W3 Troubleshooting Tips

The following troubleshooting tips can help diagnose and correct most concerns with the W3. We have attempted to make this list as comprehensive as possible, so some of these may not apply to your issue, but please go through each tip.

1. Check to make sure that the W3 Receiver’s power supply is properly connected to AC power.
2. If using the W3 to get music from your computer DO NOT connect the included mini-jack cable from the W3 Sender to your computer's headphone jack. Instead use USB audio from your computer as the W3 was designed. Check the W3 setup guide to see how this is done.
3. Verify that your audio source is playing music and that all of your connections are inserted correctly. If one of the cables is not plugged in all the way, you may only hear audio through one channel so unplug the cables in your setup and reconnect to verify.
4. Repeat the Sender/Receiver pairing process within 5 feet of each other.
5. Unplug the W3 from your computer and restart.  Test the W3 with your system again.
6. Check to make sure your device (computer, phone, or tablet) is running the most up-to-date version of software available.
7. Try your W3 in a different location to see if something is causing an issue in the current setup.  Something as simple as a wireless internet router, cordless or mobile phone, or halogen lamp near the speakers may be causing interference in your setup.
8. Try these tips if your computer is not recognizing the speaker through the USB input or the sound through USB isn’t functioning correctly:
9. If using Windows, uninstall the USB driver from your computer.  Then remove the W3 Sender from your computer and plug it back in to allow the driver to reinstall automatically.  You can find instructions from Microsoft on how to reinstall a plug-and-play device under Windows here.
10. If you are using a Mac, try a NVRAM/PRAM reset.  This resets the system configurations for some audio and video related things and can many times help clear up problems related to audio.  See Apple’s support page for information on how to do this.

The W3 is designed to "play nicely" with other wireless products but issues like this do come up from time to time depending on the type of router(s) being used, other wireless systems in the area, your computer, building construction, etc.. If you are experiencing an issue with your wireless network or interference, here are some things that may help:

1. Please try changing the channel of your Wi-Fi router to 1 or 11. This can be done with an Apple router using Apples Airport Utility software.  On most other routers, these settings can be accessed by logging on to the routers IP address through a web browser.
2. Please try to keep as much room between the W3s sender and receiver units, and other wireless devices as possible.  At least 2 or 3 feet is recommended.
3. Please try  temporarily moving the powered W3 sender unit as close as possible to your wireless router.  Leave it there for just a few minutes, and then place it back into your setup and retest.  This may allow the W3 to train itself to "steer clear" of the signal.
4. We have found that every now and then the placement of the computer's antenna in relation to the USB port can have this effect on the W3.  One thing you could try is to move the W3 further from the computer by using a USB extension cable.  - If using a Mac laptop, try the USB port furthest away from the display (the display is where the wifi antenna is located).
5. Consider upgrading to a new wireless router if yours is older than 3 or 4 years.  Newer model routers handle interference much better than older routers.