[Android Apps and Games] LetTheMusicPlay1:
Chromecast Discovery Issues

Firstly thanks bubbleguuum for an incredible job. Bubbleupnpserver (with openhome) potentially fixes all that is broken with DLNA* [and more background on why I have reluctantly gone the Chromecast Audio route**].

Unfortunately I'm really, really struggling to get Bubbleupnpserver to discover my 3rd Chromecast audio ("kitchen").

My setup:

- Sky wireless broadband router -> wireless connections to lounge and dining room Chromecast audios and android phone, wired connections to Windows 10 PC and homeplug.

- Netgear router -> wired connections to homeplug (i.e. sky router) and kitchen Chromecast audio (Sky wireless connection out of range, wanted to remove any wifi uncertainties by using Chromecast ethernet adapter)

Consistent Symptoms (after rebooting

every

networked device multiple times over the last few weeks):

- Bubbleupnpserver running on the wired PC

cannot

see the kitchen Chromecast (does not show up in logs or front end) but does find the other 2 and their Chromecast groups

- Windows networking on wired PC shows all Chromecasts

including

kitchen (probably just using basic uPNP discovery)

- chrome://cast on wired PC Chrome browser shows all Chromecasts

including

Kitchen

- Bubbleupnp running on Android phone connected via wifi to same Sky router as PC

can

see the kitchen Chromecast

Random thoughts:

- My best guess is that different discovery protocols are being used by Bubbleupnpserver vs Bubbleupnp and chrome://cast. I believe Google started with SSDP and DIAL in v1 spec then moved to mDNS in v2+ (but possibly still allow SSDP/DIAL mode for backwards compatibility?).

- I've double checked Windows firewall is open for Bubbleupnpserver (it installed with a TCP rule but I've just added an "any" protocol rule as well but that didn't make any difference :( )

- I also noticed Windows firewall has UDP ports open for Chrome mDNS, Windows mDNS and both TCP and UDP for bonjour mDNS (default installations).

bubbleguuum, do you have any advice? What Chromecast discovery protocol are you using for Bubbleupnpserver? Is it possible to switch to the alternative protocol? I have wireshark installed ready to sniff network packets if I need to!!!

This issue is driving me very slightly insane so I'd greatly appreciate any help!

*I cannot understand why DLNA didn't fix basic multimedia use cases such as a) playlists localised to renderers to i) prevent control apps having to remain active and ii) allow multiple control points to control same media queue on renderer and b) synchronised playback across multiple renderers. The net result being a horrendous state of affairs with lots of incompatible proprietary attempts to plug the gaps (Sonos, Samsung, LG, Yamaha, Chromecast, Airplay etc etc).

**Why Chromecast? I want to be able to pick and choose my control point, media server and renderer. I already have adequate hifi / speakers in multiple rooms so I was looking for an affordable but high quality (inc. ethernet and digital out) speaker-less renderer I could install in 4 or 5 rooms (following the death of my venerable Roku Soundbridge!). I would have preferred to purchase a "cheap" openhome compatible speaker-less renderer but I don't believe this exists so I've invested in... proprietary Chromecast audio... but only because I believe Bubbleupnpserver should be able to magically make these appear openhome compatible to the rest of the network (and they can do digital out, ethernet in, synchonised multi-room audio) so I can go back to using my favourite control point, renderers and server.