Need Help Troubleshooting Check Switch on Hopper 2000 and Hopper with Sling--Long Post

[rdinkel]

Recently had an issue with my Hopper with Sling no longer providing IPs across the entire network (H, HWS, 4 Joeys) using bridging. Got that resolved after multiple reboots. So while at it, I decided to also do a check switch. That is when things got interesting. The results of the check switches were fewer satellites, but inconsistent which ones! It could be all red Xs, or 119 plus two red Xs, or 110 with two red Xs, or 129 with two red Xs. Plus every other combination possible. Here is the weird part: I was always able to watch programming off of all three birds even though check switch showed red Xs. Before asking Dish to replace my Hopper with Sling, I talked to advanced tech support for ideas. They tried their best but were also baffled. Since I own my dishes, lnbfs and switches--and always have spares--I put in a new DuoNode. That did not make any difference. So next I replaced the DPP33 with a new one. Still no improvement. Next, tightened all connectors. Still no change. Also tried running a check switch on the Hopper 2000. It also warned me that fewer satellites were detected--so I was smart enough this time not to save that configuration! Went back to the HWS and kept running check switches and watching the various configurations showing up until finally all three birds showed up green. So I saved that one!

Some would say not to screw with it any more since everything is working fine. Probably good advice, but I have a burning desire to learn what the hell is going on. My experience would say Hopper software changes do not expect to see my non-standard configuration install (two separate dishes and three single low-noise DishPro lnbfs feeding a DPP33 into a DuoNode).

Dish would be happy to send out a tech, but I have always prided myself in doing it on my own. (I have never had a tech out to either install or repair my Dish setup. That has worked for me for over 15 years.)

What I do not understand is how can MoCA be all green, all satellites signals fine, and every bird able to be watched even after check switch cannot find the satellites.

Thoughts appreciated!

Bob

 

[harshness]

You're getting out of your depth. The Hopper doesn't provide IP addresses. That's the job of your router.

Any particular reason you're mucking with an otherwise working system?

If I had to guess, I'd bet your suffering from using a DPP33 with a not entirely incompatible LNB.

 

[rdinkel]

Hopper with Sling in the bridging mode manages the allocation of IPs across the Hopper/Joey network. I understand that the router provides the IPs, but the HWS handles the Dish configuration and shares the IPs across the Dish MoCA network.

Initial problem showed up when wife tried to stream a Starz on Demand movie from one of the Joeys. It showed that the Joey was not connected to the Internet, and Joey Network Reset failed to solve that issue. It took several reboots of the HWS before it would contact the router and reconfigure Internet access across all Dish components.

Perhaps you have no interest in understanding how something works--or should work. Maybe you do not care so long as it does work. That is not my mindset.

My configuration has always worked well previously; now I am just trying to understand what has changed and why.

 

[harshness]

My configuration has always worked well previously; now I am just trying to understand what has changed and why.

Because the behavior may be entirely anomalous, it doesn't pay many dividends to devote one's life to understanding something that may never happen again (and shouldn't have happened in the first place).

It is likely that it is not possible to get to the bottom of whatever happened given the tools at your (or any other subscribers) disposal.

 

[SomeDishGuy]

Hopper with Sling in the bridging mode manages the allocation of IPs across the Hopper/Joey network. I understand that the router provides the IPs, but the HWS handles the Dish configuration and shares the IPs across the Dish MoCA network.

Initial problem showed up when wife tried to stream a Starz on Demand movie from one of the Joeys. It showed that the Joey was not connected to the Internet, and Joey Network Reset failed to solve that issue. It took several reboots of the HWS before it would contact the router and reconfigure Internet access across all Dish components.

Perhaps you have no interest in understanding how something works--or should work. Maybe you do not care so long as it does work. That is not my mindset.

My configuration has always worked well previously; now I am just trying to understand what has changed and why.

How do you stream Starz on demand FROM a Joey? Joeys don't have tuners.

(I'm someone who apparently doesn't understand how something...supposedly streaming from a Joey...works. Educate me.)

 

[lucky86]

Streaming over ip doesn't use a tuner.

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[SomeDishGuy]

Streaming over ip doesn't use a tuner.

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Okay, more detail? When you say streaming, what is the OP doing? Is he using something (phone, laptop, IPad, etc) to go to dishanywhere.com or the app? Or is he somehow tapping into the video signal that is sent from the Hopper to the Joey? I'm not trying to be a smart-aleck, I genuinely don't get what he is doing.

I will say this...absolutely none of this is covered in any training for a Dish employee in a call center, and that includes advanced tech support. Calling in on this isn't going to yield much assistance, unless you get an advanced tech support that does a LOT of stuff with this away from the job. It's not, best I can tell, one of the normally accepted methods for accessing Dish programming.

 

[lucky86]

He said streaming Starz on demand on the Joey. When you stream on demand content, at Hopper or Joey, no tuners are used. If you steam live tv from dishanywhere, that does use a tuner. I'm not sure where the confusion is.

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[SomeDishGuy]

He said streaming Starz on demand on the Joey. When you stream on demand content, at Hopper or Joey, no tuners are used. If you steam live tv from dishanywhere, that does use a tuner. I'm not sure where the confusion is.

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Ahh, yes.....major duhhh moment for me. I was confused, he says he was trying to stream from a joey, and I somehow, with all the talk of IP addresses, thought he was trying to do something with his wireless network, and stream from the Joey TO something else wireless.

That makes a whole lot more sense, thank you!

 

[satnewb]

My experience would say Hopper software changes do not expect to see my non-standard configuration install (two separate dishes and three single low-noise DishPro lnbfs feeding a DPP33 into a DuoNode).

Dish would be happy to send out a tech, but I have always prided myself in doing it on my own. (I have never had a tech out to either install or repair my Dish setup. That has worked for me for over 15 years.)

What I do not understand is how can MoCA be all green, all satellites signals fine, and every bird able to be watched even after check switch cannot find the satellites.

Thoughts appreciated!

Bob

Your install isn't really all that non-standard. I have 3 singles as well, with 3 switches and 2 nodes and a gaggle of other "non standard" stuff going on. Also keep in mind that MOCA has nothing to do with the satellite signals. You could disconnect the sat feeds from the node and still have green moca everywhere.

More often than not when I ran into unusual check switch results on any dish receivers, it was either a bad cable, low frequency barrel or wall plate somewhere in the line, or a strange electrical issue/bad ground. Just because it's been working fine for a long period of time doesn't mean that it can't cause a problem down the road. That's where I would start.

 

[rdinkel]

After extensive checking of all cables, etc., I have confirmed that there is nothing wrong with my installation. What I have found is that my non-standard configuration causes issues with at least the latest software when running check switch on both Hopper and Hopper with Sling. But I also found a work-around for these issues. By turning "Alternate" on before running the check switch, all satellites and tuners come up green. Without "Alternate" on, the three separate LNBFs that I use are not recognized by check switch and instead generate error messages. The errors reflect non-DP LNBF even though they are in fact Dish DP single LNBFs. What is unique about the LNBFs that I am using is that they are specifically intended only for use in Alaska and Hawaii. These lower-noise LNBFs apparently no longer match check switch expected components when using DPP33 switch in CONUS. Changing to "Alternate" allows check switch to ignore these LNBFs and find all satellites and tuners. The DPP33 is correctly identified, but instead of listing the LNBFs by type, the terms Feed (1), Feed (2), and Feed (3) are used.
,
Bottom Line: There is a work-around which enables check switch to be run (which will be important should I ever replace a Hopper), and all programming and functionality are available across my 2 H/4 J installation.

 

[lucky86]

The alternate setting checks non conus transponders. Where are you located?

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[rdinkel]

The alternate setting checks non conus transponders. Where are you located?

Colorado. I talked with advanced tech support again today and they confirmed that even non-standard configurations (such as used by RVs) and Alaska and Hawaii unique equipment often only work when Alternate is on. In any event, this fixed my issues using Hawaii-specific LNBFs.

 

[lucky86]

I don't know about the validity of that confirmation. I doubt that question comes up very often.

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