Why Is Denon Airplay Not Working? Complete Fix Guide

Whenever you encounter a Denon Airplay not working error, you know that there’s a problem with your device. Fortunately, we have the solutions to help you.

Either there are connectivity issues or minor glitches. But, Airplay may not be working simply due to incompatibility.

Your phone may not have AirPlay, or your Denon AVR isn’t connected to your local network.

To use AirPlay, make sure both your devices are on the same network. You need to make sure that you’re connected to the network with the same WiFi name. Watch out for those routers with a separate 5G WiFi network. To avoid this confusion, you can also connect your Denon to your router via an Ethernet cable.

Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why Airplay will not work on your Denon receiver. We can then move on to the steps on how to fix it.

Why Denon Airplay Stopped Working

When you’re faced with Airplay not working on your receiver, your first suspect is a networking issue.

Examine the networks these devices are on and their configurations since there is likely something off there.

Here are the reasons why you’re having a hard time connecting your receiver with your other devices.

1. Different Wi-Fi Networks

If you rely on wireless networks, you open the possibility of having multiple networks.

WiFi extenders use a different network name than your router. Some routers can even be set up to have multiple Wi-Fi networks.

2. Network Configuration

Certain network settings will get you in trouble when it comes to your AV’s connectivity with Airplay.

3. Minor Bugs and Glitches

Since your Denon receiver comes with several modules and components. The ones required for the network can suffer from temporary bugs and glitches.

4. Connectivity Issues

If your networking hardware is not working properly, your Denon receiver will have difficulty connecting to your other devices.

These are the issues that can impact your Denon receiver and its Airplay capabilities.

We can now proceed to the many solutions you can perform to finally eliminate this error.

How to Fix Denon Airplay Not Working

Before we do any troubleshooting steps, we recommend restarting your Denon receiver. Do it with your Apple device, too.

The error could be temporary, and a quick restart should flush it out, saving you a ton of time in the process.

In case restarting your receiver and source device does not do the trick, we can proceed to more in-depth steps. Doing this ensures that we consider the other causes of this error.

Solution #1: Power Cycle Your Router and Other Network Devices

The next step we need to look at is rebooting your router and other network devices.

We won’t only do a simple reboot but also perform a power cycle that will flush out their memory, so they start up fresh, free from any software malfunctions.

Here’s how to power cycle your network devices:

1. Turn OFF your router and other devices.
2. Unplug them from the wall socket.
3. Wait for 2 to 5 minutes.
4. Plug them back in and turn them ON.
5. Wait for all devices to start up before connecting your receiver.

Note: The types of network devices include modems, routers, mesh systems, WiFi extenders, switches, and others that help you manage your network.

Solution #2: Make Sure Both Devices are on Same WiFi Network

If restarting your network does not solve the issue, it means there is something wrong with how your devices are connected.

The most common culprit is that they’re not on the same WiFi network.

This situation can get confusing, but Airplay is incredibly sensitive. You might think that you only have one WiFi network at home.

However, some routers can have two WiFis, or you’re using network extenders.

Here’s how to make sure both devices are on the same WiFi:

1. Go to the Network Menu on your Denon receiver.
2. Select Connection, then WiFi Setup.
3. Click on Scan Network.
4. Take note of the network name you connect to.
5. Connect on the same WiFi with your Airplay device.

Pro Tip: Look at the WiFi names of your available network on a laptop to see the full ID. Watch out for routers with a separate 5G band.

Solution #3: Hardwire Your Denon Receiver to the Network

The easiest way to avoid WiFi ID confusion is to limit your choices. We recommend connecting your Denon receiver to your network via an Ethernet cable.

As long as it’s connected to the same router that controls the WiFi, you can be sure you’re on the same network.

Here’s how to hardwire your Denon receiver to your router:

1. Measure the distance between your receiver and router.
2. Get an Ethernet cable that can comfortably link them.
3. Plug one end of the cable to your router’s LAN ports.
4. Plug the other end into your receiver’s Network port.

Note: This step can take a bit of effort, but you get rewarded with a much more stable connection to the network.

Solution #4: Set Your Denon’s IP Control to ON

One of the few settings affecting Airplay connectivity on your Denon receiver is IP Control.

Turning it on is a way to keep your receiver connected to your network even when it’s in standby mode.

There are instances when you want to link your Airplay device without checking the state of your receiver.

Turning this on ensures that it will play your audio every time.

Here’s how to turn your Denon’s IP Control setting to ON:

1. Go to your Denon receiver’s Settings.
2. Navigate to the Network menu.
3. Select IP Control.
4. Change it to Always ON.

Note: Setting your Denon receiver’s IP Control to Always ON will consume more standby power than usual.

Solution #5: Perform a Network Reset on Your Denon Receiver

One of the causes of your Airplay not working is usually a network issue. If rebooting your network devices does not solve the problem, you want to look at your Denon’s network module.

There may be some irregularities with its operation and resetting it should restore it to good working order.

You can consider it a power cycle but only isolate it to your receiver’s network card.

Here’s how to perform a network reset:

For the X3100W, X110W, X2100W, models:

1. Switch the source to Online Music.
2. Press and hold the Zone2 Source and Dimmer at the same time.
3. Wait for at least 5 seconds.
4. Initialize will be shown on the display.

For the X2200W, X2300W, X1200W, X1300W, X3200W, X3300W models:

1. Select the source to Online Music.
2. Press and hold the Tuner Preset CH+ and CH- buttons.
3. Hold the buttons simultaneously for at least 5 seconds.
4. Wait for the Initialize notification.

Pro Tip: After the network module initializes, we recommend restarting your Denon receiver. This should allow the network to reboot completely without the errors.

If none of these steps get your Airplay working with your Denon receiver, you will need to consider some serious hardware malfunction.

It will likely need repairs or, at the very least, cable replacements. You can contact Denon customer support for technical assistance.

Read Next: Denon Receiver Subwoofer Not Working? (Fixed)

Bottom Line

Now that you know the reasons and fixes to Denon Airplay not working, you can take a closer look at your device and start the process.

The good news is that none of these troubleshooting steps are complicated. You should be able to follow and perform these without any technical experience.