HDHR's bricked by software update?
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2022 2:42 am
General questions:
Has anyone had an older HDHR get bricked by loading the SiliD HDHR software on a Windows 10 PC?
Is there any way to do a firmware "factory reset" on these units?
Details:
Am in the process of building new PC for HTPC - got a new TV and would like to do 4K but the old Windows 8.1 box is unable to supply that.
Loaded up Windows 10 21H2, and GaRyan2's WMC package - picked it because am already using EPG123. Followed instructions and all was well until I tried to set up the tuners and remembered I have to load the HDHR software first. Downloaded latest/greatest Win version from SiliD, installed. HDHR_config_gui rattled around for awhile, but eventually found both boxes - a venerable HDHR3-US and a somewhat newer HDHR4-US. When I went to the second tab to do a channel scan, it said it couldn't find the HDHR3 any more. Sure enough, I couldn't ping or get its web page. I did a Scan on the HDHR4 which as usual took a while to find all the channels, but completed normally.
Both tuners had their status lights green, but I wanted to get the old one back by resetting it in order to do its scan. Rather than unplug them (inconvenient location), I cycled the power strip switch. Both units went thru their power up sequence. The nearby HP LAN switch showed both as having active ports. However, now NEITHER of them are working. The green LEDs on the front left are solid on, I forget - but didn't they used to flash with LAN activity? The HDHR4 has a LED on the back by the LAN connector that is red when unplugged, and green when plugged - obviously it can still tell... A lot of fuss and feathers later, including finding an alternate higher current 5V PS block, different LAN cables, different LAN switch, etc., nothing has helped, and they are both dead to the world as far as responding to the LAN (ping, tracert, http, etc.). In other words, I loaded software, it started to work, but I now have two bricks.
Conspiracy theory: (/Incompetence theory?)
Did SiliD put something in their latest software build that pushes a firmware update, which so happens to brick the older units? Their webpage does say "HDHomeRun Sofware for Windows -- includes firmware upgrade". Could it be they actually didn't check for compatibility with older units/versions and just blindly pushed something?
OK, I don't expect a reasonable answer to an unreasonable question, but still, it seems like a big coincidence. The older unit may have had an intermittent problem already and I didn't notice (although it worked well enough to be seen by the software at first), but for the other one to ALSO go out permanently just because of a power cycle seems, well, odd. I had done the same process on another old computer in my shop a few months ago with no issues (earlier HDHR software version). And they're not flakey, they're utterly dead to the LAN. The old phase "the lights are on, but nobody's home" fits perfectly.
Anyway, I seem to have two bricks, which leads to my second question above - is there some magic procedure to force these things back to a "factory reset" state? Unlike most LAN Routers and other such appliances, these don't have a button or a little hole with a reset button behind it for a paper clip reset. Lifted the lid; there aren't any jumper blocks inside like for a PC CMOS reset, just a "CN1" solder-in socket for something.
As I type this it occurs to me maybe they could have hard coded the ip address and did something to break DHCP? They are reserved by MAC address in my Router DHCP table, and show up in the Router's table, but don't show up elsewhere on a different ip address. Am too lazy/tired to persue beyond that without some expert guidance.
Any thoughts? Thanks!
PS... Yeah, this is sounding like more of a hardwre/SiliD problem, so I guess I'll ... ahem, sanitize this a bit and post on their their forum too.
Has anyone had an older HDHR get bricked by loading the SiliD HDHR software on a Windows 10 PC?
Is there any way to do a firmware "factory reset" on these units?
Details:
Am in the process of building new PC for HTPC - got a new TV and would like to do 4K but the old Windows 8.1 box is unable to supply that.
Loaded up Windows 10 21H2, and GaRyan2's WMC package - picked it because am already using EPG123. Followed instructions and all was well until I tried to set up the tuners and remembered I have to load the HDHR software first. Downloaded latest/greatest Win version from SiliD, installed. HDHR_config_gui rattled around for awhile, but eventually found both boxes - a venerable HDHR3-US and a somewhat newer HDHR4-US. When I went to the second tab to do a channel scan, it said it couldn't find the HDHR3 any more. Sure enough, I couldn't ping or get its web page. I did a Scan on the HDHR4 which as usual took a while to find all the channels, but completed normally.
Both tuners had their status lights green, but I wanted to get the old one back by resetting it in order to do its scan. Rather than unplug them (inconvenient location), I cycled the power strip switch. Both units went thru their power up sequence. The nearby HP LAN switch showed both as having active ports. However, now NEITHER of them are working. The green LEDs on the front left are solid on, I forget - but didn't they used to flash with LAN activity? The HDHR4 has a LED on the back by the LAN connector that is red when unplugged, and green when plugged - obviously it can still tell... A lot of fuss and feathers later, including finding an alternate higher current 5V PS block, different LAN cables, different LAN switch, etc., nothing has helped, and they are both dead to the world as far as responding to the LAN (ping, tracert, http, etc.). In other words, I loaded software, it started to work, but I now have two bricks.
Conspiracy theory: (/Incompetence theory?)
Did SiliD put something in their latest software build that pushes a firmware update, which so happens to brick the older units? Their webpage does say "HDHomeRun Sofware for Windows -- includes firmware upgrade". Could it be they actually didn't check for compatibility with older units/versions and just blindly pushed something?
OK, I don't expect a reasonable answer to an unreasonable question, but still, it seems like a big coincidence. The older unit may have had an intermittent problem already and I didn't notice (although it worked well enough to be seen by the software at first), but for the other one to ALSO go out permanently just because of a power cycle seems, well, odd. I had done the same process on another old computer in my shop a few months ago with no issues (earlier HDHR software version). And they're not flakey, they're utterly dead to the LAN. The old phase "the lights are on, but nobody's home" fits perfectly.
Anyway, I seem to have two bricks, which leads to my second question above - is there some magic procedure to force these things back to a "factory reset" state? Unlike most LAN Routers and other such appliances, these don't have a button or a little hole with a reset button behind it for a paper clip reset. Lifted the lid; there aren't any jumper blocks inside like for a PC CMOS reset, just a "CN1" solder-in socket for something.
As I type this it occurs to me maybe they could have hard coded the ip address and did something to break DHCP? They are reserved by MAC address in my Router DHCP table, and show up in the Router's table, but don't show up elsewhere on a different ip address. Am too lazy/tired to persue beyond that without some expert guidance.
Any thoughts? Thanks!
PS... Yeah, this is sounding like more of a hardwre/SiliD problem, so I guess I'll ... ahem, sanitize this a bit and post on their their forum too.