Problems setting up new HD-Fox T2

A

autolycus

Member
Having found it impossible to find a new TV with a sensible EPG, I've been kindly donated an HD-Fox T2. However, after an auto tune and seemingly perfect operation after setting up Favourites 1, i have suddenly lost several of my HD channels from 'Favourites 1" and TV EPGs. They show nothing after 105 except 109; all the rest have gone. The only thing i did was to plug in an ethernet cable, but that may be a red herring. The box boots up showing 'F3.13' which i understand means it has been updated to the latest modified firmware. So, i'm hoping some knowledgable person can please suggest what might be the problem and talk a non-techie through the solution?

I can find the IP address of the box in settings but i cannot open it in my browser. Nor can i open my (custom firmware) Foxsat HDR in the bedroom.

Thanks.
 
Can you telnet to the HD's IP address?
Is it set to the same subnet as your PC? Can you quote both?

(The Foxsat problem is something else, for a separate thread somewhere else. It's not related to this.)
 
OK thanks, well let's have a go at setting up the ethernet, LAN or whatever is the correct terminology on this thread :)

Unfortunately i have no idea what you mean by your first question. My PC 'subnet mask' according to ipconfig is the same as 'Netmask' in Settings.....> "configure LAN" 255.255.255.0

And as i type this and try the IP address for the 10th time i seem to have connected! A page showing 'no disk found' and "Access Telnet Menu"

Edit - this is frustrating. It timed out and won't open again.
 
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Perform the following (with an Ethernet connection in place):

Menu >> Settings >> System >> Internet Setting >> Configure LAN >> DHCP >> Apply

This will ensure appropriate settings (netmask, gateway, non-clashing IP address) for your network are established, as issued by the router in response to the DHCP request. Take note of the "IP Address" (it might change, but we can worry about fixing it later).

In a PC browser connected to the same network, type the IP address previously noted into the browser address bar. It should connect, and (as you say) complain there is no disk. If you want to use the CF, you will have to connect a disk and format it on the HD-FOX.

You don't have to use the CF. The CF will that is installed will have very little effect (if any) without a disk and then loading the WebIF etc to the disk from the Internet (via the PC browser page). In as much as the CF is not operating, I don't see how it can be responsible for losing your favourites etc.

Is it possible this unit has been passed onto you because it forgets things?
 
Thanks again for that. I followed your instructions and of course it worked fine!

I finally realised what was going wrong. I had been opening the page using the Foxsat HDR bookmark i'd set up ages ago and changing the last digit, but Win10/Firefox was very helpfully adding an 'https://' in front of the IP address. 'http://' works fine, but 'https://' doesn't and i hadn't spotted that the 's' was being automatically included. My Foxsat HDR now connects fine too. More smart tech?

So, i'm now connecting OK and i'm sure i can format a USB drive using the Telnet menu, but the problem of the missing channels remains. Should i post that in a different thread? I feel sure the box is kosher; the guy was a very pleasant chap, clearly genuine and even delivered it to me. I'm certain he would have told me if there was a problem.
 
  1. Be sure you're not getting the Web Interface (only the invitation to format and install);
  2. (From memory) Menu >> Settings >> Installation >> Restore Factory Defaults;
  3. Rescan (as part of the reset above) and check what channels you have at that point.
 
Basically what you've seen before. Once the full custom firmware is installed and running, there are facilities which could remove channels according to user preference. I'm just making sure nothing like that comes into play.
 
OK, i've done all that and i think i've narrowed down the problem a bit.

I reset the box and after the rescan i set up 'Favourites 1'. The EPG seemed to be showing all the right channels in 'TV' and 'Favourites 1'. When I chose a channel from Favourites 1 and then returned to the EPG, it reropened into Favourites 1. So all seemed to be working perfectly.

However, i then switched off the Humax and when i turned it on again and pressed 'guide', it opened into 'TV' and channels 106, 107 and 111 - 114 had gone. When i opened Favourites 1 via the blue button the relevant ones had also disappeared.
 
And there's definitely no CF running (no HDD connected)? Perhaps somebody else has another suggestion, but with no CF such as tunefix running I don't see how that can happen unless the unit is faulty.
 
autolycus said:
However, i then switched off the Humax and when i turned it on again and pressed 'guide', it opened into 'TV' and channels 106, 107 and 111 - 114 had gone.
Click to expand...
Those channels are on the COM7 multiplex which typically transmits at lower power than the BBC B multiplex which carries the main HD channels. When those channels are working, what is the signal quality and strength as reported by the Humax when tuned firstly to BCC1 HD (101) and secondly BBC4 HD (106)?
 
I would suggest you need to telnet to the IP address of the box, select the "cli" option from the menu and then run the command:
humax# rm /var/lib/humaxtv/mod/tunefix.conf
and see whether it gives you an error message or not. If it doesn't, then that's probably going to fix it (retune and reboot to be sure). If it does, then it's some other problem.
Black Hole said:
And there's definitely no CF running (no HDD connected)?
Click to expand...
No HDD doesn't mean no CF.
but with no CF such as tunefix running
Click to expand...
tunefix is in flash (it needs to be) and certain things in the CF are running.

The other option is to do a complete CF environment reset, or just to install the standard non-customised version. :eek:
 
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Yes, it's nothing to do with Favourites - it happens with a retune and a switch off and on, which removes those newly-found channels. That's with the box unconnected to the LAN and nothing in the USB port.

I assume the strength information is the number of orange bars in the info? That would make sense because the channels that disappear all report 4/10 orange bars whereas the other channels report 6/10. All channels report 10/10 on the yellow bars. Still, i have had many TVs hooked up to this aerial point over the last few months and not experienced this problem. It also seems a bit puzzling that they can be found on a retune, but are then 'lost' after a switch off.

Bearing this in mind, would either of the suggestions from prpr still be worth trying, or is the T2 simply not up to the job in this location?
 
autolycus said:
would either of the suggestions from prpr still be worth trying ...?
Click to expand...
PRPR's suggestion is only worth trying if you want to fix your issue.
If you wait until July you may find that everyone's versions of those channels disappear anyway.
 
autolycus said:
a switch off and on, which removes those newly-found channels.
Click to expand...
Which is what the relevant part of the custom firmware does.
You need to follow prpr's advice - either get into the cfw to reset it (or at least configure it to not do this), or remove it entirely.
 
autolycus said:
is the T2 simply not up to the job in this location?
Click to expand...
The discussion above indicates the previous user's configuration of custom firmware might still be lurking and causing the effects you are experiencing, despite you not having a HDD connected and initialised (which I previously presumed would rule that out).

So far as I can see you have three (four – see post 18) alternative ways forward:
  1. If you have no interest in custom firmware, or if you simply want to prove whether the current remnants are the problem, replace the custom firmware with standard firmware and see if the problem goes away (I'm pretty sure it will). Having done so, if you wish you can then re-install custom firmware from a clean slate. The drawback is that you will need to find a UPD suitable for updating the firmware. See further information below. Or...

  2. If you already have a suitable USB HDD for connection to the HD-FOX and intend to use CF, hook it up and initialise it, then complete the CF installation (as per the installation web page you've already seen). Then, via the WebIF, you will be able to check and correct the tunefix configuration almost certainly responsible for the effects you are seeing, or simply uninstall the tunefix package. Or...

  3. You won't want to source a HDD especially, only to find it isn't tunefix causing this after all, so if you do not already have the HDD but do intend to use CF, bring up the command line from the Telnet menu and type the incantation given by prpr in post 12: rm /var/lib/humaxtv/mod/tunefix.conf. This should erase the tunefix configuration (if there is one), rendering it harmless.
Notes:
  1. tunefix provides management of retunes, particularly handy following automatic retunes initiated by the broadcast network or an unwanted factory reset operation. Users can make sure they are receiving from a particular transmitter, delete unwanted services, and re-allocate LCNs (eg put BBC ONE HD on LCN 1 instead of LCN 101). This avoids having to perform "user preference" operations manually, each time you retune. The previous owner should have cleaned all this out before passing it on, but no doubt believed (as I presumed) that not having the HDD connected would eliminate all that automatically.

  2. The standard firmware is downloadable HERE (click). Do not install the latest standard firmware (1.03.03) available from Humax, it doesn't work properly (they cocked up). Instructions how to install it are available HERE (click). Important: It seems the non-custom firmware you would actually want (1.03.02) isn't available to download. That's OK: if you install the equivalent custom firmware (1.03.02 mod 3.13), the installation will wipe any remnant tunefix etc and return to a clean slate just the same.

    Standard firmware 1.03.03 updates the certificates so that BBC iPlayer works (available via the TV Portal button), because 1.03.02 had timed out. Unfortunately Humax fumbled the update, so although the equivalent fix for HDR-FOX works fine, on the HD-FOX it causes the unit to malfunction. iPlayer can be restored for 1.03.02 by installing the equivalent CF plus the iplfix package, but you can't easily do that without a HDD connected (it is possible with a UPD connected instead).
 
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Black Hole said:
It seems the non-custom firmware you would actually want (1.03.02) isn't available to download.
Click to expand...
I've got a copy.
if you install the equivalent custom firmware (1.03.02 mod 3.13), the installation will wipe any remnant tunefix etc and return to a clean slate just the same.
Click to expand...
No it won't.
Really the best thing to do to wipe any residual configuration is to run the "reset" option from the Telnet menu.
The "system flush" install image will do it too (although last time I looked it wasn't downloadable, despite me offering my copy to those responsible).
 
Guys, there's a lot of discussion here, for which i'm very grateful. I'm struggling a bit to understand all the arguments, but is there a consensus that i should next run the "reset" option from the Telnet menu?

BTW, what is the advantage of the custom firmware (just a link would be fine - i'm sure it must be on the site somewhere).

Thanks
 
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