External router for XR18?

[Ronnie Wibbley]

Hello! I'm looking for a dual-band router to use at live gigs with a Behringer XR18, and wondered whether something like the TP-Link AC750 (TL-WR902AC) travel router would be up to the job. Small gigs only but from what I've read the internal XR18 router is not to be trusted.

I'm interested because it's cheap but also because it hasn't got a load of flimsy plastic antennae that are likely to go flying across the stage as soon as the drummer sits down.

Any advice or recommendations gratefully etc etc etc.

Cheers

Ron

[Trevor@chords4u.com]

Hi Ronnie.

I love my XR18 but you are right about using an external router. I did a gig recently (as the sound engineer) using my XR18 were I did all the sound checks and it was great until the audience arrived and with all the mobile phone networks the built in XR18’s got lost. I couldn’t connect to it as the Wi-Fi signal was so weak. I deployed an old BT Broadband router which worked a treat. As a bonus linking to the XR18 in the studio is much fast loading and saving shows and settings, etc.

Regards

Trevor.

[AlecSp]

Hello! I'm looking for a dual-band router to use at live gigs with a Behringer XR18, and wondered whether something like the TP-Link AC750 (TL-WR902AC) travel router would be up to the job. Small gigs only but from what I've read the internal XR18 router is not to be trusted.

Definitely, use an external router for anything other than home use. Otherwise, it's only a matter of time before you're bitten.

That router will work, but be aware that you won't have any spare ethernet ports to allow you to plug in, say, a laptop, or a tablet with a cabled network connector for greater reliability.

You really don't need anything special - I've always used old routers from ISPs - cost = nothing, performance = just fine.

I did a gig recently (as the sound engineer) using my XR18 were I did all the sound checks and it was great until the audience arrived and with all the mobile phone networks the built in XR18’s got lost. I couldn’t connect to it as the Wi-Fi signal was so weak. I deployed an old BT Broadband router which worked a treat. As a bonus linking to the XR18 in the studio is much fast loading and saving shows and settings, etc.

Pretty standard - and tragic that people are still making this mistake even these days.

Glad to see you taking the simple/cheap solution of using an old ISP router, though.

There will be plenty of recommendations for super-pro kit but, for most amateur/semi-pros, it really isn't worth it.

[Sam Spoons]

I have a couple of Apple Airport routers which get the job done just fine on my X32s and an Airport Express plumbed into the case with the DL1608. All have 5GHz as well as 2.4GHz which seems to help (or did last time I did a live gig, pre Covid). As all my other kit comes from the fruit it makes sense and the Airport app is pretty user friendly.

[resistorman]

I just use cheap Monoprice routers ( I carry a backup). I also have a long Ethernet cable so I can plug in a laptop to the router if I'm using it as a stagebox. Importantly, for best results, use the 5ghz band.

[Luke W]

Importantly, for best results, use the 5ghz band.

There's a bit of a trade-off there that's worth considering. 5GHz tends to be a less crowded band in lots of places, and with a faster connection possible, but the range will be lower than 2.4GHz.

[resistorman]

Importantly, for best results, use the 5ghz band.

There's a bit of a trade-off there that's worth considering. 5GHz tends to be a less crowded band in lots of places, and with a faster connection possible, but the range will be lower than 2.4GHz.

True, and especially if you have to go through a wall such as a proscenium, but most venues you're likely doing with an XR18 aren't going to be all that big. That said, I found myself engineering from the middle of a ball field one time using one! It did slow down, but 2ghz wasn't any better in this case.

[Luke W]

True, and especially if you have to go through a wall such as a proscenium, but most venues you're likely doing with an XR18 aren't going to be all that big. That said, I found myself engineering from the middle of a ball field one time using one! It did slow down, but 2ghz wasn't any better in this case.

Absolutely, and pretty much anything will be an improvement over the on-board version from what I've heard. Thought it was worth a mention nonetheless.

[Sam Spoons]

Wherever I've had problems it's been with 2.4GHz and switching to 5GHz has solved them. No doubt it's because 5GHz is less crowded and in the future that will likely change but so far so good.

[PeteB1951]

I agree, use an external router, but it probably doesn't matter much which one. I've been using an ancient TP-Link TL-WR1043ND with no problem. One advantage is that the network you set up is likely to be the strongest in the room, and as it's password protected and doesn't have internet access it won't (shouldn't) attract anyone else on to it. I'm using OSI Midi Stage with a Behringer x-Touch Mini and also casting interval music from an old Android phone to an Audiocast M5 dongle plugged into the XR18 and powered by the router's USB socket.

[The Elf]

Wired only for me. I wouldn't trust my on-stage sound to wireless anything!

[pax-eterna]

I use a Intel NUC box racked into a small form factor (back to front dimension) rack, also in the same rack is the XR18, connected via ethernet! I do have a separate router in the same rack, but I don't really use it anymore.

[sth]

I use the 5GHz radio on a Mikrotik wAP ac w/my Mackie (DL16S). In big rooms, I perch it on top of one of the FOH tops (to reduce impediments to line-of-sight) and thread the Ethernet cable through the speaker cab’s top handle in its way to the stagebox to hold it in place. This has been *mostly* bulletproof, but I did have to fall back to a wired connection to my laptop once, and that was only because I made a poor troubleshooting decision that couldn’t be reversed in the field.

[Ronnie Wibbley]

Thanks to all of you for the advice.

I've invested seven British pounds on an old Talk Talk dual band router, so fingers crossed. Expect another post in a few days asking for help setting it up...

[AlecSp]

I've invested seven British pounds on an old Talk Talk dual band router, so fingers crossed. Expect another post in a few days asking for help setting it up...

That much?

I have a handful of old TalkTalk routers which I've used with no problems for X32 and XR18 over the last 5 years. You might have to put up with a "no internet found" message on connecting to the router, which you can just ignore, and then proceed.

[Stubert]

Hello! I'm looking for a dual-band router to use at live gigs with a Behringer XR18, and wondered whether something like the TP-Link AC750 (TL-WR902AC) travel router would be up to the job. Small gigs only but from what I've read the internal XR18 router is not to be trusted.

I'm interested because it's cheap but also because it hasn't got a load of flimsy plastic antennae that are likely to go flying across the stage as soon as the drummer sits down.

Any advice or recommendations gratefully etc etc etc.

I just spent 90 minutes trying to get this exact router set up on the XR mixer before I tried something that finally worked.

For those using this specific router, there's a switch on the side of the router for different modes. It needs to be set to ACCESS POINT mode.
The switch on the mixer itself needs to be on Ethernet!
Technically what you are doing is creating a new external access point for the mixer but if you leave the router switch in 'router' mode it will not see it! Argh!
Change the network name and password if you like using the TP Link instructions.

Anyway, now it works like a dream!

[Stubert]

Hello! I'm looking for a dual-band router to use at live gigs with a Behringer XR18, and wondered whether something like the TP-Link AC750 (TL-WR902AC) travel router would be up to the job. Small gigs only but from what I've read the internal XR18 router is not to be trusted.

I'm interested because it's cheap but also because it hasn't got a load of flimsy plastic antennae that are likely to go flying across the stage as soon as the drummer sits down.

Any advice or recommendations gratefully etc etc etc.

I just spent 90 minutes trying to get this exact router set up on the XR mixer before I tried something that finally worked.

For those using this specific router, there's a switch on the side of the router for different modes. It needs to be set to ACCESS POINT mode.
The switch on the mixer itself needs to be on Ethernet!
Technically what you are doing is creating a new external access point for the mixer but if you leave the router switch in 'router' mode it will not see it! Argh!
Change the network name and password if you like using the TP Link instructions.

Anyway, now it works like a dream!

EDIT!!

This router should be in SHARE HOTSPOT mode.
Apologies.