Replay TV Not Connecting To Server

Me too - tried multiple phone numbers - connects then gives error - has wrong date/time so manual won't even work ... is it over???

same here.. went off about 4:30 mt std time

no error message.. just blank guide

Mine said a power outage message... unsure

I have 2 replays going ..

one dials in fine the other doesn't so service is still
up .. I guess I have a problem on my end..tried all numbers and nuthin.

update.. lost the other today

My Guide is also blank as of today (Chicago area), so no program data has download in about a week. Forcing a net connect 'works' sometimes (sometimes it doesn't answer), but the transfer only goes partway (and extremely slowly at that) and then it says it has a problem transferring data. Interestingly enough, my clock is set, my channel linup is in place, and I can schedule a manual recording.

If this is how it ends, at least I could use my SS as a manual VCR, which is better than nothing. But why no notice?

My older unit which connects Via modem is not getting updated. It connects and drags on and on and about when it should be done it disconnects.
I tried unplugging and then plugged back in and re-connected but then I had to go to work.
Maybe it got it while I was at work, but I doubt it.
I have another unit that connects via the internet that I think is ok.

Any help would be great.

P

can someone call in tomarrow? I can't from work
ask about the dial ups too if possible.

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Same here, no nightly connects. I've deleted the channel guide twice then forced a connect, but that didn't help. I also changed phone numbers, but still nothing. I have a couple more numbers to try. If not, it was suggested to call Replay and ask for working numbers.

It's not looking good here for my SS. None of the listed numbers connect. I even tried changing the zip code to somewhere very close, but got a Network Connect error. A connection does establish and the first few steps are accomplished like setting the time, etc. but there's no channel guide or zones download. Could it be the end? I hope someone comes up with a solution soon.

Just speculating, but if they wanted to shut down dialup service but not turn the RTV's into bricks, this is exactly right; leave the channel lineup & clock, but no program data. Now the RTV's work as a VCR.

You're right, that would be the scenario of Replay shuting down service. it was a little apocalyptic on my part even if I have to say it myself. It took over 2 hours but my SS finally downloaded everything and from the closest primary phone number that it has used for years. Maybe Earthlink coughed?

Maybe it's EarthLink, but it's happening over a very wide area, so it's not just a bad modem somewhere. Just forced a connect, and it goes far too slowly at first when connecting, then sets the clock and the channel lineup, and then says it has downloaded the program data waay too fast. Then when it tries to combine the data it hiccups, sees a problem, and disconnects.

I have tried many attempts this morning to download the program guide and one connection lasted 20 minutes and went through all the steps but in the end nothing was downloaded. I don't get it

DNNA (The entity which provides the guide data / authentication for your Replays) does NOT run their own dial-up internet service. They contract out to dial-up ISP's for this service (like Earthlink, AOL, Compuserve, etc.). When your RTV dialed into one of these numbers, internet traffic was routed directly to DNNA's guide servers.

As dial-up access goes away, so do local access numbers. Maybe there are new numbers that will work to replace all numbers, but the problem is that your RTV isn't learning them anymore, as the operation at DNNA has been set on auto-pilot.

Either select a phone number in a big city, switch to ethernet, or try LaHO Replay Network Server, the replacement RTV guide service (you have to pay for it, lifetime or not). You can always try WiRNS 3.0 together with schedules direct (THis is what I use for my RTV's).

It is my opinion that dial-up access will continue to disappear....

Cheers!
-Doug

I've read many of your posts and respect your opinion, but this problem seems different. I CAN dial in, the service does connect, set the clock, check the activation, & update the channels, but then chokes while downloading the program guide to my SS. How is this a problem with my access phone number?

Would folks who are getting updates post the phone number they are using?

My phone number has a Maine area code even though I live in North Carolina. My two Replays were dialing into Maine numbers -- and stopped connecting. I changed one of them to a North Carolina number -- it took me over an hour of retries before it downloaded new numbers -- and I'm seeing the same behavior for numbers in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.

Joe

I am now at it again and my phone line is active and the "getting channel guide information..." is up to 53%. I have seen this before in the last couple of days and when it got to 65 or 70% it move on to zones finished and did not leave behind any guide info.
I have used several numbers and at least two phone numbers are active. It stopped loading the channel guide info at 69%. It then tried to check zones went into transfering other information and disconnected.
Once again nothing downloaded.

Randy,

I will give you a suggestion, but expect you to tell me what the numbers are that are starting data transfer!

When I have problems like yours it tends to be caused by phone line quality. If you aren't using a traditional land-line (VoIP such as Vonage or Time Warner digital phone), or if your line is too noisy (pick up an extension get a dialtone, and listen for crackling) you can have the modem connect, begin downloads and then lose the connection. The trick is to go into the modem settings and lower the data transfer rate. To do this, from the menu go to "settings" then "dialing & input settings". While you are here, make a note of the number you are dialing to! Go to "change telephone" and continue forward until you get to "dialing prefix". Press the "Zones" button and it will bring up the modem setting screen. Lower the connection speed then exit, and continue through until you can save changes. It will skip dialing in.

Now force a net connect. with all the menus closed, press "243-zones". Use the arrow to move to #4, connect, and see what happens. You may have to lower the connection speed two or more times before succeeding.

And please post the number you are using!

Good luck,


Joe

thank you. I will try this. Right now the RTV has an established connection. My third time to do this today. It probably won't complete. Once it disconnects I will take your advise and note the phone number I am calling. I will post the number as soon as I am able to access it. The number I have been able to connect to is in Waukesha Wisconsin and there is another number in Kenosha Wisconsin that connects. I live outside of Milwaukee Wisconsin.

Here are a couple of phone numbers that have been working today:
262-506-1909 a primary Waukesha, WI and 262-612-1109 a primary Kenosha, WI

Good Luck
Randy

I still don't get how this can be a user's phone (or server) line or modem problem. Users all over the place are suddenly having this problem, by my count in IL, FL, ME, NC, CA and Ontario, plus several users in unidentified locations. BTW, I have POTS and my line sounds clean; it just won't finish the connection, and hasn't for over a week.

Gring,

I never said or implied that this "phenomena" in general is a phone thing -- just that it could be if you were getting half way through a connection and then having it fail. On my connection attempts, it is typically not connecting at all, which, considering the widespread nature of the problem, would seem to be service related rather than connection quality. Plus, I wanted to find out what numbers he was dialing in on

Joe

Time to give up for today. Tried all morning to complete a connection but never got farther then 61% of the channel guide before a disconnect. It would even be nice to get that 60% of the guide. If anyone connects please let me know.

Let us assume that the ISP providing the gateway for dial-up updates recently changed their software for authentication. However, in doing so, they failed to update it so that a RTV can connect the the rtv-production server for updates...

After your RTV dials into the ISP, it tries to download its guide data. However, while that happens the ISP software is waiting for some type of handshake (username / password). Maybe there is time limit for it to make it this handshake. The ISP waits, but the RTV ignores the request, and just goes to fetch its guide data - the connection is live. After some time not getting its requested handshake, the ISP disconnects, and the RTV doesn't finish getting its guide data....

The bottom line is, if a RTV that connects via Ethernet can continue to get guide data from DNNA no problem, but dial-up RTVs cannot then the problem is with the dial-up ISP that is providing the connection, not DNNA. And therein lay the problem. DNNA cannot fix it, and I doubt the ISP is going to spend the resources to correct the problem.

Are the durations of your attempts to dial-in to get guide data of a consistent length?


Cheers!
-Doug

Just tried again and got 217-689-4461 SUCCESS , great because at least now the date and time is correct again In case the box turns back into a brick

I'll put a timer on it. Not sure where I'd take it from there, though. It does takes so long to begin the data download that it might be timing out, however.

Guide data expired approx. 4:30 p.m. on 2/3. Interestingly enough, I also showed a "power loss" at about 7:30 a.m. that morning. Tried manually connecting to all Omaha, Nebraska numbers on Saturday without success - never got pas the "connecting..." message when dialing up. Said "the modem hung up" as the reason for the failure. Date and time are still correct, and the channel guide still has the correct channels. This was just used as a secondary DVR in a bedroom to record a few kids' shows, so I was able to set manual records for the time being.

It's probably over for dial-up, I can accept that. I already migrated my main setup to HDTV, Windows Media Center, and CableCard. As long as I can manually record and change the clock as need be, I'll keep using this Showstopper as a DVR.

I've now tried all the primary and alternate numbers in my list here in San Diego without being able to download channel guide info. Does anyone in California have a number that still works? If so, how can I change to use a number in a different area - so far I haven't been able to get different numbers by changing my phone number in Setup.

If you find a number that works, you can enter that number in the dialing prefix box on a Showstopper - it will hold around 20-25 characters, IIRC. The phone system will ignore the balance of the numbers dialed. I had to do this when I tried out the LaHo dial-up server last summer. (I wonder if they'll be back up and running again...)