We are frequently asked questions about Internet radio and streaming from the AktiMate Maxi
This troubleshooting guide will answer many questions and help you to get the most enjoyment from your Maxi
This troubleshooting guide will answer many questions and help you to get the most enjoyment from your Maxi
Common Networking Problems and Solutions
Maxi doesn’t see the wireless network in its SCAN FOR NETWORKS list
PROBLEM
The wireless router’s ESSID may be hidden or the Maxi can’t see the ESSID due to interference or a weak signal.
SOLUTION
If the router is configured to use a hidden ESSID, then select SETTINGS>NETWORK CONFIG>ENTER NETWORK NAME from the Maxi and enter
in the router’s ESSID and allow the Maxi to connect.
If the router is not configured to use a hidden ESSID, then your Maxi may only have a weak signal available to it or a signal that is experiencing interference.
Please see the Viewing neighbourhood wireless networks and Network signal strength section below.
EXPLANATION OF TERMS
ESSID is the identifying name of a wireless network - strictly it is the identifying name of a wireless access point. It allows one wireless network to
be clearly distinguishable from another.
Maxi displays the following message when attempting to connect to the network
Error connecting to Reciva gateway or Port 80 connect failed. Unable to load station list.
PROBLEM
The Maxi successfully connected to the network, but was then unable to connect to the Reciva servers.
SOLUTION
There are a number of reasons for the Maxi displaying this message.
Firstly, the Maxi’s connection may be getting blocked by a firewall. Please ensure that any firewalls the Maxi’s connection may come in contact
with will allow it to use UDP port 53 and TCP port 80. You may need to temporarily turn off your firewall to check the Maxi’s connection.
Secondly, the Maxi may have received unsuitable network settings from a DHCP server on the network or, if the Maxi is using a static IP address,
it may have unsuitable network settings configured. Please check the Maxi’s network settings are correct for the network it is using - I.e. that the
Maxi is using the correct gateway and DNS IP addresses. You may need to configure the Maxi to use a static IP address if you are unsure about
the network settings the Maxi is receiving from the network.
Please see Using static network settings on the Maxi section below.
Finally, if the Maxi is using a wireless network, then it is possible that the Maxi is experiencing a poor connection.
Please see the Viewing neighbourhood wireless networks and Network signal strength section below.
EXPLANATION OF TERMS
UDP is a communications protocol that offers a limited amount of service when messages are exchanged between computers in a network
that uses the Internet Protocol Transmission Control Protocol.
TCP provides reliable, ordered delivery of a stream of bytes from a program on one computer to another program on another computer.
DHCP is an auto configuration protocol used on IP networks. Computers that are connected to IP networks must be configured before they can
Communicate with other computers on the network. DHCP allows a computer to be configured automatically, eliminating the need for
intervention by a Network administrator. It also provides a central database for keeping track of computers that have been connected to the network.
This prevents the computers from accidentally being configured with the same IP address.
Maxi displays the following message when attempting to connect to the network
Wireless error (error code) or Incorrect key
PROBLEM
The wireless router has rejected the Maxi’s attempt to connect due to the password (encryption key) provided by the Maxi being different to
what the router was expecting.
SOLUTION
Please ensure that the encryption key entered on the Maxi is the same as that required by the router - remember, the key is case sensitive (unless
it is hexadecimal). You may find it helpful to temporarily disable encryption on the router and then try to get the Maxi to connect to the network again.
Once the Maxi is able to connect to the router, re-enable encryption on the with a different key and then attempt to get the Maxi to connect again.
Please note that if your router uses a list of WEP keys, then you will need to enter the first key in the router’s list (I.e. Key 0 or key 1) into the Maxi.
Also, if the router is using a 40/64-bit key, then the Maxi will need to use 5 ASCII characters or 10 hex characters. If the router is using a 128-bit
key, then the Maxi will need to use 13 ASCII characters or 26 hex characters. If the router uses a pass-phrase, do not use the pass-phrase on
the Maxi - use the actual encryption key instead.
EXPLANATION OF TERMS
ASCII is a character encoding scheme based on the ordering of the English alphabet. ASCII codes represent text in computers, communications
equipment and other devices that use text.
WEP is a security protocol for wireless local area networks (WLANs) defined in the 802.11b standard. WEP is designed to provide the same
level of security as that of a wired LAN
Maxi displays the following message when attempting to connect to the network
DNS servers invalid
PROBLEM
The Maxi has successfully connected to the network, but is unable to resolve host names.
SOLUTION
If the Maxi’s network connection comes into contact with any firewalls, then please ensure that it is able to access UDP port 63. You may find it
helpful to temporarily turn off any firewalls on the network and then check the Maxi’s connection.
The Maxi may have received unsuitable network settings from a DHCP server on the network or, if the Maxi is using a static IP address, it may
have an unsuitable gateway or DNS IP address configured. Please check that the Maxi’s network settings are correct for the network it is using.
All information can be found in the Settings of the Maxi menu. You may need to configure the Maxi to use a static IP address if you are unsure
about the settings it is receiving from the network.
Please see the Using static network settings on the Maxi section below.
Maxi displays the following message when attempting to connect to the network
Timeout getting IP address or Negotiating IP address
PROBLEM
The Maxi did not receive an IP address when it attempted to connect to the network.
SOLUTION
There are a number of reasons why the Maxi may have failed to receive an IP address. Certain routers have a security setting that only allows
one device to connect to them by default (examples include BT HomeHub and LiveBox) in order to stop unwanted users connecting to a wireless
network. If this is the case then the router will have to be configured to allow the Maxi access.
Similarly some routers are configured to use MAC filtering and may be filtering out the Maxi’s network connection due to its MAC address not being
on the router’s list of authorised MAC addresses. If this is the case, then the router’s configuration will need to be updated to allow the Maxi to connect.
Some routers will ignore attempts made to connect to them is the required password (encryption key) is incorrect, which would leave the Maxi to
timeout in its attempt to connect. Please ensure that the encryption key entered on the Maxi is correct.
It is possible that there is no DHCP server available on the network, in which case the Using static network settings on the Maxi section should
be read.
If the Maxi is using a wireless network, then it is possible that the Maxi is experiencing a poor connection.
Please see the Viewing neighbourhood wireless networks and Network signal strength section below
Further Information
Viewing neighbourhood wireless networks and network signal strength
It is possible that the wireless network the Maxi is attempting to connect to could be experiencing some interference from a neighbouring wireless
network or another source emitting signals around 2.4Ghz (e.g. Bluetooth) Please move the Maxi away from any sources of signals that may
interfere with the connection and place it close to a PC or MAC that also uses the same wireless network to view the Maxi’s WiFi environment.
It is also advisable to keep both the router and the Maxi away from microwave ovens, cordless phones and large metal surfaces.
In order to view the Maxi’s WiFi environment you can execute the following commands on the PC or MAC that uses the same network as the
Maxi and is in the same position as the Maxi.
Open a DOS prompt (or Windows PowerShell) and type this command
netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid
If you are using a MAC, you could see the available networks by using the ‘Airport’ application or by typing this command from the terminal
sudo/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport -s
If you are using a PC running Linux, type the following command
Sudo iwlist<network device> where <network device> is the PC’s active wireless network device - e.g. One of the devices displayed from
this list (probably wlan0) /sbin/iconfig
In light of the PC/MAC’s WiFi environment, ensure that the wireless network you are attempting to connect to with your Maxi is operating on a
channel that is at least two channels different to the neighbouring networks. You may need to configure your wireless router to use a different
channel number to ensure this.
Also ensure that the perceived signal strength is above 80% when testing the Maxi’s connectivity, but don’t position the Maxi right next to the
wireless router as the strong signals from the Maxi and the router will interfere with each other, When getting the Maxi to connect to the
wireless network, remember to keep it away from the PC/MAC that also uses a wireless connection.
Using static network settings on the Maxi
Maxis that have trouble accessing a network may benefit by using a static IP address. For example some wireless routers will inform devices
on the network that it is itself the DNS rather than the user’s ISP’s DNS and this can sometimes confuse the Maxi.
In order to configure the Maxi to use a static IP address, select Settings/Configure>Nework config>Edit config on the Maxi and then set
Auto (DHCP) to NO. The the Maxi will prompt for the static IP address to be entered.
Please enter the appropriate information for the Maxi, which should be comparable to the network information on the other Pcs/MACs on
the same network. Select END following each IP address entered on the Maxi.
When the Maxi asks for a DNS IP address, enter the ISP’s DNS IP address - which should be available from your ISP’s support webpage.
If the DNS/IP address is difficult to get hold of, then you can try using a public IP address (at the time of writing there is a list of DNS’s at
http://www.tech.faq.com/public-dns-servers.shtml
To check if a DNS IP address is working corrrectly you could type the following command from your PC’s DOS / shell prompt or MAC’s
terminal prompt
nslookup <host> <DNS> e.g. Nslookup www.google.com 4.2.2.1
The command should successfully resolve the host name to an IP address if the DNS is working.
Ports that need to be available for the Maxi to use the network effectively
General Network Connectivity
UDP 67 (DHCP)
UDP 68 (DHCP)
UDP 53 (DNS)
TCP 80 (HTTP)
UDP 123 (NTP)
TCP 6000 (upgrades)
Windows Shares
UDP 137 (netbios name service)
UDP 138 (netbios data)
TCP 139 (netbios-ssn)
TCP 445 (microsoft-ds)
Upnp
UDP 1900 (SSDP)
TCP 5000 (Events)
Maxi doesn’t see the wireless network in its SCAN FOR NETWORKS list
PROBLEM
The wireless router’s ESSID may be hidden or the Maxi can’t see the ESSID due to interference or a weak signal.
SOLUTION
If the router is configured to use a hidden ESSID, then select SETTINGS>NETWORK CONFIG>ENTER NETWORK NAME from the Maxi and enter
in the router’s ESSID and allow the Maxi to connect.
If the router is not configured to use a hidden ESSID, then your Maxi may only have a weak signal available to it or a signal that is experiencing interference.
Please see the Viewing neighbourhood wireless networks and Network signal strength section below.
EXPLANATION OF TERMS
ESSID is the identifying name of a wireless network -
Maxi displays the following message when attempting to connect to the network
Error connecting to Reciva gateway or Port 80 connect failed. Unable to load station list.
PROBLEM
The Maxi successfully connected to the network, but was then unable to connect to the Reciva servers.
SOLUTION
There are a number of reasons for the Maxi displaying this message.
Firstly, the Maxi’s connection may be getting blocked by a firewall. Please ensure that any firewalls the Maxi’s connection may come in contact
with will allow it to use UDP port 53 and TCP port 80. You may need to temporarily turn off your firewall to check the Maxi’s connection.
Secondly, the Maxi may have received unsuitable network settings from a DHCP server on the network or, if the Maxi is using a static IP address,
it may have unsuitable network settings configured. Please check the Maxi’s network settings are correct for the network it is using -
the network settings the Maxi is receiving from the network.
Please see Using static network settings on the Maxi section below.
Finally, if the Maxi is using a wireless network, then it is possible that the Maxi is experiencing a poor connection.
Please see the Viewing neighbourhood wireless networks and Network signal strength section below.
EXPLANATION OF TERMS
UDP is a communications protocol that offers a limited amount of service when messages are exchanged between computers in a network
that uses the Internet Protocol Transmission Control Protocol.
TCP provides reliable, ordered delivery of a stream of bytes from a program on one computer to another program on another computer.
DHCP is an auto configuration protocol used on IP networks. Computers that are connected to IP networks must be configured before they can
Communicate with other computers on the network. DHCP allows a computer to be configured automatically, eliminating the need for
intervention by a Network administrator. It also provides a central database for keeping track of computers that have been connected to the network.
This prevents the computers from accidentally being configured with the same IP address.
Maxi displays the following message when attempting to connect to the network
Wireless error (error code) or Incorrect key
PROBLEM
The wireless router has rejected the Maxi’s attempt to connect due to the password (encryption key) provided by the Maxi being different to
what the router was expecting.
SOLUTION
Please ensure that the encryption key entered on the Maxi is the same as that required by the router -
Once the Maxi is able to connect to the router, re-
Please note that if your router uses a list of WEP keys, then you will need to enter the first key in the router’s list (I.e. Key 0 or key 1) into the Maxi.
Also, if the router is using a 40/64-
EXPLANATION OF TERMS
ASCII is a character encoding scheme based on the ordering of the English alphabet. ASCII codes represent text in computers, communications
equipment and other devices that use text.
WEP is a security protocol for wireless local area networks (WLANs) defined in the 802.11b standard. WEP is designed to provide the same
level of security as that of a wired LAN
Maxi displays the following message when attempting to connect to the network
DNS servers invalid
PROBLEM
The Maxi has successfully connected to the network, but is unable to resolve host names.
SOLUTION
If the Maxi’s network connection comes into contact with any firewalls, then please ensure that it is able to access UDP port 63. You may find it
helpful to temporarily turn off any firewalls on the network and then check the Maxi’s connection.
The Maxi may have received unsuitable network settings from a DHCP server on the network or, if the Maxi is using a static IP address, it may
have an unsuitable gateway or DNS IP address configured. Please check that the Maxi’s network settings are correct for the network it is using.
All information can be found in the Settings of the Maxi menu. You may need to configure the Maxi to use a static IP address if you are unsure
about the settings it is receiving from the network.
Please see the Using static network settings on the Maxi section below.
Maxi displays the following message when attempting to connect to the network
Timeout getting IP address or Negotiating IP address
PROBLEM
The Maxi did not receive an IP address when it attempted to connect to the network.
SOLUTION
There are a number of reasons why the Maxi may have failed to receive an IP address. Certain routers have a security setting that only allows
one device to connect to them by default (examples include BT HomeHub and LiveBox) in order to stop unwanted users connecting to a wireless
network. If this is the case then the router will have to be configured to allow the Maxi access.
Similarly some routers are configured to use MAC filtering and may be filtering out the Maxi’s network connection due to its MAC address not being
on the router’s list of authorised MAC addresses. If this is the case, then the router’s configuration will need to be updated to allow the Maxi to connect.
Some routers will ignore attempts made to connect to them is the required password (encryption key) is incorrect, which would leave the Maxi to
timeout in its attempt to connect. Please ensure that the encryption key entered on the Maxi is correct.
It is possible that there is no DHCP server available on the network, in which case the Using static network settings on the Maxi section should
be read.
If the Maxi is using a wireless network, then it is possible that the Maxi is experiencing a poor connection.
Please see the Viewing neighbourhood wireless networks and Network signal strength section below
Further Information
Viewing neighbourhood wireless networks and network signal strength
It is possible that the wireless network the Maxi is attempting to connect to could be experiencing some interference from a neighbouring wireless
network or another source emitting signals around 2.4Ghz (e.g. Bluetooth) Please move the Maxi away from any sources of signals that may
interfere with the connection and place it close to a PC or MAC that also uses the same wireless network to view the Maxi’s WiFi environment.
It is also advisable to keep both the router and the Maxi away from microwave ovens, cordless phones and large metal surfaces.
In order to view the Maxi’s WiFi environment you can execute the following commands on the PC or MAC that uses the same network as the
Maxi and is in the same position as the Maxi.
Open a DOS prompt (or Windows PowerShell) and type this command
netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid
If you are using a MAC, you could see the available networks by using the ‘Airport’ application or by typing this command from the terminal
sudo/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/airport -
If you are using a PC running Linux, type the following command
Sudo iwlist<network device> where <network device> is the PC’s active wireless network device -
In light of the PC/MAC’s WiFi environment, ensure that the wireless network you are attempting to connect to with your Maxi is operating on a
channel that is at least two channels different to the neighbouring networks. You may need to configure your wireless router to use a different
channel number to ensure this.
Also ensure that the perceived signal strength is above 80% when testing the Maxi’s connectivity, but don’t position the Maxi right next to the
wireless router as the strong signals from the Maxi and the router will interfere with each other, When getting the Maxi to connect to the
wireless network, remember to keep it away from the PC/MAC that also uses a wireless connection.
Using static network settings on the Maxi
Maxis that have trouble accessing a network may benefit by using a static IP address. For example some wireless routers will inform devices
on the network that it is itself the DNS rather than the user’s ISP’s DNS and this can sometimes confuse the Maxi.
In order to configure the Maxi to use a static IP address, select Settings/Configure>Nework config>Edit config on the Maxi and then set
Auto (DHCP) to NO. The the Maxi will prompt for the static IP address to be entered.
Please enter the appropriate information for the Maxi, which should be comparable to the network information on the other Pcs/MACs on
the same network. Select END following each IP address entered on the Maxi.
When the Maxi asks for a DNS IP address, enter the ISP’s DNS IP address -
If the DNS/IP address is difficult to get hold of, then you can try using a public IP address (at the time of writing there is a list of DNS’s at
http://www.tech.faq.com/public-
To check if a DNS IP address is working corrrectly you could type the following command from your PC’s DOS / shell prompt or MAC’s
terminal prompt
nslookup <host> <DNS> e.g. Nslookup www.google.com 4.2.2.1
The command should successfully resolve the host name to an IP address if the DNS is working.
Ports that need to be available for the Maxi to use the network effectively
General Network Connectivity
UDP 67 (DHCP)
UDP 68 (DHCP)
UDP 53 (DNS)
TCP 80 (HTTP)
UDP 123 (NTP)
TCP 6000 (upgrades)
Windows Shares
UDP 137 (netbios name service)
UDP 138 (netbios data)
TCP 139 (netbios-
Upnp
UDP 1900 (SSDP)
TCP 5000 (Events)