socal Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 I have been working with this system for 1.5 years now and our system just does not work. It fails constantly and it takes a month to get the dealer (Magnolia) to come out and fix it. I want to take C4 to court to get all my money back and all the money I have spent on "dealer" fixes. This has to be the worst system in the world. I have never in my life seen something so complicated try to do something so simple...to send a signal to a device. I am not trying to use this for brain surgery. In fact, all it is for me is a universal remote! Here is what my system consists of:room1= Denon Receiver, PS3, Cox DVR Cable box, C4 Room2= Marantz Receiver, PS3, Cox DVR cable box, C4Both systems are connected to independent NetGear coax routers. Really? Is it this difficult?:mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pstuart Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Get a competent dealer and your problems will go away. Nothing wrong with Control4, except bad dealers can cause major issues.If you want to take someone to court, it should be Magnolia / Best Buy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socal Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 Get a competent dealer and your problems will go away. Nothing wrong with Control4, except bad dealers can cause major issues.If you want to take someone to court, it should be Magnolia / Best Buy...Two Dealers...........still problems.......more $$$$$$$I am splitting the coax to go into the NetGear router for a two receiver system. Would that cause the problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdvr Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 You have two routers?Why?Brent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pstuart Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Yeah, coax routers, you mean MOCA?What remotes? 250s?Do you have any other zigbee devices? Or is is just a C4 box? Which C4 box and which software version?How are the devices hooked up to C4? IR, IP, Serial?This is way too of a simple solution for it not to work properly.What specifically isn't working? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdvr Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Would it not be best to sue Magnolia, since they collected all your money?Oh boy, this looks like another drive by.Stay away C4userguyBrent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socal Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 I have an older house that is not cat wired. I have two rooms. I would imagine that the HC-300 in room 1 is not speaking with the HC-200 in the other room. From signal to device= coax cable coming from street from Cox Cable. Split once to go to room 1 and room 2. Room 1 coax goes into Netgear router(coax in, ethernet out). from router to ethernet splitter. ethernet from splitter to PS3, HC-300, Denon Receiver. Room 1 works but now my receiver is not working with remote. The remote works the Cable box and TV but thats it. The other end of the split coax cable goest to room 2. It is split again and one goes into another netgear router. the other coax goes into the router supplied by cox that has my phone line and one more ethernet cable coming out. That ethernet cable is hooked up to my Apple Time Machine/wifi. The other ethernet cable coming out of the NetGear router goes directly into the HC-200. The blue "link" light on the HC-200 is not on. The software on both c4 boxes was updated to the latest version Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socal Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 the remotes are 250's. Would it be better just to get two independent systems and have a dedicated remote for each room? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pstuart Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 There are a lot of config questions...Which room is the master controller (probably the 300) and which is the Zigbee Mesh Controller (probably also the 300)?The coax adapters may be your problem. But it also could be the netgear router as well, which may be also your DHCP server?How far apart are the rooms? Can you link them up with a 50ft cat 5e cable for testing purposes?Care to buy an Airport Express and use it as a wireless ethernet bridge instead of the netgear coax to ethernet bridges?Also, you mentioned an ethernet splitter, this doesn't exist. You can't split ethernet, but a switch or hub might be what you mean?What else is on that coax line? Is there any cable or satellite signals also joined in on that wire, or is it dedicated only to networking?Can you move the HC200 to where your netgear router is and plug it directly into an open lan port and see if the link light turns on? Does the HC200 have 2 red lights on the front on? Could be a faulty power supply on the 200.Ultimately, I think your issue is with Netgear, not with Control4.Also, apple never made a time machine with wifi access point, are you sure that isn't an Apple Airport Extreme? This could be improperly configured as a DHCP server as well, and is confusing the 200/300 as it might be competing with the Netgear router. Turn off the Apple Wifi and reboot the 300 and 200 and see if things start working again...Lots to try, but frankly, I still stand by a competent network savy dealer, as your issues are most likely network related and nothing to do with Control4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socal Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 pstuart, thanks for the help. I think that the problem is the network. By using two Netgear routers that convert the Coax to ethernet the systems might be confused or getting hung up somewhere. I am going to hook up the HC-300 (mother ship) directly to the ethernet Switch and then run a long Cat 5 line from the switch directly to the other room to the HC-200, as if my house was wired for Cat5. If that works I will need to run a Cat5 wire outside my house and over to the other room. is there a weather-proof Cat5 cable In this way the Internet signal will come into one "HUB" and then I can run ethernet cables to every device from there (Wifi, C4, etc). To answer some of your other questions...the coax carries our TV signal, Phone and internet. no red lights on the HC200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdvr Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 I am still confused, how many modems do you have?Start with just that.Then tell me why you have two routers, do you really need both?Brent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFUG Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 If OP is using MCAB1001 units, those do not "route". The spliter you use to feed the two MOCA units is critical- which one(s) are you using? Finally, there is no off-the shelf MOCA/Ethernet router by Netgear. You must be using something provided by Cox. What is it and is it dishing-out IPs properly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socal Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 the coax splitter is just a standard coax splitter. small, metal. one input and two outputs. the routers are called net gear ethernet coax adapters MCA1001 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socal Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 I am still confused, how many modems do you have?Start with just that.Then tell me why you have two routers, do you really need both?BrentBrent, my house is not wired for cat 5. so I am using a coax ethernet adapter in each room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdvr Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Ok, you have coax ethernet adapters.What Modem do you have?Brent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berazafi Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 WowThis should be an easily solved problem1st. Find a new dealer, I'm not sure its entirely there fault but they should be specifying networking equipment that will work 2nd. That dealer should be probably using Ethernet over Power line. 3rd. I would be making both rooms have there own independent Zigbee networks. When your system reboots, both rooms need to be able to communicate over Zigbee (not Ethernet). If both controllers are just in range of each other this could be causing random issues to occur Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pstuart Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 pstuart, thanks for the help. I think that the problem is the network. By using two Netgear routers that convert the Coax to ethernet the systems might be confused or getting hung up somewhere. I am going to hook up the HC-300 (mother ship) directly to the ethernet Switch and then run a long Cat 5 line from the switch directly to the other room to the HC-200, as if my house was wired for Cat5. If that works I will need to run a Cat5 wire outside my house and over to the other room. is there a weather-proof Cat5 cable In this way the Internet signal will come into one "HUB" and then I can run ethernet cables to every device from there (Wifi, C4, etc). To answer some of your other questions...the coax carries our TV signal, Phone and internet. no red lights on the HC200.If there are no red lights on the front of the 200, you probably have a bad power supply.You can ask your dealer to get you one replaced, or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00747XONM/ is the same adapter for $15.99So you probably have one issue, the PS on the 200 probably died. This is a known issue with a certain batch of 200 power supplies, however, your system may be out of warranty, but a $16 fix and 2 day shipping should resolve it.Hope you get your system working, I am assuming your "dealers" sold you all the gear, including the netgear equipment to connect the C4 equipment? I can totally understand your frustration... But again, a competent dealer makes Control4 work. It simply isn't designed to be plug and play.If you have Apple WifI (or any wifi) you can use an Airport Express in Bridge mode (joins a wifi network and provides ethernet out) for the 200 location. Much cheaper and easier than running a new wire outside and around. Or your dealer "should" have just used a certified wifi adapter for the 200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFUG Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 the coax splitter is just a standard coax splitter. small, metal. one input and two outputs. the routers are called net gear ethernet coax adapters MCA1001First off, MCA1001 is a bridge not a router. Second, the splitter used on a Cox system is critical in terms of signal attenuation. Cheap passive units could take your internet connection on a roller coaster ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSDave Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 probably better to do ethernet over powerline. in most cases you get a reliable connection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFUG Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 ^Mr. Yamaguchi is saying the opposite. I have not had issues with MOCA though... Brent raised a Q about the actual device doing the routing and IP duty. Until we get a straight answer, really can't help OP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFUG Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 The power brick post was good. That was an old finding and his dealer should have informed him of it a long time ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanKoutsky Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 SoCal, please email me @ bkoutsky@control4.com and I would be happy to assist you with the issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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