I've just got a new HDR 2000-T, following advice in this column. It seems very good but I'm having trouble with its network connections. I've set a fixed IP address as 192.168.1.169 (IP addresses start at .64, and the Sky box is .68 using HDCP) It would not set itself under DHCP, although everything else, Sky box included, just sort themselves out under DHCP.. The router shows it as connected as name udhcp 1.18.5.18.5. share and ftp are set to "on".

I have tried accessing in Win Explorer using ftp://192.168.1.169 to no avail.

I'm stuck.

I have also tried to register for my humax, wherein you have to enter a reg.code. The book says select Humax TV Portal and select reg.code. When I select TV portal I get the whirly thing in the middle for a few seconds which then disappears, just leaving the picture, but I see no menu or anything saying "reg.code"

I'm stuck yet again!

Help most gratefully received.

What happens when you try to use DHCP to get an IP address? Do you get any error message at all?

Also what did you set the Subnet Mask and Gateway addresses to? Also if it allows you what DNS setting did you set? If any of those details are not correct then that could screw up the connection.

Also are you using a cable or a WiFi connection? If using a cable try swapping out the cable for another one. It is not unknown for dodgy cables to light up all the LEDs on the sockets at either end but not actually transfer any data! Which would of course explain why DHCP didn't work and why manually setting an IP address doesn't work either if everything is set correctly.

New cable fitted. Using same Homeplug as Sky box uses without problem. Using DHCP comes up with "Network connection has failed" shows IP, Netmask and Gateway each as 0.0.0.0, DNS 192.168.1.254. When I do it with fixed IP it rapidly shows "Network connected" and netmask 255.255.255.0, gateway 0.0.0.0 and DNS 192.168.1.254.
Entering ftp://192.168.1.169 goes into the browser and "connecting" going round and round for ever. udhcp 1.18.5.18.5 showing in router (Homehub3) connections as connected. Hub IP gateway address is 192.168.1.254.

What's so odd with the Humax that the Sky box does seamlessly?

Any thoughts on reg.code? One of the reasons for buying was the ability to get Utube on my TV! Reading the book again suggests that the Utube app is already present - thus how to access?

How are you connecting the Sky box and Humax to the Homeplug? Is it one with multiple ethernet ports built in or are you using a network switch? Or just simply plugging one or the other in as needed?

One thing you could do is to swap the cables going to the Humax and Sky box over, just at the Humax/Sky box end, leave the cables plugged into the Homeplug as is. That should indicate if there is some oddity about the connections.

If both are working fine then it shouldn't make any difference which way round the two devices are connected. However if the Sky box now loses connection and the Humax starts working then that might indicate a problem with the network set up.

Doing it manually you will need to set the gateway to the address of the router,

It's actually a 3 port one. In the process of trying a new cable I put the new cable in port 1 whereas the old one was in port 3, I can't see two ports dying at once. The whole thing is odd, it shows on the router stats after the fixed IP. It does not show on "my network places" in Winexplorer but then neither does the Sky box. I can do without ftp file transfer as I've done a successful copy of a film from the HDD onto a USB stick and made an mpeg of it but I do really want internet access for utube and Iplayer.

Why are you doing this manually? My Humax T-2 just did all this itself as did my Sony TV (both on a dual o/p TP link home plug). Or am I missing something?

Because when I set it to DHCP, as stated above, it comes up with "Network connection failed". My Sky box just "did it" without any faff, also. That's why I am seeking help.

I'm beginning to wonder if the Humax is faulty? It should have worked using DHCP and if you put in the correct parameters for a manual IP set-up there is no reason why that should not also work.

Not sure if the Sky box is able to show the full set of details about the IP connection or not but if so compare what it has set for Subnet, Gateway and DNS and make sure the same are set for the Humax. The only difference should be the last number group of the IP address everything else should be the same.

So if you still fail to get any connection with what appear to be correct details entered then you have to query whether the Humax is working.

If the Sky box picks up an address via DHCP reliably then one test you could try is to manually set it's IP address (if it lets you) using the details you are trying to enter with the Humax - disconnect the Humax while you try this to avoid any network problems. If the Sky box falls off the network then there is a problem with what you are setting. If however it works perfectly OK then the settings are correct which further reinforces the suspicion that the Humax is dodgy. Once you've done this you can just reset the Sky box back to DHCP.

I must admit that I'm thinking the same - BUT - it does show on the router stats. I'll wait and see if anyone with a 2000T can offer ideas before I do anything drastic. Martin Liddle has been most helpful in the past.

Did you see my post which said that you if configuring manually then you must set the gateway address (to the address of the router)? Is it possible to temporarily move the Humax so it can be connected by a cable to the router and take the HomePlugs out of the equation?

Hello Martin. Just before I went off for my dinner, after comparing the Sky box with the Humax I realised just that. I set the gateway to the router DNS and - lo and behold - I got a completely different response when selecting "Humax Portal". I had a quick dabble with utube and it worked, albeit slowly but that's a function of my 2Mb/s connection, I'm too mean to go for FTTC because I don't really need it. Post prandial I've tried to get in via ftp://192.168.1.169 but to no avail, but at least I'm nearer and I think that I can accept the box is working. The required "apps" do seem to be present obviating the need for "myhumax".

Do you know why DHCP doesn't work?

At least, now, it's fairly fast and I've taken my 9200 down to 3 Muxs thus restoring the speed of that. When I want 3 red buttons and Film4+1 I can use the new one! It would, however be nice to be able to transfer files quickly from the 2000T to the PC without having to use the USB stick. Any ideas?

P.S. sorry, I did miss the post, I'm trying to do two things at once - dealing with this and dealing with the result of the storms which ruined an insulating panel in the conservatory - the rain must have blown in horizontally through the aircon grills.

P.P.S. I've actually managed to get a reg.code and got onto myhumax, for whatever good it will do me. After I'd switched off the PC I tried to go onto the TV portal and it told me the internet connection had failed. I switched on the PC, just in case, and then re-applied the settings on the 2000T, went to TVportal and it was instant. Is it all a bit flaky or what?

I don't know if this is relevant but my home plug sender (TP link AV500) had been operating happily for some time even though it was plugged into an extension board. Recently it stopped working but an old Netgear unit seemed ok. I bought a 5m length of ethernet cable so that it could be plugged into a nearby wall socket and the internet service was restored. Whether this means that the TP link is starting to die, or that there is now more crud on the ring main I don't know. I know it is not recommended to use extension boards but it had been working like that for a long time. Before it failed iPlayer on my Sony Bravia became unreliable but on my Humax T-2 it was ok. It is possible that your Sky box is better at accepting a poor signal than your Humax and therefore it may be worth trying a different mains socket even if that means buying a length of cable.

Have you got the FTP server enabled in Internet Settings on the Humax?

Sorry no idea; it will be something on your network; it works fine on our HDR-2000T with three different routers.


Do keep in mind that all content on the HDR-2000T is stored encrypted and so has to be transferred to USB storage to decrypt.


Do the Homeplugs have a power saving mode that is upsetting things? If this was my problem, I would get a long network cable and temporarily connect the Humax direct to the router to convince myself whether the problem is the network (my guess) or the Humax.

Has anybody ever found any reason whatsoever for accessing MyHumax?

Yes.


Very odd, normally everything connects perfectly.



Ah! Yes! There is really no need to get file transfer access.



No. I switch the one off except when needed for the Sky box and now this. It doesn't throw it by switching off. I had another go and forgot to turn it on, turned it on and it picked everything up again.

Presumably to get extra "apps" but I can't say that any appealed to me.

Yes. For seeing the apps lined up for the Humax freeview play STB

When I last looked I could not see any that were available for any of the HDR-FOX T2, HD-FOX T2, HDR-2000T or HDR-1800T STBs that weren't already preloaded. Are you saying that there are some extra ones now available for an existing UK freeview STB?