28-Oct-2015, 14:01
(22-Oct-2015, 22:22)AdamInHiltonHead Wrote: Hi All,
This is Day 1 for me and the Forum - it took me some time to get myself 'verified'. Currently I have (2) Silver Phantoms, (1) Dialogue and (1) Remote. tidal Hi-Res Subscription is my primary source for Audio. Like many of you I have probably spent more hours configuring and resetting my platform then enjoying it! But with a lot of frustration, time and some help from Sebastien from Devialet; I believe I have made huge progress. I am not one of the hard-core Audiophiles that spends time here; but I do love technology. I am preparing a 'Phantoms for Dummies' PDF that will enable the user to save time when the Stork first delivers their Phantoms. Here is a little preview of some things that I learned through trial and error.
I have a zero-handoff WiFi Network in my home. I have (4) Long-range WAPS - 163m each. That said here are some of the basics that I've found - and I will not be offended to be corrected. I definitely have a bunch of questions still remaining!
a) If you have your own Router with Wifi for your home, then disable the Internet's Router - Bridge - disable its WiFi (SSID) Transmission, disable it from configuring DHCP. Dummy it down!
b) I have a Router for my home (Ubiquiti) - I use it and a smart switch hub to assign DHCP to the Wireless Access Points and the LAN Connections - thus far points 'a' and 'b' are pretty simple.
c) If your Dialogue is going to be in a room away from your Router - this is also going to be the room for your primary Phantom/s. Thus you absolutely must place an Apple Airport in that Room. If you can run a LAN Cable to that room - great! If not then you use PLC Adapters to run your broadband to that room. Even if you can easily reach it via Wi-Fi - you still need to run a LAN Cable (i.e. CAT 5, 6 or 7) OR you must run via PLC Adapters.
d) The LAN connection in your listening room must go to the Apple Airport 1st. Then it should be connected via LAN to your Dialogue Unit.
e) You must configure the Airport to configure DHCP and NAT. **This will seem like a problem - you WILL get an error message. So take a minute to set the range (there are options) to a range different from your range already in place for the home. If you aren't techie - take your best guess - you're not really going to hurt anything. **The Dialogue and Phantoms need you to create this private network because they are too low in the pecking order to work well because your router is giving other connections VIP Status and our Devilalet setups are back of the Bus! Finally you can click on the error message within the Airport Utility and IGNORE THE ERROR - this makes us happy because the Airport LED goes back to solid Green and makes us feel warm and fuzzy!
f) I am going to end this with one last issue. We are apparently way behind in the US vs. Europe with PLC Adapters (Plug in devices that pass Internet or Data via your AC Wiring in your home). When you purchase them - you can purchase them with LAN Connectors (RJ 45) standard or with optional AC Pass-through - the ones with the latter enable the device to pass data via the AC Plug itself even without the LAN (CAT Cable) Connection. **However if you buy the latest and greatest - beware of the ones that have power save) I found that my Netgear PLCs were fine because they don't have AC Pass Through. However some TP Link (lesser name in the US but huge elsewhere) have AC Passthrough . By default they love power save and the LEDs stop blinking - they stop helping the Dialogue and the Phantoms talk! I had to go to the manufacturer to find the utility to disable power save - huge hassle and it was only Windows based - so first day no help at home with IOS only devices! ** Biggest surprise of this part of my setup is this:
The Phantoms have PLC Technology built in via their ugly yellow cable and plug! Really? Yes!!! We only need the PLC Connection for the Dialogue Unit. I chose one with AC Pass through. Secondly if your Apple Airport, Dialogue and Phantoms are in the same room - surprise surprise - they're probably on the same circuit! This means that crazy idea that our Phantoms really need WiFi PLUS PLC - works!!! Until this time like may of us I thought we connect either wired or wireless with wired being faster or more stable and wireless being convenient for our phones, tablets, laptops, Echos - etc. But yes the Phantom/Dialogue Setup really needs both.
I had drops out that gave me fits - if I had to go place my hand on a Phantom one more time - or push the button three times or reconfigure Spark - I was going to throw a Phantom out a Window! Even funnier - and I'm probably not the first to notice but one Phantom would drop out when I turned them up louder - like around 60-70??? I thought they were clipping! But then I realized - the circuit in the breaker box had never tripped? Hmmm. I started to realize there may be a connection to the high electrical draw through the plug and the ability for the system to communicate. I better stop here - but here are the 4 gold keys to me finally loving my little white beasts:
a) you must (and I was stubborn) place your Airpot (but an Express - don't be cheap even if your system mostly works), your Dialogue and your Phantoms in the same room - which also most likely means the same circuit (i.e. - if you flip that lever in your box they all shut off).
b) Buy and use a PLC Adapter - so cheap on Amazon if nowhere else - on your Dialogue. It should have AC Pass through - to speak to her Devialet Siblings in the room. Use the darn thing on the Dialogue - not the Airport. At one point I had a PLC on the Dialogue, Airport and each Phantom - its almost funny now that I'm no longer promising to pack up and ship my Phantoms back!
c) Create a private Network in your listening room through the Airport with DHCP and NAT enabled - if this is your only router - its a no brainer - but if like me you have another router in the house - ignore the Double NAT Warning - but do your best if you have some understanding to select the best (1 of 3) ranges for DNS Range.
d) When a-c steps are good then definitely subscribe (even for just trial) to a hi-res source such as Beyonce's husband - what's his name - haha! and download the latest update for Spark/Dialogue.
LAST but not least. By creating the private network in your listening room - your wireless devices phone/tablet or laptop/computer - MUST choose the private Devialet Network before you open Spark! I forget this often for a couple of days and I got the 'Welcome to Spark' Message - yuk! Taking a minute to make your Phantom Private Network at least your 2nd favor preferred Network is smart - even my darn adjustable bed creates it own network - so you don't want your phantoms trying to wade through neighbors SSIDs, or the other weirdo networks in your own home!
Now that I've done these 'Phantom for Dummies' Steps - every single time I open Spark - it is instant. My Phantoms have not dropped out in two weeks, not even when I crank up the one new Drake Song to make their ears flap like soldiers when I'm showing them off!
I tried to keep this short, avoiding technical stuff/terms - I can share more detail and I'd love to learn some stuff too!
Best - Adam in Hilton Head
Hello - this is my first post here so thank you for this thread and others! I purchased two silvers and a dialogue (and now a remote as well). At first all was well with the older software 1.3 but now I continually have problems with the sound. I have the same phase shifting/channel swapping that others have experienced. Occasionally I would also hear one side louder than the other etc. (haven't seen this one mentioned yet).
I called Devialet support and they asked me to hardwire ethernet cables to the silvers to prevent the problems I was having (due to living in an apartment with many wifi signals passing through the room). They also said that if I set up the network properly then it would also be fine. I really don't want to run extra wires to the silvers to get good sound!
I believe it can be solved by making a robust network in the room as you outlined above. So in response:
a) yes
b) can you give a link to specific one? Do I connect the ethernet cable form my Apple Time Capsule, which is connected to our modem, to this? Do I need another one where the phantoms are located?
c) "do your best if you have some understanding to select the best (1 of 3) ranges for DNS Range." can you help with this? I get the double NAT warning. I will also try and turn the modem to Bridge Mode to get rid of the warning.
d) yes
Thank you anyone for your help!
BTW - Is possible to make a sticky for newbies on how to create a robust network? It seems there are a few options around but less obvious how to do some of the steps.
James
