InfiniTV 4 CableCard and TA issues

[conweller]

My InfiniTV hasn't had any issues in the past, but a new cable company (Cox) came with adding a tuner adapter(Cisco STA1520) to my setup, and I can't get it working for the life of me.

Ceton InfiniTV 4
PCIe Driver version: 1.0.2.4
Firmware version:13.5.6.132
Tuning Adapter Driver Version: 13.02.20.1332
Hardware revision: 6210

For the CableCard the web diagnostics state:
Not Validated, Binding Authentication Complete, Validation Message not received yet

I've been on the phone with Cox half a dozen times, making sure that they're putting in the correct host ID, and all the other info matches up. But still no luck.

For the Tuning Adapter I'm seeing:
TR Status: Waiting for channel map
Downstream Status: Downstream RF not locked
Upstream Status: Upstream not connecting
Authentication Status: Authenticated
Tuning Resolver Operational Status: TR initializing

Another odd thing I'm seeing in the status summary of the tuning adapater diagnostic I'm seeing:
Tuner: Invalid
Don't know if that's a cause or a result of whatever the issue is (and I certainly don't know how to resolve it.)

I've tried 12 hours worth of uninstall/reinstalls of ceton software, power cycles of the tuning adapter, restarting the tuning adapter service, and 3 Cox technicians have failed to resolve the issue.

I've verified that bypassing the TA and cablecard does allow me to get 4 channels, so the physical connection to the wall is "working."
EDIT: Clarification, I can get 4 channels if I plug in directly to the TV. Windows Media Center also identifies those channels as viewable, but I am unable to view them in WMC (I'm not sure if this is expected when using a digital service without a cablecard in the ceton and WMC?)
EDIT #2: Looks like it will only work with a cablecard if you have first used a cablecard with WMC and then removed the card, so that doesn't seem to be saying anything.

Do you think the tuning adapter is causing the cablecard issues? Or the cablecard issues causing the tuning adapter issues? Or are they both causing issues? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[BangBang]

without the TA booted up you wont get anything. Sounds like they didn't provision the tuning adapter correctly

[conweller]

without the TA booted up you wont get anything. Sounds like they didn't provision the tuning adapter correctly

So the problem is likely with the tuning adapter, and not with how my infinitv is handling the tuning adapter? I've got the USB plugged in, and the machine recognizes the adapter and properly installs the driver. (I've got another Cox technician coming over today and if the problem is on my end I get to pay Cox for the trouble.)

[mdavej]

It's more than that. You have to get the cable card working first. You mentioned the Host ID, but they also need the Data ID. Once the cable card works, the TA will probably start working. Keep going up the ladder until you find someone who knows how to activate your cable card. If they don't ask you for all 3 numbers (card, host, data), ask for someone else.

[signcarver]

It's more than that. You have to get the cable card working first. You mentioned the Host ID, but they also need the Data ID. Once the cable card works, the TA will probably start working. Keep going up the ladder until you find someone who knows how to activate your cable card. If they don't ask you for all 3 numbers (card, host, data), ask for someone else.

The TA he got was from cisco so I would assume the cablecard is also cisco and they don't use data id's as that is for motorola. If he has a moto card and a cisco TA, I don't know what would happen.

I agree you have to get the cablecard working first. If you go to the device web page and click on cablecard the card authorization should say "Validated, validation message is received, authenticated, and the IDs match those in the current binding" ... with someone I recently helped on a prime (instead of a infinitv), I also needed them to go to the CA page (for the ceton it is from that cablecard page) and see that the status was Ready... on his it was not staged and this apparently caused the the TA to also go into a not authenticated state after previously authenticating. Also on the cablecard page, check near the bottom as to what the OOB levels are.

Once you get the cablecard paired correctly, you then can work on the TA and verify signal levels... best page to do this on is Tuning Adapter, Diagnostics, RF statistics.

[JohnW248]

Start this way:

1. Make sure you ran the Digital Cable Advisor in Media Center and passed it and allowed it to make changes to your system (don't run MC full screen when you do this since there is a UAC you have to approve and if you miss it, the update will time out and not be done).

2. Disconnect the TA

3. Install the cableCARD in the tuner, open the Ceton Diagnostic Utility
4. Get the host ID, cableCARD serial number and Card ID and call your cable company. Have them pair the card. No matter what they tell you, they don't know if you got the signals or not, that's up to you. If you have a Cisco Card you'll see (from the web gui under the cableCARD links for the Host ID screen:
Cisco CableCARD(tm)
In order to start service for
this device please call
Ph: (855) 286-1736 (This number won't work)
CableCARD ID:0-011-430-223-690 This is unique to your tuner, all the Ceton products start with 0-011-430
Host ID:0-570-000-240-657 This is unique to the cableCARD
Type:One-Way Authorization Received You will only see Type: one-way until it is authorized.

If you can't get that far, there may be a signal issue (there certainly is with your TA right now). If something is blocking the OOB signal from your cableCARD it can't be turned on. This could be due to a filter in the line if you only had internet service before or a bad splitter or amp.

If you get the card paired it will receive all your channels which are not SDV just as is. Then you need to connect the TA. It is wise to run your drop to a two way splitter and then one lead each to the Ceton and one to the TA. The TA has to have a upstream connection and that can be blocked by a non-cable company amp, a bad splitter or or a problem with the RF installation at your location. Usually TAs come provisioned and don't require pairing (this is not always true with Moto devices). You cannot mix Moto equipment with Cisco equipment. The frequencies and data are different and the encryption on Moto is different than encryption on Cisco.

Report back with your updates.

[conweller]

Neither of the first two techs who came to fix it thought to check for a block on my line, or even check channel signals. Third one comes, checks the signal sees that it's blocked, goes down and removes the TV block on the outside line, company resends authorization and everything works fine.

[foxwood]

Neither of the first two techs who came to fix it thought to check for a block on my line, or even check channel signals. Third one comes, checks the signal sees that it's blocked, goes down and removes the TV block on the outside line, company resends authorization and everything works fine.

As you said, they'd charge you for the call out if they found it was your fault. No chance that they'd reimburse you for the time you wasted with the first two feckless idiots, of course!

[JohnW248]

Neither of the first two techs who came to fix it thought to check for a block on my line, or even check channel signals. Third one comes, checks the signal sees that it's blocked, goes down and removes the TV block on the outside line, company resends authorization and everything works fine.

As you said, they'd charge you for the call out if they found it was your fault. No chance that they'd reimburse you for the time you wasted with the first two feckless idiots, of course!

Actually in cases like this, there is a strong possibility that they'll give you a credit on your cable bill. It won't hurt to present your case and ask for a couple of months free. They probably won't do that, but giving a service credit and keeping you as a customer doesn't really cost them anything. My theory is any time they have to give you a credit, it goes higher and maybe they'll take the time to properly train their techs so that they will go through a simple protocol to check the signal first. (They do that here now as a matter of course--full spectrum scan.)

[l00ty]

I've had a ton of trouble with cox (fairfax).

I didn't get it working correctly up until about 2 months in.
I had over 18 tech coming and going, if you are in fairfax, va I can give you some number of the people that actually made it all work. (pm me)

There were various issues, they had to replace the line outside (coming into my building) they had to do a cable drop, rebuild my account, get me new equipment and the list goes on.

First of all on their site, they say that one tunner adapter can haddle up to 4 tunners, but in reality you need one TA for every 2 tunners, meaning if you have a Infinitv 4 you will need 2 TAs and if you have a Infinitv 6 you will need 3 TAs.

Make sure your signal is strong. (run your own test and let them run theirs aswell)

Make sure the cable card is validated, just call in or use their chat online (I found that easier) and ask them to send your CableCARD a master reset, which is sometimes called a grandslam hit, or a cold hit, or a DAC Init hit.

Once that is done, wait a bit and your cable card should get validated (check on ceton's tool and or on the card page)

Now unplug your TAs (Tunner Adapters) both from power and USB. wait 10 secs.

Plug ONLY the power, wait a few minutes until the green light is solid (it may take anywhere from 1 min to 15 mins, first time might be even more, it took me 39 minutes)

Once both TAs have the solid green light plug the USB cord in the master TA ( ask tech support wich is wich), wait another minute until you computer recognizes it and it "syncs"
Now plug in the second TA and that should work.

That is the proper way to hook up the system. if you ever loose power or turn off the system you'll have to follow the same procedure again, minus the hit on the CableCard (unless it shows not validated).

I also had a problem that my ceton card wasn't keeping the validation so every time the system rebooted I needed to have it re-validated, I opened a ticket with Ceton and they replaced the card, now all is good.

If you'd like me to go into more details on patches (windows) firmware (ceton) or any other procedures let me know on the forum so if anyone else needs help they can find it

[foxwood]

It sounds like you got dumped with a bunch of old, no longer supported equpiment in Fairfax.

The manufacturers of the cablecards and the cable company's headend equipment have supported more than 2 tuners per TA a long time now. If your Cable Company is forcing you to use 2 TA's to use a 4 Tuner InfiniTV, then it's because they haven't upgraded the firmware on their equipment.

[RyC]

IIRC, if you file a ticket with Ceton, they may be able to nudge your cable operator to upgrade the firmware so you only need 1 TA.

[signcarver]

l00ty: What firmware are your TA's on and how long ago was this as it has been 2 years since Cox should have pushed out the TA firmware that can support 6 streams (if it truly is 2, it also doesn't follow FCC guidelines of 4 minimum that went into effect Aug 1 2011... though some could interpret that they must support a minimum of 4 SDV channels as allowing the use of 2 TAs, but most stand alone tuners only have 1 USB port and often the TAs don't like to be on a hub so it is far easier to support 6 on one TA, since both moto and SA TAs currently support 6, to make sure they are compliant) I believe fairfax does have access to the new 6 tuner dvr so they are required to support 6.

Now if this was 2 years ago, I understand the problem that you had.... Also you may have needed to make the TA sit for a couple of hours connected to upgrade to the new firmware (or have them push it out... I think a couple of places do it during a maintenance window overnight). The key is to check the firmware version (Cox should be on F.1601 for cisco areas. Cisco jumped from 2 to 6 streams at F.1402, I am not aware of a cox cisco/SA area that is under F.1501... Moto supported 4 streams at 1.32 and 1.36 added 6 stream support... I don't know the current cox firmware for moto TAs as most moto areas didn't use TAs until recently)

[erkotz]

I've had a ton of trouble with cox (fairfax).
First of all on their site, they say that one tunner adapter can haddle up to 4 tunners, but in reality you need one TA for every 2 tunners, meaning if you have a Infinitv 4 you will need 2 TAs and if you have a Infinitv 6 you will need 3 TAs.

This is incorrect. FCC regulations require that TAs support a minimum of 4 tuners, or as many tuners as their highest-features STB does, whichever is greater. Additionally, we (Ceton) proactively reached out to cable operators over the past year and had them upgrade their TA firmware to a version that supports 6 tuners.

To the best of my knowledge, there are no systems deployed in the US using TAs which support less than 6 tuners.

From what you posted, it sounds like your first TA was not provisioned correctly. You definitely should not need a second TA. I would recommend you open a support ticket with us.