Mac can't connect to HomePod

As I understand it Bluetooth is only used for configuring the device. Which of the four options here have you chosen?

• Everyone: Anyone with in range of your HomePod can see and play to it.
• Anyone On the Same Network: Anyone connected to your home Wi-Fi network can AirPlay to your HomePod.
• Only People Sharing This Home: Only people that you invite to share control of your Home in the Home app can AirPlay to HomePod.
• Require Password: To AirPlay to HomePod, users will need to enter a password.

The first one may work even where there is some kind of network isolation as I believe it uses an dependent peer to peer connection.

But yes, it does look at if HomePod is really intended for home use. As for your last sentence I guess it depends who is asking. If my boss decides he wants a working HomePod setup in his office then he is going to get it. 😉

tt2

Have you restarted each of your devices and your router, then used the power-cycle, hold top of unit method in Reset HomePod - Apple Support to set things up again? Do you meet the requirements in the Get started section of Set up and use HomePod - Apple Support. Make sure that your network isn't set up with client isolation features that allow devices access to the internet but not to each other.

tt2

What are you trying to AirPlay from? From HomePod - Technical Specifications:

Peer-to-peer AirPlay requires a Mac (2012 or later) with OS X Yosemite or later, or an iOS device (late 2012 or later) with iOS 8 or later.

tt2

Yeah, I'm the network admin here, our network shouldn't be the issue but I inherited this responsibility recently, so I'm not completely up to speed on the configuration of our sonicwall and sonic point. I can however use air drop and other network functionality just fine and I can airplay to our conference room AppleTV OK... The problem I'm having is that I can see the HomePod but when I try to connect to it for AirPlay, the little indicator just spins and never connects. I had no problems connecting to it to set it up though. I can see it in the Home app but when I tap it, the indicator just spins. My assumption is that setup happens over bluetooth but everything else happens over WiFi. So what exactly is AirPlay? Some Hybrid thing that uses both BT and Wifi? Anyways... So there very well could be something on my wifi network screwing with it I guess. I'll try to set it up again at home. I was going to use it in the office but I guess maybe that isn't going to be possible. I'm not about to go screwing with the network settings to get this thing to work. The last thing I need is to cut off the outside developers from access to our VPN just because I wanted to listen to some music in my office. So basically, is it safe to say, the HomePod is really only good for use at home with simple network configurations? In a corporate or office environment, it probably won't work if you require any kind of elaborate network security? And let's be real, no network admin is going to reconfigure a corporate network to accommodate the use of a HomePod in someone's office.

I used the first option.

Everyone: Anyone with in range of your HomePod can see and play to it.

Yeah, exactly, if the CEO or the boss wants their HomePod to work, then the IT guy has to scramble to make it work. IT Guys tend to play the role of "butler to the CEO" at a lot of small companies. I'm interim so I'm just trying not to make a mess before we hire a replacement.

See the Change AirPlay settings section of Change settings for HomePod - Apple Support.

tt2

Well both of those ought to work. 😕

Try HomePod - Official Apple Support and see if Apple Support can solve it.

tt2

Could your network employ Wireless Isolation or similar security features that isolate devices. Is there any more detail to the error message?

tt2

Do you mean you cannot connect to HomePod from iTunes on MacBook?

Make sure you have the latest High Sierra installed. My Macbook and Mac Mini are working from iTunes using AirPlay.

Just curious but "home settings" where? On the phone? In system preferences? In iTunes? I don't see an option for this anywhere.