[kepper]

My old Directv system is being upgraded in a couple of days and I havea question. One of my three existing HR21s is being upgraded to an HR34 and they are installing the home cinema connection kit.

The new HR34 will be networked to two existing HR21s, so I will have a total of three DVRs networked. The location where the HR34 is being installed has an available gigabit internet Ethernet jack which is connected to a switch.

I understand that the installers will have to convert my current dual coax setup to SWiM and likely install a new multiswitch to enable the HR34.

I have read what appears to be conflicting information about whether or not a DECA converter will have to be installed. Some posts say that a DECA converter must installed near a router, while other posts indicate that if a wired Ethernet connection is plugged into the HR34, there is no need to install a DECA as all three DVRs will get internet connectivity from the HR34. My experience is that the less equipment, the less there is to go wrong... so if a DECA is not needed or recommended, I would like to know in advance.

The question is: will my setup require a DECA? If not, is one recommended?

Thanks,

K

 

[wmschultz]

I would like an explanation of this, too. I had the HR34 installed into my system where all of my receivers were hardwired to GigE and whole home worked fine. When the HR34 was installed whole home continued to work just fine as well, but the HR34 kept getting the 771B error. It was only after I installed the Cinema connection kit into my network and removed the Ethernet from my HR34 did the 771B go away.

Now all of my other receivers have been removed from my GigE network and only use the DECA boxes.

 

[Beerstalker]

DirecTV installers are supposed to install a cinema connect kit, even if you get an HR34 and have an available internet connection right next to it. DirecTVs training tells them this is the way it has to be done.

We know that the HR34 can be used to bridge the DECA cloud to your internet service, but DirecTV installers do not. It's usually best to go ahead and let them install the CCK and then after they leave you can hook an ethernet cable between the HR34 and your router/switch and disconnect the CCK if you want.

*****Again, this only works with the HR34 Home Media Center, it does not work with any other DirecTV receiver*****

 

[RAD]

The HR34 is different then the the HR2X's in that connecting an ethernet cable (which BTW is only a 100Mbps connection) to the HR34 does NOT disable the internal DECA connection via the satellite coax port. So if you wish you don't need a broadband DECA connection to connect the DECA network to your ethernet network, the HR34 will act as the bridge. Just keep in mind then that if the HR34 is down all the other STB's on the DECA network also would lose their path to your ethernet network.

I could see this might be a problem for example if all your receivers rebooted due to a power problem for example. Since the HR34 would need to be up and running so it could pass the DHCP request from your other receiver they could end up with a 169.X.X.X network address which and then the HR34 would get an address from your router with your IP network, so your other receivers couldn't access the HR34 or the internet. But using an broadband DECA to bridge the DECA network to your ethernet would most likely be up and passing the DHCP requests before your receivers would get to that point in their boot up process.

 

[Drucifer]

I would like an explanation of this, too. I had the HR34 installed into my system where all of my receivers were hardwired to GigE and whole home worked fine. When the HR34 was installed whole home continued to work just fine as well, but the HR34 kept getting the 771B error. It was only after I installed the Cinema connection kit into my network and removed the Ethernet from my HR34 did the 771B go away.

Now all of my other receivers have been removed from my GigE network and only use the DECA boxes.

How many tuners do you have?

 

[wmschultz]

How many tuners do you have?

I have 7 tuners on both side of the SWM16. So, 14 total.