Troubleshooting

Can't Connect to AutoCast

Check the basics

Certificate warning won't go away

CastAway uses a self-signed TLS certificate for encryption. Your browser will show a warning the first time. Click Advanced → Proceed (Chrome/Brave) or visit this website (Safari). This is safe — the certificate is generated by TuneTracker Go at the station.

"Authentication failed"

Wrong PIN. Click Settings and re-enter the correct PIN. Ask your station engineer if you're unsure.

Connection drops repeatedly

This usually means an unstable internet connection. CastAway reconnects automatically every few seconds. If the drops are frequent, try moving to a stronger WiFi signal or switching to a wired connection.

No Audio

Connected but no sound

Audio cuts out after a while

A brief audio dropout usually means a network hiccup. CastAway reconnects automatically. If audio drops are frequent, your connection may be too unstable for reliable streaming. Try a different network.

Microphone Issues

"Mic requires HTTPS"

You're accessing CastAway over plain HTTP instead of HTTPS. Make sure the URL starts with https://.

"Permission denied by system"

Your operating system is blocking microphone access for your browser. Fix this in:

You may need to restart the browser after changing this setting.

"Mic error — Permission denied"

You clicked Deny when the browser asked for microphone permission. To fix:

Mic is open but no one hears me

Display Issues

Page loads but looks broken

Try a hard refresh: Cmd+Shift+R (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows). This forces the browser to reload without cache.

Buttons or decks not updating

The connection to AutoCast may have dropped silently. Check the status bar at the bottom — if it shows "Disconnected," click Connect to reconnect.

Background image missing

The background wallpaper image loads from the station. If it can't be found, CastAway shows a solid dark background instead. This doesn't affect functionality.

Diagnostic Mode

If something isn't working and you need more detail, open Settings and check the Diagnostic Mode box. This enables detailed connection and audio messages in the MessagePad — WebSocket status, WebRTC negotiation steps, audio stream events, and more.

This is mainly useful when working with your station engineer to track down a problem. You probably won't need it day-to-day, but when you do, it's a lifesaver. Disable it when you're done to keep the MessagePad clean for normal use.

Auto-Reconnect

If your connection drops — whether it's a WiFi hiccup, a network timeout, or even a server restart — CastAway reconnects automatically. It rebuilds the full session including both the WebSocket control channel and the WebRTC audio stream. No page reload required. Just wait a few seconds and everything comes back.

If auto-reconnect doesn't seem to be working, check that the station's AutoCast and TuneTracker Go are both still running. CastAway can't reconnect if there's nothing to reconnect to.

Still Stuck?

Contact your station engineer. They can check AutoCast's logs, verify TuneTracker Go is running, confirm the PIN, and test the connection from their end.