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I have my iPad hooked up to my DCS Explorer using the MTH Wi-fi between the two. When I try to attach my iPhone to the DCS Explorer the same way, the iPhone reads the DCS Explorer. BUT.........Every time I click to find MTH Engine, the app searches for the engine and then says UNEXPECTED ERROR.

Help me please. It is not a big deal because I can use my iPad. BUT.....It is baffling my brain as to WHY I can NOT get the iPhone app to read the engine.

I did all the usual stuff. Reset the explore 4523 times. I deleted and re-installed the DCS APP on my iPhone 2961 times. No matter what I do, the iPhone will not read the engine. And yet, the iPad is working just fine.

Iphone is set to DCS Wi-fi. Is there a setting in the phone I am missing?

Edit....My Wife's Samsung Note 8 Works fine with it.

Last edited by Pg3ibew
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iPhones get finicky when they connect to a WiFi network that doesn't actually provide internet access. While it says it connected to the WiFi you want it to connect to, it can occasionally disconnect from that network and connect to another saved network in range in search of internet access without notifying you.  I have solved this before but only by removing the saved networks on the phone so that the phone's only WiFi network choice is the MTH Network.

By some rare odd ball chance is your layout located near your home Wireless router? Perhaps close enough to used a an Ethernet wired connection between your DCS Explorer (via USB -> Ethernet dongle) and your home router?

Last edited by H1000
@H1000 posted:

iPhones get finicky when they connect to a WiFi network that doesn't actually provide internet access. While it says it connected to the WiFi you want it to connect to, it can occasionally disconnect from that network and connect to another saved network in range in search of internet access without notifying you.  I have solved this before but only by removing the saved networks on the phone so that the phone's only WiFi network choice is the MTH Network.

By some rare odd ball chance is your layout located near your home Wireless router? Perhaps close enough to used a an Ethernet wired connection between your DCS Explorer (via USB -> Ethernet dongle) and your home router?

It stays connected to the DCS WIFI. I am not close enough to my home router. It reads the Explorer. It give me an UNEXPECTED ERROR while trying to read the train. The same train my iPad is able to read. BAFFLING.

Yep, It stays connected long enough to read the explorer. After the phone figures out it doesn't have any internet access on the MTH wifi, it disconnects (Without telling you) and goes looking for for wifi connection that has internet access. After checking in with Apple, the phone will jump back an forth between the MTH Network and a saved wifi network which makes for a terrible connection for the DCS app and causing "Unexpected Errors".  I had someone at one of the clubs with a newer iPhone have this exact problem, he got so fed up with it one night that he Factory reset the phone, and boom his problems were solved.  This is why I avoid Apple products.

I have an iPhone X running iOS 14.3.1 beta.  It has no issue connecting to the Wi-Fi and the app works as expected.  Your iPhone 12 should be running iOS 14.2.1.  Once you connect it to a Wi-Fi source it should not let go of it unless the source turns off or you redirect it; it has nothing to do with an internet connection.

If an android can connect so can an iPhone.  Try deleting and reinstalling the app.

No upgrades. In over 2 years.

No MTH DCS Upgrades

This may be the year that it comes to a end. Apple has made several changes to the iPhones operating system in the past 3 years. This App will stop working at some point in time because MTH has not changed the MTH DCS App to be compatible with Apple’s new operating systems. Bottom line, keep you MTH controller working.

Hope this helps; Gary

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  • No MTH DCS Upgrades

No upgrades. In over 2 years.

No MTH DCS Upgrades

This may be the year that it comes to a end. Apple has made several changes to the iPhones operating system in the past 3 years. This App will stop working at some point in time because MTH has not changed the MTH DCS App to be compatible with Apple’s new operating systems. Bottom line, keep you MTH controller working.

Hope this helps; Gary

I think THIS ^^^  is my answer or reason. I have done everything everyone is suggesting. Including resetting the phone. I also keep the MTH Wi-Fi as my DEFAULT Wi-Fi and shut it when I don’t want it. It is insanely baffling.

Granted that the MTH app hasn’t been upgraded in years but all of the iOS upgrades have worked just fine, including the newest beta version.  I know that does not resolve your problem.

MTH has discontinued the remote control and replaced it with an app which has not been updated in years.  The best advice might be to save an old phone, turn off everything and not let update and use this as your remote control.  One day soon all platform code will change to the point that the app will not work, period.  As MTH folds it’s tent, they will create an entire orphanage of PS2 and PS3 equipment.  We can only hope the someone buys the assets and continues what Mike started.

@Danr posted:

Granted that the MTH app hasn’t been upgraded in years but all of the iOS upgrades have worked just fine, including the newest beta version.  I know that does not resolve your problem.

MTH has discontinued the remote control and replaced it with an app which has not been updated in years.  The best advice might be to save an old phone, turn off everything and not let update and use this as your remote control.  One day soon all platform code will change to the point that the app will not work, period.  As MTH folds it’s tent, they will create an entire orphanage of PS2 and PS3 equipment.  We can only hope the someone buys the assets and continues what Mike started.

I think THIS is the answer. I am stopping with my INCESSANT trying. I pulled out an old Samsung phone and I will use that. Thanks

@Pg3ibew posted:

I think THIS ^^^  is my answer or reason. I have done everything everyone is suggesting. Including resetting the phone. I also keep the MTH Wi-Fi as my DEFAULT Wi-Fi and shut it when I don’t want it. It is insanely baffling.

Hi Pg3ibew:

There are two factors that affect how an App functions.

Hardware & Operating System

At this point in time you are the only end user on the OGR Forum with an iPhone 12 with 14.2 as the operating system.

I would like to suggest you call Apple Tech Support and ask for first person you talk too, to pass your call onto a Senior App Advisor. At this level these guys & gals may have a solutions. ( 800-275-2273 or 800-800-2775 )

Please let us know how this goes.

Take care & Happy Thanksgiving. Gary

Hi Pg3ibew:

There are two factors that affect how an App functions.

Hardware & Operating System

At this point in time you are the only end user on the OGR Forum with an iPhone 12 with 14.2 as the operating system.

I would like to suggest you call Apple Tech Support and ask for first person you talk too, to pass your call onto a Senior App Advisor. At this level these guys & gals may have a solutions. ( 800-275-2273 or 800-800-2775 )

Please let us know how this goes.

Take care & Happy Thanksgiving. Gary

I think this is my best option.

I dug up this older post because I now have an iPhone 12 Pro.  After I finished setting up everything, I decided to try connecting it to my DCS wifi.  I made no changes to the phone parameters, the app settings or the wifi.  I connected the phone to the MTH_DCS wifi.  I opened the app and started up #1 locomotive which is a Legacy SD70.  Everything worked exactly as expected including the quilling horn.  I then started and ran 7 other Lionel and MTH locomotives with no problems.

Some details:

  • the wifi is set to MTH and is not part of my home wifi
  • the MTH wifi is using channel 7 (set using LuCi) because my home wifi is using channel 9
  • iPhone is running iOS 14.3.3 Beta.  Current iPhone 12 ships with iOS 14.2.1 which is the current user version.

I don't know if this helps anyone but, despite the MTH app not being updated, it continues to work properly with the newest versions of iOS.



I also checked out the Lionel Icab app and it, too, functioned as expected.

Last edited by Danr

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