Remote Connect works for weeks, then fails

Support & Troubleshooting
1

Tablo remote connect/port forwarding suddenly stops working after several weeks of very reliable operation.

I receive a message in the settings menu indicating that manual router configuration is necessary for port forwarding.

Within a short period, usually a day or two, the problem disappears as mysteriously as it originally appeared with no action on my part.

Most recently, this problem has again occurred but this time is not resolved itself in several days.

I am wondering if this issue occurs when my Internet service provider changes my IP address, which it does from time to time since I do not have a static IP?

Or perhaps, my router needs to reassign the Tablo a new IP address occasionally when the lease expires, and thus negates any configuration which previously worked?

Or perhaps there is a third explanation which someone can help me with?

Thank you in advance for any assistance!

Larry

2

Do you have DHCP reservation enabled on your router so the same internal IP gets assigned to your Tablo?

3

My router does not allow DHCP reservations. If a device (like my computer) has the ability to be manually configured to have a static fixed IP address then I can assign it an IP outside the address range managed by DHCP. Otherwise, it can only be dynamically assigned, and thus lose its prior IP when its lease expires.

4

What is the make and model of your router? DHCP reservation is a pretty standard feature these days.

Are you using UPnP to set up Tablo Connect or are you manually port forwarding to the internal IP of the Tablo?

5

My router is an older Linksys WRT54G, latest firmware circa October 2009 with UP P enabled.

6

…with UPnP enabled.

7

My router is a Linksys EA3500 (one of the last models made by Cisco before they sold off the Linksys line) and does have DHCP reservations, To do so, I do the following:
Log into the router using a browser
Click on Connectivity (on left side)
Click on Local Network (on top)
Click on DHCP Reservations (on lower right underneath WINS)

Then all your devices show up, and you can select the ones you want to have a reservation, then they will always have that address.  This router is available from http://www.newegg.com among other places.

8

If I remember correctly the WRT54G stock firmware does not do DHCP reservations so yes with UPnP enabled whenever the internal IP address of the Tablo changes it will need to re-configure your router. Hence the problem you’ve noticed with Tablo Connect not working and then it resolving the issue on its own.

  1. What is the hardware version of your WRT54G?
  2. Install DD-WRT on the WRT54G. It is great software, it will let you do DHCP reservation.
  3. Set up the port forwarding manually. Do not use UPnP.

Check the hardware version of your router, it very likely can run DD-WRT:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database

If you’re uncomfortable with 3rd party firmware then my recommendation is you upgrade your router. I can give you some suggestions if you want to go this route.

9

Just look how simple it is with the DD-WRT firmware:

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Static_DHCP

10
What is the make and model of your router? DHCP reservation is a pretty standard feature these days.

Are you using UPnP to set up Tablo Connect or are you manually port forwarding to the internal IP of the Tablo?

I see  @theuser86 always helping users with Remote problems so I thought I’d offer my recent experience.

My Router: Verizon FIOS Quantum Gateway. (Just upgraded to 50/50 speed, so I bought this router)
I assigned a Static IP to my Tablo
I had the identical problem as @retiredengineer. Automatic Remote settings only working for several days.
I tried manual port forwarding, but it didn’t solve the problem.
As per @theuser86 suggestion, I checked make sure UPnP was enabled/box checked. It was.
There was a second box option to check in my UPnP Section: Option to “clean up” any old/unused UPnP.

I Unchecked this box and I no longer see the message that I need to manually configure the port forwarding.
So far no problems for 2 weeks now.

Chuck

11

Thanks very much to all of you for offering such excellent guidance!

My Linksys router is not supported with the third-party DD-WRT firmware.

I welcome recommendations for a router which works well with Tablo, and I would be very willing to replace my current Linksys which is at least 10 or possibly 15 years old.

Thanks again,

Larry

12

Really eh, almost all of the WRT54G versions except for a few can load DD-WRT.


As for which router to get, it really depends on whether you have Wireless AC clients or not. If you do not have Wireless AC clients, then I suggest a dual-band Wireless N router (dual band means one 2.4 GHz band and one 5 GHz band). Currently, the Roku 3 and Amazon Fire TV do not have Wireless AC if you’re thinking of it in terms of front ends for the Tablo. The Tablo dual-tuner or quad-tuner also only have Wireless N, dual-band however. Even though I generally recommend hard wiring the Tablo to your router rather than using WiFi, the Wireless N 5 GHz band is a good option for having the Tablo WiFi.

I have a TP-Link TL-WDR3600 router, it is a dual-band router and it works great. I have having buffering issues with the Tablo using the Fire TV Stick over WiFI on the Wireless N 2.4 GHz band (or another router) and then I bought this router, added the Fire TV Stick to the 5 GHz band and all my issues went away. See below:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RV51EE
http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WDR3600

DHCP reservation is on page 72 of the PDF (numbered page 62):
http://www.tplink.ca/resources/document/TL-WDR3600_V1_User_Guide_19100.pdf

For the price point, you can’t go wrong. But the router of my dreams is:
http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-AC3200-Tri-Band-R8000/dp/B00KWHMR6G

I know for sure if you got that one you’d definitely not be disappointed. Right @roraniel
13

My Linksys is one of the very few WRT54 series which is unsupported.

My wired network is very complicated, having over 40 devices including five Roku 3’s, a lot of home automation including Nest thermostats, lighting controls, AppleTVs, Denon receivers with IP control, along with the typical iPads, iPhones, AirPrint printer, computers, etc.

Every device which can be hardwired with ethernet RJ-45 wiring is actually hard wired, I have run many hundreds of feet of CAT5E and more recently CAT6 cable throughout my house. Only devices which demand Wi-Fi are connected that way, like my tablets and iPhone.

Since my Linksys presently works fine for every single device, with the exception of the Tablo disconnect issue occasionally, I am reluctant to change it out.

I will mention just as an aside that I have previously used two other off the air TV recording systems, one from SimpleTV and the other from Sage TV, both of which permit remote viewing from my home server. Neither one of them created this problem I am now seeing with the Tablo despite the same router lease renewals and dynamic IP address changes of my ISP.

I was hoping to find a new router with very high customer reviews and have looked at Amazon and Newegg, starting first with the Linksys brand. I was disappointed to find very few if any routers with really high scores, with most of them averaging less than four out of five stars. I’m aware that Linksys has changed ownership twice, first to Cisco, then to Belken, and appears to have numerous support and technical issues.

Looks like I may need to switch to Netgear or one of the other brand names. Thanks for suggestions.

Larry

14
Really eh, almost all of the WRT54G versions except for a few can load DD-WRT.

As for which router to get, it really depends on whether you have Wireless AC clients or not. If you do not have Wireless AC clients, then I suggest a dual-band Wireless N router (dual band means one 2.4 GHz band and one 5 GHz band). Currently, the Roku 3 and Amazon Fire TV do not have Wireless AC if you're thinking of it in terms of front ends for the Tablo. The Tablo dual-tuner or quad-tuner also only have Wireless N, dual-band however. Even though I generally recommend hard wiring the Tablo to your router rather than using WiFi, the Wireless N 5 GHz band is a good option for having the Tablo WiFi.

I have a TP-Link TL-WDR3600 router, it is a dual-band router and it works great. I have having buffering issues with the Tablo using the Fire TV Stick over WiFI on the Wireless N 2.4 GHz band (or another router) and then I bought this router, added the Fire TV Stick to the 5 GHz band and all my issues went away. See below:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RV51EE
http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WDR3600

DHCP reservation is on page 72 of the PDF (numbered page 62):
http://www.tplink.ca/resources/document/TL-WDR3600_V1_User_Guide_19100.pdf

For the price point, you can't go wrong. But the router of my dreams is:
http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-AC3200-Tri-Band-R8000/dp/B00KWHMR6G

I know for sure if you got that one you'd definitely not be disappointed. Right @roraniel

Ordered the TP-Link from Amazon !! Thanks!!

15

I have the EA3500 and it works great. If you have 1000 nic, it is supported. The Tablo only has 100 I think.

16

@RetiredEngineer

Aw you didn’t buy the Nighthawk?

17

Once you go Nighthawk, you never go back.

18

I ordered the WDR3600. Low price and lots of features.

19

I have this issue sometimes - but it’s because my cable company sometimes pushes updates and restarts the modem which, in turn, sometimes wonks out my wifi-enabled security camera and the tablo as sometimes it changes ip addresses.  Or sometimes just glitches the port forwarding

20

I am still left wondering if the occasional change