Netgear mr60 mesh - Amazon echo issues

[gdb19]

I’m having problems with my mesh WiFi and Amazon echo devices and wondering if anyone can help please.

I’ve always had issues with multi speaker groups on Alexa with them intermittently not working but now I can’t even get the Alexa app to link any of my devices into a multi speaker group at all.

I used to have a separate router and my MR60 mesh in access point mode but have just had full fibre to the premises installed yesterday so have now started to use my mesh WiFi directly connected to the openreach box via an Ethernet cable. In effect I have no separate router and my netgear mr60 mesh is all I use for my WiFi.

I’ve tried connecting my Alexa devices to both the standard mesh wifi and also the guest network. Individually each echo speaker works fine but whenever I try to use the Alexa app to combine them into a multi device speaker group I can select one device but get a message saying network error when I trying add either of my other two devices that are on the same WiFi/guest network.

In the past Amazon have told me I needed to have TCP ports 55442, 55443 and UDP port 5544 open for use on my Lan. On other routers I’ve had in the past I’ve been able to open ports like this but I can’t see how to do this on the mr60.

Has anyone else managed to combine amazon echo speakers into a group on this kind of netgear mesh? Does anyone know how I could open ports on the mr60?

[FURRYe38 · Accepted solution]

You can try using QoS and see if it works for you or not. Usually slower or moderate speeds QoS maybe handy. QoS is best for uplink speeds that are low. Whats your uplink speed? 

Be sure to save off a back up configuration to file for safe keeping. Saves time if a reset is needed.
https://kb.netgear.com/24231/How-do-I-back-up-the-router-configuration-settings-on-my-Nighthawk-rout...

Please mark your thread as solved so others will know. 

[FURRYe38]

What Firmware version is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?

What is the distance between the router and 📡 satellite(s)? 30 feet or more is recommended in between RBR and RBS📡 to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected.

What channels are you using? Auto? Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and 40 to 48 channel on 5Ghz.
Any Wifi Neighbors near by? If so, how many?

[gdb19]

@Fury - Thanks for replying. 

For the router I'm on firmware V1.0.6.116, for some reason I can't see the firmware version of either satellite. In the web interface on the firmware update page only the router appears and in the nighthawk app both my satellites show no connected devices and just a dash where the firmware version should be. 

I did originally have this setup as an access point and switched to full functionality the other day by resetting the router. At the time I thought I may have to reset the satellites too but I didn't and they just connected. A NAS drive I have connected via Ethernet is also still working. Is there any chance I may need to reset the satellites? Just seems odd nothing is connected to them and I can't see the firmware version.

To answer the other questions:

I can't tell what make/model the ONT is that the router is connected to. All it has is an openreach label on it and a serial number - no make/model unfortunately. 

I live in a 3 bed semi detached house and have a garden office. Between the router and satellite number 1 there is probably about 15 feet, more or less vertically - its positioned in this way so I can attach my NAS drive via Ethernet without having it in our living room (its a tad noisy). My other satellite is in the garden office and is around 30 feet horizontally from the router. With an external wall between them.

With regards to channels I was on auto for 2.4ghz and 40 for 5ghz, I mainly have iOS devices so don't have any way to scan for the best channels but have just switched to channel 6 for 2.4ghz and 48 for 5ghz to see if that helps. We do have neighbours using wifi - one directly attacthed to our house and another detached from us on the other side furthest from our router.

I have three amazon echo devices and individually they all connect to wifi and work fine, its just the combining them into a multi speaker group that doesn't work. I can sometimes get an option to combine 2 of the devices but get an error message saying network error in the Alexa app when i try to add the third. Previously Amazon had mentioned opening the ports from my first post so was wondering if it was the cause?

Thanks again, appreciate any help or suggestions. 

[FURRYe38]

Can you log into the MS web pages directly using there IP addresses to see if you can see the FW Version. Hoping the FW versions are the same. They need to me. 

I believe 15 feet is too close between the MR and MS. Try 30 feet and see.

[gdb19]

Thanks, didn't realise I could login to the satellites via their ip. 

Both satellites are also on firmware V1.0.6.116

Unfortunately I'm a little limited in that I really need the satellites where they are. If it's too close is there any workaround I could use like turning off the WiFi on the satellite and just leaving it to provide the Ethernet connection for my nas?

[FURRYe38]

I would turn OFF the closest MS and test. 

I don't believe you can turn off the wifi signals on the MS. There mostly on all the time for wifi services and sync. 

[gdb19]

Cheers, I think I’ll try to move the satellite so it’s further from the router.

Is there a way to ensure ports are open for things like Amazon echo devices? I can see options to assign a static ip and port forward and I use this with my nas but I can’t see any way to open ports and net analyser on my phone indicates the ports Amazon specifically mention are closed.

[gdb19]

Sorry for the delay in replying.

I have moved my satellite further away but before doing that I noticed in the app that one of the satellites appeared to be connected to the other satellite instead of the main router. At least that’s how it looked in the network diagram.

After rebooting the satellites my Alexa devices have been ok so far. Multi room groups work fine. Even after moving the satellite away all has been fine.

Thanks for the help. Just a couple of other quick questions please.

Can I see anywhere in the app or router page how long the connection to the internet has been active for or when it last dropped? Appreciate this shouldn’t happen on fttp connections but we had issues in the past on fttc so I’d like to be able to see this.

Also I’ve seen the option for QOS but it seems to only recommend this for extremely fast connections, is QOS worth enabling on a 150mb connection?

Thanks

[FURRYe38 · Accepted solution]

You can try using QoS and see if it works for you or not. Usually slower or moderate speeds QoS maybe handy. QoS is best for uplink speeds that are low. Whats your uplink speed? 

Be sure to save off a back up configuration to file for safe keeping. Saves time if a reset is needed.
https://kb.netgear.com/24231/How-do-I-back-up-the-router-configuration-settings-on-my-Nighthawk-rout...

Please mark your thread as solved so others will know.