EE Router and Extender Issue With Casting When Speakers Connected to Extender

[PegLegPeg]

Hardware: EE Router (Smart Hub SH31B); EE Extender (Smart Wifi SW30A); Raspberry Pi 3b (WiFi); Various Chromecast speakers (WiFi); Google Pixel 6 Pro

Software: Volumio (latest Premium version)

Hi, when I cast music through Volumio on the Android app through my Raspberry Pi on the main router's Wi-Fi network to a speaker on the extender's Wi-Fi network it doesn't work. No music comes through. However, when I turn the Extender off, so that all devices are on the on the main router's network, it works and music plays. I don't want to have to turn the Extender on and off multiple times a day though...

Do you know if there's a specific firmware update or a troubleshooting step for the Extender that can resolve this issue. I only need the Extender for a wired connection to my work laptop. Is there a way to disable WiFi coming from the Extender but keep it on for the wired connection?

Many thanks

[PegLegPeg]

To add to the above...

Before I turned off the Extender, my Google Home app was only showing 2 of the 4 Chromecast speakers I have to Group them. Now the Extender's off, all of them are showing on as available to Group. This doesn't appear to be an issue with the Raspberry Pi or the speakers, but the Extender

[JimM11]

@PegLegPeg Does the laptop not have a wireless wi-fi device installed in it, so far most of what you are pointing to and as you have not said so far is that there is no need to even have the Extender as all is covered by the main EE Router!

[PegLegPeg]

Hi @JimM11 , thanks for following up. My work laptop has WiFi and is very new so no concerns there. I didn't have the Extender at first and the signal quality wasn't good enough to have consistently connected Teams calls. The connection is perfect now with the Extender. I use ethernet as the laptop is right next to the Extender so might as well. I had a Tenda mesh system before that and it was just as bad as the main router on its own

[JimM11]

@PegLegPeg Got it, you still need the smart wireless to give you the needed boost about the property but just off loading the laptop Ethernet connected and allowing it down the cable. The problem off getting your audio out through the smart wireless is going to be something else, you may just have to setup the Compatible network feature drop down to the WPA2-PSK on it and then connect your audio on that ssid, the smart wireless is alleged to pass through from the EE Router, so give it a try first!

[PegLegPeg]

Thank you @JimM11 , I'll have a look into it although I'm a little wary of potentially reducing the security protocol. I might see if connecting the pi directly to ethernet would help but I'd need to get hold of a much longer cable than standard 

[JimM11]

@PegLegPeg The security is a double factor, 1. It's hardware so if your device does not have the WPA3 chipset then it is a complete and futile waste of time, that is why wpa2-psk is still very relevant, 2. Its your home network and unless someone is sitting direct on your wireless wi-fi and sniffing the encryption then it's never going to happen!

Go read all about wpa2 to wpa3, never mind the issues that it is causing! you have had wpa2-psk for the last twenty years have you ever been hacked once yet!

[PegLegPeg]

Thanks @JimM11 , I'll look into it. Using a Powerline adapter to plug into the Pi and also the work laptop has come to mind today. I've also posted the issue on the Volumio community to see if their developers have any suggestions. I've tried using an external CD ROM through USB and that's brought up the same multiroom and an additional problem with it dropping out after each track