# Directv HD DVR's do not play nicely with any of my Routers



## ljg1118 (Aug 23, 2006)

I have 7 Directv HD DVR's connected to my Router directly over ethernet connection. Approximately every 8-10 Days my Router goes hay wire and I lose all network and internet connections. I am required to reset modem then reset Router and then I must reset those 7 HD-DVR's to get network and internet back on line.

Has this problem been documented before? Would a DECA install resolve this issue?


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## davring (Jan 13, 2007)

It would certainly take the possibly troublesome router out of the equation. I had to reset my router occasionly, but I upgraded the router, for other reasons, and have had no trouble since.


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## ljg1118 (Aug 23, 2006)

I have tried many different routers and in fact lost all network connections for a time being until we reset all the HD-DVR's. During this time period I tried about 3 or 4 new and different routers


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## lugnutathome (Apr 13, 2009)

ljg1118 said:


> I have 7 Directv HD DVR's connected to my Router directly over ethernet connection. Approximately every 8-10 Days my Router goes hay wire and I lose all network and internet connections. I am required to reset modem then reset Router and then I must reset those 7 HD-DVR's to get network and internet back on line.
> 
> Has this problem been documented before? Would a DECA install resolve this issue?


IS one of the HRs an HR23-700? and perhaps be the one you use for your main viewing portal?

HR23-700s have a propensity for locking up their NIC and at times it can take down the switch it is connected to and even a router downstream from the switch. Had it take down my whole network once.

I "reboot" mine (HR23-700) every week, its in my master suite and as such gets a lot of use. Missed a week and at exactly the 2 week mark it locked on me just last Friday requiring I had to reboot it and the server it was receiving the streaming from.

I might be totally out in left field with this but. My HR23-700 has been a constant source of network issues since day one. But I know it and how to work around it. My luck they'd send another to replace it:grin:

If you do, try putting a switch between it and your router and see if that confines it to just that leg and perhaps its at the time server/client...

Don "input. need input" Bolton


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Just to rule it out, are you using the second network jack on any of your receivers (would be as a passthrough etc.)?


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## ljg1118 (Aug 23, 2006)

lugnutathome said:


> IS one of the HRs an HR23-700? and perhaps be the one you use for your main viewing portal?
> 
> HR23-700s have a propensity for locking up their NIC and at times it can take down the switch it is connected to and even a router downstream from the switch. Had it take down my whole network once.
> 
> ...


Actually I have 2 switches before the router. My HDDVR's are 3- HR20-100's, 2 HR22-100's, 1 HR 20-700, and 1 HR21-200.

The problem has gotten much worse over the past few months...


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## ljg1118 (Aug 23, 2006)

dpeters11 said:


> Just to rule it out, are you using the second network jack on any of your receivers (would be as a passthrough etc.)?


No Not using second network jack


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## DrummerBoy523 (Jan 9, 2007)

Set the IP addresses of the D* boxes outside the DHCP rage of your router. This solved a similar problem for me.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I didn't see where you posted the model of the routers you tried. That may help.

My 2¢:

I had a verizon-branded westell router for a while that would lose its DHCP table every couple of days. I had to put almost everything on static IPs.

I also had an HR23 but had no network problems specifically due to it. 
However, I have noticed that if you put the HD DVRs behind inexpensive network hardware, specifically hubs or really off-brand switches (that might actually be hubs) there can be problems.

My advice to you would be to simplify your setup if possible. The easiest way would probably be to go to SWiM... this would put one point of contact between all your DVRs and your router. If not, try streamlining your network setup if possible. I know it's expensive to run all the cables to a single point but it does make things smoother.

*However* The first thing I would try the next time this happens is going to any DVR that has two network ports (HR21, HR22, HR23) and switching the cable from one port to the other. At least from my experience, this can quickly restore function. Using port 2 is not recommended but at least for me it didn't hurt. Note: don't do this with HR20-100, it doesn't work.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Stuart Sweet said:


> *However* The first thing I would try the next time this happens is going to any DVR that has two network ports (HR21, HR22, HR23) and switching the cable from one port to the other. At least from my experience, this can quickly restore function. Using port 2 is not recommended but at least for me it didn't hurt. Note: don't do this with HR20-100, it doesn't work.


The second port of the HR21/22/23 can be a bit flaky. Sometimes it seems they are, in fact, the primary port, but this can change with a reboot/firmware update.
"I know" that using the secondary port [when it truly is] to connect to the router can/will completely "hang" the whole network, requiring a router reboot. This has happened repeatedly [here] during firmware downloads, before the receiver even starts updating.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

In cases where the primary port is flooding the closest network device (hub, switch or router with built-in switch), which seems to happen when attempting and failing to discover the network upon reboot, the secondary port has been stable enough to use. It's not a perfect solution but as I said it didn't hurt for me.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Stuart Sweet said:


> In cases where the primary port is flooding the closest network device (hub, switch or router with built-in switch), which seems to happen when attempting and failing to discover the network upon reboot, the secondary port has been stable enough to use. It's not a perfect solution but as I said it didn't hurt for me.


You may be describing a different case/problem, but the extended time during a software download, has proven [here] to be a problem that looks like the device isn't responding to a request from the router, causing it to stop handling the network traffic, as it has completely locked up. This has been the only problem I've found using the second port. This has only been a problem, when used to connect to a router [upstream], and hasn't been an issue when going "down stream" to other devices.
This all dates back to before it was "commonly known" from DirecTV not to use the second port for anything.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

That issue affects the second port as well, so I've heard. As a frequent downloader  I haven't seen it personally.


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## ljg1118 (Aug 23, 2006)

DrummerBoy523 said:


> Set the IP addresses of the D* boxes outside the DHCP rage of your router. This solved a similar problem for me.


I will try this later when I go home


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## WestDC (Feb 9, 2008)

ljg1118 said:


> I have 7 Directv HD DVR's connected to my Router directly over ethernet connection. Approximately every 8-10 Days my Router goes hay wire and I lose all network and internet connections. I am required to reset modem then reset Router and then I must reset those 7 HD-DVR's to get network and internet back on line.
> 
> Has this problem been documented before? Would a DECA install resolve this issue?


I had this trouble crop up on my setup as well, What I did as others have suggested is I set all my network devices to static ip address PC's blu-ray-tv -everything. Example DCHP 192.168.1.100 -250. I started with (static) 192.168.1.50.

What I discovered that one of my devices kept give me trouble setting it to static made it show it's self--I removed my Sony-TV from my network and have never had to reset my router since.

The device kept trying to reassign itself to another assigned address causing a network conflict.


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## ljg1118 (Aug 23, 2006)

DrummerBoy523 said:


> Set the IP addresses of the D* boxes outside the DHCP rage of your router. This solved a similar problem for me.


Just set all the boxes outside of DHCP range of my router. I did this in Network Setup/Advanced. Is there anything else I need to do to the DTV Boxes other than that?


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

ljg1118 said:


> Just set all the boxes outside of DHCP range of my router. I did this in Network Setup/Advanced. Is there anything else I need to do to the DTV Boxes other than that?


That "should do it".


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## MikeW (May 16, 2002)

Can anyone recommend a router that they are excessively happy about? I have been having issues with D-Link and Netgear and would like to try something else out.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

MikeW said:


> Can anyone recommend a router that they are excessively happy about? I have been having issues with D-Link and Netgear and would like to try something else out.


Linksys E2000 or E3000


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

"MikeW" said:


> Can anyone recommend a router that they are excessively happy about? I have been having issues with D-Link and Netgear and would like to try something else out.


What issues are you having??


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## WestDC (Feb 9, 2008)

ljg1118 said:


> Just set all the boxes outside of DHCP range of my router. I did this in Network Setup/Advanced. Is there anything else I need to do to the DTV Boxes other than that?


If the problem does not go away, it may not be the fault of the D's boxes, it might be another device on your network causing the problem.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

"MikeW" said:


> Can anyone recommend a router that they are excessively happy about? I have been having issues with D-Link and Netgear and would like to try something else out.


I have a Linksys WRT400N that I like, running DD-WRT.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I'm on my third linksys and very pleased with all of them. Upgraded for additional features rather than having them fail.


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

MikeW said:


> Can anyone recommend a router that they are excessively happy about? I have been having issues with D-Link and Netgear and would like to try something else out.


been using this one for years with 0 issues, cupported by cisco and not linksys

http://www.zones.com/site/locate/search.html?txt_search=WRVS4400N

Not a easy device to configure properly, but ones it is, it is rock solid, and support through cisco small business products.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

I have the Linksys WRT610N and it works well without any problems.

My problems went away when I set up my DVRs with "Static" IP Addresses.


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## tbolt (Aug 22, 2009)

MikeW said:


> Can anyone recommend a router that they are excessively happy about? I have been having issues with D-Link and Netgear and would like to try something else out.


I have the Linksys WRT160N Version 3.

Running DD-WRT.com firmware - no problems with DHCP.

I didn't have to set any of the IP addresses statically or outside of the DHCP range


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## Vin (Mar 29, 2004)

MikeW said:


> Can anyone recommend a router that they are excessively happy about? I have been having issues with D-Link and Netgear and would like to try something else out.


Linksys E1000...no issues whatsoever since installing it about a year ago.


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