WAS7500 will not connect to MCi500H

The connection between my WAS7500/12 Music Station and MCi500H/12 Music Center has stopped working. When I put the Station onto HD mode I get the message "Connecting to Center", but it never connects. In standby, The Station Status display on the Center and the Center Status display on the Station both list each other, but there is an unplugged icon, which I assume indicates that they are not connected.
On the Center, I have deleted the Station under the Station Management menu and searched for it again: after about 60 seconds the Station is found, but it still will not connect to the Center, with the "Connecting to Center" message displayed continuously.
Under the Station Management menu on the Center, Station 1 is listed, but its status is reported as offline.
I do not think there is anything wrong with the wireless because both the Center and the Station can connect to internet radio via my home wireless network. Do they use the same wireless to connect to each other as to the network?
I have upgraded the firmware on both units and they now have the following versions:
Center 2.19.5130e
Station 1.32.0330
Please can anyone advise me how I can resolve this problem. The WAS7500 is useless without being able to connect to the Center.

Hi !

Have you made any changes in your WLAN lately ? Such as replaced your router and/or changed encryption method ?

Cheers !

Hi

Yes, I have made a change to my WLAN. Because the MCi500H and WAS7500 are out of range of my wireless router/modem, I previously had a wireless range extender, but I have now changed that to a Powerline systemwith the audio units connecting to a TP-Link Wireless Powerline Extender. However, I don't think this can be the problem because both units can connect to internet radio via the Powerline network to the router.

Another problem, which is probably connected, is that WADM will not connect to either the Center or the station, which is strange because my PC has a direct ethernet cable connection to the router. Both of the units must also connect to the same router otherwise I would not be able to get internet radio, so WADM on my PC should be able to find them. WADM has always been a bit hit and miss since I've had the system (about 2 years) - sometimes it will find both units, sometimes just one of them and sometimes neither. but now it does not find them at all. I've also tried WAC Handler.

Hi !

The WACS/MCi500 devices have never worked perfect with extenders, but sometimes, people have been lucky ;)
Can you check if your MCi and WAS gets IP addresses in the same subnet, i.e. 192.16.0.X or 192.168.1.X.
WADM is, as you say, a "hit and miss". Try WACHandler in log mode (check the FAQ in my WACHandler webpage for info about starting in log mode), then zip and mail me the two log files that are created and I might be able to find out what's (not) going one. My e-mail can be found in the About window of WACHandler.

Cheers !

Hi

The Center is using IP address 192.168.0.6 and the Station 192.168.0.8. Both have a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and the IP Mode is Auto IP. Strangely, under Wireless Information the Center correctly refers to the WPA key, but the Station refers to the WEP key, which is not correct.
When I switch on the Station I get the message "Searching for UPnP servers" and then "Server not found". Is that significant?
You say that WACS/MCi500 devices have never worked well with extenders, but both the Center and the Station can connect to internet radio, which they must be doing via the extender, so I don't understand why they cannot connect to each other via the extender.
As requested, I will email the log files from WAC Handler to you. There are 2 - StreamiumFinder.log and WACHandler.log.
Many thanks for taking an interest in my problem and helping me out.

Hi (and my apologies for my late reply) !

Your devices might have perfect Internet connection, but not "seeing" each other in your WLAN anyway.
Based on the logs you mailed me, I can't see anything since WACHandler doesn't get any reply from any of your devices at all (except from your router which is in the correct IP address range).

Something to test :
Disable all repeaters and just keep your WiFi router, MCi500 and WAS7500 on (physically positioned close = within range of your WiFi router) and check if all works ok (just see if the repeater is to blame or not).

Cheers !

Hi

Sorry for the delay in replying but I've been busy with other things.

I've taken your advise and rearranged my WiFi network so that the MCi500 and WAS7500 can connect direct to the router rather than via the extender and hey presto! It worked. So as you said in a previous reply, the WACS devices don't work well with an extender.

The connection's still a bit flaky - sometimes they won't connect but rebooting the devices usually works. Is this just a "feature" of the Philips system?

Many thanks for your help.

Hi again !

Yes, the Center<->Station connection is not the most stable. I need to restart my Stations and/or Center quite often to have them connected. But they usually work for a night or so :-)
So sadly yes, it's a "feature"...
(The newer devices, MCi900 and MCi8080 plus NP3x00 "stations" are definitely more stable, at lest based on my experience with them.)

Cheers !