So FRUSTRATED!! Half a dozen calls with tech support -- NO fix - two IPCs stopped connecting to VMS

[RussFIOSuser]

I have four set top boxes:

1 VMS

and 

3 IPC 

The VMS works fine. One of the IPC's works fine. 

About a week ago, two of the IPCs stopped working where they say "network connection can't reach the VMS."

Try all troubleshooting and never resolves. 

Funny thing is that the VMS can see those two boxes (but no longer sees them with the friendly name they used to have such as "Master Bedroom") but yet the boxes say they can't connect to the VMS. Furthermore, one of the boxes eventually says that I can watch limited television (but can't access DVR) but if I go into the settings I can see that the box reaches the Internet, can access widgets, yet it can't connect to the VMS (again the VMS actually sees the box and the VMS can REBOOT the box if I ask the VMS to troubleshoot the box which is an option in the Settings, Customer Support options). 

The other box is just sitting at error 8305 unable to register. 

The folks who keep calling me from Verizon are very nice but have been absolutely unable to do anything to resolve this and they keep asking me to do basic things (like reset my router to factory settings, which wastes time and doesn't do anything... as I've said, the IPC's all have internet connectivity and the VMS can see them). 

Nothing changed in my house, so why did the boxes get silly? There is obviously a provisioning error with the boxes at this point and I can't keep talking on the phone for 30 minutes at a time without any progress.

I just want the service I'm paying for and want reliable devices.

Help!

[RussFIOSuser]

Update:

Came home today and my third IPC box now has the same issue and stuck on the network connection screen. It was working this entire week when my other two were not. I'm guessing my VMS will go down soon?

I'm sure this must have something to do with a software update of some sort.

Also while at work I received two calls from Verizon support telling me they reset the boxes and they should be good.

Not true, they are not good.

What gives?

[eljefe2]

I'm not sure what happened here is exactly the same as your problem, but it's at least very similar.

There was a software/firmware upgrade to the VMS1100 recently.  This may be coincidence or not, but the day after the upgrade one of our IPC1100's stopped working.  It would get the network connection error, troubleshooting steps, etc., but never connect.

I was able to swap the flaky IPC1100 with another one that was still working to eliminate the possibility of bad cables, etc.  After doing that, and telling tech support that, they sent me a replacement STB. 

The replacement came in a couple of days....I connected it and fired it up, and it worked as it should right away after the normal 5 minute-or-so connection process.

The difference between yours and my problem that I can't explain is why you're having the problem with more than one IPC.  It may indeed be a problem with your VMS1100 and if you no longer have a working IPC1100 I can't think of how to pin down where the problem is.  Or all of your IPC1100's may have been broken by that same software/firmware upgrade.  I dunno.

I hope tech support comes up with a solution for you.  If and when your problem is solved I'd be interested to hear what the solution was.

Good luck.

BTW....the replacement Media Server I received was an IPC1100-2.  I have no idea what the difference is between the 1100 and the 1100-2 but they apparently have come out with a latert model.

[SinCara]

VMS is the main Quantum DVR box.

Any chance you lost power at anytime prior to the ipc issue?

I only ask because I had my power go out once in the past and my ipc did the same thing. I had them send a replacement and it would not activate at all.

I ended up having a tech came out who replaced the ipc, but the tech had to come back out the next day again after the replacement ipc lasted 1 hour then died.

So I went through 3 ipc's before the 4th stuck.

With the recent APR 2 update that was pushed out I do wonder if it did something.

Another question is are your splitters moca 2.0? If not that may have something to do with it as Quantum needs moca 2.0 splitters to work correctly.........although some don't have them and are fine.

The more boxes one has though it's needed.

If one ipc works but not the others it may be a bad splitter. Hard to say.

My suggestion since the tech support you have been talking to hasn't been helping nor offering to send a tech out would be to post your issue on the Verizon Direct forum on dslreports here. https://www.dslreports.com/forum/vzdirect They have hepled me. You will need to open a free account.

Only you and the Verizon reps there will be able to read your messages.

Most likely they will send you a link to chat which will allow you to chat with a Verizon tech who will run diagnostics and have you do things you've probably already done many times, but it's their protocol. If nothing works they will schedule a tech to come out. If not demand it. They will tell you there may be a charge if it's found that its not their equipment and is something on your end.

A charge won't happen though if it's on their end or the equipment.

Hopefully they will be able to fix the situation for you.

[SinCara]

p.s. Forget the first vms part. I had another thread on my mind at the same time as this one. lol

[mfizzy]

You may have multiple problems. 8305 is an problem with the VMS. Usually redoing the activation will clear. Unplug VMS. as soon as you plug it in, point remote at vms and continually press and release menu button until display says run. arrow down to cold then press OK. Let the box redo activation. reboot IPC's after process completes.

You dont need any new equiptment. you have a activation and possible coax issue. If the 8305 is cleared, but boxes still cant reach the VMS check coax and possible change splitter.