Directv Swim device

[LBDirectvnew]

I'm looking at subscribing to Directv. Need a couple receivers for house, and one for my camper. However, a friend recently had a system installed and stated that directv uses a new thing called a "swim" device ? Keeps you from running dual cables for DVRs, etc and it all works with one cable. (I hope I'm saying this right as I'm not up to speed on these things). He stated that if you don't have your receiver plugged into this that every 30 days the receivers talk to each other and if it doesn't see the receiver, it will cancel the receiver. So my question is whether this happens ? I don't use the camper often, and sometimes months before using, but it would be nice to use satelite when we do go. But, this spare receiver won't be used very often. Will this new system actually cancel my service if it's not always hookep up ? Thanks for any advice. I don't want to get the extra receiver if that is the case.
LB

 

[Jimbo]

I'm looking at subscribing to Directv. Need a couple receivers for house, and one for my camper. However, a friend recently had a system installed and stated that directv uses a new thing called a "swim" device ? Keeps you from running dual cables for DVRs, etc and it all works with one cable. (I hope I'm saying this right as I'm not up to speed on these things). He stated that if you don't have your receiver plugged into this that every 30 days the receivers talk to each other and if it doesn't see the receiver, it will cancel the receiver. So my question is whether this happens ? I don't use the camper often, and sometimes months before using, but it would be nice to use satelite when we do go. But, this spare receiver won't be used very often. Will this new system actually cancel my service if it's not always hookep up ? Thanks for any advice. I don't want to get the extra receiver if that is the case.
LB

Welcome to the Site !!!
The SWiM will NOT cancel your service.
If your only using the camper occasionally, why not use the extra recvr in the house and take it with you when your camping ? may as well make use of it and not be paying an extra $ 5 p/m for something sitting in the camper.

What may happen, if you don't have a sat signal long enough to the box, you may have to call in or online and reauthorize the box when your planning on using it.

 

[LBDirectvnew]

For the house, I was planning on HD receivers. For the camper, just a standard one as we have an old cheap TV in there. I was going to buy a round dish for the camper. Also, I assumed that if I disconnected the receiver from the house, and was gone for a while (during summer we sometimes rent a spot for the season to keep our normal camping spot) so thought the receiver would cancel if not connected to the SWM (Swim) thing. If I took the receiver from the house and kept at camper for the season, how do I know if it'll quit working ? I also posted this question on the Technical site (sorry for double posting) and someone said I'd have to maybe reauthroize it. I guess this always raises the question of a phone line. It will be impossible for me to plug into the phone line at home as I don't have a line anywhere near the TV. Am I out of luck on getting this to work ? I have cable now, but after seeing a friends picutre on directv, I really like the difference.

 

[Jimbo]

For the house, I was planning on HD receivers. For the camper, just a standard one as we have an old cheap TV in there. I was going to buy a round dish for the camper. Also, I assumed that if I disconnected the receiver from the house, and was gone for a while (during summer we sometimes rent a spot for the season to keep our normal camping spot) so thought the receiver would cancel if not connected to the SWM (Swim) thing. If I took the receiver from the house and kept at camper for the season, how do I know if it'll quit working ? I also posted this question on the Technical site (sorry for double posting) and someone said I'd have to maybe reauthroize it. I guess this always raises the question of a phone line. It will be impossible for me to plug into the phone line at home as I don't have a line anywhere near the TV. Am I out of luck on getting this to work ? I have cable now, but after seeing a friends picutre on directv, I really like the difference.

You really should have no problems with this.
The SWiM is to make the DVR work with only 1 feed to it.
In the camper your only using one feed, are you using a DVR in the camper ?
If you are,then just run 2 feeds from the dish to the back of the recvr, you don't need to bother with the SWiM when camping, just leave it set up at home.
Make sure when you set the recvr up at the campground that when you go thru the set up you change it off of the SWM set up and on to the dish you are using, and vise versa when coming home.

 

[LBDirectvnew]

Thank you Jimbo. No, I don't plan on doing the DVR at the camper. Just standard box. Actually, never really thought about the DVR until you mentioned it. Guess it wouldn't be a bad idea, but more than likely probably just the standard box just to have TV for rainy days. I feel much better now with making the jump from cable to satelite. And, as far as phone lines at home, I won't have to worry about not having my phone line hookep up ? My firend said that when he got his installed, the installer said he must ALWAYS have line hooked up or it won't work. He's able to because he has multiple phone jacks. And, the installer said not to move any boxes or disconnect the phone line for any reason for at least 3 days due to the initial setup. That is my only problem at home because the phone jack is in a completely different room.
Thanks for your patience and help.

 

[steecoe]

phone lines are a myth. DirecTV personnel will tell you that you always need the phone line hooked up, but someone like myself who has not had the phone lines hooked up for most of my 14 years watching DirecTV will tell you otherwise.
AFAIK, the phoneline is mostly used for payperview billing. :up

 

[LBDirectvnew]

Thank you all. You have answered my questions. Before I made a committment for 2 years contract, I wanted to ensure I wouldn't have any issues. When buying from a store, you never seem to get the true answers so this really helped. Thank you all.
LB

 

[LBDirectvnew]

I called my buddy who had Directv installed a few weeks ago to tell him that I'm going forward with it since I think he gets the referral credit. I explained what I learned here. His reply was "when I got mine installed, the tech said the phone line needed to be plugged in because this new SWM device allows the main receiver to talk to the other receivers. The phone line allows directv to "ping" the receiver which then the main receiver determines if the other receivers are attached and working properly with all updates. If the main doesn't see all the receivers, it deactivates them." So, just to be sure, if I use a standard one in my camper, the main receiver won't see it. And, not only that, I won't be able to keep a phone line plugged into the main receiver or any receiver for that matter. at the house. From what the tech told him, this is something new that directv does by pinging the main receiver via the phone line to monitor them and send a signal back I guess through the phone line or he said through the dish which I didn't think that was possible as I thought they only receive, not transmit, that all receivers are working and "talking" to each other. And, if they can't send a signal back, they stop working. The tech said it's something new, so maybe only with the new systems they install ? I know other replies from people said they have never plugged their receivers into a phone jack as well, but it sounded like they are the old or legacy receivers. I don't get it, but with what he says, does any of that make sense ? Or I can assume I should not have any issues with mine when I get it ?

 

[steecoe]

I bet that the tech was trying to explain that with the SWM he only needs to have 1 receiver plugged into the phone line & that receiver can talk to the others & gather the information that would normally be sent via each individual receiver's phone connection.
Like I said before DTV people will always tell you that it is necessary to have the phone line connected. Many people don't even have landline phone service anymore. If the installer insists that the phone line be connected, he will install one behind your TV.

You also can't always believe what an installer tells you either. A friend was told that he could not get signal by one dumbass installer. My parents were TALKED OUT OF ORDERING hughesnet by a lazy installer that didn't want to do the work. Another tech told my dad that he couldn't use his current setup if he got a bigscreen TV.

 

[LBDirectvnew]

Sounds good then.
So, Jimbo above states when I take the receiver (standard one) to my camper, to change settings from SWM to I guess the round dish. So, if I understand this correctly, my standard receiver that I will get will be set to SWM at the house, but when I go to campsite, I have to switch to Round dish ? If this is correct, then I have 2 more questions.
1. Will the standard receiver not work with the round dish until I change the settings from SWM to Round ? If so, is it because the dishes receive signals different so you have to tell the receiver what type of dish you are using ?
2. How do you change from SWM to Round ?

 

[Jimbo]

Thank you all. You have answered my questions. Before I made a committment for 2 years contract, I wanted to ensure I wouldn't have any issues. When buying from a store, you never seem to get the true answers so this really helped. Thank you all.
LB

Thats why you come here !

Most people are very helpful here, at the stores, they just want to sell .....
As for your phone line, you can have it hooked up and you may get the Caller ID on your TV.
They (D*) would like you to have it hooked up, but it's mainly to keep track of PPV's . It use to be used to download software, but not anymore.

 

[Jimbo]

I called my buddy who had Directv installed a few weeks ago to tell him that I'm going forward with it since I think he gets the referral credit. I explained what I learned here. His reply was "when I got mine installed, the tech said the phone line needed to be plugged in because this new SWM device allows the main receiver to talk to the other receivers. The phone line allows directv to "ping" the receiver which then the main receiver determines if the other receivers are attached and working properly with all updates. If the main doesn't see all the receivers, it deactivates them." So, just to be sure, if I use a standard one in my camper, the main receiver won't see it. And, not only that, I won't be able to keep a phone line plugged into the main receiver or any receiver for that matter. at the house. From what the tech told him, this is something new that directv does by pinging the main receiver via the phone line to monitor them and send a signal back I guess through the phone line or he said through the dish which I didn't think that was possible as I thought they only receive, not transmit, that all receivers are working and "talking" to each other. And, if they can't send a signal back, they stop working. The tech said it's something new, so maybe only with the new systems they install ? I know other replies from people said they have never plugged their receivers into a phone jack as well, but it sounded like they are the old or legacy receivers. I don't get it, but with what he says, does any of that make sense ? Or I can assume I should not have any issues with mine when I get it ?

I bet that the tech was trying to explain that with the SWM he only needs to have 1 receiver plugged into the phone line & that receiver can talk to the others & gather the information that would normally be sent via each individual receiver's phone connection.
Like I said before DTV people will always tell you that it is necessary to have the phone line connected. Many people don't even have landline phone service anymore. If the installer insists that the phone line be connected, he will install one behind your TV.

You also can't always believe what an installer tells you either. A friend was told that he could not get signal by one dumbass installer. My parents were TALKED OUT OF ORDERING hughesnet by a lazy installer that didn't want to do the work. Another tech told my dad that he couldn't use his current setup if he got a bigscreen TV.

You CAN set up your internet router to communicate with your boxes, this is one way that the recvrs can communicate and D* can get info.
Your phone lines do NOT need to be hooked up.
I have 3 recvrs, 1 in the HT room, one in the bedroom and one in the RV (RV is obviously NOT connected to the internet or a phone line) and all work great for many years now.

 

[Jimbo]

Sounds good then.
So, Jimbo above states when I take the receiver (standard one) to my camper, to change settings from SWM to I guess the round dish. So, if I understand this correctly, my standard receiver that I will get will be set to SWM at the house, but when I go to campsite, I have to switch to Round dish ? If this is correct, then I have 2 more questions.
1. Will the standard receiver not work with the round dish until I change the settings from SWM to Round ? If so, is it because the dishes receive signals different so you have to tell the receiver what type of dish you are using ?
2. How do you change from SWM to Round ?

1. Correct and Correct

2. When you set up the recvr in the camper, go to Menu - setup and system set up - then Sat Set Up and in that menu, it will look for sat info and a bunch of other things, at that point you'll see a menu that has SWM listed as Dish Type.
Highlight it and hit Select and then use the up and down arrows to change it to Round.
Then continue thru the rest of the set up steps.

 

[twizt3dsist3r]

my only theory as to what him or his buddy may be talking about is phone lines, if he gets swim installed, and only one receiver is connected to a phoneline then all of them connect via swm, in other words, d* will know about all of the receivers.... now if the OP takes one of these off of SWM then it can no longer be pinged, and d* will know its missing.... err malfunctioning... so to speak... I have no idea how much of this is logical, as I stated its just a theory.

 

[LBDirectvnew]

Excellent. Thank you all for the explanation and advice. I think I'm ready to commit to 2 years. I love the picture it gave my friend, I just wanted to do my homework first. I hate nothing worse than signing an agreement and then not being happy with the service or it not working out. I appreciate all your time. Thanks
LB

 

[Jimbo]

my only theory as to what him or his buddy may be talking about is phone lines, if he gets swim installed, and only one receiver is connected to a phoneline then all of them connect via swm, in other words, d* will know about all of the receivers.... now if the OP takes one of these off of SWM then it can no longer be pinged, and d* will know its missing.... err malfunctioning... so to speak... I have no idea how much of this is logical, as I stated its just a theory.

IF it's NOT connected to a router/ internet they would have no way of knowing in the first place.
It's not like they monitor all these boxes 24/7.

I have a box that I use in the RV that hasn't been hooked to a phone line or the internet in years

 

[Jimbo]

Excellent. Thank you all for the explanation and advice. I think I'm ready to commit to 2 years. I love the picture it gave my friend, I just wanted to do my homework first. I hate nothing worse than signing an agreement and then not being happy with the service or it not working out. I appreciate all your time. Thanks
LB

Remember, no two set ups are alike.
Your TV/recvr may need to be tweaked to get the picture you want ....
Don't know if you ever mentioned what TV's your hooking up to.

 

[LBDirectvnew]

Thanks Jimbo.
Only have a 52" HD Capable rear projection, but hoping to purhcase a 52" LCD 1080P / 120Hz. Been doing alot of research on those too. I think the HD on that should look great.
Thanks again.

 

[SINewton]

phone lines are a myth. DirecTV personnel will tell you that you always need the phone line hooked up, but someone like myself who has not had the phone lines hooked up for most of my 14 years watching DirecTV will tell you otherwise.
AFAIK, the phoneline is mostly used for payperview billing. :up

You are 100% correct because we do NOT have a land-line in any fashion. Last year we went to unlimited cell service only.

 

[peano]

Doesn't the installer get extra commission if all the receivers he installs phone home?

As has been repeated many times here, the installer is full of it. You need zero phone lines connected.

As for the camper receiver, make sure it is SWM compatible.