Did Directv install my equipment correctly?

[BLL]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping to get some advice and info on my installation. First let me say I only have a very basic understanding of the equipment and the networking technology it is using, so please excuse me for any stupid questions. Everything is working right now, but I've already had two instances in the past couple weeks where my entire home network went down, and I had a really hard time getting the modem/router to work again. I'm not sure if the problem was the cable company since it's also a new install, or if the issue arose with the router due to the things I'm about to describe.

Here is a list of the equipment I was told I had installed:

HR34 HDDVR - Family room
HR22 HDDVR - Master bedroom
DECA box - Family room
Cinema connection kit - Master bedroom

I have since also installed a new wireless router, a Linksys EA4500 using DHCP that is connected to my cable modem - Basement

The installer did not seem interested in hardwiring any of the components (even though it would have been fairly easy as the basement is unfinished), so everything is connected to my home network wirelessly. And that is where I have concerns and questions. I was looking online for info about this stuff, and found some disconcerting things about Directv not recommending or supporting a wireless setup. Should I insist on it being redone with some or all of it hard wired?

When I look at the router device list in its configuration, I see an entry for the HR34, HR22, decaw, mediashare renderer, and a "network device" also appears. I am wondering if it is normal for the mediashare renderer to mirror the same IP address as the DVR's, as I've seen it alternate between those two device's IP'?

And the mystery "network device" that the router doesn't identify (assume it is the cinema kit?) seems to bounce around IP adresses as well, but at this writing has the same IP as the HR22. I would have sworn I saw it grab the same IP as my laptop earlier today while the laptop was in use, so I've since put in DHCP reservations on most of my devices (excluding the Directv equipment that seems to be sharing IP's, since that seemed to break the MRV functionality). At first i didn't know what the "network device" entry could be, as it has a weird Mac address of FF:FF:FF:FF:00:00, but do you agree it must be the cinema kit? So I'm wondering if these duplicate IP's are to be expected, or if they can cause issues with the router that would eventually cause it to shut everything down again?

I appreciate any and all advice, thank you in advance for your input!

 

[OSD771]

Directv isn't going to come back out to rewire it for free atleast.
If it was a local installer then maybe.

Because you have a swim set up and your hddvrs are communicating via coax line, you don't want to hook up the receivers ethernet port. Doing so will disable whole home.

Pretty much, your receivers are sending ethernet type signals through the coax line, this is possible because a device (built in on the hr34, external on the hr22 I think) called the deca (directv ethernet coax adapter) is converting ethernet signal and sending it over coax. If you hook up a ethernet cable the deca stops functioning.

If you need help setting up the wireless connection let me know

 

[BLL]

Ok, you're right about the deca, I had the locations of it and the cinema connection kit backwards. My main concern is whether I should be seeing those duplicate IP's as outlined above. And I noticed that the IP's are entered into the setup on the DVR's and all the Directv devices show "LAN" in the device list inside the router config, instead of "wireless" like everything else. Should those IP's be entered on the DVR's setup, or are they supposed to be getting assigned a DHCP address from the router?

 

[Celestine]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping to get some advice and info on my installation. First let me say I only have a very basic understanding of the equipment and the networking technology it is using, so please excuse me for any stupid questions. Everything is working right now, but I've already had two instances in the past couple weeks where my entire home network went down, and I had a really hard time getting the modem/router to work again. I'm not sure if the problem was the cable company since it's also a new install, or if the issue arose with the router due to the things I'm about to describe.

Here is a list of the equipment I was told I had installed:

HR34 HDDVR - Family room
HR22 HDDVR - Master bedroom
DECA box - Family room
Cinema connection kit - Master bedroom

I have since also installed a new wireless router, a Linksys EA4500 using DHCP that is connected to my cable modem - Basement

The installer did not seem interested in hardwiring any of the components (even though it would have been fairly easy as the basement is unfinished), so everything is connected to my home network wirelessly. And that is where I have concerns and questions. I was looking online for info about this stuff, and found some disconcerting things about Directv not recommending or supporting a wireless setup. Should I insist on it being redone with some or all of it hard wired?

When I look at the router device list in its configuration, I see an entry for the HR34, HR22, decaw, mediashare renderer, and a "network device" also appears. I am wondering if it is normal for the mediashare renderer to mirror the same IP address as the DVR's, as I've seen it alternate between those two device's IP'?

And the mystery "network device" that the router doesn't identify (assume it is the cinema kit?) seems to bounce around IP adresses as well, but at this writing has the same IP as the HR22. I would have sworn I saw it grab the same IP as my laptop earlier today while the laptop was in use, so I've since put in DHCP reservations on most of my devices (excluding the Directv equipment that seems to be sharing IP's, since that seemed to break the MRV functionality). At first i didn't know what the "network device" entry could be, as it has a weird Mac address of FF:FF:FF:FF:00:00, but do you agree it must be the cinema kit? So I'm wondering if these duplicate IP's are to be expected, or if they can cause issues with the router that would eventually cause it to shut everything down again?

I appreciate any and all advice, thank you in advance for your input!

Is your CCK device a wireless one or a wired one? Directv has two CCK - wired and wireless.

 

[Hutch1814]

Is your CCK device a wireless one or a wired one? Directv has two CCK - wired and wireless.

CCK and CCK-W. one is wired one isn't

 

[BLL]

It is wireless, all I see coming out the back is the coax cable and the power cord.

 

[Lkr]

Since you don't have a receiver in the room with the router, they probably needed to use the wireless CCK to get you connected to the internet for on demand. Did they install a DECA BB Adapter anywhere? it looks like this


the IP sharing is weird. all of my H23 receivers, my HR22, and my HR24 have a different IP.

my best advice to you would be to go on a website like monoprice, get some long ethernet cable, order a deca broadband adapter(not sure if the HR34 requires it, the HR24 does) and wire it to the router by yourself. Then you can stop using the wireless CCK and your two DVRs will communicate via coax.

in addition, it is my opinion that a basement is the absolute worst place to install a router, but ymmv