Confirming settings on the DirecTV receiver or DVR itself

Following the steps below, you can confirm that your Android device and DirecTV receiver or DVR is properly configured for network access.

Please follow all of the steps outlined below and include the results when contacting technical support about connection issues.  The reason is because the first thing I will do is point you to this very FAQ and ask what the results of the steps are.    It isn't meant to be punishment, but if any of these are not correct then it will NOT work, and these are requirements of the app that are completely out of my control.  I can say with absolute certainty that if one or more of your receivers are not coming up in the app (and they are a compatible model and set to allow external access) then the problem is a network issue on your end.  Sorry to be so blunt about it but it is a fact.

As with just about anything, problems discovered below can be corrected!  But the first step is determining what is preventing the app from seeing your DirecTV receiver(s) and that is the goal of this document!

 

New:  This FAQ now includes more clarification on what needs to be corrected in order to get it working.  Where applicable, look for the "solution" text.

 

Tip:  Aside from the DirecTV receivers simply not being networked, a very common issue is #6 (EXTERNAL DEVICE settings)!  Also, if you have a Genie system with CLIENTS, be sure that all clients are powered ON prior to scanning.

 

     1)  Ensure that your mobile device (phone / tablet) is connected to your home network via WiFi.  The DirecTV receiver(s) must be on this same network, but can be connected wirelessly or via ethernet cable.

 

     2)  When scanning begins, a message will briefly appear with the IP address assigned to your mobile device.  Make a note of it and cancel the scan.

 

     3)  Using your real remote, navigate to:  MENU > SETTINGS & HELP > SETTINGS > INFO & TEST > MORE SYSTEM INFO.  Please note that these menus may be different on Genie systems/clients.

 

     4)  Verify the following:

          A)  Receiver:  (MODEL) -  Please be sure that the model listed is one of the compatible models listed in the app requirements.

          Solution:  If you do not have a compatible receiver model then the first step to making this app work is to get one.  DirecTV only allows network control of specific models.

          B)  Network IP address:  (xxx.xxx.x.xxx) -  Ensure that the first three sets of numbers found on the DirecTV receiver's system info screen match the first three sets of numbers as seen in the Android app.  For example, the app reports your IP as "192.168.1.124" and the receiver reports its IP as "192.168.1.112".  If the numbers highlighted in yellow do not match each other, then you will NOT be able to connect.  Essentially, when the first three sets of numbers match then both devices are on the same network.  When they do not match, they are not on the same network.
          Solution:  If they do not match (or do match but it still doesn't work), see "Common situations that can cause the IP addresses to not match" below as well as the paragraph underneath it.

While not a necessity, it will also be a "bonus" if you see (static) next to the IP address listed in your receiver.  This means that the IP address will never change, which would require you to re-scan your network with the app!  If you are using DHCP Reservation in your router and it has been setup for your DirecTV receiver(s), then the absence of (static) is not important.

          C)  Network:  Connected
          Solution:  If it doesn't say "Connected" here then your DirecTV receivers are not connected to a network at all.  You will need to either connect them directly to your home network using an ethernet cable to your router or some kind of WiFi solution.  Another option is to request Whole Home service from DirecTV along with the Cinema Connection Kit.
          D)  Internet:  Connected
          Solution:  If it doesn't say "Connected" here then most likely your receivers are not connected to your home network.  If the receiver shows "Connected" under network but not under internet, then the problem could be that you have Whole Home service but without the Cinema Connection Kit.  In this case you would need the CCK which connects your DirecTV receiver network to your home network.

 

     5)  Go to MENU > SETTINGS & HELP > SETTINGS > WHOLE-HOME > NAME LOCATION and enter a name for your receiver such as LIVING ROOM or BEDROOM.  Please note that these menus may be different on Genie systems/clients.

          Solution:  If you do not enter a name here, the receiver will appear as UNNAMED in the DirecTV Remote+ app.  After changing the name here you will need to re-scan for receivers in order for the app to recognize the new name.

     6)  Go to MENU > SETTINGS & HELP > SETTINGS > WHOLE-HOME > EXTERNAL DEVICE and ensure that all options are set to Allow.  Please note that these menus may be different on Genie systems/clients.
          Solution:  If those options are not set to "Allow" then the solution is to change them to "Allow"!  If these are not set to "Allow" then the receivers will block attempts to communicate with them.

Repeat this process for each of your DirecTV receivers.  When done, try scanning again.
Again, if any of these items are not how they are listed above, then the DirecTV Remote app will not be able to communicate with your DirecTV receivers.  It is as simple as that.  I will be glad to help you troubleshoot and correct the problem but you MUST tell me what is wrong first.  Please use these steps to help determine the problem then let me know what your results were.

 

Common situations that can cause the IP addresses to not "match":

Aside from not being networked at all, your DirecTV receivers might be networked with each other, but not connected to your home network

It's important to realize that it is possible that your receiver's themselves may be able to communicate with each other but the receivers cannot communicate outside of their private network (and if this is the case, then the numbers mentioned in the scenario above will not match).  This can happen if you had Whole Home DVR service installed professionally but did not get the Cinema Connection Kit.  Without this extra part, your receivers can talk to each other, but they are in their own private network and thus cannot communicate with your home network.  With the CCK, that network is connected to your home network, thus allowing them to access the internet as well as other devices on your home network (your mobile phone / tablet running this app).  If you self-installed your Whole-Home network by connecting your receivers to your router, then the IP addresses should match your mobile device as mentioned above.

 
The IP addresses may (or may not) match, but it still won't connect:

Your router may support multiple networks and your phone is not connected to the same one as your DirecTV receiver(s).  In some cases both networks may have similar looking IP addresses and in other cases they may not.

Some routers may support multiple networks.  For example, some wireless routers have a "guest access" feature which allows guests to your home to access the internet but blocks them from accessing devices and files on your network.  If you have one of these types of wireless routers then you might want to confirm which network your phone and DirecTV receivers are actually connecting to.  While dual-networks may not be very common, I can assure you that I have helped quite a few people who had this exact issue.

Other possibilities:

• You have a WiFi access point that is configured incorrectly and is essentially isolating wireless traffic from wired traffic.
• You have multiple WiFi access points or a Wireless router in addition to a WiFi access point and they are configured incorrectly causing traffic on them to be isolated from one another.

 

For more info and troubleshooting steps, see this FAQ as well.

Tags: Receiver Setup, Troubleshooting