Can’t get pass the checking updates in setup...

How can you tell it is not pointed to the correct update server?   Are you able to pull info from the box through some dev interface?

Even if you sniff network packets how would you know that is not the correct server? 

@ferdberferd  Because it's well known that is the issue with these older boxes. I didn't find it out until after I had purchased it. AT&T changed the server the updates are on, at a point, and bricked a LOT of boxes.

@bcbsncjlj Stop commenting about things that don't pertain to the issue at hand. These boxes don't do ANYTHING until they update the software, which this one can't, so zip it.

You mention you see an AT&T splash screen, which means the box was for the AT&T TV or even the service before that, whatever it was called AT&T Watch TV or something stupid like that.

AT&T turned the service over to DTV so I am not shocked that the infrastructure would change. 

You got dealt a bum hand, 💩 happens, especially on eBay. 

@ferdberferd It has nothing to do with Ebay. There are sellers that sell refurbs that are updated to the latest software, I just try to avoid anything refurb if I can. Had I know this issue beforehand, I would have bought one of the new ones that specifically say Direcv Stream right on the box. I simply didn't know. I'll get my money back, and still get a new one, that can update.

It has everything to do with eBay since that's where you got it and it is not a shocker that there would be people there selling NOS that is essentially worthless.

It is great to hear that you are able to get your money back!  So do that instead of taking up bandwidth here going on and on about a problem you can easily fix.  

@ferdberferd It has NOTHING to do with Ebay. The seller probably didn't even know. My original post was asking if there was another workaround possibly, then it turned into this conversation, and you don't tell me what to post about. I haven't got my money back yet. I will. You don't like what I post, just keep scrolling.

Unortunately there is no other workaround. If the location to get updates has changed, and naturally the box cannot update that info itself since the location it goes to is no longer is current, then it has to be udpated in-house.

Consider how long the seller held onto the box after buying it from DirecTV for this to happen. That is the risk from buying from someone else, regardless if eBay or not.

@Juniper Yes, I know all that now. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say. I can find another new one that has the Directv Stream branding, and won't have this issue. That is why I told that other idiot it has nothing to do with Ebay. AT&T caused this, but they're morons anyway.

@soulweeper I know that the issue is basically moot at this point.  That said, assuming that the device used a (fixed) IP address for this (which it shouldn't have), I can think of one possible explanation for the issue.  You may or may not be aware that DirecTV is no longer part of AT&T.  They spun it off as a separate company a little over 15 months ago.  While they remain the major stockholder in the new company, the two entities separated most of the core resources at the start (and have over time been separating most of the rest).  I know that the servers that distribute the DirecTV Stream content - and I assume the other service related servers - were amongst the resources that immediately went to the new company.  Part of that transfer would almost certain have to have been changing the server network addresses, since the old ones were part of address blocks assigned to AT&T. So after the split, the "old" IP address could no longer address the update server (which after the split would have a DirecTV address).  One assumes a push update done to already "registered" devices would provide the new address.  That means that any "older" devices that were not registered (or for whatever reason also never got the update) would no longer be able to get to that server.

However, none of that really makes sense - the actual IP addresses shouldn't have been embedded in the unit - just domain names that DNS would have resolved.  In that case, the name server could have provided a redirect from the old name to the new name, and all would have been well.  I can't picture a system designed to use fixed addresses rather than names for this.  But I've seen my share of stupid implementation choices in systems, so it is certainly possible.

@Jrandomuser I was not aware of the split, but thank you for that explanation. All of that makes sense. Have a claim with Paypal, so should be getting a refund, and will be getting a newer box.

I can’t get past “Updating Receiver Settings”.    Help!!!

Several ppl have said to connect an Ethernet cable to get past the stuck update.  I do not have an Ethernet cable in my system, I only have wireless over WiFi .  What now!!