So knowing that I have to pair on the local network, and that updates to the app side or the Tablo side either one will break the pairing, I need to be able to ensure that there will be no updates applied for an extended period. I will be away from the home network for an extended period and do NOT want to lose the ability to watch remotely during that time.
I know the theory is I have to agree to apply the upgrade, but that was not my experience with the 2.2.2 upgrade on Tablo side. it just showed up one day. So call me paranoid, but is it certain future updates will only occur when I agree to it?
I have never had a firmware update install without myself actually saying yes to it.
Is there anyone else who uses your Tablo? Maybe they accepted the update from 2.2.2 to 2.2.6.
While sometimes firmware or app updates can unpair playback devices, I will note that the update to 2.2.6 did not unpair my iPhone and iPad for remote viewing. Even updating the iPad app a few days ago to 1.0.23 also did not unpair it. So the issue is not universal.
However, a simple router reboot which results in a new External IP being assigned to your router by your ISP will unpair all devices and require re-pairing to watch the Tablo remotely. In addition, most ISPs do not provide Static IPs unless you pay extra for the feature, so once your DHCP lease is up you will also get a new External IP from your ISP without rebooting your router. This also unpairs the playback devices.
My point is even without updating the firmware or app you may have a device unpaired.
Your external IP changing should not unpair the device. If it does that is a serious issue with Tablo. Most dynamic IP’s change periodically as it is. For a number of reasons.
@theuser86 - you don’t understand the life of a “snowbird” obviously. I’m not going to be hauling my antenna and hard drive and trying to set up with different OTA sources for 2 or 3 months waiting for the snow to end at home but would like to keep up with my recorded shows, and avoid the dreaded “disk full” situation.
The only other user is my wife, but she has been trained to not accept anything on the computer without checking with me first! This after removing multiple virii, and a half dozen “tool bars” in her browser some years back…
If you plan to use the Tablo remotely for 2-3 months without repairing, I don’t think this will work.
This has been a big complaint that the Tablo Connect be username and password access so you can login anytime without pairing. Tablo has acknowledged the desire for this feature, but it will likely be quite a while before we see it.
Till then I use a VPN server where the Tablo is located to re-pair when I need to if I’m not there.
Most devices I’ve seen that are accessible remotely, generaly keep a remote server, in this case one at Tablo, updated with the external IP address. Then when your app wants to access your Tablo it connects to that server and knows where to go. Since Dynamic IP address’s can change at any time this is imperative if you want continuous remote access. From what I am hearing is that Tablo doesn’t have this feature.
I use a DYNDNS service that maintains my external IP address so I always have access to my home network. My router automatically updates this if my IP changes. A couple other devices I have allow me to input the IP address I need to connect to along with the port number. In those cases I just enter the DYNDNS address and it goes right thru.
Tablo either needs to set up a server with their units to maintain the address or make the app such that one can enter an IP address to access. I would think this would be high priority if they want to please those who are used to that feature. Having coming from satellite which was always accessible I used it quite often to set up to record or watch something when I was away.
I’ve been one of the more vocal whiners about this issue and it really bit my wife hard. Too bad cause she was really digging the remote viewing until it lost pairing. Now, we’re stuck with no future trip planned to re-pair her iPhone so we’ve backed off buying any more Tablos.
We would’ve bought at least one if not two more. Too bad…
I’ve discovered software updates don’t always, if ever, break pairing. And even though I’m fairly certain updates don’t always break pairing you’ll just never know which one will so just get used to clicking the damn “not now” button whenever you launch a viewing session and there’s new software to install.
If you do try this while snow birding , make sure to set a manual DNS in your router. That seemed to do more for stabilizing this issue than anything else I’ve tried. My IOS iPhone pairing hasn’t broken for months now but you just never know when it will.
but would like to keep up with my recorded shows, and avoid the dreaded “disk full” situation.