Getting stuff to work under Verizon FiOS

Disclaimers

I was off the FiOS network for the better part of a year after moving out of the service area.  Now I'm playing catch-up with all new equipment, new firmware and new quirks.  The information on this web page is still a combination of old and new.

I'm not with Verizon.  I don't have access to all of the information.  Verizon continues to improve their system and push out updates that may change system behavior from what is described here.  Your mileage may vary.  But here are my lessons learned, for your possible benefit.

Equipment

As of 2011-11-01, all STBs claim to be running Release 1.9, Build 10.95 of whatever:

• Motorola HD DVR QIP 72161 "Home Media DVR"
• Motorola HD DVR QIP 72161 "Regular DVR"
• Motorola HD QIP 71001 "HD Receiver"
• Actiontec MI424-WR Rev. E (a.k.a. MI424WR-GEN2) running F/W 20.10.7

In the first incarnation of FiOS I had a Motorola QIP6416-2 DVR, two Motorola QIP2500-3 STBs, and an earlier generation MI424-WR router.

Router and network issues

Can't get into router

You know the admin account name and password for the router, and possibly you even logged into it successfully before somebody pushed out an update that changed the login page... but now whenever you try to type the password, you get multiple characters per keystroke and the password field goes berserk.  You can't log in no matter what.  Using copy and paste to enter the password prevents the berserk behaviors, but you still can't log in.

This problem is caused by Verizon's customization of the router's login page.  The solution is easier than you might think.

1. Stop trying to work around the problem with copy and paste.
2. Stop trying to make the number of characters in the password field match the number of characters that you type.
3. Close your eyes.
4. Type the password.
5. Hit Enter.

That's it.  The problem is inflicted by some weird JavaScript code that (a) only works with interactive keyboard input, not copy-and-paste, and (b) generates all those scary extra characters.  Use the force, trust your feelings, and just type the darned password.

Changes to MAC filter access list don't Apply

Symptom:  Persistent inability to connect to a secured WLAN despite putting in all the right security settings.

Cause:  Adding a device to the MAC filter list and clicking on Apply does not actually Apply.

Workaround:  After changing the access list, uncheck Enable Access List, Apply, re-check Enable Access List, re-check "Accept all devices listed below," Apply.

ARP doesn't work

Symptom:  Nearly always get Destination Host Unreachable when trying to connect to another node on the LAN / WLAN.  The only time it even sometimes works is immediately after the router has been rebooted.  Complicating factor:  I have some wireless bridges.

Superficial cause:  ARP broadcasts do not propagate reliably.  I'm not sure what role the MI424-WR is supposed to be playing in this, be it bridging or Proxy ARP or both, but whatever is supposed to be happening, isn't happening.

Workaround:  Static ARP tables on all hosts.  It's not much of a solution, going back to the dark ages of networking, but it's the best answer I have for now.  Probably there is a simple configuration setting on the router or the bridges that totally fixes this, but I've looked and haven't found it.

TV issues

Can't get closed captions

Problem experienced with Motorola QIP6416-2 DVR and Sharp LC-32GP1U TV connected via HDMI, but probably applies to many other configurations:  Can't get closed captions.

The Sharp TV has the following behaviors with respect to closed captions:

• Analog cable:  OK
• Combined video:  OK
• Component video 480i:  broken (drops and mangles captions)
• Component video 480p:  NO captions
• HDMI:  NO captions

Fortunately, the DVR has its own closed caption decoder.  You can enable it via Verizon's menu by doing Menu → Settings → Accessibility → Closed Captions.  With the 1.9 update (2011-10), you can furthermore change fonts, colors, etc. from the same menu.  In the old days, you had to do it like this (tested only with Motorola QIP6416-2 DVR):

1. While the TV is on but the DVR is OFF and NOT RECORDING ANYTHING, press menu (either on the front panel of the DVR or on the remote) to access the DVR's configuration menu.
   • If the DVR is not off, you will get the Verizon menu instead of the DVR's configuration menu.
   • If the DVR is recording, you won't be able to access the configuration menu at all.
   • If a recording is scheduled to begin while you are in the menu, it will dump you out of the menu and not let you back in.
2. Enable captions on the configuration menu and select fonts, colors, etc.
3. Cycle power on the DVR.
4. Should have captions now.

Sound volume fluctuates randomly

Problem:  The sound volume fluctuates randomly sometimes, most noticeably when listening to a music station.

This problem is caused by an STB feature—audio compression—that, ironically, has the purpose of making the sound volume more consistent.  Compression does help bring up those channels that broadcast at unusually low volume, but it is not good for music.

The way to disable this feature is Menu → Settings → Audio → Dynamic Range, OK, and change it from Heavy to None.

DVR fails to record a scheduled program or only records part of it

Possible causes (other than buggy DVR firmware):

1. You tried to record more than two programs at the same time, or you tried to watch a third channel while two programs were recording.
2. If you schedule one program to record immediately after another and the programs have safety margins on the start and end times, there is a brief period of overlap in which you will need both tuners and may unknowingly blow away a third program.  To avoid this, you need to edit the detailed recording options to eliminate the safety margins.
3. If more than two "record entire series" programs apply at the same time, the DVR will choose the two with the highest priority and ignore all others.
4. The program guide is wrong, not the execution of the program per se.  This is worked around by doing a manual program.
5. If the list of series recordings becomes very long, you'll be confused about what should record and what shouldn't, and the DVR might be too.  If you tend to hit "record entire series" a lot, it's a good idea to go through the list once in a while and purge those series recordings that are no longer active.
6. There is a setting in the DVR menus to choose whether to record repeats or only first-run episodes of a series, and another setting to choose how many episodes of a series to retain.
7. Power failure or network failure.

Current DVR firmware flubs

Issues noted since 1.9 update (2011-10):

1. Previous issue where DVR ceases responding to the remote for around 10 seconds, during which time it queues keypresses, now appears at predictable times instead of at random.
   • After the firmware is updated and you have gone through the TV configuration step, the next thing it wants you to do is name your device.  Unfortunately, it tries to raise this issue when you navigate into a menu, at which point it suddenly blows away the menu and hangs for 10 seconds.  When the screen finally comes up, you probably already hit Exit a few times, and it all ends in tears.
   • Sometimes when you hit Menu it wants to pop up an advertisement or system notice before letting you do what you wanted.  This also triggers the 10-second hang behavior.
2. New black screen problem with HDMI video output (sound is unaffected).
   • 2011-11-03:  Turned on the Media DVR while a program was recording, got no video (black screen), only sound, over HDMI.  Once the program was done recording, the video returned to normal.
   • 2011-11-20:  Turned on the Media DVR when no program was recording, got black screen.  Rebooting the DVR fixed the problem.
   • 2011-11-30:  Turned on the Media DVR while a program was recording, got no video (black screen), only sound, over HDMI.  Rebooting the DVR fixed the problem.  Not logging subsequent recurrences.
   • 2012-01-13:  The problem has not reproduced since I started using a universal remote.  It now seems likely that it is related to the sequence or timing of devices being turned on.  The involved devices are the QIP 72161 "Home Media DVR," a Pioneer VSX-9040TXH receiver through which the HDMI signal is routed, and a Sharp LC-32GP1U TV.
3. The option to list only subscribed channels won't stick.
   • By default, the program guide lists all possible channels, even those not subscribed.  Instructions to change the behavior using the Options button are conveniently provided, but the change reverts immediately.
   • If you first do Menu → Settings → Television → Last Viewed Guide State, and choose Enable, then the change will revert only when the box is rebooted.  Unfortunately, I have to reboot a lot because of the black screen problem.
   • Suggestion:  By default, list only subscribed channels, and offer a non-sticky option to list the unsubscribed ones for those rare occasions.
4. Wish list:  Would be nice to be able to suppress the SD channels that duplicate subscribed HD channels without losing the non-duplicate SD channels, and simultaneously suppress all channels that are not subscribed.

The 1.9 update made a world of difference for streaming and remote operations on DVRs.  The worst glitches are gone and my wish list features were implemented.  Issues noted in 1.7 and earlier revs that I am watching for in 1.9:

1. "Save: Until Space is Needed" on series recordings didn't do what I expected.  Instead of automatically deleting the oldest recordings it quit recording new ones.  Workaround:  Don't let the DVR fill up.
2. Sometimes when playing back a program, the stop button just does not function.  Workaround:  Hit pause-stop-stop.
3. When repeatedly skipping forward, sometimes it will start playing from the same timepoint twice before actually skipping to the next one.  This is an old problem that still reproduces 2010-03.
4. After being accessed remotely from an STB, the Media DVR spontaneously reboots when next turned on.

The wicked, evil fembot

If you have made her acquaintance, you'll know who I'm talking about.  If you haven't met her yet, you will.

When you need to get rid of her, the magic word is "agent."  Use it insistently.  She might refuse to budge unless you first choose which of the following options best describes your problem, yadda ya, but having done that, you should get through to an actual real live person.

Hopefully that will be an improvement.  I don't worry about robots passing the Turing test.  I worry about people flunking it.

I'm told that hitting zero repeatedly also works.

These tricks only work by phone.  There is no way to get through to a live person by e-mail.

KB
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