X1 Technical Issues

I'd like to know when all of the X1 bugs will be fixed.  I had comcast come out - the tech said that the signal strength was the issue.  He put in an amplifier.  He then decided that the signal was too strong and put in an attenuator.  The only thing that really changed was that I get a bill for $70.  A long talk with comcast and my refusing to take no for an answer finally got the charge reversed.

I still had problems.  The internet speeds are great - as long as you are hard wired.  WIFI is slow with the new comcast modem/wifi.

The biggest problem is the constant system hangups with the message "can not connect to X1 platform".  I called comcast out again.  I was able to cause the system to hang up in front of the tech.  He replaced the box.  I still have the same problem.  Try this:

• go to on demand;  select any movie category that has a lot of choices to display (free movies is a good one)
• scroll through these movies just like you are looking for a movie to watch.  Don't scroll abnormally fast, just scroll like you would when looking for something to watch.
• You may get through a lot of movies but, if your system is like mine, you will never get to the end of the list.  The system will hang up first.

This looks like the box simply can't handle the amount of data being sent to it and chokes.  Unplugging and replugging the box fixes the problem (at least until you try to search for a movie again) so it seems that the problem is in the box.  I wish that there way to get this info to someone at comcast so that they could look into this.

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@bigdg wrote:

I'd like to know when all of the X1 bugs will be fixed.  I had comcast come out - the tech said that the signal strength was the issue.  He put in an amplifier.  He then decided that the signal was too strong and put in an attenuator.  The only thing that really changed was that I get a bill for $70.  A long talk with comcast and my refusing to take no for an answer finally got the charge reversed.

 

I still had problems.  The internet speeds are great - as long as you are hard wired.  WIFI is slow with the new comcast modem/wifi.

 

The biggest problem is the constant system hangups with the message "can not connect to X1 platform".  I called comcast out again.  I was able to cause the system to hang up in front of the tech.  He replaced the box.  I still have the same problem.  Try this:

• go to on demand;  select any movie category that has a lot of choices to display (free movies is a good one)
• scroll through these movies just like you are looking for a movie to watch.  Don't scroll abnormally fast, just scroll like you would when looking for something to watch.
• You may get through a lot of movies but, if your system is like mine, you will never get to the end of the list.  The system will hang up first.

This looks like the box simply can't handle the amount of data being sent to it and chokes.  Unplugging and replugging the box fixes the problem (at least until you try to search for a movie again) so it seems that the problem is in the box.  I wish that there way to get this info to someone at comcast so that they could look into this.

 

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Sounds to me like you still have signal issues.

the 2nd tech checked the signal level at the set top box.  He said that it was right where it should be.  I found a way to check the signal levels but every time I tried it, I got a response that it was not working now, try again later.

The first tech did call back after he left and said that the cable drop to my house needed to be replaced.  He insisted that it had to be done on the next Saturday, even after I told him that I wouldn't be home.  It has been 3 or 4 weeks now and the cable has not been replaced.  I know that my cable has one underground splice in it.  It probably has 2 or 3 kinks in it after 15 years.

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@CCAndrew wrote:

The first tech did call back after he left and said that the cable drop to my house needed to be replaced. He insisted that it had to be done on the next Saturday, even after I told him that I wouldn't be home. It has been 3 or 4 weeks now and the cable has not been replaced. I know that my cable has one underground splice in it. It probably has 2 or 3 kinks in it after 15 years.
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That would do it. Your signal is fine, but the 2 way communication by having a bad drop is what's hampering the X1 boxes from being able to do what they need to.

Attenuators are fine to use even with the amp. Whatever it takes to get the boxes in spec.

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I'm surprised to say the least about that. A zero-insertion amp (same out as in) should be attenuated prior to the MoCA reflector/trap prior to the amp. The near zeroDB at amp in will give near 0DB amp out to each port with maximum crosstalk to let MoCA data propagate. 

IMO no attenuator would be needed other than perhaps at point of entry, which would not affect the MoCA at all but would tend to cause each device to have to up their transmit power to get 'thru' the attenuator on the in-band frequency spectrum. I know i'm just a customer.

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@CCAndrew wrote:
The near zeroDB at amp in will give near 0DB amp out to each port with maximum crosstalk to let MoCA data propagate.
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Why are you assuming that it would be 0db out of the amp? From experience, I can tell you it's rarely 0. Every house/apartment/ tap/ ground block is different and will have different signal levels. As a tech you work with what you are given to work with and make it work. Sometimes, it means one attenuator, sometimes it could mean each port on the amp gets a different one( 1,2,3,6,8 db options), whatever it takes to get the equipment in spec. Also, attenuator's are for both upstream and downstream.

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the 0db is your base (between your two extremes) and output of the zero-loss/gain amp would equal the input (in range via attenuator if necessary). The attenuator will definitely interfere in the 2 say 2-way communication also, much better to adjust the tap if it has that feature but putting an attenuator on a zero-gain/loss (unity) amp feed is literally saying the input to the amp is out of spec (and should be adjusted before entry of signal to the amp). 

The talk may not be as "over people's heads" as you think.  Although I am not familiar with some of the acronyms used or other terms that are specific to cable TV, I do have a very good basic electronics background and do understand that kinks in a coax cable will cause reflections.  If it would do any good, I could bring my oscilloscope up to scope the signal.  I doubt that anything usefull could be seen.

My cable drop has been in place for 15 years.  Since it was only buried 2 inches deep, it has been nicked and even cut completely in half while doing yard work.  Comcast came out and spliced the cut.  I know of 2 other places where it was kinked or partially cut.

I will contact comcast about getting someone out to finish the job and put in a new drop.

Thanks for the help.

i had an x1 box installed as well as their modem for home phone. I got the deal price for all 3 services and didnt want the phone so when their modem froze the 1st day no big deal i reinstalled my own and their modem is on the shelf collecting dust. The x1 box is a whole different story, it also failed the first day, it froze rebooted and froze on boot. I unplugged it and it reset, worked 10 minutes and froze. it will work for 10 minutes and freeze. I have called comcast 4 times now and they reset it and it works 10 minutes !! I pulled everything and went to what used to be my local office to get a new box and low and behold the office has been closed and it is a 2 hour drive for me to get to the nearest office. I refuse to drive 2 hours and I know they will charge me to have a tech come and replace the box. Their support is worthless and I am just going to have an attorney take care of the problem and switch back to direct tv. !!! I am just posting this here to warn anyone about the x1 system and comcast's terrible service and equipment.

SOMETHING NEW....

Yesterday, I flipped on the system in the LR and after about 2 minutes I noticed a HUGE LAG in changing channels (30-40 seconds) and extreme LAG for any remote control selections to take affect on the DVR.....

SO I looked and the Server Environment was on P4-20....which was strange becasue my environment has always been in the BA-XX to BC-XX range....  me thinks my redirection was going to a server that was having either communication issues OR was severly bogged down with requests....

SO..... I reset the DVR.... and after a successful restart, my Envirionment changed back to something i had seen previously and ALL issues were GONE!!!

SInce the Server Environment is critical to XRE communications, I would suggest that in the future if you see this LAG develop or a boggind down of changing channels, RESTART your device and see if you can pick up a different Server Environment for your XRE communications...

-=Ray=-

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@geek46 wrote:

SOMETHING NEW....

 

Yesterday, I flipped on the system in the LR and after about 2 minutes I noticed a HUGE LAG in changing channels (30-40 seconds) and extreme LAG for any remote control selections to take affect on the DVR.....

 

SO I looked and the Server Environment was on P4-20....which was strange becasue my environment has always been in the BA-XX to BC-XX range....  me thinks my redirection was going to a server that was having either communication issues OR was severly bogged down with requests....

 

SO..... I reset the DVR.... and after a successful restart, my Envirionment changed back to something i had seen previously and ALL issues were GONE!!!

 

SInce the Server Environment is critical to XRE communications, I would suggest that in the future if you see this LAG develop or a boggind down of changing channels, RESTART your device and see if you can pick up a different Server Environment for your XRE communications...

 

-=Ray=-

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I saw this too, also on a server environment beginning with 'p'..

Posted this in the DVR topic instead.  Sorry for the double-post:

Upgraded to X1 when I moved to my new home last month.  Have had only minor, temporary issues so far.  However, last night, it was recording Gotham and Dancing with the Stars.  I noticed both had started recording.  Then, we started watching a previously recorded show on our DVR.  When we finished watching, I noticed that the new Dancing with the Stars episode was not on the DVR.  Tried waiting and rebooting the main box, but to no avail.  The next Dancing with the Stars is shown as scheduled, so the series recording is still active, but last night's disappeared - it's not even in the recently deleted folder.  So weird.  Now my wife is going to have to watch it on OnDemand where she can't fast foward during commercials.  Annoying.  I don't know if the problem was us watching a recorded show while recording two other shows or the box lost connectivity, but we should be able to do that; did that easily with our older boxes in the old home.  It just disappearing without a trace is just baffling.