(SOLVED - Not an Amahi issue?) Roku App Can't Find Roku Since HDA Install

[drkokandy]

Hi all,
I'm having a strange networking issue ever since I installed my HDA. Since the install, I use Amahi for DHCP & DNS, and I have made sure that my router's DHCP & DNS functions are off.

I have a Roku on my network and devices running iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 7 which have Roku apps which used to be able to control the device. Ever since I installed Amahi, the apps can no longer detect any Roku device on my network. The technology behind the pairing process isn't explained in the app or the website. But the Windows Phone 7 app (a third-party app) allows you to manually specify the IP address of your Roku, but plugging in the IP address displayed in my HDA's web interface still doesn't make the app recognize the Roku.

I tried the networking troubleshooter, but besides this nothing seems wrong with my network, and the troubleshooter couldn't determine any problem with my configuration. There's no other trouble with accessing network or internet resources from either the Roku or devices, so it doesn't seem like something wrong with the devices' connection... I wonder if it's some kind of announcing feature that Amahi doesn't pass along?

Anyone have any ideas? Has anyone else experienced this? It's not a huge deal, but I miss being able to use the apps... they were so much more convenient than the Roku's awful remote.

[radioz]

I know nothing about the Roku device, but can you configure it to use DHCP from your HDA?
Do you know what the IP address is? Perhaps there is a conflict with your HDA IP address.

[drkokandy]

It seems to be using DHCP from the HDA - it's showing up in the networking tab in the HDA control panel. There doesn't seem to be any IP address conflict - it's listed as 192.168.1.106 in the control panel. I think I'll try assigning it a static IP and seeing if that changes anything.

[radioz]

Can you open a terminal and ping the roku by ip address? (i.e ping 192.168.1.106)
That might tell you that the Roku is listening on the right address (although it could ignore the pings - depends on the product)

[dobah]

Has anyone figured this out?

[bsk]

I do not know if this has been solved, but wish I still had mine so I could troubleshoot with you.

One thing I can suggest, power cycle all of your devices (ie unplug/plug in the Roku and reboot your phone) and see if that does it.

How exactly does the Roku App connect to the box, do you have to put in an IP address or can it find it automatically (thats how the Google TV app works, it finds it on your network).

[drkokandy]

Sorry, I originally posted this problem, but I must have forgotten about this thread. I have never found a solution. Sorry I don't have better news for anyone else who ends up here.

To answer specific questions from months ago - The Roku device does listen and respond to pings from a terminal. The Roku app both attempts to connect automatically AND allows the user to connect manually to a specified IP address, but the Roku app does not recognize the Roku device whether I try either. And of course I have rebooted the Roku, the HDA, and the device running the Roku remote app many times during the months since I posted this originally.

I don't know enough about networking to try to figure out what isn't working. I have XBMC on a device on my network and a similar remote app for XBMC, and that works fine. Ditto with Plex. The Roku and the Roku remote app worked fine before I set up Amahi, and it works fine now if I connect both devices to a different WiFi network. It's gotta be something about how networking works under Amahi's control and how the Roku communicates that just don't get along.

[drkokandy]

I found the cause of this last year and fixed it - sorry for not updating. It was an issue with my router's firmware, actually. My router is a Netgear N600 - and one of Netgear's firmware updates made it so wireless isolation was in effect whether "wireless isolation" was enabled OR disabled. (sheesh)

After rolling back to a previous version of firmware, my Roku app can control the Roku again, and my Chromecast finally worked.

dobah, I don't know if this might be a similar issue for you - but just in case, make sure your router doesn't have wireless isolation on. Or, if you have a Netgear N600, roll back to a previous firmware.