gildavis
join:2007-07-11
Olney, MD
| OnDemand says "communications error"
I got a HD cable box (no DVR) July 5 to replace one of the three digital cable boxes I got earlier. I installed and activated it but it didn't seem to follow the printed instructions. I had the guide information before I activated the box. After activation, I tried to follow the instructions to the OnDemand verification but was presented with a blue box stating "communications error" asking me to try again or call the operator for assistance.
BTW, I am in Olney, MD.
I called in and the rep said that they were having a general problem with OnDemand and that the techs were working on it. I hung up and went to one of my plain digital boxes and was able to get OnDemand with no problem. I left the HD box on all night, but the problem did not change. I unplugged the box for 30 seconds (Comcast Rep's suggestion), but the problem did not change. I took the box back July 9 and got a replacement, which doesn't work any better.
I called in again, and was told the same story about a general OnDemand problem, and was not offered any additional assistance.
I asked a friend who has a HD DVR box if he was having trouble, and his OnDemand works fine. Granted, he is on the other side of Olney, but it refutes the story I got from the rep that it doesn't work anywhere.
Has anyone else had problems with OnDemand on the HD box? Any suggestions?
Will Comcast give me a break on the $6.95/month box rental if I complain to the right person? Who would that "right person" be?
Thanks! |
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CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12
| Without having a tech come out to look at it you probably wouldnt get a credit. Its also hard to credit a "free" service as there is no line item reversal for something that was launched as free.
Go to your diagnostics, ( BOX POWER OFF then hit "OK" within 2 secs ) scroll down to upstream modem and then interactive services.
Report what the upstream modem power is at
Report what the sockets state in interactive services.
This will help determine if there is an issue at the premise or an area issue.
Even if the other boxes work, there could be an issue with the On Demand server and a new box regarding its IP and all that crap.
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CableFAQ.org/Technicians Unplugged
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cpumodem
Premium
join:2003-09-28
Spokane, WA
| reply to gildavis
I had that very same issue on my HD box. What I did to solve the problem was to uplugg the power to the box for 2 minutes and then plugg the power back in. Waited for about 30 minutes for everything to load and then when I tried the On Demand it started to work with no errors. |
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gildavis
join:2007-07-11
Olney, MD
| reply to CableTool
said by CableTool :
Go to your diagnostics, ( BOX POWER OFF then hit "OK" within 2 secs ) scroll down to upstream modem and then interactive services.
Report what the upstream modem power is at
Report what the sockets state in interactive services.
said by cpumodem :
uplugg the power to the box for 2 minutes and then plugg the power back in. Waited for about 30 minutes for everything to load
Thanks, I'll try both suggestions when I get home. |
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gildavis
join:2007-07-11
Olney, MD
| reply to CableTool
I had my wife tryit. Here is the dump:
Upstream Status
RF modem
Status: configured
Center frequency: 0008.096 mhz
Requested power level: 046 dB
Actual power level: 046 dB
Report back address: 0X0250d9
Interactive Status
IP address: 000.000.000.000
UPM: 00151769
Upstream ID: 0000
Downstrem ID: 0000
State: unconfig
Mac abort cntr: 0000
Socket port state:
00 unused 06 unused
01 unused 07 unused
02 unused 08 unused
03 unused 09 unused
04 unused 10 unused
05 unused 11 unused
Thanks, CableTool! |
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sansri88
Go digtal you analog laggards
Premium
join:2005-12-17
New York, NY
clubs: 
 ·Comcast
| said by gildavis  :I had my wife tryit. Here is the dump:
Upstream Status RF modem Status: configured Center frequency: 0008.096 mhz Requested power level: 046 dB Actual power level: 046 dB Report back address: 0X0250d9
Interactive Status IP address: 000.000.000.000 UPM: 00151769 Upstream ID: 0000 Downstrem ID: 0000 State: unconfig Mac abort cntr: 0000 Socket port state: 00 unused 06 unused 01 unused 07 unused 02 unused 08 unused 03 unused 09 unused 04 unused 10 unused 05 unused 11 unused
Thanks, CableTool! You're not getting an IP address. You probably have to have them send you a signal and see if it responds, or make sure that they put ondemand in your list of services on their computers.
--
Comcast of NJ II (Union)
Comcast HSI
Waiting for FiOS...2010 ish
OS: XP Home/Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.8 dual boot
CPU: Intel P4 "Northwood" 2.53GHz RAM: 1GB HDD: 100GB GPU: NVIDIA FX5200 QE/CI Enabled |
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CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12
| reply to gildavis
The RF is good. It just isnt pulling an IP. It very well could be an area issue with getting the boxes New IP's. It also might just be a bad box. 
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CableFAQ.org/Technicians Unplugged
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gildavis
join:2007-07-11
Olney, MD | I thought that empty IP address meant bad things. Can a phone rep force one as a test, should I get someone to come out, or should I get the box exchanged at their office (maybe 3 is the charm)?
Thanks! |
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testhomer
join:2001-12-26
Clovis, CA | unconfig shows that the box doesn't have the correct vod authorization code. this can be corrected by the csr over the phone.
homer |
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gildavis
join:2007-07-11
Olney, MD
| said by testhomer :unconfig shows that the box doesn't have the correct vod authorization code. Newbee here. What is "vod"? How do you verify "unconfig"? It would be important to know so I can be explicit with the csr. All they ever seem to want to do is reset the box, which hasn't worked yet. |
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CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12
| reply to testhomer
said by testhomer :unconfig shows that the box doesn't have the correct vod authorization code. this can be corrected by the csr over the phone. homer Yeah but you dont need a VOD autho to have an IP in the first place. The IP is automatic. Its an addresable box. If the rates are wrong it still will not force the box to grab or not grab an IP.
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CableFAQ.org/Technicians Unplugged
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gildavis
join:2007-07-11
Olney, MD
| Well, I got Comcast to send out a cable guy today. He decided that my spliterr was bad and since it was in the ceiling in the basement hidden by ceiling tiles and inaccessible to him, he left a splitter for me to install. Before I go and pull down the ceiling (it is like a suspended ceiling only flush with the joists), I decided to test his assumption by running a new 100 ft cable from the outside junction box directly to the cable box. Guess what! It still doesn't work.
What else can I try?
Thanks. |
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sansri88
Go digtal you analog laggards
Premium
join:2005-12-17
New York, NY
clubs: | Call the Comcast Executive Complaint Center:
Comcast Cellular Communications
1500 Market St
Philadelphia, PA 19102-2100
(215) 665-1700
They should be able to take care of you. |
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cableSavant
@comcast.net
| reply to gildavis
said by gildavis : >>> I hung up and went to one of my plain digital boxes and was able to get OnDemand with no problem. If one digital box works at that outlet, so should your new one. Sounds like a bad box. |
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FanaticGamer
join:2006-10-16
Jacksonville, FL | Not neccesarily. Could be bad Coax, bad connector, bad split @ the outlet. All that good stuff. Truck Roll!
-FG |
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tdumaine
join:2004-03-14
Redmond, WA
·Comcast
| said by FanaticGamer :Not neccesarily. Could be bad Coax, bad connector, bad split @ the outlet. All that good stuff. Truck Roll! -FG Did you even read the thread? Specificaly the post where he said he ran a 100 foot cable? |
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unconfig
@comcast.net
| listen you should be able to take that box to the location of your working box and swap them. that will rule out a cable problem. you most definitely will need to call back and have a hard hit sent to that box because unconfig means you are not setup right on their end. they may not have your rates righ or not on the right outlet on your acct. once the hit goes thru "unconfig" will change to "init wait". once "init wait" changes to "running" then you will get an ip and then your on demand will work. |
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FanaticGamer
join:2006-10-16
Jacksonville, FL | reply to tdumaine
Tired after a crazy day @ work. My apologies.
-FG |
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gildavis
join:2007-07-11
Olney, MD
| reply to unconfig
said by unconfig :
listen you should be able to take that box to the location of your working box and swap them. that will rule out a cable problem. The other boxes are plain digital, not HD. Does that matter? After all, I ran a brand new out of the wrapper cable from the outside terminator and it still didn't work.said by unconfig :
you most definitely will need to call back and have a hard hit sent to that box because unconfig means you are not setup right on their end. they may not have your rates righ or not on the right outlet on your acct. What is the technical term for "hard hit", or is that what the (under) average csr will understand? How can I get them to tell me what my setup is?said by unconfig :
once the hit goes thru "unconfig" will change to "init wait". once "init wait" changes to "running" then you will get an ip and then your on demand will work. So even if the box is in diagnostics, it will communicate, and I can watch the progress?
Thanks, unconfig!
BTW, I got a call from an automated apology for inconvenience after I gave the Comcast chat a poor rating. I'm impressed (not!). |
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testhomer
join:2001-12-26
Clovis, CA
| reply to CableTool
CableTool,
The bottom line is that the final state needs to show "Running".
When it is "unconfig" that means that VOD autho isn't being sent.
Some parts of the country tie the interact object to the VOD autho. In that case, you won't see an IP with "Unconfig". If the interact object is separate from the VOD autho, then yes is is possible to see an IP with Unconfig. With the state of Unconfig and the incorrect autho codes, you can long line a drop, swap out 1000 different boxes and you will still have the same result... NO VOD.
Definition of insanity: Repeating the same behavior and expecting a different result. |
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