New Contributor

Tuning adaptor does not finish initializing

Some time in the last few months, I noticed that I no longer received the Cox Video on Demand app in my Tivo Roamio. Previously, in the fall (2016) it was available and working. As part of a troubleshooting effort, a tech came and spent a couple of hours on the phone to somone (we had to find a charger for his phone!). Afterwards, he could not get the Tivo to recognize the tuning adaptor. He switched out USB cables to see if that was the problem without any effect. The technician said (guessed) that the Tivo was broken and not detecting the tuning adapter.Now the Tivo has no Cox Video on Demand app, is not able to detect the tuning adapter (a Cisco STA1520), and I cannot receive SDV channels.

Troubleshooting further, when I plug the tuning adapter to the Tivo via USB, the Tivo displays a message that the tuning adapter is not working. On the diagnostic screen of the Tivo, the tuning adapter Connection Status remains at "Initializing" for minutes then briefly flashes "Fatal error - Timeout wating for reply". When no USB cable is plugged in the Connection Status reads "Not Connected". The LED light pattern on the tuning adapter changes from two rapid blinks to to a long slow blink from after it is left un-connected for some time, then reverts to 2 rapid blinks when connected. Thus, I assume that the USB port is good and Tivo does recognize the tuning adapter.

As mentioned above, on the front panel of the tuning adapter, the LED is flashing a 2 short blink pattern. According to the STA1520 manuals I have found, this indicates "The Tuning Adapter is scanning the recommended QAM frequencies for the CVT (code version table)". According to the Cisco staging guide, this falls into the troubleshooting category:

Blinks twice, pauses, repeats ---- Tuning Adapter will not download and stays in hunt mode

1 If a known good Tuning Adapter of the same type and revision does not download, contact your DNCS operator to resolve the network issue.

2 Connect the Tuning Adapter to the UDCP with a known good USB cable.

3 Power cycle the Tuning Adapter.

4 If these steps do not work, return the Tuning Adapter to us for repair. Mark the repair tag with D6. DHCT in Hunt Mode (hXXX).

At this point, I dug up my old Tivo HD HDXL and connected it to the tuning adapter. It too recognized the difference between "Not connected" and "Initializing" with brief resetting errors every couple of minutes. So I do not think it is the Tivo Roamio.

I went to the Cox store and exchanged my tuning adapter, with the same findings detailed above when I tested it at home.

I have tried various ways of power cycling the tuning adaptor (and Tivo) with the coax hooked up... with splitters, without splitter, directly to the TA from the wall then to the Tivo, or even not connected to the Tivo. No change in symptoms, other than minor changes in the signal strength and SNR from 37 to 40 on various adaptors 0-5 (except tuning adapter 4, which gets ** reception no matter how I hook it up).

I do not think this is from a failed Tivo device, tuning adaptor, or USB cable. I do not think it is a cabling issue. At this point, I am pretty sure there is a network configuration issue with my tuning adaptor or account.

I was hoping that someone on the forums would be able to look into this. Calling technical support has in the past been a lengthy endeavor with small gains (though if Cox has a specialized Cable card department like Time Warner does to deal with these issues that would be great to find out).

I would like to add it would have helped immensely if the diagnostic readouts from the tuning adapter were accessible from a web browser from the consumer home side - every one of the Cox personnel I have called are not familiar with tuning adapters. I can't imagine there are many Tivos compared to the Contour drivel, and these troubleshooting steps so seldom most support personnel cannot help. Having more information available to the people that do use Tivos and tuning adaptors would seem to be quite helpful

Lastly, if I can get this tuning adapter issue fixed, then (and if I still do not have the Cox Video on Demand app again), I would like to make sure my video on demand flags are set appropriately as mentioned in this thread (http://forums.cox.com/forum_home/tv_forum/f/4/t/16421.aspx)

If you have read this far, thanks for at least taking the time to wade through it all!

13 Replies

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Becky
Moderator
Hi Rutlet,

I'm happy to jump in and see if I can get to the bottom of these issues for you! Since the issues with the Tuning Adapter began, have you tried replacing the CableCARD and the TA? Did the field tech try swapping the CableCARD?
Rutlet
New Contributor
Yes, the cable cards were changed as well as the tuning adapter
StephanieA
Former Moderator
How is everything currently connected? Is the light on the tuning adapter still flashing or is it solid? -StephanieA
Rutlet
New Contributor
The tuning adapter still flashes twice.
ColleenD
Moderator
Rutlet,

Thank you. Please describe how the coaxial cables are connected between the cable outlet at the wall and the equipment, including any filters or splitters which may be on the lines.
Rutlet
New Contributor
The coaxial cable runs from the wall directly to the tuning adapter's Cable In port. There is a separate coaxial cable running from the tuning adapter's Cable Out port to the Tivo. There are no splitters or filters.
StephanieA
Former Moderator
When installing a tuning adapter, cable card, and Tivo, it's important to follow the steps in order or the service isn't going to working. Please unplug the power to the tuning adapter and the Tivo. The cable from the wall needs to go to a splitter. From the splitter, one cable goes to the Tivo and the other goes to the tuning adapter. A USB cable goes from the tuning adapter to the Tivo. Once everything is connected, plug the power into the tuning adapter and wait for the light to stay solid. Then plug in the Tivo. Let us know if you are still having issues after correcting the connections.
Rutlet
New Contributor
I unplugged the equipment and the wired in everything as you described above, which is actually how it was wired originally when the issue began and was the same wiring as when it use to be working last year.

I then plugged in the equipment. It never, ever had a solid light. Which is what I reported in my first post. I waited -- just in case -- 5 hours and it still slowly blinks on and off in a steady 1 blink pattern. I then got bored and plugged in the Tivo which made it blink twice over and over.

It would very helpful to obtain diagnostic information from the tuning adapters control network which I do not have access to. I would like to make sure the configuration is correct, that the controller network is communicating with the adapter, and what state the tuning adaptor currently reports itself in.

Thank you for your help!
StephanieS
Moderator
Rutlet

I was able to find the following, not sure if you have this information or not, so here it is:

Blinking Steady - The tuning adapter is booting up.
•Always On - the tuning adapter is functioning normally.
•Two Blinks and a Pause - the tuning adapter is scanning channel frequencies.
•Three Blinks and a Pause - Firmware is being updated.
•Four Blinks followed by Dim Blinks - there is an internal error.
•Six Blinks - the tuning adapter is not authorized, verify the adapter is on the account.
•Two Sec. On, One Sec. Off, Two Sec. On, Reboot - the tuning adapter installed a software update.

Typically I can see if the tuning adapter is getting a cable signal and I'm not able to see that yours is getting one. I'm also not seeing that the DVR is getting a cable signal either. It may not be a bad idea to get another field tech out to make sure everything is working alright. I can see that the tuning adapter has been swapped a few times since late June. I've got a few appointments open today. There's an 8-10am, 10am-Noon, 1-3pm and a 3-5pm. Those time frames will go very quickly, so please reply ASAP if you're interested.

StephanieS
Cox Support Forums Moderator
Rutlet
New Contributor
If there are any times left in the afternoon either 1-3 or 3-5, that would be fine!