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Wireless's avatar
Wireless
New Contributor

Cable box communication error

We've been having an issue with our Contour 2 Cable-DVR box lately. When attempting to change a channel the box becomes unresponsive, and then a window screen pops up saying  something like " we seem to be having trouble communicating with your cable box. Please make sure all cables are correctly connected. Unplug the power cable to the box and them reinsert it to reboot. This may be temporary, try back in five minutes" . "If this continues call nnn-nnn-nnn Cox" (I don't have the number)

This happened to me on 10/17 at about 7 pm. When my wife came home, she indicated that it had happened to her several times the night before.

I do not have the phone number provided in the pop up window, but next time it happens I'll take a snap shot of the screen. I'm wondering if this is some kind of a hack. We never did call the number on the screen, but what if we did? Is it really a Cox "support" phone number? 

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  • Bruce's avatar
    Bruce
    Honored Contributor III

    The error message seems more instructive than threatening.  Meaning, it reads like it was programmed into some software to indicate a communications errors.  I don't have Contour so I can't verify ever experiencing this message.

    On the other hand, if you call the number and a someone demands $200 in iTunes or Target gift cards, well, that would be ransomware.  Let's explore.

    What do you use to change channels?  Do you use some type of mobile app?  If so, the app may be indicating a problem and providing a number to Cox.  Perhaps you entered "Cox" during its initial setup or the app automatically associates the cable box to Cox.

    At 7PM, the autumn sun is at a new angle.  Perhaps sunlight is now washing out the IR sensor of the cable box.

    If you're using an app, I'd verify all connections, reboot and only use the supplied remote.  If the error message returns, exchange the box.

  • Becky's avatar
    Becky
    Moderator
    Hi Wireless,

    It sounds like the DVR isn't receiving the correct strength of signal. Are there any splitters on the coax cable that connects to the DVR? Does the coax cable run through a surge protector or amp? If so, it might be helpful to bypass the surge protector and any splitters to see if the issue continues. Also, take note of any error code/error number included in the on-screen message, and post it here.

    We may need to schedule a service call in order to resolve this for you. Feel free to email my team at cox.help@cox.com. Include your full name, address, and a link to this page so we'll understand what's happening. We'll get to the bottom of this for you!