How to Connect Your Yamaha Disklavier to Wi-Fi and the Internet

As an authorized Yamaha Service Center, I’m often asked how to connect Disklaviers to the local network. I believe this updated approach is quite simple, inexpensive, and will allow for higher connection speeds as Yamaha’s technology advances. This is the approach I trust in my customers’ homes.

Previously, I used Powerline adapters to connect Disklaviers. In those cases, you weren’t technically connecting the Disklavier to Wi-Fi, but were instead bypassing the problem altogether by using the house’s wiring.

Notice: If you have a previous generation of Disklavier and haven’t updated its firmware since late 2021, it is absolutely necessary to update it before attempting to connect to the internet. Your Disklavier will tell you it isn’t connected to the internet, regardless of what you do, until the firmware is updated. I have additional information on updating the firmware on the Disklavier E3 (DKC-800 / DKC-850). I can also help with updating the firmware on the Disklavier Mark IV, and can even provide you with the media.

Supplies

GL.iNet Travel Router (“Mango”)

I recommend the model GL-MT300N “Mango” or similar GL.iNet travel router. Currently, the GL.iNet “Mango” is about $30 on Amazon. This is a high-quality device from a reputable manufacturer, and it exceeds any of the other inexpensive bridges on Amazon in terms of build quality, setup, and reliability. It can also be powered entirely by USB, which simplifies setup. If you have only a 5 GHz network available, please see I Have Only a 5 GHz Network below.

3M 250 reclosable fastener, 1/2 inch

These 3M reclosable fasteners are dramatically stronger than Velcro. You can mount your GL.iNet “Mango” right onto the control center. It’s the fastest, simplest mounting technique!

Heavy-duty zip ties 24-inch [OPTIONAL]

These are incredibly useful for mounting devices up underneath your grand piano. You can use these in place of the 3M Reclosable Fastener above.

Why connect your Disklavier?

Yamaha Disklaviers bring professional concert performances right to your home. Connecting your piano to the internet unlocks features like streaming performances and automatic updates—but getting it online can be frustrating, especially with Yamaha’s UD-WL01 adapter. If you want to use Yamaha Piano Radio with your Disklavier, but want a simple and reliable setup, read on!

Wireless bridges, however, can provide a solid Ethernet connection to your Disklavier without the headaches of Powerline adapters or other fragile Wi-Fi setups.

Why the GL.iNet travel router?

The GL.iNet travel router connects to your home’s Wi-Fi and delivers a hardwired Ethernet connection to the Disklavier. This means you don’t have to do any special setup on the Disklavier, or figure out how to use the UD-WL01.

I recommend the GL.iNet “Mango” model—it’s affordable, compact, and highly reliable. It’s also powered by USB! There are numerous wireless bridges that are a few dollars cheaper; however, the bridges in this price range are notoriously finicky.

Choose a reliable bridge. Defective, low-quality bridges can cause problems, and some even introduce so much noise to your local Wi-Fi as to slow down your internet on other devices.

Can the Mark IV or E3 really power it over USB?

You’re right to ask! The power outputs of the E3 and Mark IV are quite low. In fact, using USB 2.0 and 1.1 respectively, they can’t provide more than about 2.5 watts of power. That’s not very much power! There are other articles on the internet recommending the use of USB powered bridges that these units simply can’t power reliably, leading to periodic lag and drop-outs.

Not so with the Mango. Real-world tests of the Mango find its power consumption is very low. The Tech Obsessed blog found it used ~1.3-1.5W during normal operation. Provided you don’t enable the VPN function—which isn’t appropriate in this context anyway—the power consumption is so low that even a Mark IV can power it! Maximum power draw with the VPN enabled is closer to 5W, so it must stay disabled.

Installation and connection

You’ll need a laptop, desktop, or smartphone to prepare the GL.iNet for use with your piano. You can do this after the unit is installed up underneath the piano, or you can do it ahead of time with the unit set up where you can easily reach it. Once you’ve connected it to your Wi-Fi network, it will stay connected even if you power it off and move it.

1. Configure the GL.iNet router

Power up the GL.iNet router near your main Wi-Fi router.

Using a laptop, desktop, or smartphone, connect to its network (the network might be named something like GL-MT300N-XXX).

Visit 192.168.8.1 in your browser.

You’ll be asked to complete the first-time setup. This means you’ll select your language, and create an administrator password. This password is for making adjustments and performing updates to the Mango settings in the future.

Next, connect the Mango to your local Wi-Fi. This is straightforward: Simply click Join Network, and select your desired network from the list. Make sure you have the password available before you start this process.

Now, we need to change the behavior of the Ethernet port. By default, this is designed to connect to a router. We’ll need to change its behavior so that it sends internet to the Disklavier instead. Underneath Ethernet, click Change to LAN. A confirmation window will appear: Click Apply.

Don’t forget to take this opportunity to update your router’s firmware! Just click on More Settings > Upgrade after you’ve connected to your Wi-Fi, and it will do the rest. Keeping your routers up-to-date is a very important part of your internet hygiene!

At this point, our Mango is connected to the internet, fully updated, and is sharing internet over its Ethernet cable. However, your devices still won’t be able to find the Disklavier, as there’s one step left.

On the lefthand menu, click Network, and then select Network Mode. Now select the Extender option. You may be asked to connect to your network again.

Perform this step last. Once the transition to Extender mode is complete, you will need to reset the Mango to “Router” mode by holding down the reset button for four seconds before you can access the Admin Panel again. If you hold the button down longer, you might unintentionally perform a factory reset—release it after four seconds.

2. Mount the GL.iNet under the piano

Take the 3M reclosable fastener and cut two strips, sticking them neatly together. Pull off the protective plastic and stick one of the strips to the bottom of your GL.iNet. Make certain not to cover any of the holes used for ventilation. It would be a good idea to take a picture of the information on the bottom, and do your best not to cover anything you need. (I use the area around the QR code.)

Select an area on the control center that’s adjacent to the USB and Ethernet. Carefully clean this area, ideally with alcohol. Remove the plastic protective material from the other side of the 3M reclosable fastener, and mount the GL.iNet. Try to keep it straight and even!

3. Connect everything

Plug the GL.iNet USB cord into the available USB port on the control center.

Connect the GL.iNet router to your Disklavier’s Ethernet port. Use the LAN port on the Mango.

Secure cables with zip ties or twist ties to prevent movement or strain, and to keep the wires neatly out of sight.

After your GL.iNet boots, it should show a solid Wi-Fi connection, and your Disklavier will have a reliable, wired network connection.

That’s it—enjoy your streaming piano!

You’ve successfully connected your Disklavier to Wi-Fi—without headaches! Performances, updates, and network features are now available.

Troubleshooting quick guide

Even with this simple setup, it’s possible not everything will go right. If you have any trouble at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out and contact me.

GL.iNet not connecting?

Check the signal strength and try reconnecting to the Mango’s interface. If 192.168.8.1 no longer loads after switching the Mango to Extender mode, you’ll need to reset it. Hold the reset button for four seconds to return it to Router mode, which restores the default 192.168.8.1 address so you can access the settings again. After making any necessary changes, switch it back to Extender mode for proper Disklavier operation.

Don’t hold the reset button down for longer than four seconds. If you hold it down longer, you might perform a factory reset. The documentation claims this takes ten seconds.

If your piano is too far from your home router for a reliable signal, you may need to add another repeater. This is common in large homes or in buildings with radio-blocking materials such as metal, brick, or concrete.

Disklavier not connecting?

Reseat the cable and ensure the router network mode is set to Extender. You can also try connecting a laptop to the GL.iNet wireless network. If you followed the above instructions, you will have labeled it “Disklavier Bridge.” Connect your laptop to this Wi-Fi network, or just plug your laptop right into the Ethernet cord. Verify you have a connection.

While your laptop is connected, you can also go to speedtest.net and verify you’re getting proper speeds. The Disklavier doesn’t require very much bandwidth, but in my experience it operates less predictably below 5 Mbps. If the bandwidth is too low, the piano will start and stop regularly to buffer.

Still can’t find your Disklavier in the app?

There might be a problem with the local network. Some networks isolate devices so that they can’t see one another. This is variously called wireless isolation, station isolation, or client isolation, and is common on guest or public networks, but unusual on home networks. However, I did recently assist a customer with this setting accidentally enabled, so it does happen. This is a setting you can change on your router.

Over the last few years, I’ve increasingly run into customers using VPNs: If you use a VPN on your cellphone, it will typically be unable to communicate with local devices on your network. Turn off your VPN. If that’s not an option for you, consider placing your entire house behind a VPN, with either a larger GL.iNet router (such as the GL.iNet “Flint” GL-MT6000) or a Protectli Vault. These allow you to protect all of your devices together, and they’ll all still be able to see one another locally.

I have only a 5 GHz network!

The “Mango,” for all of its excellent characteristics, does have one downside. It can only connect to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks. If you need to connect to a 5 GHz network, you can replace the “Mango” with the GL.iNet GL-SFT1200 “Opal.” This is a sophisticated, exceptional device for the price. However, it does have considerably higher power requirements, and cannot run using the USB ports on your ENSPIRE.

You’ll therefore have to add a power strip underneath your piano. My pick would be the Tripp Lite 7 Outlet Surge Protector with 12 Foot Cord, but you can also see my article on surge protectors for the Disklaviers for more. I choose this surge protector whenever I have to mount the surge protector up underneath the piano. It doesn’t have the same noise reduction or insurance as the other surge protectors I recommend, but has the advantage of being very easily mountable with zip ties.

And these are the zip ties I use. They’ll serve to hold up both the surge protector and the “Opal.” Other than this modification, the rest of the setup works the same way as the “Mango.”

What do the lights mean?

When you look at the GL.iNet Mango with the lights on the left side and the ports on the top, the lights indicate the following:

The top light should always stay lit; it shows that the device has power.

The middle light shows that the device attached over Ethernet has connected successfully. This light will be on after the Disklavier is powered on and connected.

The bottom light, when solid, shows that the Mango has fully booted. When it blinks, it shows network activity.

Why not use powerline adapters anymore?

Powerline adapters rely on your house’s wiring, which is unreliable in homes with multiple breaker panels or newer AFCI breakers. They’re also prone to interference in some homes. When they work, they’re by far the simplest to set up and maintain. However, I’ve had enough frustrations in customers’ homes now that they’re no longer my first choice.

The GL.iNet travel router eliminates those issues. Additionally, it draws its power from the USB port on the control center, so you don’t even need to add a power strip! Unlike with the Powerline adapters, you can now plug your Disklavier into a Tripp Lite ISOBAR6ULTRA surge protector (which includes $50,000 in insurance) without interfering with the signal! For more on this, see my article on surge protectors for the Disklavier.

It’s compact, clean, and keeps your Disklavier online without fail.