38_1 instead of 374.38_2 because the media server in 38_1 seems to be better at detecting additions/deletions to my media directory.

 

[lwizard]

HDD sleep time

Check your HDD.

I had problems with DLNA.. after few songs I got "impossible connect.."..

I was getting mad..

till I discovered that it was my WD 2.5" HDD which has a sleep time of few seconds, so when the router tries to access next song, it must wait for spin up and if it takes too long you got error.

I have found a WD utility to modify HDD firmware, disabling spin down.

 

[wifi_reef]

Panasonic TV.

I have the same issue as reported above. When entering Media Server option after some time when not using, for a short period (1/2 sec.) I can see RT-AC68U then its gone. The other media server from NAS (wired to router's ethernet port) is always available and remains on the list. Doesn't help to go from PC or Mac station and browse files via samba (thought may by hdd was idle and slept). Media Server restart helps as well as router reboot. I don't think is a wifi bug.

Router is on 38_2 Mfw

 

[mtrains]

Check your HDD.

I had problems with DLNA.. after few songs I got "impossible connect.."..

I was getting mad..

till I discovered that it was my WD 2.5" HDD which has a sleep time of few seconds, so when the router tries to access next song, it must wait for spin up and if it takes too long you got error.

I have found a WD utility to modify HDD firmware, disabling spin down.

In my case the problem is not caused by the HDD spin down. Mine spins down after 30 minutes of inactivity.

 

[michael1991]

Tested with merlin version of asuswrt same problem (3.0.0.4.374.38_2 (Merlin build)) ...after 20-30 minutes the tv disconnects.

I thought it might be the HDD but on the RT-AC66U with the same HDD the problem wasn't present so it's from the router 99%.

After the TV gets disconnected the RT-AC68U is no longer visible to my TV, only after I do some stuff like: reset the router, turn off/on DLNA.

This is getting pretty nerve wracking.

 

[kishork]

Tested with merlin version of asuswrt same problem (3.0.0.4.374.38_2 (Merlin build)) ...after 20-30 minutes the tv disconnects.

I thought it might be the HDD but on the RT-AC66U with the same HDD the problem wasn't present so it's from the router 99%.

After the TV gets disconnected the RT-AC68U is no longer visible to my TV, only after I do some stuff like: reset the router, turn off/on DLNA.

This is getting pretty nerve wracking.

..same here.. annoying as that happens..

 

[wifi_reef]

I'm trying 39 against this bug. This thread should be placed in Merlin's forum.

UPDATE:

39 the same ... no luck this time

 

[RMerlin]

A lot of Smart TV have very poorly implemented DLNA support. For years, Samsung TVs were amongst the worse, they wouldn't work decently with any DLNA solution but their own custom one.

I know a software developer that does DLNA-related work for a fairly well known company, and his own dealing has also revealed that most smart TVs are a huge PITA there.

So if your smart TV has trouble with minidlna, you might be forced to either use a commercial solution that spends hours and hours finetuning for every single device out there. Look at Mezzmo for a very solid one, I used it for a few years. And look at Mezzmo's changelog, you will see how quirky and insane it gets as you have to implement fixes, workarounds and quirky handling specific to a LOT of different devices.

minidlna will never be able to work reliably with all of those different devices.

 

[wifi_reef]

How about this:

I have old NAS DNS-323 attached to the AC68U router's ethernet port and everything is perfect. It is always on TV list. Never disappears. It is the same network, the same Panasonic TV. The problem with vanishing is rt-ac68u dlna server DNS-323 works like rock solid.

I've just read your answer. So we come to the point, that we shouldn't expect minidlna to be working as it should?

 

[sztraik]

I don't think it's the TV, I have the same issue also with multiple DLNA players on the iPad and Nexus 5.

 

[michael1991]

RMerlin the 2 problems were not present when I was using the RT-AC66U, I had it for 1 week and I watched 3 movies on my Smart TV with no disconnect...now with the RT-AC68U after 20-30 minutes I get disconnected.

I don't know why I get disconnected, might be the WiFi dropping or DLNA bug...

 

[sztraik]

Just to not confuse issues that seem separate. The dlna disappears both on LAN and wi-fi, I don't get disconnections though.

 

[dutchman71]

Do you happen to have ipv6 turned on?

 

[kishork]

Just to not confuse issues that seem separate. The dlna disappears both on LAN and wi-fi, I don't get disconnections though.

I have random disappearances and confirmed disconnections both on lan and wifi on two different TVs (one Samsung one Sony)... disconnections sometime in the range of 1 to 30 minutes but for sure. .

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk

 

[RMerlin]

RMerlin the 2 problems were not present when I was using the RT-AC66U, I had it for 1 week and I watched 3 movies on my Smart TV with no disconnect...now with the RT-AC68U after 20-30 minutes I get disconnected.
.

Then your issue isn't with DLNA itslef since it's the exact same DLNA server on both routers.

 

[RMerlin]

I don't think it's the TV, I have the same issue also with multiple DLNA players on the iPad and Nexus 5.

A few weeks ago after people complained about DLNA not working, I streamed a 2 hours movie over DLNA to my Nexus 7. It never disconnected.