Dropout/Connection issue

Hello, I’m working on a show where we’re using a Linksys E1000, an iPhone 4, and Qlab 2 with Stagecaller. We’re having an issue where around an hour and a half into being set, our Qlab computer is losing connection to the Stagecaller phone and we are unable to reaquire. We were able to solve the problem by starting the program during intermission, but the intermission has since been cut.

During tech the phone would sit for hours stably, but the problem has begun now that the phone is being moved on and offstage. I have been unable to make it recur.

We have used the router in different locations proximate to both the Qlab computer via ethernet and then proximate to the phone with the Qlab computer connected via WiFi with full bars.

Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

has it been happening consistently? as much as I’d love to blame the linksys (they use really cheap hardware), I can’t state that’s the issue… what’s the version of iOS running on the 4? is the E1000 at the latest firmware? I’ve got an old E1000 and a few iPhone4s sitting around, so I can try to force the issue to happen…

I’ve got a new version of StageCaller with a OSC/MIDI heartbeat so you can see if/when the device falls off the network and - it probably won’t be in the store until october - I’m also planning on adding a debug collection thing that’ll let attempt to analyze issues like this… but that’s not very helpful to you at the moment.

Most of the trouble we’ve seen with this has been moving phones in and out of network - taking it on and offstage. Can I suggest you keep your Audio Utilities window open, and watch to see if/when the phone drops the MIDI connection? That might help you guide your placement on the wireless router, as well as keep track of when, exactly, the problem is occuring. It may also let you reconnect MIDI without having to turn the phone off and on. Also - to confirm (I think the answer is yes - looking at your post) - the computer is connected to the router via ethernet, right?

One thing I have done is make the phone forget other networks that it might automatically join if it moves to an area where your network’s signal strength is lower. I also set “Ask to Join New Networks” to off. This way, it sticks with your closed sound network even if it is “tempted” into other networks by a stronger signal.

I’m really sorry you’re experiencing this. The only time we’ve seen similar problems have been with network dropping, so I’m thinking that must be the cause. Let us know if anything here helps, or if any other symptoms occur so we can try and diagnose it better!

-Rob

Hello, and thank you for the prompt response from both of you. The e1000 is running the current firmware (downloaded before the install) which I believe is the 2.1.0.3. Currently the router is wireless on both ends to allow for a closer placement to the stagecaller phone but we installed a stage patch of cat5 today during notes call.

Right now the stagecaller network is the only one the phone remembers, and it is set to not automatically join other networks. During the show, the audio-midi settings in the taskbar bounces when connection is lost so we see a general time of when it happens. We attempt to reaquire the connection but the Qlab computer is unable to find the stagecaller phone even when it is returned to stage.

We purchased another phone so that the stagecaller phone would always remain onstage and not be moved or touched until the cue and it worked perfectly last night. I will update this post if there are any further problems but it looks like maybe the actor was just finding the one dead-spot backstage that I couldn’t find. Thank you for your responses.

Hello all, we just got StageCaller for our production of Venus in Fur here in Boston, and when it works, it works great. However, we’ve been running into the issue where, even with Heartbeat on, the iPhone 4 running iOS 6.1.2, inconsistently, the phone will drop the Wifi connection sometimes after five minutes, sometimes right after pushing the sleep button at the top, and sometimes it doesn’t at all and will remain connected for hours. I have the heartbeat set to ping every three seconds and I’m monitoring the midi signal with midi monitor and all is well, but am wondering if anyone knows how to make sure the phone wifi always stays active consistently. Thanks!