posted
I attempted to update my firmware and my worst fears were that it wouldn't work but that I could still use the manual controls to aim the dish. Well, worse than my worst fears happened. I don't know if the update worked or not, but I lost communication with the D3 controller right after I completed updating the config screen. I can get to the modem and the router, but not to the controller.
I hit "Search" on the front of the D3 hoping the dish would find the bird, but the dish just spent the last 45 minutes or so wandering around the sky. Since I can't bring up the MotoSat screen, I don't know what it's doing and I can't go back in to recheck the config settings and I can't use manual motor control to try to aim it myself. I am using the campground Wi-Fi (weak signal and slow). Any ideas on what may have happened that I can't communicate with the D3?
posted
After the upgrade of the new firmware (3.9.3-1)you will need to go into the Configuration page and reset the IP addresses of the D3 (192.168.1.250) and the router (192.168.1.1). Then you will need to set the information for your satellite assignment so the D3 will know what satellite to find (see modem info page).
THEN you will need to set the Signal trigger (likely 4), start up delay (20) and Optimization to LOW.
-------------------- Don Marr WWW.OREGONRV.NET 541-683-5361 See where I am Country Coach Concept 40' F1 - D3|7000s|99W|LinkSys wireless with 1000mw WiFi amp & Ext. antenna Posts: 3414 | From: Eugene, OR | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
I lost the connection to the D3 AFTER I reset everything on the config page. Now I can't get back to the MotoSat Datastorm page so I can either recheck the config or use manual control. I can get to the modem (status and setup) so I don't think it's the router.
posted
You need to make sure your computer IP has been set back to obtain automatically.
Then I would try doing another NVCLEAR on the D3, at this point you will have to set your computer IP manually then do the serttings in the D3 again.
-------------------- Don Marr WWW.OREGONRV.NET 541-683-5361 See where I am Country Coach Concept 40' F1 - D3|7000s|99W|LinkSys wireless with 1000mw WiFi amp & Ext. antenna Posts: 3414 | From: Eugene, OR | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
Problem solved. I talked to MotoSat twice (got through right away both times). It turns out the address for the D3 came up on the config screen as 192.168.0.250 instead of 192.168.1.250. I thought I changed it, but couldn't get back to the D3 config page because of the address change AND a because of a network problem. I tried the 192.168.0.250 address on my own, but it didn't work because of the network problem. MotoSat walked me through correcting both the address and the network problem. I don't fully understand what the network problem was (I did change the setting back to "obtain IP address automatically"), but I am now back online.
It took a long time for the dish to find the satellite so tomorrow I will play with the signal trigger to try to keep the dish from stopping so often to try to identify a satellite. Enough for today.
posted
When you are updating the firmware the D3 reverts to a default of 192.168.0.250. Your computer has to have a manual IP address in order to 'talk' to the D3 at that point. Then after changing the D3 address you must switch your computer back from manual to automatic IP.
IF your computer is stopping a lot to identify before it reaches the satellite group and is displaying satellite unknown then you have the Signal Trigger to sensitive and you will have to INCREASE the trigger by one. If it is set to 4 then increase to 5.
-------------------- Don Marr WWW.OREGONRV.NET 541-683-5361 See where I am Country Coach Concept 40' F1 - D3|7000s|99W|LinkSys wireless with 1000mw WiFi amp & Ext. antenna Posts: 3414 | From: Eugene, OR | Registered: Jun 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Don - Oregon: When you are updating the firmware the D3 reverts to a default of 192.168.0.250. Your computer has to have a manual IP address in order to 'talk' to the D3 at that point. Then after changing the D3 address you must switch your computer back from manual to automatic IP.
Yes, I think that's what happened. Thanks for the explanation. MotoSat did a good job of walking me through the changes, but I didn't really put it all together as to what was really giong on until I read your latest post.
I thought I changed the D3 address to 192.168.1.250, but I guess I forgot. Then, because I changed back to automatic IP address, I couldn't access the D3 even when I tried to use the default of 192.168.0.250. MotoSat had me change to a manual address, then the computer could talk to the D3 (the D3 address was still 192.168.0.250), but then the computer and the D3 couldn't talk to the modem. They finally had me correct the address AND change back to automatic IP address and everything finally worked. Took me almost all day.
quote:Originally posted by Don - Oregon: IF your computer is stopping a lot to identify before it reaches the satellite group and is displaying satellite unknown then you have the Signal Trigger to sensitive and you will have to INCREASE the trigger by one. If it is set to 4 then increase to 5.
Thanks for the tip. I think that's why it took so long. I was distracted trying to get the computer to be able to see the D3, but the dish did seem to be making a lot of stops. I initially tried a trigger setting of 4 based on Bill Adams' write-up. Tomorrow I will try 5 as you suggest.
posted
I am sorry to hear you had so many problems. I thought my instructions were clear enough to not have the kinds of problems that you encountered. The 192.168.1.250 and 0.250 issues are addressed and if not dealt with in exactly the order posted you will not be able to access the various screens. After the nvclear the D3 always reverts to 0.250 (this will not be true in the next software version but there will still IP issues when trying to access Telnet in boot mode). The signal trigger is also discussed as needing to be adjusted up or down for the proper search routine. I am sorry that you were not able to accomplish a successful firmware update with my instructions. If you found any part confusing or simply parts you did not understand would you mind taking the time to tell me what that might have been? Maybe I could re-word the instructions somewhat. I assume that you did not try to do the update using the Upgrade Firmware link in the D3 software as that would take you in a totally different direction than my instructions reflect.
-------------------- Bill Adams Winegard Company Posts: 15778 | From: Traveling the Western US | Registered: May 2003
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posted
The correct signal trigger varies from coach to coach and would possibly be affected if you were to change certain components like the LNB, wiring or modem.
here4now wrote: I was distracted trying to get the computer to be able to see the D3, but the dish did seem to be making a lot of stops. The opposite of not sensitive enough is also possible, in that case the dish would continue to make 360 sweeps without ever stopping to identify until it happened to pass directly over the satellite.
-------------------- Don Marr WWW.OREGONRV.NET 541-683-5361 See where I am Country Coach Concept 40' F1 - D3|7000s|99W|LinkSys wireless with 1000mw WiFi amp & Ext. antenna Posts: 3414 | From: Eugene, OR | Registered: Jun 2004
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-------------------- Steve O'Bosky Dealer/Installer RFMogul TV dishes Also still work on Datastorm dishes 559-901-9044 sro54 at yahoo.com F1 DataStorm |D4|7000S|99W/1370|Linksys WRT54GC Windows 7 premiumSee our location Posts: 1087 | From: Visalia, CA | Registered: May 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Bill Adams: I am sorry to hear you had so many problems. I thought my instructions were clear enough to not have the kinds of problems that you encountered. The 192.168.1.250 and 0.250 issues are addressed and if not dealt with in exactly the order posted you will not be able to access the various screens. After the nvclear the D3 always reverts to 0.250 (this will not be true in the next software version but there will still IP issues when trying to access Telnet in boot mode). The signal trigger is also discussed as needing to be adjusted up or down for the proper search routine. I am sorry that you were not able to accomplish a successful firmware update with my instructions. If you found any part confusing or simply parts you did not understand would you mind taking the time to tell me what that might have been? Maybe I could re-word the instructions somewhat. I assume that you did not try to do the update using the Upgrade Firmware link in the D3 software as that would take you in a totally different direction than my instructions reflect.
Bill, the problems weren't with your instructions. They were very clear and I wouldn't have even attempted the firmware update without them. The problem was with me. The firmware update was successfully accomplished once MY problems were corrected.
I obviously forgot to change the address of the D3 back to 192.168.1.250 from 0.250 on the config screen even though your instructions specifically stated to do so. When I initially couldn't access the D3, I thought the address might be the problem; but I couldn't get to the config screen to find out for sure or to correct it. Since I had already changed back to "obtain IP address automatically," my computer couldn't access the D3 even when I typed in the 192.168.0.250 address. The problem was I didn't know 192.168.1.250 only worked with an automatically assigned IP address and 0.250 only worked with a manually assigned IP address.
At one point, I changed back to a manually assigned IP address and then my computer could see the D3, but then the computer and the D3 couldn't talk to the modem. As I said, I didn't know the D3 address and the whether the computer IP address was automatically or manually assigned were related. Once MotoSat had me fix BOTH the address of the D3 AND change to an automatic IP address, everything worked as expected.
As far as finding the satellite goes, the dish was searching yesterday while I was messing with the computer settings, so there is no real way to know what was going on (although it did seem to make a lot of stops). Once the dish did find the satellite and I finally got my address problems fixed, it was late in the day. Since we have a BOW, I didn't want to mess with the dish and risk being without TV for the evening. Later today I will try another search and then systematically go through fine tuning the trigger setting if necessary. Your instructions are very clear in that area as well - the initial setting of 4 is a starting point and may need to be fine tuned.
About the only thing that wasn't specifically addressed in your instructions was exactly how to manually change the computer's IP address, although that in no way contributed to my problems. It's easy to do if you know where to go. Initially, I didn't; but I figured it out from the firmware update instructions available on the MotoSat web site. BTW, your instructions are MUCH better than theirs. That one detail was about the only thing I used theirs for.
posted
Thanks for the detailed follow-up. I appreciate the feedback. I didn't go into too much detail about the computer IP addressing due to the many variables. Mac or PC with Win98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista.I will have to take a look at the MotoSAT instructions and see if there's something I should add to the instructions or edit somewhat. Hopefully your search will go well with a new search and the right signal trigger.
-------------------- Bill Adams Winegard Company Posts: 15778 | From: Traveling the Western US | Registered: May 2003
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My firmware upgrade is now complete. The last thing I needed to do was to check the search function and to fine tune the signal trigger setting, which I ended up with at 5. A setting of 4 seemed a little too sensitive. The dish only made 1 stop on the way to my satellite (89W) at a setting of 5 and I was online in less than 5 minutes at this setting. Of course, I know that if the dish ever starts to pass up 89W, all I need to do is go back to 4.
Thanks to all who chimed in to help and a special thanks to Bill Adams for providing the excellent instructions in the first place. Now that I have "gotten my feet wet," hopefully the next firmware update will be easier.
Bill, as you say, there are a lot of different operating systems so I understand the reason you didn't include details on changing the IP address. MotoSat just talked about Windows XP in their instructions, but it's probably time to include Vista as well. You would probably cover the majority of users with those two.
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