Ableton Link Stops Working When I Enable Audio/MIDI Source

Question

Ableton Link is working perfectly. However, when I start flowing MIDI over my Lightning cable (or USB-C cable with my iPad, same thing) Link stops working. How can this be? This is true on one of my routers (the provided one from XFinity) but not happening on my other router (a Netgear Nighthawk). What could possibly explain this?

  

Note: How to Connect MIDI over USB [ link ]

Answer 1

In my case -- and maybe in yours -- the answer is strange and unexpected.

I thought I was connecting via Link over my Wi-Fi router, but alas... no. Link (UDP) is flowing over the USB cable. When that same USB connection is used for Audio, it stops transmitting UDP.

So for me, the answer was either:

1. Use another router in which UDP is not blocked
2. Use another way to transmit MIDI, like Bluetooth or Network MIDI.

It's easy enough to prove that Link is communicating over the USB cable. Use the problematic router and unplug the USB cable and see if Link still works. In my case, this produced the exact same result as connecting the Audio/MIDI source: no Link.

Surprisingly: Link uses UDP to communicate, and this does not require Personal Hotspot to be enabled.

Answer 2

In my case -- and maybe in yours -- the answer is strange and unexpected.

I thought I was connecting via Link over my Wi-Fi router, but alas... no. Link (UDP) is flowing over the USB cable. When that same USB connection is used for Audio, it stops transmitting UDP.

So for me, the answer was either:

1. Use another router in which UDP is not blocked
2. Use another way to transmit MIDI, like Bluetooth or Network MIDI.

It's easy enough to prove that Link is communicating over the USB cable. Use the problematic router and unplug the USB cable and see if Link still works. In my case, this produced the exact same result as connecting the Audio/MIDI source: no Link.

Surprisingly: Link uses UDP to communicate, and this does not require Personal Hotspot to be enabled.

Answer 3

Yet another situation in which Link stopped working. The answer was to shut off Private Wi-Fi Address

Settings → Wi-Fi → tap your network → Ensure "Private Wi-Fi Address" is OFF

Answer 4

Yet another situation in which Link stopped working. The answer was to shut off Private Wi-Fi Address

Settings → Wi-Fi → tap your network → Ensure "Private Wi-Fi Address" is OFF