Access point with high multicast package rate

steffen_anywhere · January 15, 2017

Hey there,

we currently have a pretty decent networking setup at home. A router in the basement with Airport Express base stations as access point on the different floors.

We recently got 1und1 Digital TV provided by Telekom (won't mean much to non-german forum users). Since we couldn't run ethernet to the TV set, and the proprietary media box doesn't habe wifi (of course), we repurposed one of the AEs as a wireless bridge for the TV box. This didn't work with the other routers we still had lying around, because none of them support multicast sessions via IGMP v3 correctly. Now that this works, I'm in need of a replacement access point for the top floor, which doesn't have an AE any more.

Additionally, the FritzBox router/modem provided by our ISP supports live TV streams directly to other devices. This, again, relies on multicast, and only works in the FritzBox wifi by default. By using an old version of the AirPort Utility, I managed to change otherwise hidden multicast settings on the Airport Express stations. Now, the streaming works somewhat, but with hickups and stutter if you're not directly next to the AE. The streams do not work at all through other routers I tried.

Does anyone know how to either solve these problems with Apple AirPort Express systems, or know of an access point that will work better here. The TV streaming will only really be used upstairs, where I could use a different access point. Other than the recent problems with this protocol, the AirPort base stations have been great in this setup. I was holding off on buying another one, because the TV streaming doesn't work well on mobile devices and PCs wirelessly.

Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Cheers, Steffen.

PS: Anyone with Entertain TV or 1und1 Digital TV please outline your setups, these issues as well as the terrible and unclear info on the ISPs support sites have cost me 2 days that I could've used for studying for my exams...