AVB: Disabled - why does my AVB interface say that? Two 828es' won't connect via network. - RESOLVED

[MartinBaird]

For a year or so I have not had need of the second of my two 828es interfaces. Tonight I decided to fire up #2 and like most of its life, it won't connect to the other 828es which acts as my main control room interface. When I press the NET ID button on either of them the bottom of the screen says: AVB: DISABLED.

I have a Mac Studio connected to the control room 828es via Thunderbolt and there is a Cat 6 cable running between the network ports on each 828es. This has been an ongoing issue and though I don't use the second 828es much, I'd say the majority of the time I turn it on it won't connect (the second 828es almost never shows up in MOTU Discovery). I have tried all the usual things including brand new shielded and unshielded Cat 6 cables, resetting both units to factory defaults, turning them on in both orders, plugging and unplugging the cable at each end, etc. The firmware is up to date as are the MOTU audio drivers.

This is REALLY depressing for me because I have been a MOTU customer since 1991 and I was thrilled when I bought these two boxes in 2021. If anyone has any ideas I'm all ears and would be very grateful. The first time I posted up about this was almost three years ago: viewtopic.php?t=71723

Thanks very much.

Martin

[HCMarkus]

Have you delved into the MOTU Pro Audio Control Routing Page AVB Configuration?

You must enable AVB Streams to use AVB. I believe the default is 0, so take a look!

Screenshot 2025-03-20 at 8.27.47 PM.png (255.14 KiB) Viewed 1375 times

[MartinBaird]

Yes, both input and output AVB streams are set to 4. I guess that is the default because I had them at 1 but reset to factory default right after posting my question. I still can't get the second unit to appear in MOTU Discovery.

Thanks very much for your reply.

Martin

[HCMarkus]

Yes, both input and output AVB streams are set to 4. I guess that is the default because I had them at 1 but reset to factory default right after posting my question. I still can't get the second unit to appear in MOTU Discovery.

Thanks very much for your reply.

Martin

If you haven't already done so, you should get a Technote going at MOTU.com.

One thought: Have you tried connecting the second interface with a USB to Thunderbolt cable to get it recognized in Discovery?

[MartinBaird]

I had not considered connecting 828es #2 with a USB to Thunderbolt cable. You're saying the USB side goes in 828es #1?
I have a call with MOTU scheduled for this afternoon.
Thanks again for your input. Really appreciate it.
Martin

[HCMarkus]

I had not considered connecting 828es #2 with a USB to Thunderbolt cable. You're saying the USB side goes in 828es #1?
I have a call with MOTU scheduled for this afternoon.
Thanks again for your input. Really appreciate it.
Martin

I was thinking hook both up directly to your computer so AVB Discovery could find both. It is just an idea.

[MartinBaird]

Well, even though I did my due diligence, this is slightly embarrassing. Over the last two years, I tried at least a half dozen Cat cables to run between my two 828es units. I never got consistent synchronization. So Friday, in preparation for my tech call with MOTU Support (so I wouldn't be running back and forth), I removed the second 828es from my recording room and placed it on my mix desk next to my computer keyboard and hooked it up with a different Cat cable. It almost immediately connected. I tried another Cat, never before tried Cat cable and it too worked - the two 828es' sync'd right up. The two have remained connected for over two days now, when in the past, they would randomly disconnect during a session the few time I was able to get them to connect. All I can figure is that it was the positioning of the second 828es in the recording room that was the problem. I come to that conclusion because that 828es was mounted vertically on the wall with the rear ports facing the ground. When I originally installed it, I thought this might be an issue, so I tethered the Cat cable to the wall with a cable wrap and screw to ensure gravity didn't pull it out of the port. But that must not have been enough because I'm using the same Cat cable that hasn't worked much in the last 18 months and it has been rock solid for two days while sitting horizontally on a little table. Call me dumb for not testing it in a different place but now that I think about it I think I did have them both on a table for a MOTU Support call two years ago. Lessons learned. I hope this solves my issue permanently.

Martin

[James Steele]

Glad it's solved!! I've had things like that happen to me. I guess perhaps the connector wasn't quite seated completely in the port? But seriously... I can so identify with this. I'll mark this topic as resolved.

[MartinBaird]

Thanks for your kind words. I appreciate it.

And thanks again to those who replied to this thread.

Martin