Behringer X32 WiFi Setup & Networking

Behringer X32 WiFi Setup & Networking Guide

I have seen and received a lot of questions about getting the X32 connected to a network to be able to use X32-Edit, X32-Mix, and X32-Q. Having the Behringer X32 and Midas M32 connected to a network will give a lot of flexibility that you wouldn’t have without it.

FYI, back in the day, it was called X-Control and Xi-Control!!

First let’s get one thing straight, while the iPhone, iPad and Android apps can ‘adjust’ the monitor mix, it cannot monitor or listen to this mix. You cannot listen to audio from the X32 through your phone.

Router, Switch, Cables?!

Before we get too far, we need to talk about the devices that we use to get our network going!

Behringer X32 WiFi Setup & Networking

A network in the old days was only connected with network cables, what we refer to as CAT5e cables. A CAT5e cable stands for the type of network cable it is. With the X32 we can use CAT5, CAT5e, and CAT6 cables for the network interface.

A router is the device that gives out IP addresses to everything on the network and is the main brains of the network. We typically will find a ‘wireless router’ to not only allow physical connections with network cables but also allow wireless devices like phones or tablets to connect as well.

A network switch gives the ability to expand the physical network connections as your wireless router will have 4 LAN ports on it. If you wanted to add more ports to connect more devices, you would use the network switch.

A Primer on Networking

The network for the X32 is using the same technology as your computer or laptop. The most important part of the networking side of the X32 are the addresses. We call these IP Addresses. IP address stands for Internet Protocol Address, specifically IPv4, and is a numerical address for each device on a network.

The most common network addresses that we see are between the ranges of

  • 10.0.0.0 – 10.255.255.255
  • 192.168.0.0 – 192.168.255.255

The IP address range is set by your router, the most basic off the shelf routers will have an IP address itself of 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. For this example, I am going to use a router with an address of 192.168.1.1. Most of the routers that are in use out there will make a Class C network which will give 256 addresses. This leaves 253 IP Addresses available to use for the network. This is the breakdown of that:

  • 192.168.1.0 – Network Name
  • 192.168.1.1 – Router IP Address
  • 192.168.1.2-192.168.1.254 – Available for Network Devices
  • 192.168.1.255 – Broadcast Address

The X32 & M32 allow for 10 remote devices to be connected to it at the same time, so having a limit of 253 devices on your network should not be a problem. This is one reason you should ALWAYS have your network secured!

Subnet Mask is the next thing you need to know. This is also set by your router and is usually ‘255.255.255.0’.

Finding Your IP Address & Subnet Mask

So, now that you have had a refresher on IP Addresses, let’s go find them! Turn on your router that you are using and connect to your network with a device.

iPhone:

  1. Connect to your network
  2. Once connected
  3. Go to Settings>Wi-Fi & then press the (i) next to the network name

Mac

  1. Open System Preferences
  2. Click into Network and select Wi-Fi or Ethernet (whichever has the green circle)
  3. Press Advanced
  4. Tab to TCP/IP

Windows

  1. Open a Command Prompt
  2. type ‘ipconfig’ and press Enter

This will show the IP Address of your phone, Subnet Mask & Router IP Address

In this example they are:

  • Router IP Address: 192.168.1.1
  • Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
  • iPhone Address: 192.168.1.2

Start Connecting!

Now that we know the base setup for the router we are using, we can get it connected to our X32/M32.

Connect the X32 with UTP CAT5e or STP CAT5e cable from the wireless router’s LAN ports to the ‘Ethernet’ jack in the ‘Remote Control’ section on the back of the console.

LAN NOT WAN!!!

There IS a difference!!! When you look at the back of your router, you will see typically one WAN connector and 1-8 LAN connectors. WAN stands for ‘wide area network’ and is for connecting to an external cable company’s fiber network. LAN stands for ‘local area network’ and is made for connecting your devices to.

You WILL have problems if you connect your X32 to the WAN connection, so make sure you connect the X32 to the LAN connection on your router!

Continuing…

Connect the X32 with a CAT5 or CAT5e cable to the router’s LAN port and plug that cable into the ‘Ethernet’ jack in the ‘Remote Control’ section on the back of the console.

NOTE: You can use UTP (unshielded twisted pair) or STP (shielded twisted pair) CAT5e or CAT5 cable for this connection. There is no need for a shielded cable like the AES50 ports. Also, as the X32/M32’s Ethernet port is a 100Base-T connection, there is no need for a gigabit router or CAT6 cables.

Behringer X32 WiFi Setup & Networking

After the network cable is connected, press the ‘setup’ button and tab over to the ‘network’ tab. Once there choose an open IP address on the network for the X32 and put that and the other information into the addresses.

In my example I am using the following:

  • IP Address: 192.168.1.10
  • Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
  • Gateway: 192.168.1.1

Behringer X32 WiFi Setup X32 Mix App IP Address

Ready for Connections!

At this point, your Behringer X32 or Midas M32 is ready for remote connection with any of the approved apps like X32-Edit, M32-Edit, X32-Mix (iPad), M32-Mix (iPad), X32-Q, M32-Q, Mixing Station.

I would suggest using a higher IP address for the X32 itself. That way the possibility of the router giving out a duplicate IP address to another device on the network is quite low. I will typically use an address of 192.168.1.201 or something in the x.x.x.200-254 range.

What About a Direct Connection?

Now someone is going to bring up the question of what about a direct connection from my computer to my X32?! Technically, yes you can have a direct connection without the router. To do this you can take a CAT5e cable direct from the computer to the X32 (older computers may require a CAT5e Crossover cable. I have been able to connect with a normal cable with my MacBook Pro and MacBook Air). You would need to manually set the IP address inside of your Mac, Windows, or Linux device as such:

Computer IP Information:

  • Computer IP Address: 192.168.1.1
  • Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
  • Router IP Address: 192.168.1.2

X32/M32 IP Information:

  • Console IP Address: 192.168.1.2
  • Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
  • Router IP Address: 192.168.1.1

While this may seem easier, manually setting those numbers on your computer will get tedious. This also limits you to one connection.

A Bunch of Tips

GET A WIFI SCANNING PROGRAM!!!!!!! This is probably the biggest thing that will help you in your setup especially if you are traveling with the X32/M32. A Wi-Fi scanner program like Acrylic WiFi Professional (or the free version Acrylic WiFi Home) will scan the 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrum and display the Wi-Fi networks that are present, their amplitudes, and what channels they are on. This will help you specifically choose your wireless network channel to give better wireless connectivity.

WiFi channel signal level analyzer

DD-WRT Firmware

DD-WRT was first created as an open source firmware upgrade for the ever popular Linksys WRT54G wireless router. DD-WRT was a free download that could be installed onto the router for expanded functionality for the router including boosting Wi-Fi signal transmission power. DD-WRT is has expanded to be available for a number of different Wi-Fi devices and will expand the functionality of any router which it supports.

Check it out at www.dd-wrt.com.

Use 5GHz When Possible

The 2.4GHz spectrum is very crowded, I would recommend finding a router that has 5GHz as well as 2.4GHz. If you are in direct sight of the router, 5GHz will work well but will not go through many walls or rows of people. 2.4GHz while more crowded will penetrate through more rows of people and walls. But having the option for both is always a good idea.

Use External Antenna’s When Possible

You do it for your wireless receivers and IEM’s, why stop there! Getting a set of professional Wi-Fi antennae that can connect to your router can not only give you a better line of site to the mix position but also can boost the receive and transmit signal of your router. Make sure to use really good low loss coax like LMR400 or RG-8X with short lengths and quality connectors between the router and the wireless antenna. The higher in frequency you go with RF, the less forgiving it is with finicky connections and cheap coax, not to mention the loss is significantly higher at 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

Also, using directional antennae can also help boost your signal if mixing FOH from an iPad with your Rackmounted X32/M32 onstage.

A few good products that would work well are:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Secure Your Network!

Please…. Secure your Wi-Fi network! Also, please do not use WEP as the security protocol. Just Google “WEP Network Hacking” and enjoy learning how insecure it really is!

Here is the list of security protocols currently out there (Dec 2016) ordered best to worst:

  1. WPA2 + AES
  2. WPA + AES
  3. WPA + TKIP/AES
  4. WPA + TKIP
  5. WEP
  6. Open Network (AKA NO SECURITY!)

Lastly, don’t title your Wi-Fi network something like Soundboard, you are just ASKING for trouble. Along with the Wi-Fi network name, or SSID, routers have the option to not transmit the SSID. The pro of hiding the SSID is that bystanders will not see the Wi-Fi network pop up when they are looking for a Wi-Fi network to connect to. The con is that you have to manually type the network name and password, this may or may not be a turnoff. I know that for my uses inside of a church, having to manually help the band connect their phones to the console sounds like a bit too much work. I personally would rather title the network something obscure like “FBI Surveillance Van” 😉

Static IP Addresses

There is a lot of people who will suggest using Static IP addresses for your devices. This is basically where your wireless device will set its’ own IP address manually, rather than having the router assign one to that wireless device. There are pros to this like having a more rugged network and having devices not changing their IP addresses. However, this is getting a bit more advanced with networking and is really outside the scope of what I am trying to suggest with this post. There are some major cons with using static IP addresses like #1 needing to train your musicians how to set their device to a manual IP, and #2 when you have a lot of volunteers, you have a LOT of devices so the possibility of accidentally having two devices with the SAME IP address goes a lot higher.

There are some major cons that I see with using static IP addresses like #1 needing to train your musicians how to set their device to a manual IP, and #2 when you have a lot of volunteers, you have a LOT of devices so the possibility of accidentally having two devices with the SAME IP address goes a lot higher.

If you have a solid crew/band ALWAYS working the same setup (like a well-planned tour) using static IP addresses would work wonderfully as each person’s device is known and teaching a handful of people how to do it once isn’t all that bad.

My honest suggestion is to have the router do the work of dishing out IP addresses. Plug your wireless router into the same power conditioner as the X32 so that when you power your system on, you power your router on at the same time. This will restart your network every time you turn on the X32 which will refresh your IP addresses on the network.

Know WHO is on your network!

This goes hand in hand with the security of your network AND the last section that we just went over about static IP addresses. Know who you give out the password of this network! This is your network for your sound board, NOT for accessing the internet. In fact, I don’t EVER attach my audio console network to the internet or the church’s network. I want this network to be isolated. Why? Because if ANYTHING goes wrong, who is the person to blame? Think of giving out the password of this network as letting someone come play with the faders on your board. If you don’t trust them touching the physical audio console, don’t trust them on your network.

That is all!

Thanks so much for reading through this, if you have any suggestions on ideas to add to this post, please let me know. I really want it to be a resource for people who are setting up their X32 network for the first time.

Connect with me

Youtube Facebook Twitter

Recent posts

50 Responses

  1. Great Information. Even though I some baasic knolege of how networks function I find this very helpful..

  2. Newbie kind of qustion but is the behaviour the same if you just use the FX send and return (it seems to me that this is just another way of achieving parallel compression) rather than as in insert on an Aux bus ?

  3. Great info! Thanks! This has been helpful. For now, I’m using an older router which I think is only 2.4GHz. I’d like to get a 5GHz router. Most/all of the postings I’ve read looking for recommendations for the best router to tie to the X32 are a couple years old. Do you have a recommendation from the current list of routers available? Thanks!

    1. For the longest time I couldn’t connect to the X32 from a mac with x32-edit, but recently we updated the mixer to V4 (might be V. 4.0.1 or 4.0.2), and now the X32-edit app, see the mixer, and when I click on the connect button it say incompatible firmware and also says to update the firmware, I even tried downloading and installing the newest version of the X32-edit app, and it says the same thing.

      Also have tried using a direct connect via the USB port and nothing shows up in X32-edit.

      So, is their anything we/I can try to get this to work?

      Using a MBP mid-2014, I7 w/ 16 RAM

  4. Thanks for the post! I’ve set this up and got it working with my iPad and iPhone apps, but it’s still not connecting to my Macbook x-32 edit app. I’ve downloaded and opened the app, went to Set Up to input the same IP address I put into the iPad/iPhone app, but for whatever reason it’s not connecting. Do you have any idea what the issue could be?

    1. I would make sure that you don’t have any firewalls blocking the access from the app to the network. If you don’t have that, I would restart the computer and try again! Also, with Macs, if you hardwire the internet connection, you will need to turn off wifi for the Mac to force the ethernet connection. For some odd reason, some Macs will automatically default to using WiFi even if you have a hardwired connection.

      1. I have been doing this for a while now its has always worked well. I have set the DHCP server to assign a static address as this device is on business network.

        A minor update for your post is that you need to show the users how to check Firmware version as the older versions will not connect with the new apps.

  5. I just find your site tonight and I fine it verywell donne.
    I have been a corporate sound engineer for several decades.
    The standard in big hotels is that, I always mix that with the IPad … outside the city, I can get away from the router without any problem. When I am downtown, there are evenings that if I go more than 20 feet from the router the communication is simply cut. Have you explored these problems and have you any proposals for me?

  6. How do you have your band connect to the board without giving them too much control of the board?

  7. Is it possible to have a direct connection to the router connected to the x32 and have internet via a separate wifi connection on a mac? I’m using the x32 in a home studio and can’t figure out how to have both internet and x32 edit control.

    1. Hi Drew ! Great article here. I’m using an apple airport express connected to my x32 rack. It’s connected wireless to an airport extreme that is connected cat5 to my house router. It’s cool because I can use my macbook on the internet at the same time of using my x32. The only matter is that x32 edit app is disconnected almost every time that i’m using ableton. It was the same when I was using a D-Link router. I taught it was an issue with the router but eh ?! Any advice please ? Thank you very much

  8. Hi Drew!

    Have you heard anything about the X-32 Q app being updated for iOS 11?

    Thank you so much for all that you do, you site and blog have been a blessing to our church.

    Graham

  9. i hAVE A AIRPORT EXPRESS CONNECTED TO MY BEHRINGER X32 AND I CAN ONLY CONNECT 1 IPAD AT A TIME WHAT CAN I DO TO CONNECT AT LEAST 2 IPADS AT A TIME PLEASE HELP

  10. Pingback: The Amazing Capacity and Limitation of the X32 with Drew Brashler

  11. Hey!
    I have the latest X32 Edit software (3.1) and when I click the Manual ip button, nothing happens. I’ve tried using it though wifi and through ethernet. I’m new to this so if there is a step that im missing any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

  12. hi,
    First, Thank you for all your work, advices and videos !
    Sorry for my poor english but i’m french.
    I have a trouble with my rj45 connector on my x32.
    I’ve worked with my console (192.168.1.100) connected to a WiFi router (linksys wrt54g 192.168.1.1).
    After a stop then a restart, I lost the connection between the console and my router without changing anything.
    On my router, I have no more the small flashlight, either at the level of the connector rj45 of my console (the connections are still ok with my PC 192.168.1.2).
    What / Where could be the problem of losing the connection ?
    It seems like the network card of the x32 was switch OFF !?
    Thank you for your work, videos and for your advice.
    Cordially Y Réformat.

  15. Thank you for the information! Sorry this is coming so long after the original article was posted. We recently connected the board to a network, used the iPad app a few times, and are now having an issue where different channels on the board seem to get a volume surge followed by distortion, which auto-corrects itself in a matter of 20 seconds to a minute. We’ve unplugged the board from the network, and the iPad has not been present at times where this has occurred. Have you heard of anything like this? Is it possible connecting it to our network could have caused this? Thanks again!

  16. So the X32 sets up it’s own network correct? Or does it have to be connected to an internet network as well?

  17. I cannot connect my PCs wired or wirelessly to my X32 via X32 Edit, but my phones connect fine. I have turned off firewalls and everything. My PC IP address is in the range of the router and console. Any thoughts?

  18. Hey Drew,
    I have been trying for weeks to get the X32 to talk to my iPad, iPhone and computer but with no luck. Is there a specific router I should be using? Thank you for your help!

  19. An alternative to static IP is to assign devices an IP address in your router’s address reservation/device table (locks the IP to the MAC address). This way you leave your device in DHCP mode but your router will always assign it the given IP address you gave it.

  20. Is there a way to change the gateway on the app? I only see 4he IP address?

  21. I’m having difficulty connecting a second iPad. It’s connected to the correct WiFi airport. When I press “connect”, I says “listening” but never connected. Is there something else that needs to be done? The first iPad was connected to the mixer and working

  22. Drew,
    First thank you for all the videos and information that you’ve posted. My question is: what would be the negative aspect of simply engaging DCHP on the console and having all fields populate automatically?

  23. Which actual routers do you recommend? I’ve heard Ubiquiti routers work well but I have no clue on which model to purchase. Looking at some ~$150 netgear that seem to fit the bill, just want to make sure I get a solid model.

  24. please i will like to know how to use my midi in , in my x32 please

  25. So from a labtop can I have a speaker in another room off the labtop if I’m connected thru wifi

  26. What could cause an Airport Express 2nd Generation to sometimes work or not? I am having a really hard time to get it to work, when it does, it works great, but the minute I turn off and on again my system, is a real pain in the B…. to get it to work again, sometime taking as long as hours to get it to work, even when I follow the same steps as in the X32 guide, and every other video, forum out there.

    Can you please help?

    Thanks in advance and have a nice day,

    1. When you use an Airport Express 2nd Generation , you have to ad an extra switch, all your connection problems will be solved!!

    2. I’ve had the same issue with airport express. I think its just an issue with that router. Because it did the same thing using a Presonus Mixer. I set the router to a “static” IP. That is so the x32 always has the same IP. My connection still drops out but not as often.

    3. Tenho o mesmo problema. Se alguém tiver uma solução para o problema, favor nos relatar. Obrigado

    4. Hi Alberto,

      I’ve had success with getting Apple Airport routers and M32 series consoles to connect reliably by putting an Ethernet switch between the router and the console. I’m by no means a network engineer but I think it has something to do with the initial handshake that negotiated a 10/100/gigabit connection….
      With a switch in between it works every time, with a direct connection to the Apple router it’s hit and miss.

  27. I have found that connected devices may drop the private network and pick up another network they are already set to automatically connect to. I have found it useful to have the devices I use “forget” other networks that they may know that are available in the venue so that the device does not jump to another network accidentally.

  28. Could we control a x32 from another x32 wirelessly ?
    That would be great to eliminate the cat5 cable from FOH to the stage

  30. 16 outs, of which 3 are used for L/R & Subs. I have 13 outs for monitors. But X32 and M32 only have the capacity for 10 devices to control it? Am I reading that correct? So if I connect with my iPad for mixing, that means that I can only have 9 more controllers(iPads, iPhones, Android phones, etc.) for band members to connect with the X32?

  31. Drew, nice blog! Good stuff. Only thing to add is had an issue at one time connecting X32-edit to X32 when assigning a static IP. Works great DHCP, but could not connect using several different static IPs.

    Keep up the good work.

  32. I manage it to receive the IP from the DHCP server, the desktop computer and the iPad are in the same IP network. I could ping to the Behringer, but the software doesn’t find the console. Any ideas?

  33. You said one should secure his network. I am quite new with network theory and applications with the X32, but have a basic understanding of IP address, subnet etc etc. I fully understand the basis and need to secure a network.

    Is there a way to put a password on the router? Please provide some basic step by step procedure for a newbie on specific tasks to secure a network.

  34. Has anyone had issues with the app not finding the subnet mask? It just says listening and will never connect to the soundboard.

  36. Great info. Thank you very much for your time. I am looking to control my church console from home. The console and several ipads are already networked. Maybe using a screen share program? Any suggestions?

  38. I set everything up following everything step by step. I can connect the pc to the X32-Mix rack as it is hardwired to the wireless router. However when trying to connect the iPad it stays on listening. The iPad is connected to the wireless router and I’ve entered the rack IP address and when I press connect it only shows listening.

  39. I’ll check it out ans see if this works with the X32 producer and a Macbook Pro. Thank you.

  40. What about speed? There are some 5GHz routers that will deliver up to 433 Mbit/s and others 1300 Mbit/s or more. What router max speed do you think is required for effective mixer control? (Or is it irrelevant, since these router speeds are all higher than what’s required?)