After attempted DECA adapter install, one of two receivers will not connect

did he try and connect to the apple airport using wireless broadband adapter or did he hard wire to your router?  If he tried the wireless route it is a know issue that you cannot connect to some apple airport routers for some reason they have to be hardwired

He's got a hardwire ethernet cable connection to the Airport base station for the DECA. Something just seems amiss with this setup; I powered off everything and slowly reconnected it all, and now the iPad app sees the HD DVR in the living room but not the HD receiver upstairs... which is the exact opposite of the situation earlier in the day. Another installer is coming tomorrow; we'll see what madness that visit brings.

ok then it should be setup up properly make sure under the menu settings that network is connected on both then under whole home make sure that external device is set to allow on all 3 items

not true, while I have seen a few post of customers having trouble with AE's, I have an Airport Extreme and I tried the wireless DirecTv adapter and had no troubler setting it up.  but I think the op has the wired version or DECA BB.

fatterdave, how is the DECA BB connected to your router.  are there any ethernet cables connected to any of the receivers.  can you please provide us with more detail about your set u.

Peds, the DECA BB is connected to the Airport Base Station via an ethernet cable. The only thing connected to the receivers are the coax cables. Here's the setup:

Coax cable from the dish to the house, into the basement.

Coax goes through a 2-way splitter, one to the upstairs and one to the living room.

Upstairs line connects to an HD receiver.

Living room line goes into another 2-way splitter, with one to the DECA BB adapter and one to the HD DVR.

DECA BB adapter is connected to our Airport Extreme Base Station via ethernet cable.

I had thought the installer was going to use a wireless adapter when I called DTV about this issue last week. Basically, we were happily using Whole-Home DVR but wanted to have access to VOD (and use the iPad app). Now, the HD DVR has full access to VOD and is available to the app, but we can no longer access our recorded shows from upstairs. If this is truly a compatibility issue with the Airport, I'm not sure what could be done to give us the full service we're paying for.

I don't think you have a compatibility issue, you have a configuration problem.  When you connect a router to the system after the system is up and running, the router causes an IP address conflict.  The cure is to reset the system so it configures correctly.  No shortcuts, do it all in the order listed.

First thing to try is resetting the DECA network....it must be done in this order. Before you begin, assure that DHCP is enabled on your router if your system is connected to the Internet.  This is essential.

1. Disconnect AC power from each DVR and Receiver

2. Disconnect power from the DECA BB Adapter (black or white DECA BB box)

3. Disconnect power from the SWM dish Power Inserter (do you know where yours is located)?

4. Disconnect then reconnect AC power on your home network gateway/router and modem.

5. Wait a few minutes for the router to reset

6. Re-power the DECA Broadband Adapter

7. Re-power the SWM Power Inserter.

8. Re-power each DVR and Receiver

 Following that, press and hold the info button on one DVR, then select more system info. Scroll down and check that Internet is listed as connected. 

dcd, that's the exact order I followed before. I'll try again, but first, a question: right now my Airport router is set to share a public IP address using DHCP and NAT. Is there a chance switching it to distribute a static range of IP addresses using only DHCP would solve the issue?

I was also just informed by the supervisor at the installation company that "Apple routers do not work with DirecTV equipment".

The supervisor was slightly incorrect see the tech tip above.  When the router is hardwired as yours is there should not be any problems the only problem is getting it to connect wirelessly.

No, don't change it, you definitely want DHCP, the Directv system is designed around it. I was just rereading some of your woes. Have to done all the authorizations on the iPad for your DVR and receiver? After the iPad searches you need to authorize each receiver found. Also, have you done this on each box? Menu -> ....setup -> system setup -> whole home -> external device -> allow all 3. If this is not set to allow, the iPad cannot "see" the receiver.

As to Apple (and 2Wire) routers, I can say that we see some problems connecting wirelessly but we also see success stories.