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AirPlay stopped working through the volume icon, still works through iTunes

I have an old Airport Express that I connected to my amp. I'm using OS X Sierra (old Mac) to connect to the Airport Express as an AirPlay receiver. It used to work perfectly up to now. Suddenly, when I click on the volume icon and select the Airport I get a message that OS X can't connect to the Airport Express. If I launch iTunes and try to connect there, it works. It also works from my iPhone.


I've tried the following:

  1. Restarting the Mac
  2. Resetting PRAM/NVRAM on the Mac
  3. Soft and hard reset, reconfiguration of the AirPort Express


Nothing has changed on my computer before the error appeared. The Airport is updated to the latest firmware version. Firewall on the Mac is turned off. Any ideas on what else I could try?

AirPort

Posted on Feb 17, 2022 1:57 PM

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Posted on Feb 19, 2022 1:42 AM

System audio redirection via AirPlay stopped working on my Sierra macbook.

I'm able to AirPlay to my Airport Express directly from iTunes, however.

Changing the system clock on my macbook back a few days makes it work again!


More about it here. You're not alone.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/airport-express-ii-airplay-streaming-suddenly-stopped-error-10.2272599/

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Feb 19, 2022 1:42 AM in response to support_joe

System audio redirection via AirPlay stopped working on my Sierra macbook.

I'm able to AirPlay to my Airport Express directly from iTunes, however.

Changing the system clock on my macbook back a few days makes it work again!


More about it here. You're not alone.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/airport-express-ii-airplay-streaming-suddenly-stopped-error-10.2272599/

Feb 18, 2022 2:11 AM in response to support_joe

What model is the Express? (Gen1 or Gen2)

What firmware is it running?

Screenshot from Airport Utility is a big help.


You seem to have tried most things.. from the Mac and Express side.


What about the network?

How is the Express connected into the network? (wifi or ethernet)

What about the Mac, ethernet or wifi?

Are you using any airport router as your main router or different brand? Make and model for the later.

When you look at the network preferences for the Mac, it would help to know DNS and search domain. Screenshots help no end.


Open a terminal and type

ping (network name of the Express)


eg



Express named ex1 (much easier with short names, no spaces and pure alphanumerics)

So in terminal



So weird.. the computer is dumb.. cannot find the Express.. but airport utility and iTunes has no problem.



Issue could be domain.

Also could be DNS is public google address and it may need local router.



Change DNS to local router.. did not help.. probably hoping too much.. but I am using a Synology main router.. just BTW.


Added the domain to the name..

ie ping ex1.local

(Apple routers are always local domain)



Success.. so in the Mac put in local as domain in network preferences.



now ping without the domain.. it should search local by default.


I put in new domain but did not apply in preferences. As expected it failed.

I then applied the domain.. and the next ping succeeded.


The Express is now locatable on the network. And responding to pings.


Just to make things solid.. I would also give the Express a static IP.


Go to internet tab in the Express setup in the airport utility.



Change to static.



The existing IP will stay and everything else should be OK but you will need to type in a DNS because it is no longer handled by DHCP. Your main router IP immediately above the DNS value should be fine.


Computer should now have Express as a sound target.



Having done all this you still might need to downgrade firmware.. there are known bugs in the 7.8.1 firmware. Especially the Gen2 Express.



Hold down the option key and click the number of the firmware.. go back to 7.6.8 or thereabouts.


Tell me if it helps or where you get stuck.. more and more screenshots helps loads.





Feb 18, 2022 3:19 PM in response to LaPastenague

Thanks for the info.


My express is Gen2.

Firmware is the latest (7.8.1).


The Express is extending an existing wifi network.

The main router is different, and it’s provided by the Internet provider (I don’t know the brand of it).


Mac is on wifi, connected to the same network as Express.


The Express is using DHCP. Tried changing it to static before, but it didn’t help.


The Express shows up in the sound devices dropdown list but when I click on it, it says that it can’t connect.


I’ve had problems with this Express before. It overheated and bricked multiple times. Each time I put it into the fridge for a day and it started to work again. Strange construction.


But this time, the Express seems to be working fine, at least with iTunes and my iPhone. Trying to select it from the sound devices list it doesn’t work. Nothing has changed, it simply stopped working the other day.


I’ll try the Firmware downgrade. Please let me know if you have any other ideas.

Feb 18, 2022 7:43 PM in response to support_joe

The Express is extending an existing wifi network.


The Express can join an existing non-apple router wifi network but cannot extend it.

The fact you are using a non-apple main router is giving you at least part of the problem.


Check you can ping the Express when the unit is not working. If it is not responding to pings change the domain as I suggested and see if it works.


It sounds like your Express is not working particularly well though.. so it may simply need replacement.

Feb 24, 2022 12:13 PM in response to pavelsandrejevs

By setting the system clock to an older date it does connect.

However, sound redirection doesn't seem to be working.


All other attempts (installing a previous firmware version, setting a static IP, etc.) have failed.


The forum post above does give some helpful hints about a possibly missing certificate update, but there is no solution so far.

AirPlay stopped working through the volume icon, still works through iTunes

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