Freezes requiring reboot

[hmmurdock]

Cables can be easily hidden. My Echo was unstable. We couldn't watch TV for a couple of hours without rebooting it. I'll take a couple of extra cables over instability any day.

Amen to that.

[Dean L. Surkin]

Ceton Tech Support got back to me. They had examined the diagnostics, and had three recommendations:
1. There was a network problem--try replacing the Ethernet cable.
2. If that doesn't solve the network problem, try plugging the Echo and the HTPC directly into the router, not into the switch.
3. Downgrade the firmware from 3.20 to 3.04, following their instructions.

Solution number two would present a problem, because I have a 4-port router, one of whose ports go to the 8-port switch. I have two Echos, one HTPC, and one SiliconDust HDHomeRun Prime. Those four devices should probably either all be on the same device, and they obviously can't fit on the router (unless I get one of the businessrouters with 8 gigabit ports).

Anyway, I decided to start with step one. I had been using a Monoprice Cat6 cable (I use them throughout the house). I considered using the Ceton-supplied Cat5e cable, but I wasn't sure about whether I should risk the downgrade from Cat6 to Cat5e. I took out one of my spare Cat6 cables (although a couple of feet too long for the particular location), and replaced the Echo's cable. My wife and I watched a recorded program last night, with absolutely smooth video and audio.

I will keep testing this to see if the problem recurs, but it once again shows why troubleshooting should always start with the simplest solution.

[IownFIVEechos]

Sometimes you may think the new cable helped, but what really happened is that the wire was pulled in a way that made the echo unhappy. I notice the ports Ethernet and HDMI are very sensitive. To the point that a recovery can occur if the slightest touch is made. I Velcro them down and try and never touch them. They are as sensitive as many readers here It is a joke. Laugh people.

[Dean L. Surkin]

Sometimes you may think the new cable helped, but what really happened is that the wire was pulled in a way that made the echo unhappy.

Thanks; I had thought of that. Part of my troubleshooting a few days before included unplugging and re-plugging all the connections, and there was no improvement. It does appear that the wire was defective.

[barnabas1969]

It's really difficult for me to believe that a defective patch cable was causing a reboot (but otherwise working OK). It's also disturbing to think that a piece of consumer electronics is so sensitive that just touching the cables will cause it to reboot. I will admit that when I had the Echo, I did observe it rebooting at least once when I touched it. I assumed it was due to static electricity discharging when I touched it.

[Dean L. Surkin]

barnabas1969:
I always had the feeling that the Echo's connector panel was poorly designed (with that curve, and the way the connections seemed to be flimsy), and your comment reinforces my belief.

[th3Pil0t]

Cables can be easily hidden. My Echo was unstable. We couldn't watch TV for a couple of hours without rebooting it. I'll take a couple of extra cables over instability any day.

The instability is by far my biggest issue right now. I have gone from once a week to at least once a night restarts. I'm not sure why it's begun to degrade so much. I will try to play with the cabling tonight. It doesn't help that I am connected over MoCA, adding to the complexity, however it was working flawlessly for months with no change in setup.

Even if it was dropping packets or similar, it should report a network error (i have seen it do this in the past), not completely freeze and restart. It can be infuriating. Especially when it doesn't 'resume' playback correctly.

[Dean L. Surkin]

After two days of glitch-free performance, we saw a momentary break-up while watching the Letterman show. I was unable to determine if it was related to the Echo, my network, the HDHomeRun Prime, or due to the Cablevision/Optimum feed.

[barnabas1969]

It can be infuriating. Especially when it doesn't 'resume' playback correctly.

Yes, I remember what you mean. Sometimes, when the Echo hangs, Media Center doesn't "remember" the point in the recording where you "stopped" watching. In these cases, if you know approximately how many minutes you were into the recording, you can begin playing the recording from the beginning. After playback starts, press hhmm, PLAY on the remote (where hhmm is numeric keys for the hours/minutes). This will take you directly to that point in the recording.

[th3Pil0t]

It can be infuriating. Especially when it doesn't 'resume' playback correctly.

Yes, I remember what you mean. Sometimes, when the Echo hangs, Media Center doesn't "remember" the point in the recording where you "stopped" watching. In these cases, if you know approximately how many minutes you were into the recording, you can begin playing the recording from the beginning. After playback starts, press hhmm, PLAY on the remote (where hhmm is numeric keys for the hours/minutes). This will take you directly to that point in the recording.

Good tip! Thanks.

[Dean L. Surkin]

I tried downgrading the firmware per Ceton's instructions, and it did not work. Ceton has now suggested that I RMA that Echo.

I'm curious to know how other people have found the RMA process. Did the replacement you receive make an improvement? Because my Echo is not bricked and it plays, albeit with intermittent freezes.

[th3Pil0t]

I tried downgrading the firmware per Ceton's instructions, and it did not work. Ceton has now suggested that I RMA that Echo.

I'm curious to know how other people have found the RMA process. Did the replacement you receive make an improvement? Because my Echo is not bricked and it plays, albeit with intermittent freezes.

Good question. I have no experience RMA'ing Echo's, but please keep us posted. If it helps, I will definitely RMA one of mine.

[ucfknight]

My Echo has started to freeze up more and more. It usually can only go about 20 minutes of active TV watching before it hangs.