2 Hoppers, 3 Joeys - 1 Joey ethernet only

Just a stab in the dark... but it could be a limitation of using the Joey via ethernet. You could test this out to make sure it isn't a problem specific to that Joey by swapping that Joey with one of the others and seeing if the problem stays with the Joey or stays with the ethernet connected room.

You didn't say... but how is that Joey connected via ethernet? Does it go ethernet to the same router where the Hopper is ethernet connected? Or does it somehow connect through another router? I could imagine a theoretical possibility where that Joey could be on a different subnet from the rest of the network so that only the Hopper it is directly linked to can be seen... but that's another stab in the dark.

 

I'm working blind here of course... but another thought comes to mind, since I don't know exactly how the Hopper bridging works to share internet to other receivers.

Your Hopper is connected to a router, as is your Joey... so those two Hoppers are getting IP addresses on the same network. BUT... The Hopper then assigns IP addresses to the other Hopper and the other 2 Joeys via the MoCA network. I'm not sure exactly how those assignments go... It seems like (if it works like other DHCP routers) that in your scenario:

Hopper 1 and Joey 3 exist on the same DHCP-assigned IP address range as whatever your home network router gives out.
Hopper 2 and Joey 1 + Joey 2 exist on a different IP address range assigned by the MoCA network-sharing from Hopper 1.

Now, it's "bridging" so that explains how each separate network has communication with each other... but that might be the limitation you are then encountering where Joey 3 is not fully seeing the MoCA network since it exists on a different subnetwork... thus it can only see the Hopper that it is linked to.

IF that all makes sense, that would be my best guess as to what is happening... which would mean it isn't so much a limitation of the Hopper/Joey but a limitation of basic networking topology.

 

That's the thing... I don't even know if the Hopper bridging is technical bridging or "bridging"... it wouldn't be the first time something was named misleadingly...

If you've isolated it down to the ethernet connection... about the only place left to "look" would be if the router is somehow interfering... again, not knowing exactly how MoCA implements things... the key here seems to be that you can connect to either Hopper to link the Joey... but once linked, you can't see the other Hopper through the DVR interface.

Depending on how Dish/Echostar implements things I could imagine a scenario where they access the network differently to link vs to access the unlinked Hopper... and that may go beyond understanding of how networks are supposed to work since this is a Dish/Echostar thing here which may or may not conform and behave how we would expect.

The additional problem.... I gather ethernet or WiFi Joey connections (upcoming Wireless Joey from CES not withstanding) are not officially supported... and you may have stumbled upon one reason why.

 

Thanks for that. Somehow I had a feeling it might not really be a bridge, but rather a "bridge"... but I wasn't sure. Knowing that eliminates most of my earlier thoughts.

But you addressed the real culprit and answered the question I believe with your MoCA vs IP... that makes sense... if the video sharing between the Hoppers is only over MoCA then only the Joeys connected to coax should be able to do that.

However... I hedge here... because... wouldn't that mean people using Joey over WiFi would have the same problem? And yet I can't remember anyone posting of this problem before now... and it seems like if the Hopper-to-Hopper communication was only over MoCa, then a Joey on WiFi should have the same issue the Thread Starter is having with his connected via Ethernet.

I still think something else is going on... though I can't begin to guess what.

 

There is a sticky post here: http://www.dbstalk.com/topic/195079-dish-internet-response-team-dirt-contact-information/

You can try any of the Dish reps at that link to see if they might know or be able to get more info for you.

If it is a hardware limitation, it might be a dead end. If it is a problem, maybe they will know if it is something that is being addressed or not.