# TV Apps/STB Service Ports/Netgear Router



## gregftlaud

On my HR20-700 I was having problems ordering ppv via my remote i was either getting a 777 or a 736 ext. I called into directv and they said my broadband/internet connection hadnt communicated to directv since november 6th. I pieced things together in my head and i remembered that was about the same time my TV Apps stopped working. 

I went into my system info menu and in the internet section while my it said my internet was connected in the STB service ports area it had a big yellow triangle with an ! in it and next to that it said N/A(301). Same 301 I get when trying to initialize TV Apps. So I kind of had a theory this was also preventing my receiver from "calling home" and communicating with dtv somehow. Oh and btw my service ports in my network setup area was setup to Auto the whole time but both the STB service port and audio one said N/A next to it. 

I called dtv for like the 4th time and finally got a guy that knew what was going on. He told me alot of people are having problems with their routers connecting to the STB/Network services so he had me connect my receiver directly to my cable modem just to see if the router was the issue. Sure enough I connected the cable modem directly to my receiver i'm having the problems with and got connected to the internet and to STB network services. The receiver communicated with DTV and now i'm able to order ppv via remote and when the cable modem was directly hooked into my receiver the TV Apps worked as well. 

He went thru a ton of troubleshooting tips to configure my Netgear router with port forwarding then we tried port triggering but none worked in terms of getting to connect to TV Apps and STB service ports. He said he had heard Netgear routers were giving people the most trouble. 

So if anyone here that can help me configure my Netgear Router I'd appreciate it. Or if someone had this same issue (that owns a netgear router) had this issue and got it resolved please let me know how u configured your router. I have like i said a Netgear and the model number is WNR2000 Wireless N. 

My entire network to both of my receivers is completely hardwired. Not using wireless with my receivers it's too unstable. 

Thanks
Greg


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## veryoldschool

As I posted in your other thread, network services have nothing to do with any of this, but clearly your router needs some settings changed.
301 could still be your problem, where 202 shouldn't be, as it works for all of this fine on my system.
UPnP might be something to enable in your router, if it's not already.


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## gregftlaud

Yah UPnp is enabled (and was before i talked to the csr) that's one of the things the csr went thru with me last nite. 

And yes my router needs some settings changed (as i stated in my first post).... i just need someone that had some experience with this to give me some steps to configure it.

I've looked everywhere online....but cant find anything.


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## veryoldschool

I'm sure someone can/will step in here to help.
My old Netgear was a different model so I'm not very much help, "other than" the 301 is the issue, but a 202 isn't.


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## gregftlaud

Ok well i'm getting the 301 and anytime my apps dont work it's a 301........never had a 202. The interesting part is i've been using this same router for like a year now and never had an issue with the APPS until around the november time frame when my receiver also stopped communicating with DTV .....which also caused my remote ppv ordering issues since a call home hadnt happened in over 60 days and apparently my access card was pretty full of purchases that hadnt been downloaded by dtv yet. The CSR said the fact i've been using this router for so long and this just recently started happening.....his theory is the engineering department added something to the receiver software that is preventing some routers from communicating to DTV. He added that note to the escalation along with my router brand and model number.........


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## veryoldschool

gregftlaud said:


> Ok well i'm getting the 301 and anytime my apps dont work it's a 301........never had a 202


Yep, but when you do, you'll be fine.
I don't have any ports forwarded and have everything in the receiver set to defaults [auto], which works fine with my 2Wire, but didn't with my netgear.


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## gregftlaud

Yah the CSR said he's heard alot of people having problems with their Netgear Routers and the TV apps. He said it's probably something in the receiver software. That's the theory he forwarded to the software engineers. He suggested I purchase a different brand router in the meantime....but i'm not willing to do that. Just need some troubleshooting steps on my current Netgear WNR2000 router setup to fix the issue.


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## bleggett29

Try changing the routers MAC to default, or if its already on default change it to your computers MAC. This should be on the first screen when you log into the router.


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## gregftlaud

It's on default now. Can i ask how that would resolve the issue?


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## veryoldschool

Not to defend DirecTV, but if netgear are the ones having the most issues [and they do with MRV too], then wouldn't it seem that the firmware change would be needed in the netgear instead of the receivers?


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## gregftlaud

Well as i stated in an earlier post i've been using this same netgear router for like a year now with the same firmware........nothing about my setup has changed .........and apps always worked for me until around that november timeframe.


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## bleggett29

gregftlaud said:


> It's on default now. Can i ask how that would resolve the issue?


To be honest I don't know if it will. It's just a theory I have.
Back in July/August I went from DSL to Cable. In doing so, I changed from a Zoom X6 DSL router to my current Motorolla cable modem and WNR2000 router. In doing so, I lost MRV capability. I tried many different configurations on the WNR2000 to no avail. I ended up connecting my DirecTV equipment back to the Zoom X6 and setting a static route to the WNR2000. For some reason this worked and stayed this way until recently. I decided to reconfigure my network and took the Zoom X6 offline. To my surprise, MRV is still working. The only thing I can think of that is different in this situation is I changed the WNR2000s MAC address.


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## gregftlaud

Yah I have MRV via hardwired ethernet on this same netgear router as well and it works fine. Never had a problem with it. Didnt want to do the DECA setup. Only issues i seem to be having is with the TV Apps and the receiver communicating with directv via broadband/internet.


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## RunnerFL

gregftlaud said:


> Yah the CSR said he's heard alot of people having problems with their Netgear Routers and the TV apps. He said it's probably something in the receiver software. That's the theory he forwarded to the software engineers. He suggested I purchase a different brand router in the meantime....but i'm not willing to do that. Just need some troubleshooting steps on my current Netgear WNR2000 router setup to fix the issue.


I'm having zero problems with my Netgear router and TV Apps, MRV, etc.


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## RunnerFL

bleggett29 said:


> Try changing the routers MAC to default, or if its already on default change it to your computers MAC. This should be on the first screen when you log into the router.


That's not going to help his issue. That is there for MAC Spoofing when using a cable modem or the like where your ISP authenticates your connection via the MAC address of your PC.


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## RunnerFL

gregftlaud said:


> Yah I have MRV via hardwired ethernet on this same netgear router as well and it works fine. Never had a problem with it. Didnt want to do the DECA setup. Only issues i seem to be having is with the TV Apps and the receiver communicating with directv via broadband/internet.


Are you able to download VOD?


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## armchair

gregftlaud said:


> Yah UPnp is enabled (and was before i talked to the csr) that's one of the things the csr went thru with me last nite.
> 
> And yes my router needs some settings changed (as i stated in my first post).... i just need someone that had some experience with this to give me some steps to configure it.
> 
> I've looked everywhere online....but cant find anything.


When the CSR was trying to trigger ports, did he have you assign STB and audio ports (Example: DVR1:27161,27162; DVR2:27163,27164) in the network services tab of the DVR?

Then go to router settings and port forward 1701 UDP & 443 TCP along with the STB & Audio services port to the IP or MAC of each Directv receiver?

Use manual mode and connect after router is configured. As VOS alluded, you may have to initiate connection test twice for successful connection. You can expect either a "network services were started but connection test failed or a congrats message on first or second attempt to connect manually.

Note: To use the triggering method, you can use an outgoing 1701 UDP port from IP or MAC of DVR to trigger or port forward the STB & Audio services TCP ports along with TCP port 443.

The auto method that VOS spoke of should work for most users.


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## gregftlaud

Runner, yes I can download VOD. What model Netgear router do u have?

Armchair yes first we tried the automatic setting then yah we tried the manual and assigned the port forwarding to the DVR i'm having problems with ...with the settings you recommended. Before we did that we did a restore defaults on the main network settings menu. But after we did the manual setup.....port forwarding and then tried to connect i would get the <301> cannot connect or something like that popup on the screen. We also tried the port triggering method. Tried both methods a couple of times.


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## RunnerFL

gregftlaud said:


> Runner, yes I can download VOD. What model Netgear router do u have?
> 
> Armchair yes first we tried the automatic setting then yah we tried the manual and assigned the port forwarding to the DVR i'm having problems with ...with the settings you recommended. Before we did that we did a restore defaults on the main network settings menu. But after we did the manual setup.....port forwarding and then tried to connect i would get the <301> cannot connect or something like that popup on the screen. We also tried the port triggering method. Tried both methods a couple of times.


If you can download VOD then you should also be able to use TV Apps.

It's been pointed out already but Network Services has nothing to do with TV Apps so troubleshooting Network Services is only wasting your time.


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## gregftlaud

Hmm network services have nothing to do with Apps? Then why last nite when the csr had me hook my cable modem up directly to my receiver and connect to the internet not only did the stb/network services connect but then the tv apps also start working??? Went back to the router....lost network services and also lost tv apps. Doesnt seem like a coincedence to me.

Question....could i just open up the dvr on my router as the default dmz server and all the ports would be open to it and that might solve my problem?


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## veryoldschool

gregftlaud said:


> Hmm network services have nothing to do with Apps?


TVApps do use "a bit of" network services, but as I've posted over & over, STB services can/should have 202 for TVApps to work, and will have nothing at all listed for network services with merely ......

You've got a router blocking ports, which most other routers don't block.
I don't know your router, but is there a log that you can read that might show the DVR trying to access the internet? This might be the best way to see what you need to open.
Looking at the netgear GUI posted ^^, it seems there might be a tab/page about filtering/blocking [and hopefully opening].


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## RunnerFL

gregftlaud said:


> Hmm network services have nothing to do with Apps? Then why last nite when the csr had me hook my cable modem up directly to my receiver and connect to the internet not only did the stb/network services connect but then the tv apps also start working??? Went back to the router....lost network services and also lost tv apps. Doesnt seem like a coincedence to me.
> 
> Question....could i just open up the dvr on my router as the default dmz server and all the ports would be open to it and that might solve my problem?


If you hooked up directly and everything worked then you have a router problem, not a network services problem.

My Network Services fail every time yet I can still use TV Apps without error.


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## veryoldschool

RunnerFL said:


> If you hooked up directly and everything worked then you have a router problem, not a network services problem.
> 
> My Network Services fail every time yet I can still use TV Apps without error.


At this point: :beatdeadhorse:


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## gregftlaud

Old school i have nothing blocked under those tabs. I even disabled NAT filtering.

Interesting. Not sure what is going on. I decided to hookup my receiver directly to my cable modem again and got everything working...including the apps and stb/network services. Then I put the connection back onto the router ....reconnected to the internet and now everything is still working. The network services/stb ports are on manual with stb service port at 27177.........audio 27178. (i dont even have these ports forwarded on my router at the moment) Sytem info confirms these stb ports and no more 301 error in there either even with router. So how could the network services be working on manual if i dont have the ports forwarded on my router? Computers.....no ryhme or reason sometimes. 

I get the feeling though this wont last long though but for future reference u guys never answered one of my questions. If it is a question of my router blocking something and i've done everything to insure (to my knowledge) that it's not can i just setup my dvr's ip to be the DMZ so nothing gets blocked from that ip? Or is that too unsafe? Not sure if a dvr can be hacked.


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## armchair

Concerning the use of DMZ, You can try it as a troubleshooting step. I came across a couple of such tests which did not resolve TV APPS. 

Try it because not all reported TV APPS failures are the same. If TV APPS still fails with DMZ IP, it would appear blocked ports have nothing to so with your issue.

Another thing to try is to enable multicast packets or groups.


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## gregftlaud

how do u enable multicast packets/groups?


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## RunnerFL

veryoldschool said:


> At this point: :beatdeadhorse:


Yup!


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## gregftlaud

No one ever answered my question in my earlier post when i said this:

"Interesting. Not sure what is going on. I decided to hookup my receiver directly to my cable modem again and got everything working...including the apps and stb/network services. Then I put the connection back onto the router ....reconnected to the internet and now everything is still working. The network services/stb ports are on manual with stb service port at 27177.........audio 27178. (i dont even have these ports forwarded on my router at the moment) Sytem info confirms these stb ports and no more 301 error in there either even with router. So how could the network services be working on manual if i dont have the ports forwarded on my router? Computers.....no ryhme or reason sometimes. "


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## armchair

Just a guess: The DVR had no problem configuring modem ports. The connection was readily re-established with the the router's Upnp when re-connected. I suspect your APPS may be functional until the modem and/or the router is rebooted. (It may even possible that rebooting the DVR will drop the APPS connection.)

I can recall at least one other poster reported a similar initializing of APPS through the modem and then re-inserting the router back in its place. His required the procedure to be repeated; repeat as needed. If the DVR is using a static IP, this initializing may last longer.


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## gregftlaud

Yah it's using a static IP


When/if the Apps stop working and i get an error in the STB info i'm gonna try that DMZ to that DVR's IP and see what happens. Someone else commented if i did that and i couldnt connect to STB network services/Apps on a DMZ then it's not a problem on my end. 

BTW, i just changed a setting in my router for something else and clicked apply and it rebooted itself.......stb/network services are still on in the system info so hopefully it might stay that way. If not and I use the DMZ and if it does work......would it be unsafe to put my DVR on a DMZ setup? I know that opens it up to anything not sure if a DVR can be hacked.


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## armchair

Are the TV APPS still launching? If so, see how long it lasts.


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## gregftlaud

Yah tv apps are still working. Armchair u mentioned in another post (if this stops working) to enable multicast packets/groups. How would i do that for future reference?

Also if i try the DMZ as another solution (if this stops working) is it unsafe if i setup my DVR on a DMZ? Can DVR's be hacked?


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## veryoldschool

armchair said:


> Are the TV APPS still launching? If so, see how long it lasts.


Maybe even run a system test and or network test from the setup menu.


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## gregftlaud

n/a


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## gregftlaud

Did the system test.......tv apps still working..........went back into system info stb ports still listed and no error. When u go to do a network/test connection it just takes u back to do a system test so that's pointless since i already did the system test but i did it anyways and same result. STB service ports still listed in system info with no error.....tv apps working.

Ugh but sure enough rebooting the DVR messed things up. When initializing APPS says still trying to initialize (100). And getting the error (301) in the system info area. 

I think i'm gonna try the DMZ way a bit later on is there anything unsafe about doing that?


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## betterdan

I have a Netgear WNR3500v2 router and I did have to go set up network services on the HR20 receiver manually then go into the router and forward those ports to the Directv receiver static ip. Worked like a charm
Did you set your Directv receiver up for a static ip? I like using static that way it is always forwarded to the correct receiver. DHCP may change the ip and then you'll be stuck with no network services.


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## gregftlaud

Yah it's on static and i've tried the manual setting with the port forwarding with no luck. I'm getting ready to try DMZ in a few minutes. I put the DVR's ip on DMZ....have restarted the router and am not restarting the DVR ..just waiting for it to come back up. Curious to see what happens with DMZ b/c all ports are open to DVR with that setup.

BTW when u did the port forwarding the two ports on the manual setup says 27177, 27178 when u set them up in the port forwarding of course u chose the DVR's IP, but did u setup the start port with ur first number and the end port with ur 2nd number and choose the protocol as TCP/UDP? Or did u do each port separately and do one for TCP and one for UDP?

Also u have a different router than mine....all be it a netgear mine is a WNR2000 so ur firmware is different and might work better.


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## betterdan

I just set the start port as 27177 and the end port 27178 and TCP/UDP.


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## gregftlaud

Yah that's what i'm doing even opened up that dvr on dmz ........no go. Just ordered a Negear WNR3500L from amazon since u said urs works ok so hopefully that will be the fix. This is just a freaking mystery i've tried everything.


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## veryoldschool

gregftlaud said:


> Yah that's what i'm doing even opened up that dvr on dmz ........no go. Just ordered a Negear WNR3500L from amazon since u said urs works ok so hopefully that will be the fix. This is just a freaking mystery i've tried everything.


One last thing maybe to try:
There is a button somewhere that will restore the router back to factory defaults. I once had to find & use this on my old netgear.


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## gregftlaud

Actually what i'm gonna do first is downgrade the firmware. There wasnt a firmware upgrade so i thought maybe i'd just downgrade and see what happens b/c when i first got this router it had the firmware i'm downgrading to and i didnt have this problem


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## gregftlaud

Ok didnt work. I'm gonna do the factory reset ....ugh....which means i have to setup my entire assigned lan all over again! ugh. Oh well i wuld have to do that with the new router that is coming anyways might as well just try it on this router tonite. I know network services used to work on this router so something went awry. I hooked in my receiver to my dsl modem (yes i have both cable internet and dsl).....it connected fine to network services and tv apps work. Only thing is i have 22mb downloads on my cable and 4mb downloads on my dsl so that's why i want to use my cable.


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## gregftlaud

Ok did the factory reset to default. Got the internet connected then went to internet services and tried to connect got a "network services has started but unable to connnect". Not sure what that means but then i switched it to manual ....did a port forward and services started and it also said connected to them. Now I have to redo my whole Lan setup UGH


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## gregftlaud

Ok got everything setup. The factor reset fixed it. Went in and looked at all my router settings and they are all the same as when the receiver couldnt enable network services so not sure what the reset did to fix it. Funny thing is my hr20-700 receiver i had to setup network services with manual setup and forward to those ports in my router. My hr20-100 connected to network services with the automatic setting. 

I'm not gonna cancel that order on the new Netgear Wireless N WNR3500L gigagbit router. In case this happens again i'll have it ready to setup. 

I wish i would have thought of that factory reset first thing. Thanks VeryoldSchool for suggesting that!


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## betterdan

Good to hear you got it working.


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## gregftlaud

I was noticed NAT is enabled on my router should I disable that?


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## bobnielsen

gregftlaud said:


> I was noticed NAT is enabled on my router should I disable that?


Not unless your ISP supplies you with a block of addresses to cover all of your connected devices.

Some modems are actually routers with a single output port and can do NAT, DHCP, etc.


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## veryoldschool

gregftlaud said:


> I wish i would have thought of that factory reset first thing. Thanks VeryoldSchool for suggesting that!


I think everyone got a bit lost along the way with your problem and forgot "the simple things".


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## gregftlaud

Geesh these routers are touchy. I tried like 5 times to enable NAT back and everytime i checked the "secured" box and hit apply it went back to open. I did some googling on the subject and the only way u can get NAT back to secured after u set it to open is to do a factor reset! (on the Netgear WNR200) That's pitiful. So i did it and just got done resetting up my lan again.


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