[JimV]

Tech came out on Monday to install a new HD-DVR (yeay, thanks Directv for a refurbed HR21!) and whole-home. The HR21 replaces an H20 and complements my HR23 that I have in another room.

He put in an 8 way splitter outside by the dish (left a mess of cables also), and a power inverter attached to the HR21. One coax going out towards the dish, the other end going into the HR21.

Downstairs he installed the new DECA 2 device onto the HR23. Cat5 cable is plugged into the top ethernet port on the HR23 with the othe end going into the DECA. COAX comes out of the HR23 into the Deca and the other end goes out to the dish. Bottom Cat5 port on HR23 goes to my router.

Both DVRs have one coax going into them where before the HR23 had two. I guess two are no longer needed if you have MRV.

DECA has a flashing orange light which resembles a hexagon inside a circle - maybe represents a coax cable?

I get an error on the DVRs, both of them that says 'no networked DVR found'. It does say 'Whole Home is Authorized'. Playlists are shared.

I've reset the HR23 and the Power Inverter, reseated all cables, verified IP address on the HR23. I can also download ondemand from the internets so that appears working.

The Installer said whole home will take 24 hours to work after install so he couldnt demonstrate that it was working when he was onsite.

Questions:
Is it connected correctly?
Was I dumb to believe the guy that it took 24 hours for it to work?
Do I have to set up any IP addressing on the HR21 since the MRV network is all coax?

Next steps before I call D*?

 

[veryoldschool]

"Someone" is going to be coming back out.

You are missing the DECA to router, or CCK.
The second ethernet port shouldn't have been used.
You have one DECA II, but is there another on your other receiver?

If it had been done correctly, it would be working before the installer left.

 

[JimV]

No just one deca on the HR23. HR21 just has a power inverter, no deca.

There is nothing between the ethernet cable (plugged into the bottom) in the HR23 and my router. All the pics on dbstalk have the older DECA models so its been hard for me to tell if I have things hooked up right since the cabling will be done differently.

Solid Signal sort of states the way to hook up the deca2 (DCA2SR0) is how mine is hooked up "Easy installation - connect one end to the coaxial cable and then connect the attached coax and ethernet cables to your receiver. Connect to the internet using the menus and youre all set to go! " But even this is vague....

Also, this pic shows how the deca is installed except of course I have the black oval one. In addition to the cabling in the image, I have a cat5 cable running from the bottom ethernet port ont he he23 to my router.

A while ago DTV sent me a cinema connection kit and its sitting in a box in my office, but I thought I didnt need this at all if I have it hooked up directly to my router and the internet access is working on the DVR? I thought the MRV network was different than my internet network and the two are mutually exclusive?

 

[veryoldschool]

No just one deca on the HR23. HR21 just has a power inverter, no deca.

It needs one.
You should NOT be using the second ethernet port of the HR23!

If you have a CCK, then use it to bridge your router/home network to the DECA network, "After you have one". With only one DECA you don't have a DECA/coax network.

 

[JimV]

Thanks. Why do I need to bridge these two networks? So the HR21 can also see the internet?

Sounds like the guy flubbed the whole install so I have to call D* to get a second deca.

 

[veryoldschool]

Thanks. Why do I need to bridge these two networks? So the HR21 can also see the internet?

Sounds like the guy flubbed the whole install so I have to call D* to get a second deca.

Bridging is for internet access.

The second ethernet port "is powered" from the CPU and it needs all the help it can get, so loading it down with ethernet traffic doesn't do it any good.

 

[JimV]

So lets see if I have this right. hopefully the formatting sticks:

Dish
|
8 way Splitter----power inserter---deca2---hr21
| |
| |------deca2---hr23
| ^^^^^^|
| ^^^^^^|===top Ethernetport on HR23
|
|----CCK===Router===Modem===Internets


- is coax
= is cat5/ethernet
^ is so that the formatting allows me to put the lines in the right spot and can be ignored.

 

[veryoldschool]

So lets see if I have this right. hopefully the formatting sticks:

Dish
|
8 way Splitter----power inverter---deca2---hr21
| |
| |------deca2---hr23
| |
| |===top Ethernetport on HR23
|
|----CCK===Router===Modem===Internets

- is coax
= is cat5/ethernet

That's it, but why the 8-way splitter when you don't need more than a 4-way?

 

[JimV]

that's what the guy installed. said it could be for future expansion.
probably all he had in his truck

probably have to get on a ladder now and reconnect that second cable running down to the hr23. and/or call directv to fix this mess.

 

[JimV]

OK. Called service and they are sending me a DECA for the HR21.

I have a CCK they sent me a while back for free for some reason. What I'm planning on doing is hooking this up to the router on one end, and a coax on the other end that goes out to the splitter. I dont know if its a CCKW or CCK at this point since I am not home at the moment.


What she did say is that the CCK-W must be used wirelessly which seems odd to me - if I could wire it, why wouldnt I? If this is not the case, would I be better off getting a broadband DECA, and is that the same or different than the DCA2SR0 that they are sending (apparently two of)?

Anyway, she definitely corroborated what I was already suspecting and that DBSTalk has corroborated, and that is the installer did it wrong.

A bit annoyed the guy did it wrong.

 

[veryoldschool]

The CSRs haven't been taught "all the ways" a W-CCK can be connected and work.
Easy way to check if wireless or not:
1 coax connector = isn't.
2 coax connectors = is.

Both of these have an ethernet port/jack, so "what do you think?" :lol:

 

[JimV]

I'll report back when I get home tonight. What I know for sure is it's not wired right at all currently, and missing two important pieces.

Your help has been much apprecaited.

 

[veryoldschool]

"Well" one DECA does not make a network. :lol:

 

[JimV]

OK, well I have to wait until Monday for the 2nd DECA.
THE CCK is a DCAW1R0-01. I hooked the ethernet cable into my router (yes the CCK has a port), and the 2nd COAX into it. This is the 2nd COAX that is no longer hooked up to my receiver.

So it worked to connect me to the internet for about 5 minutes (i listened to pandora) and then stopped. Coax light is off now and IP address on the HR23 is 169.x.x.x so its not getting an IP.

The power and activity light persist.

Not sure why this is. Reset the cck a couple times and reseated cables to no avail. I do have a link light on my router. As much as I like the asus rt-n56u, it has the slowest admin interface ever so finding out what is connected is futile.

[EDIT] Check that, i have an IP address again, but the coax light is off. SO not sure if thats the way its supposed to be or not, but clearly if I am getting an IP address, the HR23 is working with DECA and the CCK to get an IP from my router. [/EDIT]

 

[veryoldschool]

OK, well I have to wait until Monday for the 2nd DECA.
THE CCK is a DCAW1R0-01. I hooked the ethernet cable into my router (yes the CCK has a port), and the 2nd COAX into it. This is the 2nd COAX that is no longer hooked up to my receiver.

So it worked to connect me to the internet for about 5 minutes (i listened to pandora) and then stopped. Coax light is off now and IP address on the HR23 is 169.x.x.x so its not getting an IP.

The power and activity light persist.

Not sure why this is. Reset the cck a couple times and reseated cables to no avail. I do have a link light on my router. As much as I like the asus rt-n56u, it has the slowest admin interface ever so finding out what is connected is futile.

[EDIT] Check that, i have an IP address again, but the coax light is off. SO not sure if thats the way its supposed to be or not, but clearly if I am getting an IP address, the HR23 is working with DECA and the CCK to get an IP from my router. [/EDIT]

The W-CCK has an oddity where the cLink after it syncs goes blank.

 

[JimV]

Good to know.

So for the forum searchers, this thread is confirming that the CCK-W / dcaw1r0 can in fact be connected to your router using the ethernet port - wired - and you dont have to use wireless if you dont want to regardless of what d*'s forums, websites or documentation says.

So the ascii art above is how I have things hooked up (well, bar the missing DECA for the HR21), and I can get to the internet from the HR23.

 

[veryoldschool]

Good to know.

So for the forum searchers, this thread is confirming that the CCK-W / dcaw1r0 can in fact be connected to your router using the ethernet port - wired - and you dont have to use wireless if you dont want to regardless of what d*'s forums, websites or documentation says.

So the ascii art above is how I have things hooked up (well, bar the missing DECA for the HR21), and I can get to the internet from the HR23.

So what do they say about "real men" and reading instructions? !rolling

So now you're set for adding the missing DECA for your other receiver and a rebooting after it gets installed and "you're done".

 

[Drucifer]

I would suggest replacing the 8-way with a smaller splitter.

 

[JimV]

I would suggest replacing the 8-way with a smaller splitter.

To avoid signal loss?

 

[JimV]

ok, so the 3 day delivery turned out to be 1 so I was able to add the DECA2 to the HR21.

unplugged the power inserter, plugged in the deca, turned on the power inserter, rebooted the hr21 and voila, networked over coax.

today, went to watch something recorded on the hr23 from the HR21 and it disconnected my whole home. lights are still green on the deca and still getting IP addresses.

So have to see what the story is there....