About GeoffD

No. The Explora 1 definitely needs the diplexer installed. You can check the settings on the decoders to see if they need changing. The important aspect is no UBs and frequencies can be shared between the two decoders. ... View more

Okay, so to proceed. Option 1: HB via the SLNB cabling - No separate HB cable.   The diplexer behind the Explora 1. Connected as already described. Combines the HB signal with the SLNB cable injecting it into /extracting it from the SLNB cabling. Explora 3A simply connected to the SLNB cable.   Now the first decision. Explora 3A as the Primary.  Connect it to the cable connected to port A on the SLNB if possible. Depends on if you can ID it or not.   Then set up the decoder home network settings. on the Primary decoder and the secondary decoder.   Switch them on, see if both receive signals and work accessing ch 100. Check the primary decoder XV settings. _ Optimist can help here - he has an Explora. Primary should indicate it is the Primary, listing the Secondary SC accordingly. Should say transmitting HB.   The secondary decoder should show it is secondary listing the other decoder SC as the Primary.  It should say "Waiting for Communications" - and when a HB is received, it should show that and then go back to "waiting ...."   Before XV is set up the decoders will not show the above, but will say "ready but inactive"     ... View more

We always get caught between a rock and a hard place with these things. MC says the config is okay, but the decoders don't want to react. The installation is physically okay or looks okay but something blocks the resets and instructions from reaching the decoders.   No point in contacting MC until the install is healthy.   So, yes, you have two choices. get an installer in to come and check or we help you step by step to check that the install is okay. ... View more

Unfortunately, MCs systems will still show that XV combination on your account. If you never went through the process to break the links between those older decoders, the record will still be there and all MC is doing when you phone them is reset that setup.   You will have to inform MC  which decoders you have scrapped and then get MC to break that link to the existing decoder if t is still in service before trying to activate a new XV combination.   Strongly suggest you do this during normal working hours so that an XV specialist can help if the front line operator has a problem.       ... View more

@Amine wrote:   No don’t go yet we still have to try one thing.. tonight i will turn DECOs to APs and we will see what will happen...  Do your tests ..... or not ......  ... View more

Hmmm, presume you have seen the reply you got from Deco?   Makes you think, I hope!  Good luck, continue to buy their equipment, your problem. I am done. case closed.   ... View more

That will work fine.  They are not the decoder 2 or 3 settings but will work.   ... View more

 No not critical but just completes the picture. The LMX 500 is prone to failures which cause plenty of issues with the Explora 3A. It has 6 ports, 4 Unicable and two Universal. The LMX 501 is the best to have as it can handle legacy decoders and a 3-decoder combination. It has 4 ports. The LMX 502Z has 2 ports both Unicable, both power ports. It is the latest el-cheapo supplied by MC. ... View more

I am NOT your "dear" or Honey" Shove your patronising BS where it fits best! And the only arrogant A-hole on this thread is you!. Your BS about terminology just proves you still have to learn one hell of a lot. And do yourself a favour, improve on your fault diagnosis skills. We did not have the equipment in front of us, nor the App available, and yet we were still able to work through and get to the bottom of YOUR problem!. And I nor anyone else on this thread made any mistakes. YOU provided terrible information, without detail and sometimes deliberately vague and still, we saw through all of it.     ... View more

Yes, the combined port must be connected to the SLNB. BUT the other two ports are critical. The one marked SAT must be connected to the LNB port on the decoder.  There should be DC pass between the combined port and the SAT port, NOT on the ANT port.   BTW, the UB Indexes MUST correspond to the those listed for the frequencies against each UB index. It is not just that they must be different. If you use the Quick setup method, you will see the UBs and their frequencies listed for each of the options, decoder 1, 2, 3. ... View more

Spot on Luke!  We are all "techies!" We assume other techies read things in context and can still understand what we mean. This thread has shown just how haphazard some will go about undertaking a fault diagnosis and then make a statement to suit their own agendas.  I am no fan of MC. But I also do not believe it is right to do what OP did by simply concluding that it is the MC equipment that is at fault without clearing his own stuff first.   I have benefitted from all of this.  It got me to delve deeper into the latest developments on mesh networking and brought me fully up to date. ... View more

Now we have information that one can work with! So I will go through each of your points one by one. But before that, let us get to the point where we can agree on a few things. 1. The Decoder and the USB3000 is operating fully within its specification. It is NOT unstable. It is NOT 802.11 v/k/r/s compliant. It was designed in 2014, implemented for MC in 2017 according to a spec that dictated it should comply with 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. 2. It is absolutely astounding that when it works it gets >100 Mbps throughput! It is even more amazing that even on a very low signal from the Main "node" it is able to achieve >10 Mbps! All the decoder needs (as configured by MC) is >10 Mbps for HD streaming. 3. There is no way to deduce or see if the adaptor is connected to the nearest node or which node it is connected to. But it is inconceivable that one would achieve 100 Mbps off the main node if the signal levels are as low as indicated. So it is a fair assumption that the adaptor WILL connect to the best node If it is allowed to do so by the DECO management system! 4. When it does not, it is more than likely to be connected to the main "node". 5. The fault (if you want to call it a fault), IS with the DECO system! The software does NOT handle legacy devices properly when FR and or any other fancy option is enabled! It is NOT the adaptor that is preventing the connection, it is the DECO system. 6. IF I were you, I would try and see IF the issue lies with the BeamForming or with the FR setting. It is completely conceivable that the beamforming algorithm does NOT operate correctly for legacy devices, causing the adaptor to lose connectivity with the nearest high power node. 7. Send this information to DECO, and hope that kicks them into action to sort out the problem with their piece of junk which is clearly NOT downwardd compatible with legacy devices.   You have to decide now. Accept the situation as is, use the DECO in this mode, knowing that the Adaptor WILL only connect to the main node when FR and or BF is activated. OR, Do what all of us advised from the start in this thread, use a wired connection for the decoder.   What is clear, the fault lies with the DECO equipment. It is NOT mature enough as a Mesh system. Take it on the chin, it is a lemon, NOT suitable for use with legacy devices, end of the story.   Provide Deco with the results of your measurements and diagnosis. See IF they are even going to bother to do something about it. If they are like MC (and I suspect they are), they could not be bothered to do anything.   They have failed to listen to appeals of users of all their previous mesh generations to provide a web interface, to print a decent manual, and to attend to this legacy device issue. They have done nothing about providing facilities to pre-select channels or make visible which "node/AP" a client is connected to date even after receiving the same "complaints" about their M3, 4, 5, etc and now M9 Mesh System.   This whole issue has highlighted to me once again: a. The "Experts" on the Internet that do System Reviews don't do their jobs properly. b. TP-link still generates and sells under-performing equipment. You get what you pay for! c. I won't be buying a DECO mesh solution, I woukld rather di what Luke 7777 did and build my own mesh rather. At least I will be able to "see" what the individual components are uo to.       ... View more

Okay so we have excluded interference as a cause, no saturation of radio receivers etc. Which Wi-FI analyser package are you using and is it the free version or the Pro version?   I would have thought ALL the channels would show up, both 5GHz channels and the 2.4 GHz channel. So there should be 9 entries in the list.  If it is the Pro version you should be able to see the 3 "hidden" channels as well. Is there a way for you to identify which entry belongs to which "Node"?   I assume that the strong signal is, in fact, the nearest node, but it would be great to be able to say so for sure.   I would send that pic to TP-link if I were you.   ... View more

1. What SLNB is this? The LMX 500, 501, 502Z? 2. The Primary decoder should be connected to Port A on the SLNB. Believe me, this is critical to ensuring proper power to the SLNB. 3. The first XV decoder MUST be connected to port B on the SLNB. This is also critical because that port is also a port that provides power to the SLNB. 4. The Primary decoder choice as the Explora 3A is probably the better choice for the future. However, this is not critical. 5. The next issue is how do you want to route the HB signal. IF you have chosen to do this via the SLNB, THEN the best place for the diplexer is BEHIND the Explora 1.  6. IF you are using or want to distribute RF around the home then there are other options. The rest of this post assumes you DO NOT want to distribute RF. 7. The diplexer then MUST be set up to ensure the HB signal is transmitted via the SLNB or is extracted from the SLNB cabling. TX IF the Explora 1 is the Primary, and RX if the 3A is the Primary. 8. The connections to the Explora are: SAT on the diplexer to the LNB port on the Explora1, ANT on the diplexer to the RF IN or RF OUT port on the Explora 1. I/OI connected to the SLNB. 9. The next thing to ensure is that the decoders are set to use different network decoder settings. No amount of fiddling with XV will do anything until this is corrected. 10. The Primary should be set to use decoder 1 settings using the Quick Setup option on the settings screen for the home network. 11. The Secondary Explora 3A must then be set to use Decoder 2. settings. Set these decoders one by one, with the other decoder OFF to prevent interference when doing the setups. 12, Switch On both decoders and only now will you be able to get MC to set up XV properly.   NOTE: It is absolutely critical that the signal strength and quality values are both above 90% on tuner 1 and especially on tuner 3 on both decoders for the XV setup to be successful.           ... View more

@Egmont wrote: Right, it's a TDS8651MC made in China in 2011. I hope this helps you. There is unfortunately no other model identification on the unit. I am only a viewer and subscriber to DSTV! I have a Phd but if I need a specific PhD to use DSTV then I think I am the wrong client for MNET. I would like to subscribe to a service which works when I switch it on just like I pay it every month without asking questions. Thanks for your interest! Heh heh!  We agree!  It is really a PIA that one has to worry about all these service authentication issues!  But, to try and help we need to know what decoder model it is.   The Pace ones are all Black in colour  The models are: HD PVR2P; - single view single record.- think it is this one. HDPVR 4P - single view record 2 Those are the normal ones.   There are known issues with ALL the older decoders around what happens when MC chooses to undertake its continually irritating service checks.  MC does this 4 times a day for sure, deliberately in prime viewing times, they say "because that is when we know most decoders will be on and not in standby".  The breakups appear on recordings made in those times as well. Picture freezes, pixelation, sound cuts, sound channel swops, black picture and loss of the buffer. It drives me mad, but nothing we say or report has any effect on MC.     ... View more

Wi-Fi CHannel Selection not available in the Deco M9Plus According to the Deco website channel pre-selection/selection functionality not available. A pretty standard facility for years on Wi-Fi networking equipment! Guess which channel range the m9 selects?  The popular ones.  So if you find interference is the cause of the problem, there is pretty much nothing you can do about it.   System Wi-Fi control channel The 2.4 GHz band is used for system control, even if you switch off 2.4 GHz services. Where is the control channel? In the same range and IF that is already suffering from interference, clients will NOT connect to other "Nodes" ( better be careful here, AP is a swear word).   Plenty issues with Legacy devices not wanting to connect to the M9 Quite a number of reports from users who are having hassles with legacy devices not wanting to connect to the M9. Guess what the standard TP-Link response is? "look for interference, use a wi-fi analyser app to see what is going on and disable Fast Roaming. Try to reconnect after disabling FR and then try and re-enable.   Shall I continue looking for and documenting issues with the M9 plus?   Arris Modem known issues: Not sure if this is relevant to the USB3000/Decoder issue, but listing it nevertheless. Deco only supports TP-link DDNS. QoS in the Deco M9 impacts negatively on QS high priority devices. To clear this problem have to delete devices added to QoS high priority and set QoS to standard.   Suggestion to solve Legacy device Connectivity problems A user of the M9 suggests that to get a device to connect to the M9Plus mesh is to deliberately power down all "nodes" except the master, connect the device and then power up the other nodes.     ... View more

Thanks.   Single AP per area. Faraday Cage situation in the workshop. No competing signals just the AP. Store some interference present in 2.4 GHz.    Interesting. No facilities available for the DECO mesh to see that same type of info? Have used a Wi-Fi analyser App to see what is going on in your home?           ... View more

So are you going to answer the questions about your work network? Wired APs back to the router? SSID for each band? Amazing how polite you can be when you are after some advice.  Hmmmm.     ... View more

When does the freezing take place? Time of day specific or random? And how do you know it is not happening on other channels?   ... View more

Apologies, yes I see that in the dozens of posts of yours, you did mention the equipment you are using at work.   Standard wired connections to the router?  No Wireless backhaul between the three APs and the router? Router Wireless functionality if it exists, enabled or disabled? APs set operating in both bands? Separate SSIDs for each radio band?           ... View more

Be a little more specific about what decoders you are referring to.   Dual view? Old MC dual decoder with no PVR functionality? PVR?  Which one? HD PVR 2P/2U? 4P/4U?       ... View more

You still have failed to tell us what equipment you are deploying in that environment.   And we can make a big issue about the terminology used and still get nowhere. Just about every supplier of equipment uses slightly different terminology to describe their "nodes"   It still boils down to the same thing. An access Point interface is required in a "node" to communicate with client devices. No AP interface, no, client comms possible.  This whole debate is about why, a simple client device does not want to communicate with the AP interface in the TP-Link "node"  It is not about the "Mesh Interface", although there might very well be a problem there as well.     ... View more

Not even as a temporary measure to localise a problem? That is what a person who deploys Wi-Fi networks would do? Or do you follow the normal IT stance on these matters? Here are the login details and security settings to log on to my network. Login if you are able. Don't bother me with your problems with your device if you can't -- it is either you that can't set up the device or your device that is the problem, my network is perfect. The fact is just about every one of the mesh networks you have mentioned in that long list report downward incompatibilities with legacy devices. That points to issues with how those networks are implementing the standards, or, the standards are themselves need some refining. The TP-LINK DECO deployments have shown up numerous problems over the years. Very few have been truly corrected from one generation to the next. It is a very bad choice for a home network deployment, regardless of the "tests" and reviews. And you should have been able to see through their marketing generalisations, given that you deploy and maintain Wi-Fi systems in difficult environments.   BTW, what technologies have you deployed in the industrial environment you use as your reference to show that you do actually have the in-depth knowledge about RF to back up your assertion that interference is an impossible cause of the issues you are having in the two homes? Note the common element between the two homes based on the information you have chosen to provide is actually yourself.       ... View more

I am not saying you should leave all the bells and whistles off permanently. I am suggesting that IF you start from a point where something works, you will be able to localise the problem as soon as you activate something that makes the problem appear. All those fancy things cannot benefit client devices not designed to make use of them.   I don't view videos. I want to read a manual but, guess what?  TP-link does not have a manual for its Deco systems. Even though they claim there is one all over their website, it does not exist. It means no one can do a proper evaluation of their equipment before purchase. It is, "get the App and the system" or nothing or watch a video.     ... View more

That is it, no respect for others. Or yourself. At least make an effort to fix later.     ... View more

 And do something about your spelling. ... View more