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Post crash and installation wizard

In another thread I've posted a boot-time script solution that is supposed to get a HD/R's WiFi back up after a reset, based on saving the last successful settings to the hard disk.

No doubt this could be extended to handle the case where fixed manual Ethernet settings are in use.

Another approach to that problem might be to give up on manual settings and rely on the zeroconf package to resolve each HD/R address from its machine name, as in Humax-Recorder.local. The current version has some limitations but my project to address these is well advanced.
 
Yes, but I've never seen the HDR loose its Ethernet settings before. I wonder whether this is the same cause as my occasional WiFi problem.
 
Black Hole said:
Yes, but I've never seen the HDR loose its Ethernet settings before. I wonder whether this is the same cause as my occasional WiFi problem.
Click to expand...
A factory reset could reset from manual to DHCP, if the settings DB is being re-created. This will definitely be the case if as one suspects the uncommanded wizard appears when the settop binary has to reset the flash file system.
 
My problem is simply the Configure LAN (Wi-Fi) settings getting DHCP'd at random, not accompanied by any other symptoms (no sign of a wizard reset). There was a rash of it happening, and then a long period before it happened again, and since then nothing.
 
Black Hole said:
Yes, but I've never seen the HDR loose its Ethernet settings before. I wonder whether this is the same cause as my occasional WiFi problem.
Click to expand...

Ah, come on BH, first it was lead for led on another thread and now loose for lose, if you carry on like this, I'll lose the faith. :(
 
:frantic:

You know what: I stopped and thought about that one, and came up with the wrong answer. Definitely slipping.
 
everthewatcher said:
That's a pity. AAMOI what is it?

My Netgear DGND3700 has it under Advanced>Setup>LAN Setup.

The BT Smart Hub it's connected has it too, buried under Advanced Settings>My network, click on the device, change the IPV4 address under 'Device Name:', select 'Always use this IP address: Yes'. But I should add that I've not tried it as the Smart Hub is just being used as a gateway and modem.
Click to expand...
Mine has the following under
Home Network > Devices > Raspberry-Pi

Physical Address: x8:27:xx:x7:50:71
IP Address Assignment: Static
IP Address: 10.0.0.17

There is no button to change these settings, so I assume it gets the data from the device.
 
Last.To.Know said:
There is no button to change these settings, so I assume it gets the data from the device.
Click to expand...
Well yes, that's where its static address comes from.

You have to have DHCP enabled on the router and selected on the device - there's no way AFAIAA the router can force a device set to a static address to another one.

As for the button there's a 'Save' button top right.

Tip: Before changing any router settings make sure you save them with a meaningful name.
 
everthewatcher said:
there's no way AFAIAA the router can force a device set to a static address to another one.
Click to expand...
Correct.

Let's assume there is some undiagnosed Humax bug (or maybe hardware fault) behind both my and LTK's sporadic rejection of manual network settings. Something triggers it to DHCP, and it is allocated an IP address different from what we desire.

Without knowledge of what's causing this bug, and a cure, the only work-around is to ensure the router responds to the DHCP request with the desired IP address. If the router cannot be configured to allocate the particular IP address we would wish, we just have to put up with the address it does allocate. That's OK, so long as it's always the same one.

Whatever, this has to be done at the router.

Additional information: routers identify specific network devices by their MAC. There is often a setting which prevents unknown devices connecting to your network as a security measure (this helps stop people piggy-backing on your WiFi... unless they are sophisticated enough to spoof the MAC, and if they can crack the WiFi encryption they can probably spoof the MAC too). Somewhere in the router settings will be a table of registered MACs, and the IP addresses they get allocated.
 
Last edited:
Black Hole said:
...the only work-around is to ensure the router responds to the DHCP request with the desired IP address. If the router cannot be configured to allocate the particular IP address we would wish, we just have to put up with the address it does allocate. That's OK, so long as it's always the same one.

Whatever, this has to be done at the router.
Click to expand...
Perzactly.
Somewhere in the router settings will be a table of registered MACs, and the IP addresses they get allocated.
Click to expand...
IM limited E I've not come across one that hasn't, although what you can do there will vary and will probably depend on settings elsewhere.
 
Black Hole said:
Without knowledge of what's causing this bug, and a cure, the only work-around is to ensure the router responds to the DHCP request with the desired IP address. If the router cannot be configured to allocate the particular IP address we would wish, we just have to put up with the address it does allocate. That's OK, so long as it's always the same one.
Click to expand...
Incidentally: I'm not going this route, because I'm trying to find out what causes it.
 
Black Hole said:
Let's assume there is some undiagnosed Humax bug (or maybe hardware fault) behind both my and LTK's sporadic rejection of manual network settings. Something triggers it to DHCP, and it is allocated an IP address different from what we desire.
Click to expand...
Just as an extra data point; my HDR_FOX T2 has been on a fixed IP address (set on the Humax) since new and has never (so far as I can recollect) lost the setting.
 
In fact I guess that what BH might need is a script like this (ie untested):
Code: 
#!/bin/sh
is_eth0_manual() {
echo "select itemValue from TBL_MENUCONFIG where itemName = 'ETHERNET_CONF_1ST'" |
    sqlite3 /var/lib/humaxtv/setup.db | grep -qF 1
}

if is_eth0_manual; then
# enforce it to be manual on reboot
# (hope other ETHERNET_CONF_1ST stay good)
cat > /mod/boot/dbupdate/force_manual_eth0 <<EOD
setup:MENUCONFIG:ETHERNET_CONF_1ST:Value:1
EOD
fi
Unfortunately it doesn't give any diagnostic if the setting needed to be changed.
You can put this somewhere where it would get run after startup, say /mod/etc/init.d/S99forcemanualeth0.
 
I have no doubt it is rare, but nonetheless I am trying to pin it down. I have only observed it on one of my machines, as it happens the one that uses a WiFi dongle. The last thing I need in this research is to have it auto-repair!
 
Mine often lost the manual settings using Wi-Fi adapters. Eventually I gave up and set the addresses at the router. They still often failed to connect, presumably having timed to a default address before comms was established.
They are wired now so connection all solid.
 
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