Welcome to the DIRECTV Community Forums

New to the Community? Visit the Community How-To and Guidelines to get started.

Contributor

 • 

2 Messages

Monday, April 5th, 2010 8:02 PM

DECA

For those of us new to this thread, could someone please explain what the DECA is and how it will be implemented? Is it a new device or software only? When is the expected rollout? What does it accomplish (seemingly adds network functionality) and how is it different from the MRV (whatever that acronym stands for).

Thanks.

Professor

 • 

4.2K Messages

15 years ago

The 8 device limit for DECA on a single SWiM segment is presumably the result of the limitations of SWiM and not the DECA technology. Coax-based Ethernet (10Base5 and 10Base2) networks were limited to around 100 and 30 devices per segment respectively, primarily due to limitations on the overall length permitted and minimum distances required between nodes.

Teacher

 • 

27 Messages

15 years ago

At this time dish #3 the slimline-5 is the only one installed.
I am using the old "round" dish on a tripod mount that I take
with me to the cost. The old HD 'oval' is in the garage.

The big problem is too many trees behind my house, but not on my
property. Oregon in the spring/summer is a very green place. as opposed
to mild green in the winter.

I did the 'drawing' to point out how the locations changed
from the front North-East corner of my house, to the diaginal corner
of back South-West corner. This took running four wires the full length
and width of the house to be connected to switch, located next to dish #1
but inside the garage. (this is now a SWM8 so that the HR20 upstars can be used).

The point marked ">" cables entering house.is where the cables were
pulled back from the second floor down to ground level by installer of dish #3
because he did not have tools to snake new cables into the house, so spliced
into cut off old wires.

According to D*TV when I installer calls in for a site survey (and this did happen Friday)
this should happen withen 72 hours. I received a call that on Sunday (yesterday) this would
happen, but nobody received a call, so I will just assume that it will happen today.

Teacher

 • 

27 Messages

15 years ago

Just wanted to at least report on this.
I did have the new box's and DECA for hour, and I will say the H24/HR24 looked very nice.
The "Direct-Internet router" was in fact just another standard DECA module connected
to one of the splitter ports and then connected to my house network.

Connecting up DECA to my HR20-100 was a little tricky, as the installer needed to
connect SAT1 and SAT2 to a splitter, and then feed combined signal to the "TO-SAT"
jack on the DECA.

The HR24 is a compact box, and very quiet. The 'blue' lights are not glaring bright.
It was a little funny watching the installer trying to fit the broken HR20 into the HR24 box,
ended up busting the back out of the box. I did not get to tryout the two way remote
programming from the H24 or HR24. It looked like startup time was a lot faster on the
new box's.

I also received a E-Mail saying welcome to MRV viewing, and that on of the features
was that I could schedule a recording from non-DVRs from anywhere in the house.
Scheduling from DVRs will work as usual.

Teacher

 • 

27 Messages

15 years ago

Wed. 3:30 the post will be moved "two feet to the right", and we get to try again.
I asked if a tripod mount could be setup first to make sure of signal strength
but was assured that this should be good (it the 4th post move now).

Mentor

 • 

38 Messages

15 years ago

menkelis,

Are you OK with that placement, near the current dish? On your diagram the #3 dish looks like it would be the first thing you see pulling up to the garage: is it really less obtrusive than that?

Teacher

 • 

27 Messages

15 years ago

Because the drawing is crude, just to show placement I did not show that
between the dish#3 and driveway is a wood fence. So the dish will be hidden.
I just have my fingers crossed that this time my signals get above 45 on the 99 & 103 sat.

Tutor

 • 

6 Messages

15 years ago

Here I am again--with the six DECA networked DVR's. I had a problem the other day with losing connectivity on some of the DVR's. Rebooting two of them solved the problem. Just now I was in the playlist of one of the DVR's when a message flashed up that one of the DVR's was dropped from the network. Maybe a coincidence, but I had just changed the playlist filter to show only the local playlist. I checked the other boxes and the DVR in question does not show as networked in status menu. Curiously, when I go to the "dropped" DVR, it shows that it's connected to all the other boxes in the network and I'm currently watching a program from the box that gave me the message that this box was dropped by the network.

Tutor

 • 

6 Messages

15 years ago

Update. Another DVR just dropped off the network. I rebooted both and they were restored to the network. Both DVR's are my new HR24's--the only HR24's on the network.

Mentor

 • 

38 Messages

15 years ago

menkelis,

What would make me nervous is that, by moving the dish only two or three feet, the install could work PERFECTLY, and then begin to fail in a few months or a couple of years, when the foliage thickens or the trees grow.

If that won't be an issue with the spot they've indicated, I would trust the results. The installer doesn't want return trips for tweaking: he has a vested interest in making it work. I hope everything runs smoothly on Wednesday.

Mentor

 • 

38 Messages

15 years ago

desulliv,

Since one of your "invisible" DVRs was still able see the rest of the network, the issue sounds like software, rather than flakey physical connections in cabling or switches. Have you tried, at any point since your DECA system was installed, to power cycle EVERYTHING at once?

I know with computers and networks, that is sometimes the only way to restore proper communication: devices like a USB printer, which seem unrelated to a problem you're having, can start sending signals that jam communications. If you turn it ALL off for about 20 seconds, the bogus signals sent out by the "confused" device stop, and the other devices don't have to keep answering -- and getting confused themselves.

That said, keep it simple and treat your other AV equipment and your computer network separately: I would only unplug/turn off the DirecTV equipment, to begin with. If the DECA instructions address resetting the system, follow its protocol for the ORDER in which you should turn devices back ON, as that effects the way devices "discover" each other properly. Don't forget the DECA and SWM Power Inserters. If instructions don't specify, I would plug in first the network DECA then SWM16, about 20 seconds apart; after that, individual receivers. One of the others can confirm whether it matters to turn on DVRs before receivers, or vice versa: my instinct would be DVRs first.

Hopefully, your system will start behaving itself.

Expert

 • 

20.7K Messages

15 years ago

desuliv,
I agree with ggtwo, I'm thinking the dropped DVR's may be a software growing pain of the HR24's built in DECA software. My system consists of three older DVR's (HR20, HR21, R22) networked via Cat5 Cable and they are rock solid. The HR24 in a DECA field environment is brand spanking new so I'd guess some issues may be present. Plus the SWM16 is real new as well. I'd predict that they will become rock solid reliable, but there may be some bumps along the way.

Contributor

 • 

2 Messages

15 years ago

I just had my training on MRV today sound's like it could get a little confusing at time's, you have to have a swm system. Every new install after may 15th that is HD will be installed with the deca equipment wether the costumer's want it or not so if they ever change there mind's it will be be deca ready. So that means your D-12'S H20 AND R16' will not be Mrv compatible. It is going to be interesting to see how well this equipment work's.

Tutor

 • 

6 Messages

15 years ago

dcd and ggtwo, thanks for the responses to my network issues. I'll continue to monitor and post issues. If I have any future drop outs, I'll try the suggested reset of the entire system.

Mentor

 • 

38 Messages

15 years ago

desulliv,

Does that mean you haven't had any more drop outs (he says hopefully)? 🙂

Hey, this may be ridiculously obvious, but make sure you report the drop outs to DTV Tech Support: that network behavior is in no way normal, and they need to know. Plus, a savvy, freshly trained Tech might have a more direct (no pun intended) solution to the problem. Keep us posted.

Tutor

 • 

6 Messages

15 years ago

ggtwo, I guess it's not obvious to me, because I don't know where to report drop outs to DTV Tech Support. I thought this was the forum for that. Things were going fine until an hour ago. One of the HR24's dropped from four of the five other boxes. The dropped HR24 shows it's still connected to the other five. Don't have time to reset everything tonight---I'll look to do that tomorrow.

NEED HELP?