[Linux-aus] Chromecast on a Billion router

[John Kristensen]

On 13/06/14 18:39, Mike Carden wrote:
> G'day.
>
> I recently acquired a Google Chromecast (thanks to Chris Smart) and I'm
> having issues with it on my home wireless network. Again thanks to
> Chris, I have swapped out the Chromecast for a new one, but that didn't
> fix it.
>
> The issue is that after initial installation and setup via my Nexus 5
> phone, I can stream video via the Chromecast and all is well. If I use
> the TV for something else for a while or come back the next day, my
> phone's Chromecast App can't find the Chromecast, nor can 'cast enabled
> apps like YouTube find it. It's as if it isn't there, but on the TV,
> it's still displaying pretty screensaver-like images and my router shows
> it as being connected.
>
> So my router is a Billion BiPAC 7401VGP which is conspicuously absent
> from Google's list-of-routers-that-do-or-don't-work-with-chromecast:
>
> https://support.google.com/chromecast/table/3477832?hl=en-AU
>
> I have sniffed around the router's settings and found two things:
>
> 1. Its time zone was still Adelaide (thanks Internode!). Fixed and
> didn't help. :)
> 2. IGMP snooping was disabled and some advice said its needed for multicast.
>
> These things haven't helped.
>
> Ideally I would love to hear from someone who has divined the necessary
> incantation to get my router working happily with a Chromecast, but
> failing that, recommendations for a solid ADSL modem / router / wifi AP
> / VOIP box that would usefully replace the Billion.
>
> TIA.
>
> --
> crash

Hello Mike,

This sounds similar to an issue I used to experience with my previous 
router which was a Billion (sorry can't remember the exact model).

I had two wireless devices - a HP Touchpad & "desktop pc" attached to a 
TV. When both devices had just joined the network the the Touchpad would 
happily communicate with the TV PC on port 80, but after an unspecified 
period of time the TV PC would stop responding to requests/pings. I also 
had a "server" attached to the router via an ethernet cable that could 
happily ping both devices though. My memory is a bit hazy, but I think 
if I pinged the server from the TV PC it would suddenly reappear to the 
Touchpad.

I think I also experienced some other similar issues with communication 
between wireless devices, but I can remember those details very well.

That was about as far as I got trying to debug the issue, as I just set 
up my server to forward requests to the TV PC and had my Touchpad point 
to my server instead.

Now I've just replace the router with a TP-LINK one that can run OpenWRT 
and haven't come across any of these sorts of issues - though my TV 
setup is now a bit different as well - but the wireless issues was one 
of the reasons I decided to ditch the Billion router.

Not sure if that is much help or not, but at a minimum I suspect it 
isn't something unique to your setup, and probably related to the 
Billion router.

SeeYa,
John.