Airplay audio cuts out intermittently

Krutsch, while there is no question that hardwiring the Apple TV will solve a lot of problems, I have found the fershlugginer things frequently freak out when asked to switch tasks — e.g., switch from airplay to playing something on on my Mac mini server, which is hardwired to the network and configured for homesharing as well as for filesharing. In such cases, I growl, unplug the device, plug it back in and it goes about its business. The software is still bedeviled with bugs, IMO. ¯\_(°_o)_/¯

I have the same issue as you all, I though it could be my Apple Extreme as I have on with Air port express's around the house, so I upgraded everything new 2012 Express and Ariports but still have dropout ERRRRR so I think it's a iTunes issue

In my house I now have the new Airport Express, a mix of five older Airport Expresses and two Apple TVs, all distributing music and audio around the house.

For ages now I have been plagued by dropout when listening to music. It is extremely irritating and while I have tried everything I could think of, no permanent solution could be arrived at.

It is now 48 hours since reading this thread and as a result, changing my range of IP addresses from Apple's default 10x to the classic 192.168

There has not been so much as a second of audio dropout since that change. Problem, it would appear, is over.

I have also been trying to figure out a similar problem. I have an iMac and when I'm playing itunes through Airplay it stops after exactly 61 minutes. Both screen saver and power settings are set way longer than this. When I come back to the Mac, itunes has quit running.

I was hoping for a fix with ML, but no change. Any ideas?

Jaquesey, since the timing is always 61 minutes, it really sounds like SOMETHING on your network has been set to sleep after an hour, and it needn't be your iMac. Do you have any smart switches on your network that might be timing out? Dies your router have any time out settings? Best, Arthur

Arthur, thanks for the suggestion. I will have a look. I have a router and an 8 port switch, I suppose either could be shutting down. The only thing that would suggest that it's the iMac is that iTunes also quits at the same time. If it was the network, wouldn't it keep on playing?

Anyway, I'll do some more digging about and let you know how I get on.

Ok, today's update: I have tried iTunes without Airplay i.e. playing through the iMac, with no external speakers. Guess what, it still shuts down after 61 minutes. Now i'm really confused! I think a call to Apple is in order......

For what it is worth, I have been going CRAZY trying to figure out why AirTunes keeps cutting out every few seconds and then coming back on as well. After reconfiguring my router (extreme) and my expresses 20 times, moving stuff around, checking amps & speaker wire, etc., I think I figured out the problem - at least MY problem.

I had downloaded an App called Signal. It monitors your wireless network and tells you if there is interference, etc. and reccommends the best channel to be on. Just messing around with stuff, I Quit the Signal App and all of a sudden...everything worked beautifully again. I don't know if there are other Apps like this out there that are causing trouble, but it's worth the quick second to turn them off and find out.

So, for now, I can enjoy my music again!

I tried another router, bell aliant router, it worked flawlwssly for about a month. I was able to airplay without any issues. I then decided to change router to the apple extreme and am now suffering through all the horrors mentioned in this forum. Why? I always thought the extreme was superior but woooo, boy-o-boy was I wrong.

I will be changing back to the other router - what a shame.

Everything works with the other router router except "extend network". That, only works with the extreme. I miss it but it boils down to listening to crappy cutout music versus extended network, apple looses royaly. I like my music with airplay. The apple extreme is now schedule to be smashed with the sledge on main street in front of everyone. For all the aches and dispointements it caused me, that is the only way I can get a small onze of satifaction and piece of mind - spelled relief.

I saw something on another forum that ACTUALLY works.

KEEP AIRPORT UTILITY OPEN AT ALL TIMES.

It absolutely works...no more cut outs...AT ALL. I just leave it in the dock and open all the time. It is quirky, but it works.

I was running all over my house thinking that my wireless security cameras or cordless phone were the problem. Not sure exactly what the problem is, but leaving AirPort Utility OPEN works. Like I said, I read it on another forum and it helped a lot of other people. Just sharing the wealth.

Good luck!

@jtphilps, are you talking about keeping the utility open on your Mac, or on your iPad?

@RobBobCanada, whatever works! But, before you smash your AirPort Extreme, what kind of equipment were you using as your network extender? Was it an AirPort Express or a third-party bridge?

I ask, because I actually had the reverse experience from you. I had a very good Netgear router, and found Airplay to be so unreliable as to be totally unusable — until I replaced it with a new AirPort Extreme, and also replaced my third-party bridge/extender with an AirPort Express.

I've got a pet theory that a lot of my own cutouts happen when my iPad switches from the extender to the mothership. I know NOTHING about what actually happens there, but am speculating there's a split-second when I'm disconnected, thereby losing Airplay. I do know that I can usually reestablish a connection by turning off Wi-Fi in iPad settings, then immediately turning it back on. This seems to reset Airplay.

As a general comment, I find Airplay to be by far and away the best protocol of its kind. There are even four or more Airplay apps in the Google Play market. Most offer spotty performance at best on my Android phone — but there's simply nothing even close in the Android ecosystem.

@Arthur,

I have the main Bell Aliant FiberOp router made by Motorolla. It acted as the main dhcp network for my home network and wireless throughout the house. From there, I have an airport extreme that was connected to this router as connect to an existing network. Extending didn't work. I also have 4 airport express around the house where I connect $99 Bosse speakers so I can listen to my music through airplay. Also, I have 2 apple TV, Mac pro laptop, iPhone and iPad2.

All of my airport express were cutting out at different times independantly. Very frustrating, annoying and embarrassing when company is home. So from there, I didn't know if it was my network topology creating this issue so I decided to isolate out the Airport extreme. I made the Aliant router the dhcp (which it was all along) and attached all airport express wirelessly to that router with static IP address. The results were 98% good with no cutouts except for once in every 2 weeks of so. Not sure why, really. A router reboot solved that.

Then I decided to change over to the Airport extreme. I removed the dhcp and wireless from the aliant router, rendering it as a simple fiber router with no special function. I setup the extreme with the internet static IP to connect to the Aliant router by giga ethernet wire. Then I wirelessly connect everything in the house to the extreme both wired and wireless. Awfull results. Cutouts were every few minutes and very discouraging.

So there you are. I really am a fan of airplay but now I am positive, by isolation, the extreme is causing this failure. Is it because I have too many devices connected? I tried splitting the wireless by creating the 5GHz network and connecting the 4 express by extending the network. It seems a little better but still cuts out every 10 minutes or so. While one cuts out, I can hear the other one still playing. So I know it's not the source itunes playing the music cutting out.

So I'm going back to my Aliant router, removing the extreme out of the mix, and connecting all express to the Aliant router by "connect to a network"' I would prefer extending but that only works on the extreme (unfortunately). So I have to decide between music that don't cut out and extending the network. The extreme loses. I want my music uninterrupted by crappy cutouts. My Aliant router works whereas the extreme craps out.

@Arthur,

I wanted to add that I also have a B&W zeppelin air that plays music via airplay. When that is connected to the Aliant router, it works perfectly. When I connect to the extreme, it cuts out. I thought maybe something was going on with the express but now I know it's not the case. The extreme router is junk, it just does not working properly.

@Arthur

I am talking about on my Mac. I use 2 iPod touch devices to stream the music either from the iPod directly or using the Remote app. Works flawlessly when Utility is open and like crap when it is closed.

Hope that solves your issue. It is pretty frustrating.

This worked for me too, same exact thing.