# Video freeze using MRV over wifi



## gphvid (Jun 19, 2007)

This is a problem that is just now beginning to happen on a more frequent basis after first appearing about a couple of weeks ago.

My system has 2 HR20-100 DVRs, one that is connected to a wireless bridge and the other hard wired to a Belkin wifi router. There is one house computer hard wired to the router and other laptops using the wifi.

Since MRV became available, I've been able to see and play programs from the hard wired DVR to the DVR on the wireless bridge and it has worked flawlessy. My wife and daughter use this extensively.

Now what is happening is that after about a few minutes, the video from the other DVR freezes on the wifi bridge one

For sake of convention, I will call the wired DVR the loft DVR and the wifi bridge one the living room DVR.

So, using the living room DVR and watching something form the loft DVR, after a few minutes, the video freezes and sound quits, like a lockup. But the living room DVR is not frozen as I can frop out of MRV back to local and watch normally. I go to the loft DVR and everything is playing normal as well with no sign of problems. The program that was being watched is perfect locally and can be seen with no PB problems. I even was running it locally on the loft TV while my daughter was watching on the living room TV when the picture froze for her yet continued to play normally for me.

I'm wondering, after rebooting the loft DVR and then the Belkin router, is maybe the router is beginning to lose it and need replacing. It is about 3-4 years old and wouldn't surprise me if it is beginning to fail, but I thought I would post here in case there is maybe another thought.
I am going to try swapping out the network cable just in case.

I am noticing on the front of the router that the status light for the wired part will flash yellow every now and then and then return to blue constant. Blue indicates normal and yellow indicates a disconnect. All other parts including internet and wifi are constant blue. 

So I'm betting on the router beginning to go... Ideas?


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## mobandit (Sep 4, 2007)

It is quite possible that the router is going bad, but it is also possible that other wifi networks in the neighborhood are interfering with the transmission. Wifi networks are notorious for having interference problems. If you aren't "streaming" most of the time it will cause no real issue, other than a slowdown...but with video/audio streaming it can cause a complete freeze.

In other words, a neighbor may have gotten a new wireless router and is now interfering with your ability to stream wirelessly. This is why your system is unsupported by D*, too many variables...

You could try changing the default channel that your wireless router is broadcasting on...it may help. I had similar issues until I switched to a DECA-supported system...now I don't have those issues...


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## gphvid (Jun 19, 2007)

mobandit said:


> It is quite possible that the router is going bad, but it is also possible that other wifi networks in the neighborhood are interfering with the transmission. Wifi networks are notorious for having interference problems. If you aren't "streaming" most of the time it will cause no real issue, other than a slowdown...but with video/audio streaming it can cause a complete freeze.
> 
> In other words, a neighbor may have gotten a new wireless router and is now interfering with your ability to stream wirelessly. This is why your system is unsupported by D*, too many variables...
> 
> You could try changing the default channel that your wireless router is broadcasting on...it may help. I had similar issues until I switched to a DECA-supported system...now I don't have those issues...


Nothing has changed in the neighborhood AFAIK I know a neighbor has a router but it has been there for over a year without any interference on my end. I think I will try to swap it out and see if that takes care of the problem.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

Other devices in the house can also interfere with your wireless router, such as cordless phones or your microwave. If you can, hook up the wireless receiver as hardwired as a test and see if the issue persists. If it does then it is not the wireless. You can also try switching the port the hardwired one is on to see if it might be a bad jack.

- Merg

Sent from my iPod touch using DBSTalk


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## gphvid (Jun 19, 2007)

The Merg said:


> Other devices in the house can also interfere with your wireless router, such as cordless phones or your microwave. If you can, hook up the wireless receiver as hardwired as a test and see if the issue persists. If it does then it is not the wireless. You can also try switching the port the hardwired one is on to see if it might be a bad jack.
> 
> - Merg
> 
> Sent from my iPod touch using DBSTalk


I have swapped the connector to another jack and that did not help. I swapped out the cable too with no luck. Nothing has been changed in the house wifi wise for at least a couple of years. But I do note that the wired status indicator on the router will flash yellow and then return to blue. Don't know how often this happens but according to the manual, flashing yellow indicates a disconnect, or as I suspect, partial failure of that circuitry.

The rest of the system works, so I haven't addressed this issue other than what I've posted. Work and pay periods then to cause delays...


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## gphvid (Jun 19, 2007)

OK, I have finally gone out and bought a Belkin Surf N300 router and after setting it up and getting all the computers up and running with it, I was able to get the MRV to work again using the wifi on the router and a Dlink DWL-G820 bridge. I had the bridge already, but the setup also allowed me to update the firmware on it as well.

All said and done, the system now runs better than before, and the video over the wifi looks great with no stutters. So far, so good.

Now let's see if it will hold up over the long term...

I can say that the new router runs much better than the other which now seems to confirm my original suspicion that the other one was beginning to fail.


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## gphvid (Jun 19, 2007)

Video did a freeze again and this time I had to go into the router's setup to ensure Settings were correct. Turns out it was on auto select for channels So I set it for channel 6. I also swapped out the cable between the bridge and the DVR and then did a reconnect. After running a BBCA show that was recorded upstairs and then a video file on my computer, everything worked perfectly. So now I hoping that is the end of the problem.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

Let us know how it holds up...

- Merg


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## Yog-Sothoth (Apr 8, 2006)

> Turns out it was on auto select for channels So I set it for channel 6.


Did you perform a scan and verify no other Wi-Fi networks are on that channel?


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