# Undocumented DishLink Feature?



## Willis72 (Aug 23, 2007)

I have one of those lamps that turns on when you touch it...since the 4.41 software drop, it has been turning itself on at 3am--the same time that my 622 does its reboot.

I assume that the lamp is turning on in relation to the Dishlink trying to communicate with other receivers in my house. I do have a 501, but it is behind a UPS so the 622 and the 501 can't talk to each other. I have both connected to phone lines, so I don't need Dishlink to work--is there a way to turn it off? The 3am lamp turn-on is quite annoying.

Thanks


----------



## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

Is there something special about this lamp. Lamps usually require a physical person to push some type of switch mechanism. What type of lamp is it? is it designed to be turned on through communication through electrical wiring?


----------



## ChuckA (Feb 7, 2006)

Sounds like the lamp is an X10 device that communicates through the power line. Since the Ethernet support was just enabled and the 622 can act as a Homeplug device, using the power line for communication, I would suspect it is this support more than the Dishcomm support which has been around a while now.


----------



## nicedeboy26 (Jul 27, 2007)

GHOSTS, you GOT GHOSTS. LOL


----------



## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

I have a similar lamp. All you have to do is touch any metal part on the lamp and it turns on. I suspect it has some kind of capacitance switch built in somewhere. Touch it once and it turns on. Touch it again and it gets brighter. Touch it a third time and it gets still brighter. Touch it again and it turns off. I can't help with the problem though as I don't have Dishcom.


----------



## GravelChan (Jan 30, 2005)

I have a 622 also and bought a new TV about the same time that 4.41 came along.
I also have a touch lamp that started coming on by itself about that same time when we turn the TV and 622 on in the morning. I had thought it was the TV but sounds like it is the 622. I haven't tried to track down the cause, just letting you know that you don't have ghosts.


----------



## DishTSR3Mentor (Nov 3, 2006)

this feature is known as dishcomm and is on the VIP series receivers. This feature allows you to use your electrical system in your home to connect two dishcomm receivers via only 1 phone connection - pretty irrelevant now that IP Connect is available and the fact that hardly anyone has more than 1 VIP receiver.

for more on dishcomm check out the tech portal:

http://tech.dishnetwork.com/departm...al/content/tech/receiver/howto/dishcomm.shtml


----------



## Willis72 (Aug 23, 2007)

So is there a way to turn off DishCOMM? Or do I just need to find a filter to plug my lamp into?


----------



## AVJohnnie (Jul 27, 2004)

I have numerous X10 controlled devices in my residence. I also have two leased 622s. The DishCOMM on the two receivers “see” each other (status shows On-Line) without issues. I’ve had no problems whatsoever with any of my X10 controlled devices. These “capacitance switched lamps” are most likely not X10 enabled devices.


----------



## Willis72 (Aug 23, 2007)

The lamp is not an X-10 device, its just one of those lamps where you touch anything metal and it turns on (or cycles through the 3 brightness settings).


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I had one of those touch-sensitive lamps once... you didn't actually have to touch it.. just gesturing forcefully at/near it was enough to trigger it.


----------



## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

Willis72 said:


> So is there a way to turn off DishCOMM? Or do I just need to find a filter to plug my lamp into?


If you don't have your 622/722 plugged into a surge protector. Give that a try. Perhaps a high end one that does some conditioning will solve this issue. There is not a way to turn off DishComm, however, a surge protector, UPS, or Power conditioner should do the trick. There are a few surge protectors that will work with DishComm, but I don't recall seeing where that list is.


----------



## Mike D-CO5 (Mar 12, 2003)

GravelChan said:


> I have a 622 also and bought a new TV about the same time that 4.41 came along.
> I also have a touch lamp that started coming on by itself about that same time when we turn the TV and 622 on in the morning. I had thought it was the TV but sounds like it is the 622. I haven't tried to track down the cause, just letting you know that you don't have ghosts.


Same here with a touch lamp. I finally unplugged the lamp. PRoblem solved.


----------



## WorldWithoutWires (Sep 19, 2007)

DishComm cannot be disabled, however the function can be prevented from passing through the power line by most non-Dish Comm surge protectors.

A customer of mine has 4 622's and the DishComm feature allowed 2 of the 4 receivers to communicate and therefore share a phone line. DishComm still has limitations so the other 2 remained connected with a good ol' fashioned phone line.

FYI so far only the 622/722 have the DishComm feature, the 211 and 222 are slated but just have not hit yet. I routinely build customers with 622/722 and multiple 211's so can't wait until the software is released. Just makes multi receivier jobs smoother when the customer doesn't have to deal with the Audit squad.


----------



## Guitar1969 (Oct 19, 2006)

Willis72 said:


> I have one of those lamps that turns on when you touch it...since the 4.41 software drop, it has been turning itself on at 3am--the same time that my 622 does its reboot.
> 
> I assume that the lamp is turning on in relation to the Dishlink trying to communicate with other receivers in my house. I do have a 501, but it is behind a UPS so the 622 and the 501 can't talk to each other. I have both connected to phone lines, so I don't need Dishlink to work--is there a way to turn it off? The 3am lamp turn-on is quite annoying.
> 
> Thanks


Those touch lamps can act weird with slight electrical surges, My daughter has one in her room, and when she turns on a a small fan she has, sometimes it will cause the light to come on briefly - Its even on a separate outlet. I think using a power surge strip on the light outlet might help.


----------



## Packy (Apr 20, 2007)

Yeah, it isn't DishComm or anything special with your 622. We have one of those lamps as well, and they change when they sense a slight voltage change when you touch the metal on the lamp. If you turn on a high-draw device like Guitar1969's example of a fan, it will cause the lamp to turn on or off. Same thing can happen if you vacuum, use a microwave, etc. When the 622 reboots it probably causes a brief interruption to the power coming from the plug and triggers the lamp. Best thing you can do is just not plug it into the 622.


----------



## cummings66 (May 9, 2007)

We used to sell those types of lamps and have had a few of them fail in a manner that let this happen too easily.

I've also seen one television I had to repair that caused this problem. It had the RCA CTC120 chassis and had a bad filter cap that caused this to happen. The customer's complaint was bars rolling in the picture, they never mentioned the lamp turning on and when I showed up and hit the power button the lamp lit up. After I repaired the power supply in the TV the lamp no longer turned on. I've seen that a couple times. Not to say that's the issue here, only that it can be electrical related and not communications related.


----------

