MySky, phone home

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JohnPorter

187 posts

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#10361 17-Nov-2006 17:58

My decoder is dialling out - is anyone else's? You can tell by the extra light on the front panel. Picking up the speakerphone, I hear it dial, and then "This is a recorded announcement. Your call cannot be completed because of overloading."

Anyone know what's going on? I would guess that it has been instructed via satellite to phone home and report the signal strength, this being the first real rain since the satellite switchover. Can anyone confirm or deny?

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#52842 17-Nov-2006 18:05

The only reason that it dials out is if you have exceeded you credit limit due to using PPV services while the phone line was disconnected so eventually it has to ring HQ to ensure you are billed.

Since the D1 change over unless any of the tuners are on one of two transponders that are a bit low all signals are significantly stronger than before. Documentry channel, and PPV channels 70+ are on low level transponders. Bucketing down here in Kapiti at the moment, but the BER on those low level transponders is still 1E-3 which is adequate and should not cause any breakup.

Cyril

JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

#52848 17-Nov-2006 18:35

I have never used any PPV, and my phone line has always been connected. Should I be concerned?

The other thing I thought was maybe due to the unleashing of xtra broadband. Since that happened, my Telecom caller id machine no longer works - it says "line error". But my download rate has gone up to 4.7m, so I'm not complaining!

cyril7

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#52849 17-Nov-2006 18:37

Have you got DSL filters on all POTS devices, including the Sky Box. The box should not be dialing, call Sky get it sorted.

Cyril

grant_k

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#52855 17-Nov-2006 18:52

JohnPorter: I have never used any PPV, and my phone line has always been connected. Should I be concerned?

This happened to me after the installer had been around and we tried to get MySky to do an "Installation Test". It failed on the part where MySky phones home to Sky to verify the installation.

Unbeknown to me, it kept dialling Sky's 0800 number 10 or so times every 4 hours for about 2 weeks until I realised what was going on.

There is an option to change the Dialout Prefix under the Installer Menu. Maybe this is set incorrectly and MySky is never able to successfully phone home to Sky and therefore keeps trying?

Just a thought...

JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

#52863 17-Nov-2006 19:41

Yes there is a filter installed, done by the MySky installer actually, back in Feb. Did try the "System Test" menu the other day, and it said the phone line was ok. It didn't dial when I did the test though. Just did it again now and checked.

It only started dialling recently. Just noticed today. Would have noticed if it was doing it before, i'm sure. I'll call Sky. Thanks for the feedback.

JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

#52971 19-Nov-2006 09:04

It is dialling out at 2, 6 and 10 each day - every 4 hours as Grant mentioned. Tech is coming out. Thanks again.

JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

#53662 26-Nov-2006 10:22

Well, the tech has been and gone, and the problem is still happening. He checked the phone line, the ADSL filter and requested a manual callback. I was a bit confused about whether that worked or not. He said he was new, but he seemed to know what he was doing. He did a power off / power on, and called a few other folks. No one had heard of this problem being reported. He wanted to replace the box. I thought maybe the power off would fix it and wasn't eager to lose all recorded programs, so I deferred that for the time being.

I subsequently tried unplugging everything else from phone jacks - ADSL modem, phones, caller id. The problem is still happening.

Listening in on the call again, it is still saying "your call cannot be completed due to overloading". Surely this means a lot of Sky boxes are affected, and people just haven't noticed. A UK site suggests this may be caused by incorrect postcodes. The only symptom is that an additional light comes on on the front panel for 10 minutes every 4 hours. It's easy to believe that a lot of people wouldn't notice.

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#53666 26-Nov-2006 10:42

I hope it's dialing out in your own area code and not running your bill high (well, only if the call goes through anyway)...

JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

#53670 26-Nov-2006 11:17

I had checked my Telecom ebill, and there were no toll calls. No unbilled calls either. So the only detriment to me is that a light comes on sometimes, and the phone line might be busy if I go to call out at the wrong time. I think I'll wait and let them find the real problem.

Reon

69 posts

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#54073 28-Nov-2006 22:45

Hi

My MySky Decoder in now trying to dial out like yours every 4 hours around 6pm and 10pm when I have seen the green light flash .

I've just disconnected the phone line, I listened to it a couple of times and it connected alright with another modem and talked for 30-60 seconds then hangup but then it just keeps redialing!?

Have you found out why yours is dialing out? or has it stopped now?

Cheers
Reon

grant_k

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#54075 28-Nov-2006 23:05

Reon: I've just disconnected the phone line, I listened to it a couple of times and it connected alright with another modem and talked for 30-60 seconds then hangup but then it just keeps redialing!?

Have you found out why yours is dialing out? or has it stopped now?

A couple of points I discovered here:

1) MySky is programmed to call 0800 002 387 as part of its installation procedure.

2) A modem answers at the other end and if the data transfer does not complete successfully, MySky will retry this number 10 times at one minute intervals. After the 10th time it gives up but then the whole sequence repeats every 4 hours.

3) In my case, the data transfer did not complete because we had just disconnected our landline and changed to iTalk for our phone service.

4) The only way I could stop MySky dialling was to disconnect it from the phone jack altogether.

That was the situation until we got VFX from WorldxChange. Then, Tada...

5) Reconnected MkSky to phone line.

6) Entered the installer menu and selected Installation Test.

7) MySky then dialled out and completed the data transfer successfully, since then has not dialled out again.

I hope that helps.

Cheers,
Grant.

JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

#54076 28-Nov-2006 23:06

I haven't been watching at the right times the last couple of days, but I presume it is still doing it. I still think that either they downloaded a wrong number from the satellite, or the unleashed broadband is affecting it.

Do you have Xtra broadband?

I'm in Christchurch. Where are you? Maybe we can figure it out if we get enough people reporting it.

grant_k

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#54078 28-Nov-2006 23:14

JohnPorter: Do you have Xtra broadband?

Nope. I use ICONZ with a BCL wireless connection.

JohnPorter: I'm in Christchurch. Where are you?

In the Bay of Islands.

I just tried dialling the 0800 number mentioned earlier. A modem answered immediately. So I would suggest going into your installer menu now and doing the Installation Test. MySky should be able to complete it and then it should shut up!

JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

#54079 28-Nov-2006 23:17

Reon: I've just disconnected the phone line, I listened to it a couple of times and it connected alright with another modem and talked for 30-60 seconds then hangup but then it just keeps redialing!?

Yours connects? Mine always gets either a busy signal or "cannot be completed due to overloading". I decided not to unplug the phone line, cuz the light flashes more quickly then, and is more distracting.

I thought it sounded like an 0800 number (by listening to it dial, then dialling 0800 myself), but the tech who came out said it should be another number.

Are you in the South Island, Grant?

JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

#54081 28-Nov-2006 23:21

Ok, I dialled the 0800 number and got a modem.

How do you get into the installer menu? I have done system test and it said it was connected ok.

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