Polk Assist disappears from Google Cast list
BiggAW
Posts: 2
I have a Polk Assist, and it's basically the perfect Chromecast speaker in terms of form factor and audio quality. It's a compact, fantastic sounding device that's not too expensive.
However, it has one major and super annoying problem. After some period of time which I have not determined exactly, but is more than a few minutes but not longer than 36 hours, it just disappears from the Chromecast list on my network. If I hard reboot it (i.e. unplug and plug in again), it shows up fine for a while, and eventually, it will disappear again.
I have 5 other Chromecasts, one 1st Gen, one 2nd Gen, one Ultra, and two Audios on my network, and they work just fine. I finally figured out what it shows up as in my router, as it has a MAC prefix of B0:1F:81, which tracks back to Rademacher Geraete-Elektronik GmbH, which must supply the Wi-Fi chip or SoC or something for Polk. It does stay connected, or at least it was still in my router's DHCP table, it just doesn't show up in the Google Cast Ecosystem, and is not reachable through the Google Home app.
Interestingly, I don't have issue when I talk to it and get it to play Spotify, but that doesn't help me with podcasts or device mirroring, where I need to cast TO the device, not have it stream from the interwebs.
What is wrong with this thing, and how do I get it to behave like a normal, functioning Chromecast?
However, it has one major and super annoying problem. After some period of time which I have not determined exactly, but is more than a few minutes but not longer than 36 hours, it just disappears from the Chromecast list on my network. If I hard reboot it (i.e. unplug and plug in again), it shows up fine for a while, and eventually, it will disappear again.
I have 5 other Chromecasts, one 1st Gen, one 2nd Gen, one Ultra, and two Audios on my network, and they work just fine. I finally figured out what it shows up as in my router, as it has a MAC prefix of B0:1F:81, which tracks back to Rademacher Geraete-Elektronik GmbH, which must supply the Wi-Fi chip or SoC or something for Polk. It does stay connected, or at least it was still in my router's DHCP table, it just doesn't show up in the Google Cast Ecosystem, and is not reachable through the Google Home app.
Interestingly, I don't have issue when I talk to it and get it to play Spotify, but that doesn't help me with podcasts or device mirroring, where I need to cast TO the device, not have it stream from the interwebs.
What is wrong with this thing, and how do I get it to behave like a normal, functioning Chromecast?
Comments
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LOL. Stupid technical issues on cheap stuff. Good luck.Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
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Three 20 amp circuits. -
LOL. Stupid technical issues on cheap stuff. Good luck.
That thing wasn't exactly cheap for a "Smart Speaker". It would be well worth the money for the sound quality if I can just get it to work with Google Cast properly.... -
The more I see the problems people have with all this "connected" crap the happier I am for having regular old fashion 2 channel music systems.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Did you get it resolved? I am also facing this issue
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Sounds like a WiFi connection issue, or... maybe not (since @BiggAW was still able to stream music from Spotify, for example, which would normally require WiFi — unless the streaming was through his phone or iPad etc. ...😳 🤦♂️).
Not familiar with how Chromecast or the Polk Assist work (I use a HomePod and AppleTV etc.), but I would think that your best bet is to reset the device and start setup from scratch — including connecting to the WiFi network.
To reset:- Hold down the mic mute button until the unit shuts off.
- You will have lights and a voice prompt telling you you are about to reset the unit.
- Then it will go dark, at that point you can release the button.
You may want to force it to pair with your 2.4 GHz instead of 5 GHz after the reset, if your router uses both. Many smart home devices seem to prefer to work with 2.4.Alea jacta est!
