DirecTV WVB, C41W Installation And Troubleshooting Manual
Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
This document covers installation and troubleshooting of the Wireless Video Bridge and Wireless Genie Mini,
or C41W.
1
Wireless
Genie Mini
and WVB
Installation
WVB and C41W Installation
2
Wireless Video Bridge Setup/Beacon Mode
1. Select the placement for the WVB. Select a location for the WVB
based on the following factors:
∎ Best location to provide signal to all C41Ws and potential
locations the customer may move a C41W client to.
∎ Access to the coax SWiM network
2. Power on the WVB and observe the power up sequence. The WVB
will boot up to Beacon Mode.
∎ WVB LED flashes blue during boot up.
∎ The boot up takes approximately one to two minutes.
∎ Once boot up has completed, the WVB LED alternates green/
yellow.
∎ The WVB is now in Beacon Mode.
∎ Beacon Mode works only on WVB and clients that have not
previously been paired (factory fresh) or client that have
been reset to factory defaults.
3. Setup the wireless clients (C41W) in the location they will be used.
∎ If the C41W is to be mounted behind the TV, it should be
placed as close to its final mounted position as possible to
fully verify signal quality to the WVB.
∎ Make sure you remove the plastic film from the C41W;
4. Connect the C41W to the TV and power on. The C41W will boot
up to the Connecting to Video Bridge screen. Proceed to the
next step in the installation, but do not select Connect Now (or
Continue, depending on your software version; older software
versions will state Continue) at this time. Move to the next client
to verify signal.
5. The signal strength on every C41W should be checked by ensuring
that the LED and on-screen signal meter is green.
∎ The LED on the front of the C41W has roughly a ten-second
refresh rate, so when moving the C41W, wait about ten
seconds and verify the color of the LED.
∎ If one or more of the C41Ws’ network LED are not green,
the WVB will need to be relocated to an area that maximizes
signal range to all clients and minimizes interference. If more
than one C41W will be installed and a green LED cannot
be achieved on all C41Ws the technician has the following
options:
∎ Use a wired client (C31/C41). Follow existing guidelines to
install the wired client if needed.
∎ Use more than one WVB. Choose another location for the
first WVB that covers most of the C41W clients and choose
a location for a second WVB to cover the C41W client(s)
that have poor signal coverage.
6. Do not proceed if the signal strength is fair (yellow network LED’s).
A yellow LED on the C41W indicates poor signal strength to the
WVB. Consider moving the WVB, adding another WVB, or using a
wired client.
If a technician is finding it very difficult to get green LED signal
coverage on all C41Ws in a single household after trying multiple
locations in Beacon Mode, they can add a second Wireless Video
Bridge to the work order without calling TSC. However, in most pilot
households, we found that a single Wireless Video Bridge can support
the entire network of C41Ws and a second Wireless Video Bridge was
not necessary. In 98.5% of all installations during the pilot, only one
WVB was needed.
Try to focus on good WVB placement; this will help all the clients get a
good signal, and can prevent future service calls.
Wireless Genie Mini and WVB
Installation
WVB and C41W Installation
WVB Installation
1. If not previously performed, install the ODU/SWiM and run the coax cable to the WVB location(s).
2. If not previously performed, install, update the software, and activate the Genie Server.
3. Connect the WVB to the SWiM/MoCA network (if more than one WVB is used, connect all WVBs to the SWiM/MoCA network)
4. If the WVB is not powered on, power on the WVB. After a short delay (one to two minutes) the LED should be solid green. Note:
The LED will be solid blue if the Genie Server previously had ANY clients (wired or wireless) paired to it. If the LED is not solid
green or solid blue, refer to Troubleshooting section. (Full boot takes one to two minutes, so be patient.)
5. On the Genie Server, verify the OSD “A wireless video bridge has been found and configured successfully” has been displayed.
Select OK to clear the OSD. This often takes only 30 seconds, however it can take up to five minutes in some cases.
∎ If the OSD does not display on the Genie Server, check the WVB LED and refer to the troubleshooting section.
6. Verify all WVBs are connected to the Genie Server by checking the WVB status under Whole Home - Video Bridge - Video Bridge
Status on the Genie Server.
∎ Each WVB in the system should show ACTIVE.
7. Installation of the WVB is complete once all WVBs appear ACTIVE on the Genie Server’s Video Bridge Status screen, and all WVBs
have a solid green or solid blue LED. (This means that the Genie Server and the WVB are connected, even though you may not
have a wired or wireless client connected).
3
The installation preference of the WVB is as follows:
∎ Home run wiring from the SWiM splitter to both
the WVB and HR44.
∎ Home run wiring from the SWiM splitter to the
WVB; then a coax jumper from the WVB to the
HR44.
∎ A split cable run to the WVB is not
recommended.
Wireless Genie Mini and WVB
Installation
WVB and C41W Installation
4
Installing Wireless Genie Mini Clients
1. On the Genie Server, go to Whole-Home - Manage Clients - Add
Clients and note the PIN on the screen; keep the Genie Server on
this screen until all C41Ws are installed.
∎ Upon selecting Add Clients, there will be a warning screen.
You must use the Dash (-) key on the remote before you
can add clients.
∎ Do not exit the Add Clients screen until all the clients are
added.
∎ Add one client at a time all the way to Live TV video and
programming the remote. This is important because the
process will abort if attempting to add multiple clients at
the same time. It is not necessary to wait for the client to
update software before moving onto the next client.
2. If not already powered on, power on one of the C41Ws.
3. If the C41W is not displaying a green signal strength icon or
green network LED, do not proceed. Consider moving the WVB to
improve signal strength.
4. On the wireless client (C41W), select Connect Now/Continue while
on the Connecting to Video Bridge screen.
5. Attempting to connect to video bridge… will be displayed.
During this step, it is common to see a gray screen or a flashing
red LED.
6. When the wireless connection between the WVB and wireless client
(C41W) completes, enter the PIN from the Genie Server.
∎ If the user has enough Client services (or once they call
DIRECTV to add the client service), you will be taken to the
Name the Client screen.
8. Enter a name for the Client, and you will have the option to copy/
don’t copy the location settings from the Genie Server or another
Client.
9. After these steps have been completed, the wireless client (C41W)
will be registered to the Genie Server and WVB. After the client has
been added, the registration is maintained even if the WVB and/or
wireless client (C41W) are power cycled. After 1-2 minutes, video
should begin on the wireless client (C41W
10. Complete the wireless client (C41W) setup by programming the
remote and selecting “Watch DIRECTV”
∎ In order to program other items such as the TV or AV receiver
to an RC71 remote, you must setup the RC71 in RF mode.
11. If a 2nd and/or 3rd wireless client (C41W) are needed, start from
step 4 of Add a Wireless Client. If more than 3 clients are to be
added (4-8 C41Ws), place the other wireless client(s) (C41W)
in standby before adding the additional clients. No more than 3
clients can be powered on at the same time.
12. After all C41Ws have been added, go to the Genie Server and
select DONE on the Add Clients screen.
13. All wireless clients (C41W) that are ON should have solid green
network LED. After 1-2 minutes, the WVB LED should display a
solid blue.
At any time throughout the installation, the Software Download OSD
may appear. If the OSD appears, select OK, Download to start the
download. Do NOT exit Add Client on the Genie server until the
download completes. If the Software Download fails, it will reboot itself.
7. Once the PIN is entered, select Add a New Location on the Client.
∎ If the user does not have enough Client services on the
account, you will get a ‘Call DIRECTV’ screen on the Client.
You must call DIRECTV to add the Client to their account.
Wireless Genie Mini and WVB
As mentioned earlier, make sure to add one client at a time. This
is important because the process will abort if attempting to add
multiple clients at the same time. When exiting Add Clients, it is
likely to see a momentary disruption on the C41Ws as the network
is stabilized.
Troubleshooting Basics
Troubleshooting and Diagnostics
Troubleshooting
5
Where do you see the issue? : C41W (wireless client),
WVB or Genie Server
∎ WVB initial setup: Is the WVB LED blinking red?
∎ Reset. If doesn’t fix, replace.
∎ C41W: is the network LED solid yellow or solid red
(indicating poor signal strength to WVB)?
∎ Focus should be on WVB placement.
∎ C41W: Is the PIN screen not displayed?
∎ Verify state of WVB (flashing green/blue as long as
the Genie Server is in Add Clients mode).
∎ If not, verify the Video Bridge status on the Genie
Server (was it added?).
∎ If yes (WVB added to Genie Server), is the Add
Clients screen displayed on Genie Server?
C41W: Did the Add Clients fail? Common Symptoms
that could cause failure:
∎ Common Causes:
∎ Did someone exit the Add Clients screen on the
Genie Server? Re-enter the Add Clients screen on
the Genie Server.
∎ Do you have fair signal strength from the wireless
client to the WVB? Focus should be on WVB
placement.
∎ Troubleshooting Tips:
∎ Check LED on C41W (should be green) and on
WVB (should be Blue or Blue/Green).
∎ Searching for Server may be caused by: the C41W
is not paired/registered (C41W flashing red), or
the WVB is disconnected from the server (WVB
flashing yellow)
∎ If WVB will not go to Blue/Green flash when server
is in Add Clients, reboot WVB and server.
How to troubleshoot for signal strength issues and how to determine
possible structural interference and verify WVB placement:
∎ Range – the WVB wireless technology is designed to work with 80 feet and five
walls
∎ Construction – The construction reference refers to residential internal wall
construction.
∎ External walls are denser by nature to protect from outside elements, provide
sound proofing and strength of the building, they will reduce the range of the
WVB signal.
∎ There could be additional loss with walls constructed of stucco, concrete,
brick, stone or double walls.
∎ Barriers and contruction materials can impace signal as well.
∎ Placement – positioning the WVB behind a blocking structure will significantly
reduce range. Blocking structures could be TV, cabinet, closet, etc.
Customer Internet Changes/Issues
If a change occurs to the customer’s internet connection, it can impact the
Genie system. Even though the Wireless Video Bridge and C41W clients
operate on a completely separate wireless network from a customer’s Wi-Fi,
the C41Ws are still sharing Internet access over the Wireless Video Bridge,
so changes to network settings affect them. If changes are made to the
customer’s Internet connection, the first step is to restore defaults under
Settings & Help - Settings - Network Setup on the Genie Server, then reset
the Genie Server. Once the Genie Server has fully restarted and is operating
normally, power-cycle the Wireless Video Bridge (wait for the WVB to show a
solid blue LED). On the Genie Server, perform a Repeat Network Setup. Once
a code 88 is seen, power-cycle all wired clients.
There is a one to two minute period after reset where the system is stabilizing.
Full functionality will not be immediately available after reset, and technicians
should give the system this time to recover before beginning troubleshooting.
Wireless Genie Mini and WVB
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