Humax HDR-Fox T2 won't connect to TV Portal

David Brewer

David Brewer

New Member
Hi,

I have just upgraded my BT broadband to FTTP (fibre to the premises), which included a new hub. Now my wife's Humax HDR-Fox T2 won't connect to the TV Portal, so I can't connect to BBC iPlayer or other on-demand services. The Humax says it's connected, and the BT Smart Hub says the Humax is connected, but the TV Portal won't load.

I called BT and the helpful assitant said that there are tutorials online to set the hub so it will work with the Humax, so I figured I would give that a go first - but have failed.

I called Humax and the guy there said it's easy to do and gave me the following settings which he said I should enter in the port forwarding area of my new hub.

HTTP: 80
HTTP: 8080
SSL: 443

So I went into my hub's advanced settings, then clicked on port forwarding, clicked on 'create a new port forwarding rule' and then got these fields (below).

Screen Shot 2017-04-19 at 18.14.42.png

The trouble is, I don't know what to do next because the instructions from Humax don't match the names of the fields above.

But is this really a port forwarding issue? I have searched via my Humax for software updates but found none.

David
 
It's nothing unusual for the TV Portal to go AWOL from time to time, I wouldn't read much into it for the moment and certainly wouldn't be chasing after support from BT (or Humax). There should be no need for special configurations. (I just tried the portal myself and got zip.) For reference, the HDR-FOX needs to be on firmware version 1.03.12 for the portal to be working (Menu >> Settings >> System >> System Information >> Software Version).

Ensure the HDR-FOX is correctly configured itself: Menu >> Settings >> System >> Internet Setting >> Configure LAN >> Configure IP = DHCP, and click "Apply". If the portal wasn't reaching the Internet, there would be a pop-up status report that said so, so you are probably OK. Just nothing normally means it can reach the server but the server isn't playing ball.

Your easiest means to diagnose whether you have Internet access is to try installing the custom firmware. Quick Guide to Custom Firmware (click)
 
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David Brewer said:
I called Humax and the guy there said it's easy to do and gave me the following settings which he said I should enter in the port forwarding area of my new hub.

HTTP: 80
HTTP: 8080
SSL: 443
Click to expand...
:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
Their staggering incompetence never ceases to amaze.
But is this really a port forwarding issue?
Click to expand...
No of course it isn't. Port forwarding lets connections in from the outside, not out from the inside.
Do the above if you want to get hacked within 10 minutes.
I called BT and the helpful assitant said that there are tutorials online to set the hub so it will work with the Humax
Click to expand...
They're as clueless as Humax. Does that surprise anyone? Er, no.
There is nothing that needs to be set up.
 
Thanks for this. I checked the firmware version and it was 1.03.12, but I went ahead and downloaded a new version to a USB anyway as per instructions, inserted it in the front of the Humax, and it downloaded and installed. Then I rebooted. The TV Portal still won't work, but I am happy to wait if, as you suggest, this happens from time to time. Thanks again for all the help.

David
 
I never said installing new firmware (standard or custom) would make the portal work. What I was suggesting is to install custom firmware, as that would confirm whether the unit is able to access the Internet at all (and thus prove that the problem is not with your router).
 
Understood. The Router and the Humax both show a connection. I probably just have to be patient if the TV Portal goes AWOL from time to time.
 
The portal worked for me today. First time I've tried it in ages.
If yours doesn't then there is obviously some problem somewhere, but gawd knows how you are going to find it.
BT equipment is usually hideous to deal with and I'm guessing you don't have the Customised Firmware on your T2 as you're posting in the non-CF part of the forum.
 
Hi prpr,
I don't know what I am doing. All I know is that my wife used to be able to access iPlayer via the portal and now it won't load. Both the Humax and the BT Smart Hub say they are connected. My guess is the Humax box has had its day and something is bust. But i have no idea what.
David
 
David Brewer said:
My guess is the Humax box has had its day and something is bust.
Click to expand...
It hasn't. If you do what I said, you will be able to check that it hasn't. It's only a case of waiting for a response from the other end.

Test 1: Menu >> Settings >> System >> Internet Setting >> Configure LAN >> Configure IP = DHCP, and click "Apply". If no error messages pop up, the HDR-FOX has made contact with the router and received the configuration settings required to access the external Internet. Make a note of the IP Address shown on this screen.

Test 2: Download CF 3.12 for 1.03.12 (click), then unzip it to a USB pen drive and use it to update the HDR-FOX firmware (like you did for 1.03.12). From any web browser on your home network, in the address bar enter the IP Address you noted before - for example, mine is 192.168.1.13. You should see a web page inviting you to download the remainder of the custom firmware. Click the button, and if that starts doing something your HDR-FOX is definitely communicating with the external Internet and there is nothing stopping it accessing the TV Portal (when the servers are working).

Now you have a choice: start using and enjoying the benefits of the custom firmware; just ignore it; or remove it again. To remove it, simply install the official 1.03.12 firmware again (there will be some odds and ends left on your HDD, but that is of no consequence).
 
David Brewer said:
My guess is the Humax box has had its day
Click to expand...
You're almost certainly wrong there. But do as BH suggests and install the Customised Firmware and then we may make more progress towards a solution.
Don't forget that the thing that has changed is your BT hub, not your Humax, so the problem probably rests with that somehow.
Thankfully I know almost nothing about BT hubs.
 
My BT Hub worked fine (in that respect, anyway, never mind that I ditched it!).

TV Portal working for me now (don't forget to give it some time to start up, even after the on-screen spinner has disappeared).
 
Thanks for all the tips. I carried out the steps in message #11 and installed the custom firmware. All went smoothly, but, sadly, I still can't connect to the TV Portal. I've left it with the loading message showing a few times, but that's as far as it gets.
 
That proves there's nothing wrong (at your end). Try again another day and it will probably work fine.
 
David Brewer said:
Thanks for all the tips. I carried out the steps in message #11 and installed the custom firmware. All went smoothly, but, sadly, I still can't connect to the TV Portal. I've left it with the loading message showing a few times, but that's as far as it gets.
Click to expand...
So tell us the values of IP address, netmask, gateway and DNS? Are you connecting to the hub by a network cable or WiFi?
 
David Brewer said:
Thanks for all the tips. I carried out the steps in message #11 and installed the custom firmware. All went smoothly, but, sadly, I still can't connect to the TV Portal. I've left it with the loading message showing a few times, but that's as far as it gets.
Click to expand...
Are you familiar with Telnet? If not, you may want to install the Webshell package now using the Web Interface that you'll have acquired on your Humax. Also install the Tcpping package (you will probably need to select the Advanced Packages option in the Advanced Settings section of the Settings page). (Tcpping is installed by default.)
 
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prpr said:
Are you familiar with Telnet? If not, you may want to install the Webshell package now using the Web Interface that you'll have acquired on your Humax. Also install the Tcpping package (you will probably need to select the Advanced Packages option in the Advanced Settings section of the Settings page). (Tcpping is installed by default.)
Click to expand...

Hi prpr, no, I am not familiar with Telnet or Webshell. Are these things I can do without causing any damage to the Humax? At the moment my wife has loads of stuff recorded and, although she can't access the TV Portal anymore, she doesn't want to risk losing her recordings. David
 
webshell is a package you can load via the custom firmware web interface: WebIF >> Package Management >> Available. It provides a command line interface to the underlying operating system for poking about, but I have no idea what is in prpr's mind to need it - maybe ping tests to check Internet connectivity. Telnet is a more conventional way to do the same thing, but requires facilities at the computer end of the link that not everyone will be familiar with. For explanation of many terms used on this forum, see Glossary (click).

The WebIF provides management facilities and through it the ability to add new functionality to the HDR-FOX, via a web browser (as per loading the CF in the first place). It does not threaten recordings, and may even help save them in the event of a disk malfunction. Neither does it interrupt the normal use of the HDR-FOX (unless a reboot is required to complete some process - which is adequately signalled and only performed on selection).

A few add-ons you might find particularly impressive:
  • ir - remote control for the HDR-FOX from a web browser (including a smart phone);
  • detectads - bookmark advert breaks in recordings for easy skipping, or (for the brave) snip them out;
  • flatview - creates a pseudo-folder listing all recordings in one place (instead of scattered around in series folders);
  • auto-schedule-restore - automatically replaces the recording schedule with a saved copy when a retune deletes it;
  • tunefix - automatically get rid of all those unwanted channels after a retune.
Those are just selected highlights, and configuration of installed packages is performed through WebIF >> Settings. For more info, see Quick Guide to Custom Firmware (click).

If you want to really impress your wife, install rs then go to WebIF >> Settings >> Advanced Settings and set Real-time scheduling? = YES, then register with http://rs.hummypkg.org.uk/. You will then be able to set recordings even while away from home (and even if the programme has already started)!

Welcome to a much wider world of HDR-FOX ownership. Use the Custom Firmware section of the forum for further discussion of all things CF.
 
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David Brewer said:
Hi prpr, no, I am not familiar with Telnet or Webshell. Are these things I can do without causing any damage to the Humax?
Click to expand...
Yes, as long as you just enter the commands you're told to enter!!! But you need to enable the facility before we can do any diagnosis of your portal problem.
Black Hole said:
It provides a command line interface to the underlying operating system for poking about, but I have no idea what is in prpr's mind to need it - maybe ping tests to check Internet connectivity.
Click to expand...
Indeed.
 
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