[TG] [TG11] Axiom Miracast LG TV not working

[Gypsy King]

I have an Axiom 12 RV with LH3 3.10.42. (Issue was the same with prior releases).

I can make it connect wirelessly to my Sony TV at home. It sometimes takes very long to connect but it works even with fairly long distance and thick walls in between. Once connected it stays connected. When connecting there is no code required - I just get a message box on the Axiom asking to confirm the invitation.
That's all good.

Here comes the issue:
On my boat I have a fairly new LG TV with Miracast. (LG24MT49S).
Miracast works perfectly with every Android phone and tablet I have.
These will connect instantly and with no code to enter and no invitation to respond to. They just connect when I turn on the screen projection.

When I try to connect the Axiom it doesn't work.
I have to be VERY close - usually less than 3m/10ft - to be able to se the TV WiDi and when I then try to connect, the TV will display a code which I need to enter on the Axiom to confirm the invitation. (This is also how it's described in the Raymarine setup instructions). BUT when I enter the code the TV will try to connect for 120 seconds and then give up. I have never been able to make it work.
I've done countless factory resets of the Axiom, tried in remote places with no other wifi signals disturbing, updated the TV software - all with no luck.

The Axiom core is Android so it beats me why it works differently from phones/tablets.
Given the TV works perfectly with phones/tablets I doubt the issue is with the TV.
Has anyone made this work with an LG TV?
Obviously the hand-shake on pairing/connection works differently vs the Sony TV, but based on the Raymarine instructions the code hand-shake is the intended way.

I have one other wifi issue with my Axiom. When I use a tablet with Remote Control to connect to the Axiom Wifi it will disconnect from time to time. First it will stop responding to input on the tablet and finally the screen will go black and I have to reconnect. Sometimes, when this happens, I need to go to settings on the Axiom and re-enable remote control.

Any suggestions?

[Tom - Raymarine - Moderator]

Hello Gypsy King,

If you haven't already seen it, this discussion might shed some light.

The fact that the connection is range-dependent suggests that the Wifi channel might be a factor (there's info on the above thread about checking/changing channels.) Other things that spring to mind are that with standard Android devices, the protocol in use might not actually be Miracast but the Google-specific variant, Google Cast, which isn't the same technology exactly. We use Miracast instead of Google Cast (or Apple Airplay, or any of the other variants) because only Miracast is Wifi Alliance certified and vendor-neutral (available to iOS, Android and other users.) I also see that your specific model of TV isn't listed as Miracast-certified at https://www.wi-fi.org/product-finder-res...anies=1341, though other LG TVs are.

I'd have a look at the Wifi channels and signal tests described in my first link, and if no luck there then save yourself the pain and get a Miracast-certified dongle such as the Microsoft Wireless Display adaptor.

Regards,
Tom

[Gypsy King]

Thx Tom,

I did in fact look at wifi channels and using a wifi scanner I can see that the LG forces the channel used by the router providing the internet connection as opposed to using the one the Axiom is setup for. Moreover, the Axiom subsequently appears to get stuck on that channel until it's power cycled.

So today I bought a Microsoft Wireless Display adapter v2.
However, I get exactly the same behaviour as with the LG.
The Microsoft adapter shows up as an available connection and it takes forever while the Axiom says 'Connecting'. Sometimes it will time out and sometimes it will get to the point of asking for the 8-digit code. After entering the code it continues to say 'Connecting' but eventually times out.
I tried changing the channel to one with little other traffic.

I have a possibly related issue:
When I use a tablet with Ray Control to connect to the Axiom Wifi it will disconnect from time to time. First it will stop responding to input on the tablet and finally the screen will go black and I have to reconnect. Sometimes, when this happens, I need to go to settings on the Axiom and re-enable remote control.

[Tom - Raymarine - Moderator]

Hmm. If the system works consistently at home but not on the boat, and not with two devices on the boat, then there aren't many options left to consider.

If the problem were just with the LG then I would be thinking that its Miracast software implementation might not be as reliable as that of the Sony, but we regularly use MS WDAs here and are pretty confident in them.
The symptom you describe for the LG - and it sounds like you also have for the MS-WDA - of a very range-sensitive connection, is a classic sign of restricted bandwidth.

One possible cause is RF interference (not simply Wifi traffic, but unintentional noise at that 2.4GHz band.) That's not easy to diagnose, but is more common than people tend to think.

Another possibility might be in the relative orientations of the Axiom, the Android devices you're cross-checking with and the receivers, compared to when you're connecting to the Sony at home. For example, is the Axiom mounted with its back to the TV in the boat (so the Wifi is having to pass through or around the metal heatsink/case body, compared to facing the TV when you're testing at home?
When you're using the RayControl app, do you see reduced range performance or more break-up of the picture when you move the mobile device closer to the location where the Miracast receiver is (e.g. MS-WDA mounted up behind the TV), as opposed to a similar range but in a different direction?

There are no clear answers so far, but from what you describe - in particular with the Sony- - that certainly sounds like the environment is more of a factor than a fault with the display.

Regards,
Tom

[Gypsy King]

I did some more experimenting today.

After doing a power-on reset of the Axiom, powering of my Quantum2, orienting the Axiom screen-side towards the TV, and playing with the position of the USB side of the MS WDA, I was finally able to connect to it. It took very long and several attempts for the pairing to complete.

Once connected there was still a noticeable lag and the connection would drop after a short while. Like others have noted the Axiom does not try to reconnect in this scenario- you have to do this manually. However, the pairing is kept intact and this makes the re-connect easier.
The connection would drop with the slightest movement of the Axiom.

The distance is ca. 18 feet and with the Axiom placed as described above it's an unobstructed line of sight except for the TV itself. I used the default wifi channel 6 and it just so happens there were no other wifi's visible above channnel 4 or below channel 8 in the test location. In spite of the short distance the signal level in front of the TV was hovering around -60dB and so most likely at or below -70 behind the TV.
Based on this my wifi scanner app estimated the distance to 125 feet ;-)

I did note a couple of instances where the Axiom wifi would completely disappear. I guess this may be the cause of the drop-outs I have with RayControl. My tablet is placed less than 6 feet from the Axiom.

Question is now if this can all be down to a noise/cross-talk issue or if there might be an issue with the wifi circuit in my Axiom 12.

[Gypsy King]

Sorry, forgot to comment on your questions:

When testing at home the Axiom is in my basement and the Sony TV is one floor up.
There's a thick layer of concrete in between but the TV is almost right above the Axiom. I might try to take the Sony on the boat to test that.

RayControl works fairly okay in my cockpit. It will sometimes work for 1-2 hours before I get a drop-out. If I take the tablet down below it's often hard to even make it connect to the Axiom and there is a very noticeable lag.

One thing I have not tried yet - but I will - is to power off my router and everything else which has a wifi. Even if I did not see any other wifi's on channel 5-7 I guess there could be some RF noise. (The router wifi usually runs on channel 8 and I have some other devices sitting on channel 1).

[Tom - Raymarine - Moderator]

Wifi signals are directional, as VHF and other radio. Could the relative orientations of the TV and Axiom be a factor? What orientation do you have the Axiom (e.g. flat on its back or screen vertical) when using with the Sony at home, compared to when using with the LG aboard? I would expect that the Axiom's Wifi antenna focuses the radio in a beam that's perpendicular to the screen, so that it's horizontal and giving good coverage around the boat.

If you think that the display's faulty I'd suggest getting it checked by your nearest service centre, but my feeling is that if it connects ok to the Sony then the Axiom hard is probably ok.

Regards,
Tom