Among the many weird, unpredictable, and unexplainable bugs which I have encountered with Tablo, this latest one absolutely takes first prize:
Since the latest firmware upgrade at the beginning of September (2.2.2), I have been unable to connect my iPhone either over Wi-Fi or remotely using my cell phone carrier, but only on weekends. It’s as if somebody turns off a server at Tablo before leaving work on Friday and turns it back on when they return on Monday!
The first time this happened, on September 12th, I ignored it and it disappeared when the weekend ended. On the 19th, the same thing took place and I was surprised at the coincidence of it happening again a week later. This weekend, once again, the same problem has arisen, making this “coincidence” seem more repeatable.
Has anybody else seen this peculiar problem ? It is only a minor inconvenience for me, since I mostly use Roku as my viewing device and it never has this connection problem. I do, however, like to occasionally view Tablo away from home on weekends to watch, let’s say, the Sunday morning news shows, and this is impossible.
Needless to say, I did not experience this problem in the prior 10 months I have been using Tablo, up to the firmware upgrade early in September.
Thanks for any comments or feedback or suggestions.
Are you at the same location as the Tablo when you try to watch? Remember that the phone needs to be paired with the Tablo prior to being used away from home. One trick that I have learned is to use Tablo just prior to leaving home and let it do its sync prior to leaving. I start it prior to getting in the shower, because there is no telling how long it will take. If it has been a while since you’ve used Tablo on your phone, it will take longer.
The same problem occurs whether I try to connect locally via WiFi or via my phone carrier if away from home. The first step, locating the Tablo, occurs correctly and quickly. The second step, “Connecting” waits forever without connecting.
The pairing worked fine before the weekend and after the weekend without any need to re-pair / set up a new UPnP / port assignment. It just seems not to work when I try to use it on weekends since the 2.2.2. firmware was installed. Furthermore, since I cannot connect to the Tablo with my iOS portable device either through WiFi or on my carrier, there is NO WAY to re-pair just before leaving home. Nor is there apparently any need to, since the connection resumes working on Mondays.
For the last 2 weekends, it ‘magically’ started connecting / working again after the weekend. It is as if my router had been scheduled to block Tablo connections on a fixed weekly schedule on weekends. This is NOT the case however, and as I said, all my other 6 Rokus connect just fine 7 days a week.
This is purely an iOS issue AFAIK. And strangely repeating itself.
Do you or anyone in your family have an Android phone too? If so, do they work away from home on the weekend? If so, that would point to either the Tablo IOS app or the IOS itself. If not, do you have a friend with an Android phone that could try on the weekend?
That does sound strange. I wonder if anyone else using IOS device has the problem too.
I wasn’t meaning re-pair - just sync new programs and programs deleted, and the new EPG.
When running 2.2.2 I had no issues with my iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2 both running iOS 9. I am now on 2.2.5 beta and again no issues. Just connected on my iPhone 6.
Which exact iOS device are you using? What iOS version?
Can you please try rebooting your router and Tablo? Then Can you try deleting the Tablo app from said device, reboot the device, then re-install the Tablo app? Do these all together.
Rebooting the 3 devices (router, Tablo, iPhone 6+) and reinstalling fresh Tablo app FIXED the problem. At least for now. Will be curious to see if it re-appears next weekend or later today. I am presently using latest 9.0.1.IOS and no beta anything.
I think the Tablo app for iOS is the likely culprit. I have been noticeing that every once in awhile I start it and rather than runnin normally, the app immediately returns to the iPhone home screen. Restarting it generally works the 2nd time.
Now approx 2 AM Monday Sept. 28th with endless “Contacting…” And a “Cancel” button.
Eventually, by killing and restarting the iOS app I eventually get connected but only with multiple app restarts.
A new version of the Tablo app v1.0.22 ironically showed up and was installed on Sunday but it too seems to have a serious problem getting connected. As before, Tablo discoveey was very fast but then connecting waits endlessly.
All of the above on local WiFi with no connecting issue from Rokus.
Bottom line…restarting app does help now whereas prior app never connected…but anxious to see if weekday use is trouble-free as it has been with older version of app.
Can you try the iPad app when the iPhone app doesn’t work? They are different apps. The iPad app is the first iOS app developed and it is more of a native Apple app. The iPhone app is the my.tablotv.com website wrapped up into an app, hence why it’s all the Tablo Web app.
A prime example of the difference is if your internet is down and you only have local connectivity on your network, the iPad app can connect to the Tablo while the iPhone app cannot. The iPhone app requires a live internet connection.
Coupled with your frequent Roku rebooting problems, you’ve just got really bad luck.
Have you set up DHCP reservation for the Tablo on your router?
I have never had connecting issues with my iPhone 5, iPhone 6, iPad Air, and iPad Air 2. And we have the same Tablo, the only difference is our ISP and networking equipment.
User “bad luck” and pointing at the user ENTIRELY misses the point. It’s wonderful news that YOU have no problems, but this forum is filled with hundreds if not thousands of users with “bad luck”.
Two Tablo boxes differ in their specifications and performances due to such variables as:
Parts variations / tolerances
Operating temperatures
Local power - voltage, noise on power line
Testing of firmware occurs at the factory for one or a few boxes. Tested boxes declared “working properly”.
If the installed users have variations in any or all of the above 3 areas where software testing never occurred, the supposedly correct software fails due to inadequate testing under the proper range of conditions.
Bad luck ?
No - bad testing and likely a design which fails to account for anything but the easiest / most likely cases but makes no provisions for the real world variations encountered by some / many users.
Designers and testers are usually under deadline or budget pressure to deliver. They most often compromise quality to achieve schedule, budget, or both. The end result is a faulty product under some circumstances.
Luck is not the issue. Proper design, adequate testing, and continuing improvements to acknowledge, find, and repair bugs is the solution.
Blaming the user and stating “mine works and so should yours” ignores the root cause. Blaming “luck” presumes these problems have some magical property randomly occuring with no means to prevent or control or, more specifically, the product is without fault and the user is the cause.
Name calling? OK, my Dad is bigger than your Dad. A bit juvenile though isn’t it??
I guess “Better” is subjective. I have heard plenty bad about the Channel Master route, and at least at THIS time, that seems to be vaporware anyway, but I hope it works out for you. I mean I REALLY hope it works out for you.