# Genie HR 44 Internet connection keeps dropping



## hospcfo (Feb 18, 2006)

I recently upgraded to the genie 44 and 3 c41 clients. Initially had issues with the clients not finding the server. After getting elevated to Level 3 service, they disconnected the wireless internet connection and the issue went away. They felt it was because my internet is via a mobile hotspot (AT&T) and that was creating conflicts. I've tried reconnecting but going wired this time. The hr44 is connected via Ethernet to an Apple airport express access point, which is receiving it's signal wirelessly from the hotspot. I can connect to the internet, have no issues with the c41's, but the internet connection keeps dropping. It may last an hour, or it may last all day, but will eventually loose the connection. 

Is anyone using a cell phone based internet connection with the genie successfully? Any special configuration? Appreciate any assistance.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

First I've heard of this setup, and you've done the right thing by eliminating the one wireless connection you can. Dunno how to go from here, except to urge you to d/l everything, stream nothing. 

Be interested to hear more about this! Good luck!


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## hospcfo (Feb 18, 2006)

Yeah, not the typical setup. I had satellite internet previously and it was very inadequate. The hotspot speeds are much better and I get a strong signal so it's reliable for me. Everything on my home network works fine, I just need to figure out the Directv wrinkle. Will let ya know when I find the solution.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Thanks. Wonder if setting a fixed IP on the Genie would help?


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## hospcfo (Feb 18, 2006)

I used the hotspots settings to try and assign a static ip to the genie but not sure I have it done correctly. I had to tell it a port number and I wasn't sure about that. From some online reading I tried 8080. Looks like its setup from the hotspot side but still have issues.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Do it from the Genie. Port numbers don't get changed.


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## hospcfo (Feb 18, 2006)

Do I do that from network settings>advanced?


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Yes, indeed. I've not done it with an Express as my router, so not sure how IPs are assigned, but on several Netgears, I simply chose a number that was in the normal range, but a couple dozen numbers higher than the highest used in the system.


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## krunk84 (Aug 4, 2014)

I had the exact same issue when attempting to connect my HR34 to a wireless network ran by a Verizon 4G hotspot. I have a lynksys wireless router with custom DD-WRT firmware. The linksys router acted as a wireless bridge between the HR34 and the hotspot. I would lose connection almost randomly. I did two things that seemed to solve the issue. 

First off, you were correct in setting a static IP address will help. Find out the range of addresses that are available and select one that is not in use. Personally, I prefer using .50 as the address. I doubt I will ever have 50 devices running off of my wifi, so it's a nice safe number.

The second thing I found is that if the hotspot wasn't in use, it would disconnect from the internet. Once a connection was attempted from a wireless client, it would re-connect. For some reason, my HR34 was unable to re-establish the hotspot's connection to the internet/ What I did was I used a desktop computer that is hardly ever turned off to keep the connection open permanently. I did this by opening a command prompt and typed in the command "ping -t www.google.com" . Once the ping is going (the -t command will keep the ping going indefinantly) I locked the user account that it was running on. My children could still login to their accounts on the computer without interrupting the ping. What this does is it constantly sends small packets of traffic to Google's servers, which are always online. This keeps the hotspot connection alive because there is constant traffic going over it.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Thanks for posting a clever fix.


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## krunk84 (Aug 4, 2014)

I work in IT, clever fixes are my bread and butter!


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## hospcfo (Feb 18, 2006)

Great info, thanks! I, unfortunately don't work in IT :grin:

With everything I've tried, I'm staying connected longer, but still randomly losing the connection. Sometimes DTV reconnects itself, sometimes not. I did find a setting on the hotspot that I think addresses the timeout issue you used the ping for. My device has a setting that if no devices connect within a specified timeframe it turns off not only the screen but the wifi signal. It's intended to save battery life but I have mine connected via usb to a desktop so it I set that to never turn off. 

I'm still not clear on setting the static IP. Whenever I am connected the Ip address last digits are always 22. If I enter that as laxguy suggested from the genie advanced setup screen, I don't know if it's static or not. I can also enter it from the device to assign the static IP but should I give it this same number or something outside it's range of numbers (20-99)?

Thanks for the suggestions.

I think having the airport express and a range extender in the middle of all this is doing something.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

If you set it on the Genie, that's all I did. If you make a reservation on the router, it has to be the same number. Some do this, some do not- I didn't fwiw.


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