# Did my HR34 Go Bad?



## gator5000e (Aug 29, 2006)

Sorry for this post. I have read thru a lot of these threads but don't really understand them and not sure if there is an answer for my issue. My HR 34 will not connect to the internet. My two other receivers, both HR 24's, will connect to the Internet. I spent an hour on the phone with DirecTV technical support and we rebooted the HR34 many times, ran the network set up many times, rebooted my modem and wireless router as well as the DirectV wireless cinema router. 

We shut them all down by unplugging them and then starting them in this order, modem, wireless router, D* wireless unit, HR34, HR24s. Again, no internet for the HR34 but both HR 24s connect to my wireless router. The HR 34 never sees the wireless router. 

My wireless is fine as my computer and mobile devices connect. So something is up with the HR34. They scheduled a tech to come to the house but what can he do but replace the HR34 (meaning I will lose all my recordings). Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance.

Just to clarify, I guess the HR24s connect to the Internet (TV apps work) but the HR34 does not. Thanks for any thoughts.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Have you reset the network defaults on the 34 yet?


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## litex2x (Sep 8, 2012)

gator5000e said:


> Sorry for this post. I have read thru a lot of these threads but don't really understand them and not sure if there is an answer for my issue. My HR 34 will not connect to the internet. My two other receivers, both HR 24's, will connect to the Internet. I spent an hour on the phone with DirecTV technical support and we rebooted the HR34 many times, ran the network set up many times, rebooted my modem and wireless router as well as the DirectV wireless cinema router.
> 
> We shut them all down by unplugging them and then starting them in this order, modem, wireless router, D* wireless unit, HR34, HR24s. Again, no internet for the HR34 but both HR 24s connect to my wireless router. The HR 34 never sees the wireless router.
> 
> ...


How do you have the CCK-W plugged into your HR-34? Have you tried using a hardwire connection to your HR-34?


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## gator5000e (Aug 29, 2006)

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I have reset the network defaults a number of times and restarted after that. The CCK-W is not plugged into the HR34. I do not have any way to use a hard wire an decent internet connection to the HR34. My only option would be to use a Powerline connection and from previous use, those are pretty bad in my house. Max of 38Mbps. 

The CCK-W is in a room upstairs connected with a coax cable. So I am not sure why the HR34 is no longer seeing anything. As I said its no longer seeing my wireless router to be able to even enter my access password. 

I hope I have answered the questions and any additional suggestions would be appreciated. 

Thanks again.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Is the 34 showing that it is networked at all, or is this just an internet connection issue?
Under system info for networking, it should show that it's "coax connected".

If not, what is the cabling like?

What happens if you move one of your 24s to this coax?
Can it connect to the internet?


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## D1vad (Nov 13, 2012)

gator5000e said:


> We shut them all down by unplugging them and then starting them in this order, modem, wireless router, D* wireless unit, HR34, HR24s. Again, no internet for the HR34 but both HR 24s connect to my wireless router. The HR 34 never sees the wireless router.


So this in my mind proves that the issue is with the HR34, or it's connection device. So just how is your HR34 connected to the Internet? Is something plugged into the network port on the back of your HR34?



gator5000e said:


> My wireless is fine as my computer and mobile devices connect. So something is up with the HR34. They scheduled a tech to come to the house but what can he do but replace the HR34 (meaning I will lose all my recordings). Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance.
> 
> Just to clarify, I guess the HR24s connect to the Internet (TV apps work) but the HR34 does not. Thanks for any thoughts.


Depends on Just how your HR34 is actually connected to the Internet. Your option would be to change the port that the HR34 uses to connect to the Internet. You can connect either with the coax going to the HR34 or by the network adapter....


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## gator5000e (Aug 29, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> Is the 34 showing that it is networked at all, or is this just an internet connection issue?
> Under system info for networking, it should show that it's "coax connected".
> 
> If not, what is the cabling like?
> ...


No, it's showing as not networked AND it's not connecting to the internet. I am not at home now so I can not remember what it said about coax connected. But as far as I know the regular coax (with the Satellite feed) from the wall to the HR34 is connected. There are no other cables other than the HDMI to my Home Theater audio receiver.


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## gator5000e (Aug 29, 2006)

D1vad said:


> So this in my mind proves that the issue is with the HR34, or it's connection device. So just how is your HR34 connected to the Internet? Is something plugged into the network port on the back of your HR34?
> 
> There was an empty plastic CAT5 plug in the port (with no cable attached to it). Tech on the support line said this was there just to protect the port.
> 
> Depends on Just how your HR34 is actually connected to the Internet. Your option would be to change the port that the HR34 uses to connect to the Internet. You can connect either with the coax going to the HR34 or by the network adapter....


Well, I have not seen the option that I recall. The three set up options for me are Wired (CAT 5 I believe), Powerline and Wireless. It's funny, when you try to set up via wireless, the pictures show and the instructions tell you to connect a cable from your router to the HR34. The tech support person said those instructions are wrong and should be ignored. She also said she didn't understand why it wasn't seeing my wireless router. When they first installed the HR34, it found my router first time, asked me to log in and we were good to go. No its not letting me do that.

So as I said, the coax that is connected to the HR34 is the one carrying the satellite feed to the machine. I guess I will see what the onsite tech guy says on Sunday.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

gator5000e said:


> No, it's showing as not networked AND it's not connecting to the internet. I am not at home now so I can not remember what it said about coax connected. But as far as I know the regular coax (with the Satellite feed) from the wall to the HR34 is connected. There are no other cables other than the HDMI to my Home Theater audio receiver.


You should try one of your HR24s at this location.

It sounds like either the DECA in the HR34 has failed [not too likely, but could happen] or the coax may have a problem like a diplexer being left in the line.

The quickest check is to see if the 24 has the same problem at this location.

If it does, then it's the coax, and if not, then the 34 is bad.


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## D1vad (Nov 13, 2012)

Or you could try one of *these in post 2*,  if it works then the HR34 has lost the built in DECA, if that fails to connect as well then the problem is in the line...

If it works then its your choice to keep the defective HR34 or not.


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## gator5000e (Aug 29, 2006)

Thanks for your patience guys. I suppose it cant hurt to put one of the HR24s there to see what happens. But I guess I don't understand this stuff. 

When the HR34 was first installed, why did it see my wireless router and make me use my password to connect? It then let me use the TV apps and Pandora and YouTube, etc. Now, I can't do any of that, so it seems to me that the failure to connect to the internet is related to the issue of it networking to the other DVRs. 

What am I missing? Doesn't the HR34 get it's internet access wirelessly from my wireless router? 

And should the HR34 be on the network and see the other DVRs, and vice versa even if it doesn't have internet access? 

Hopefully the tech coming to the house Sunday will know what he is doing.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

gator5000e said:


> Doesn't the HR34 get it's internet access wirelessly from my wireless router?


The HR34 does NOT feature a built-in wireless adapter. The CCK-W connects the whole DECA cloud to your router and that's how everything is supposed to access the Internet.


> And should the HR34 be on the network and see the other DVRs, and vice versa even if it doesn't have internet access?


The HR34 networks through DECA in your setup so if it can't see the network, it won't be able to see the Internet or the HR2x.

Since the Internet is reaching the DECA cloud such that the HR2x can reach out, the most logical conclusion is that the HR34 DECA has failed. Because DECA is built in, it cannot be replaced separately so you need to concentrate on getting everything watched.


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## D1vad (Nov 13, 2012)

No the HR34 doesn't wirelessly connect to your Wi-Fi router. Somewhere you have a Wireless Cinema kit, that connects to your Wi-Fi router, and sends your Internet connection out on the coax that connects to the satellite. 

The fact that the other HR24s see the Internet tells me that your Wi-Fi router is working as is the Wi-Fi Cinema connect kit. That doesn't leave much that could be wrong, even less if there have been no changes made to your wiring. Basically that strongly suggest that the DECA has failed in the HR34. 

I'm thinking my suggestion will bypass the failed DECA in your HR34 and still allow it to connect to the Internet. One way or another you must feed the HR34 a wired connection to the Internet. 

A very quick connection check is to run a wired Ethernet cable from a jack on the router to the HR34. If that fails to connect, chances are very good you are going to need a new HR34.  

Hope that helps, and makes sense to you...


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## gator5000e (Aug 29, 2006)

Thanks, D1 and Harsh, makes perfect sense. I guess what threw me off was the option in set up to use Wireless and that on each of the HR24s (as well as on the initial install of the HR34) I had to enter my wireless router password thru the set up screen. I now understand all this goes thru the CCKit. So it makes more sense that if the HR24s work, that the problem lies with the HR34 and not with the other parts of my set up. I will try to plug a CAT into the HR34 but I don't think I have a long enough CAT cable to run from the upstairs router to the HR34. I guess Harsh is right, I better watch my shows soon!!

Thanks again guys. If I remember, I will post back what happens after the tech leaves on Sunday.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

You should really try another receiver on this coax.
You want to do this to know if it's the coax or the 34 that's bad.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

I do think it'd be worth following earlier suggestions and swap the units for testing.


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## gator5000e (Aug 29, 2006)

Ok, I have checked the error message and it says coax not connected(9) and Internet not connected (13). Then I found a cat 5 cable long enough to reach from my router to the HR34 and plugged it into the back of the unit. I went thru the test setup, repeat setup, restore defaults and rebooted the HR34. Still no connection. It is difficult for my to pull one of the HR24s out to swap with the HR34 due to the way they are installed. I will try in the morning. But does this testing with a direct Ethernet cable connected tell me anything?

Again thanks for everyone's patience!


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## gator5000e (Aug 29, 2006)

I managed to pull one of the HR24s out and plugged it into where the 34 goes. I don't know whether or not I should plug in the Ethernet cable so I tried it at first without doing so. After it came up, the HR24 was able to access my tv apps and the system info says coax is connected and that I am connected to the Internet. It also passes the system test. Guess the 34 is bad, right?! Anything else I should try? 

Thanks again for all the suggestions


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

gator5000e said:


> I managed to pull one of the HR24s out and plugged it into where the 34 goes. I don't know whether or not I should plug in the Ethernet cable so I tried it at first without doing so. After it came up, the HR24 was able to access my tv apps and the system info says coax is connected and that I am connected to the Internet. It also passes the system test. Guess the 34 is bad, right?! Anything else I should try?
> 
> Thanks again for all the suggestions


There isn't too much more to do.

You could try pulling the power cord overnight and see what happens in the morning.

You could try a reset defaults in the setup menu [should leave your recordings intact].

You could try a reset everything from the menu, BUT!!!!! this will wipe out the recordings.

After this it's swap out this puppy.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Well, don't forget the chicken bones and animal sacrifice!

Good luck!


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## D1vad (Nov 13, 2012)

gator5000e said:


> Ok, I have checked the error message and it says coax not connected(9) and Internet not connected (13). Then I found a cat 5 cable long enough to reach from my router to the HR34 and plugged it into the back of the unit. I went thru the test setup, repeat setup, restore defaults and rebooted the HR34. Still no connection. It is difficult for my to pull one of the HR24s out to swap with the HR34 due to the way they are installed. I will try in the morning. But does this testing with a direct Ethernet cable connected tell me anything?
> 
> Again thanks for everyone's patience!


Assuming that the cable is good, it tells you, your HR34 has failed.  it also suggest to me that you got a significant spike on your coax cable. Was there a storm or something the night before this happen? I'd look at your surge suppressors.

Did you happen to look at the router after it booted? Did the router show that the cable was connected?

I'm sorry but I think you will need to replace it...


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## gator5000e (Aug 29, 2006)

Thanks for everyone's help. Tech come out to the house yesterday and confirmed the HR34 was bad. Said the signal was reaching the box so the box needed to be replaced. Since he was the service guy, he did not have a replacement HR34 with him but said he would have one delivered out today. I was dubious, but lo and behold, a new HR34 was delivered this morning and installed and set up. after rebooting the CCK, the HR34 picked up the network and now all seems right with the world. Other than losing my recordings and having to wait for the schedule to rebuild, it was a pretty seemless process.

Thanks again for everyone's help and Happy Thanksgiving!!


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