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NowTV box problem with DM200/Orbi
Last week installed new Orbi wifi with DM200 modem (set to Modem only). Realised our NowTV (Roku) box stopped working with BBC iPlayer. Spent 2 hours trying to do factory reset on it - always fails w...
Change the DM back to modem/router mode and configure the Orbi for AP mode. This will let the Orbi act as a wireless pass thru for any data. No routing involved in this mode.
Hi - thanks for helping
The app the box is trying to download is its own software - with 20 default apps for the various different TV players.
When connected via Netgear it constantly fails - error-4 indicating a connection problem. The box is sitting 6 ft from the Orbi and I have high speed fibre so this seems unlikely.
I was able to identify the Netgear kit as the problem by setting up a Wi-fi hotspot on my phone and connecting the NowTV box to that. Application download was fine and the iPlayer app works perfectly.
Switch the connection back to NetGear and iPlayer fails to load.
Whether the ‘blockage’ is to do with a setting or bug in the Orbi or the DM200, which is set to Modem-only mode, I don’t know.
I’ve seen reports here that the DM200 doesn’t go into totally transparent modem mode though don’t know if that’s anything to do with the issue here.
Never had any problems with the NowTV box when connected via my PlusNet modem/router or the BT and Sky ones before that.
The app the box is trying to download is its own software - with 20 default apps for the various different TV players.
When connected via Netgear it constantly fails - error-4 indicating a connection problem. The box is sitting 6 ft from the Orbi and I have high speed fibre so this seems unlikely.
I was able to identify the Netgear kit as the problem by setting up a Wi-fi hotspot on my phone and connecting the NowTV box to that. Application download was fine and the iPlayer app works perfectly.
Switch the connection back to NetGear and iPlayer fails to load.
Whether the ‘blockage’ is to do with a setting or bug in the Orbi or the DM200, which is set to Modem-only mode, I don’t know.
I’ve seen reports here that the DM200 doesn’t go into totally transparent modem mode though don’t know if that’s anything to do with the issue here.
Never had any problems with the NowTV box when connected via my PlusNet modem/router or the BT and Sky ones before that.
goldnetN wrote:
I’ve seen reports here that the DM200 doesn’t go into totally transparent modem mode though don’t know if that’s anything to do with the issue here.
I have a DM200 in modem mode feeding an R7800 as router and then a string of Orbi kit, with the Orbi router in AP mode.
Works fine.
- Ok, well good to hear it’s not an all or nothing issue with modem mode.
Still hard to identify where the issue lies or with which box...
If the NowTV works through a wi-fi hotspot on the mobile which must be slower and with less bandwidth than the main VDSL connection, it must lie somehow with the NG.
Other Wi-fi use with phone, iPad and 3 laptops is fine (apart from the NG Speedtests)
goldnetN wrote:
If the NowTV works through a wi-fi hotspot on the mobile which must be slower and with less bandwidth than the main VDSL connection, it must lie somehow with the NG.
Other Wi-fi use with phone, iPad and 3 laptops is fine (apart from the NG Speedtests)These two statements contradict each other. The router doesn't care what wifi clients you throw at it. It won't pick on one and reject its advances.
If other stuff wifi works well with the Netgear wifi, that suggests that the problem is with the NowTV and how it connects to the wifi.
That is in line with past experience. Many complaints about the router's track back to the wifi clients.
My own experience – getting smart BluRay players and Internet radios to work with wifi – confirms this. I find that it is better to use Powerline Ethernet with these. Easier to set up, less liable to disruption, and once set, stays that way.
As you have previously set up the NowTV with other wifi sources, it might be a good idea to put it back to default settings and start the setup from scratch.
Thanks for helping but I don't agree I am being contradictory!
The only parts of my system that have changed have been substitution of the ISP provided modem/router for the Orbi/DM200 (as the PlusNet router can't be set to bridge-only mode).
Due to the nature of the house, I can't run cables or powerline (as all rooms I need to connect are on different electrical runs to the fuse box), so a good mesh system was the perfect solution - router in living room with switch currently handling printers; and satellite in office with switch serving PCs. Despite some reported teething problems, Orbi seemed the best option. from the research I did beforehand.
I have to say, when it is working properly, the reach and strength of the Orbi is great. There are a few oddities of losing connection when resuming laptops from sleep, the inability to run speed tests from the NG apps (or QOS tests) and this annoying failure of iPlayer.
It is trying to reset the NowTV box to factory settings that highlighted the problem - it can't access its own default setup to download - that's the error message I'm getting.
When I switched the wifi connection to the phone's hotspot, the process completed immediately. All the default apps came up and iPlayer worked.
As soon as I put it back onto the Netgear wifi, it failed again.
That doesn't seem to point to the NowTV box as being the cause of the problem. I accept that routers don't generally disciminate between wifi devices, I do wonder if some security, internet, wireless configuration is somehow interfering with the NowTv's streaming of iPlayer.
I'be bought a Chromecast for the kitchen TV, to avoid an aerial point. As that only serves the iPlayer from the phone or tablet, I don't expect it to be similarly affected.
I know the NowTv box was only £15 but it does the job well and I'm loath to lay out £80 for an HD Roku stick if that's also going to wrestle with the NG wifi.
I do have a support call into NG for this - maybe they'll spot something!