help - unable to use ondemand or showcase

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help - unable to use ondemand or showcase

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Mark W

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grahamlthompson - 21 minutes ago »

Mark W - 3 minutes ago »
Fallen over for me again today. Factory reseat and then works straight away. Don't want to have to do this every week though

Has your box got a reserved IP Address allocated to it's mac address, setup from logging into your router ?
Has it changed it's address since the last time it worked ?

Yes , it's reserved on DHCP , the lease is daily and it always gets the same IP. So it's not dhcp renewal. This is the only device on my network that has issues, but I repeat it is connected to the network, I can get iplayer through channel 901 and also fire it up from the freesat app on my tablet on the box. Other network apps also work. The only issue is the on demand tab just starts to say in demand is unavailable and back epg also stops working . This now happens about once a week. Factory reset is the only way to sort it out .

I want to try and set a static IP and a static DNS but that method to turn off dhcp doesn't work for me. It just fails to connect but never gives me the option to add an IP manually

| Sun 4 Jan 2015 21:59:18 #781 |
JamesB

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Mark W - 8 minutes ago »
This is the only device on my network that has issues, but I repeat it is connected to the network, I can get iplayer through channel 901 and also fire it up from the freesat app on my tablet on the box. Other network apps also work. The only issue is the on demand tab just starts to say in demand is unavailable and back epg also stops working . This now happens about once a week. Factory reset is the only way to sort it out .

Are you sure the factory reset is sorting it out? Might be worth just waiting a bit and trying again? Freesat do tinker with their servers from time to time - often, it seems to me, on a Sunday. Those are the only times I've ever experienced this problem. Leave the box for awhile and it might recover.

Or it might not, in which case you might want to get it swapped.

I've followed this long thread from the beginning and haven't yet seen any convincing evidence that any particular action by users will fix the problem. If Humax/Freesat have a coherent explanation, and a recommended fix, they should share that with users.

| Sun 4 Jan 2015 22:23:56 #782 |
damian

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Mark W - 11 hours ago

I want to try and set a static IP and a static DNS but that method to turn off dhcp doesn't work for me. It just fails to connect but never gives me the option to add an IP manually

not too sure if you've the 1000 or 1010S; however if it's connected via cable, plugging it into an old hub with nothing else connected or using a cross over cable into a laptop or similar and rebooting the Humax you should get it to time out and let you assign a static address. Most people wouldn't have these lying around so alternatively, once you know which static address to give it, physically switch off the Humax, switch off dhcp on the router, reboot for good measure, wait 5 minutes or however long the router needs as most need a good few minutes, switch the humax back on and it should time out and allow manual ip

obviously, other connected users to your local network will be affected and although it's worth trying, I'm not sure it will make much difference unfortunately.

| Mon 5 Jan 2015 10:10:47 #783 |
damian

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JamesB - 11 hours ago
Freesat do tinker with their servers from time to time - often, it seems to me, on a Sunday. Those are the only times I've ever experienced this problem.

I think you may have hit the nail on the head and found a pattern. My isp used to reboot their routers in the wee small hours over the weekend.

However; I don't think Freesat tinker on Sundays, it's highly likely that Sunday is the busiest period for them and they simply fall over, i.e the servers/connection gets overloaded and fails.

The problem has clearly been clouded by software issues and some user difficulties, but if the problems only ever happen on a Sunday for you then I'd put money on their systems being overloaded; and something I'm sure they'd not admit to publicly

| Mon 5 Jan 2015 10:28:40 #784 |
JamesB

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damian - 7 minutes ago »

JamesB - 11 hours ago
Freesat do tinker with their servers from time to time - often, it seems to me, on a Sunday. Those are the only times I've ever experienced this problem.

I think you may have hit the nail on the head and found a pattern. My isp used to reboot their routers in the wee small hours over the weekend.
However; I don't think Freesat tinker on Sundays, it's highly likely that Sunday is the busiest period for them and they simply fall over, i.e the servers/connection gets overloaded and fails.
The problem has clearly been clouded by software issues and some user difficulties, but if the problems only ever happen on a Sunday for you then I'd put money on their systems being overloaded; and something I'm sure they'd not admit to publicly

You may well be right. They were definitely tinkering at the time I experienced problems - they acknowedged as much, in their statements about the bug and their efforts to cure it. In the process, they caused Showcase and On Demand and the rollback EPG to come and go quite erratically, for some of us who had previously been unaffected. I haven't had any trouble since they stopped doing that, but overloaded servers might be a continuing cause of similar problem, for some users.

| Mon 5 Jan 2015 10:46:17 #785 |
JamesB

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Freesat's current statement on these problems:

If you are still experiencing any difficulties accessing On Demand players and the Showcase service, despite being connected to the internet, please ensure that your router and any adapters are switched on a couple of minutes before turning your box on at the mains. We have left the original advice section below, but we believe the steps mentioned should no longer be necessary.

http://www.freesat.co.uk/help/on-demand/freetime-boxes/freetime-issues

| Mon 5 Jan 2015 11:27:06 #786 |
-gonzo-

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Oh fiddlesticks, my on demand section is playing up.
Showcase works, roll back works etc, just cannot open players via the Home menu.

| Wed 7 Jan 2015 19:13:35 #787 |
mutant_matt

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JamesB,

Thanks for that link, I might not have found that otherwise. I've had my box approx 5 months, and have this problem for the first time today. I certainly don't have any networking problems (nor have had). I'm using wired ethernet into my "lounge switch" which connects to my "study switch" which connects to my routers (inner and then outer). Every device on my network and on the same switch as the 1000S is and has been working fine via DHCP (and the IP the Humax has hadn't changed (until I tried unplugging and reconnecting the cable after this problem started yesterday)).

Looking at the link, it says you need the update from 19th November 2014, UKFSAA 2.02.01, to fix this problem, but I'm on UKFSAA 2.02.07 and have the problem (for the first time).

What's the best/correct way to report this to Humax as the bug clearly isn't fixed (not that I ever saw it pre that firmware update). Having said that, is it worth bothering reporting it to Humax? (I'm new to dealing with them).

I can access iPlayer and ITV Player directly, I have a good and strong sat signal, the EPG and the box otherwise works fine, just Showcase, the On Demand Menu and the backwards EPG, are all not working (very annoying).

Cheers,

Matt.

| Thu 8 Jan 2015 0:21:40 #788 |
REPASSAC

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You should report this to freesat Customerteam@freesat.co.uk.
freesat specify these checks and how they should work.

| Thu 8 Jan 2015 8:27:29 #789 |
JamesB

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mutant_matt - 8 hours ago »
Looking at the link, it says you need the update from 19th November 2014, UKFSAA 2.02.01, to fix this problem, but I'm on UKFSAA 2.02.07 and have the problem (for the first time).

Hi Matt. That's the correct version number (2.02.07). As I recall, 2.02.01 was the update that brought the problem, and 2.02.07 was a remedial update - which, as you say, clearly hasn't entirely resolved the bug or bugs. See http://www.freesat.co.uk/help/freetime/boxes/software-update-19-nov for (limited) info on 2.02.07.

What's the best/correct way to report this to Humax as the bug clearly isn't fixed (not that I ever saw it pre that firmware update).

As Repassac says, Freesat are the ones to report to. Be interested to hear what response you receive.

| Thu 8 Jan 2015 9:15:39 #790 |