connectionchecklist

Is my radio bricked?

On occasion, you may find your radio fails to work reliably. Essentially, this may be caused by either a fatal error (a hardware fault, or corrupted system files) or a non-fatal error (usually due to some radio-router problem).

Here is a list of suggestions, should your radio fail to start or connect to the Reciva portal:

Fatal issues

• If your radio does not power up at all, it is probably defective and needs replacing. Similarly, if is the start-up screen is stuck at Reciva Radio Arm Powered, Connecting ..., or if there is no screen display at all, or if the display is garbled, consider returning your radio, as in most cases these seem to suggest that there is a hardware fault.

• In the case of AE and Imp radios, the problem may arise because of the proximity of a wireless n-type router. The solution is either to change the internal wifi dongle or to switch off the n mode at the router - see initialize.

• Some radios are/were prone to power adapter failures. The solution is to replace the power adapter.

• In the event of corrupted system files, the radio will have to be returned for expert repair.

Non-fatal issues

• Non-fatal errors are usually indicated if the radio shows messages such as Timeout getting IP address, DNS servers invalid, etc. Solutions include changing the router-radio configuration.

• Check your wifi signal strength. For testing purposes, ensure that the radio and router have a direct line of sight.

• Ensure that you correctly enter your wifi network encryption key (WEP/WPA) on your radio. These are case-sensitive. Always end your key by selecting either the 'END' character or the 'enter' arrow (left facing, down arrow - the same graphic as on your PC's 'enter' key) depending on your firmware.

• Consider doing a factory reset on your radio before starting to change anything on your router

• It is possible that your router is configured with security settings that the radio cannot understand. Consider temporarily switching off security measures such as encryption (WEP, WPA, WPA2). If your radio then works, please look for firmware upgrades for your radio, for your router, or for both.

• Avoid using a wireless-N-only setup as wireless-N standards are still in draft and are not supported by the radio hardware or firmware. Try running in wireless-G compatible mode.

• Whenever changing anything on your router, always power down your router. Do not merely use the 'reset button', as doing so may trigger a factory reset, voiding any router setup you may have.

• Ensure your radio is trying to access your network, and not a neighbour's router with the same name (SSID). Many routers have a default SSID which unless changed to a unique name can cause problems.

• Ensure your SSID is not hidden. If in doubt, change the name of your network (the radio will connect to a wireless network with a hidden SSID but it is easier, at least for the first time, to connect to a visible one since it will be listed at the radio during set-up. You can hide it again later and the radio should continue to work). such as

• Check whether your radio appears on your network at all, and if so, try pinging it. To ping an IP address in Microsoft Windows XP (and similar for others versions of Windows) :Start -> All programs -> Accessories. You should then see the C: icon (or Command Prompt) in the list of programs - click on that then type in ping x.y.z.t where x.y.z.t is the suspected IP address for your radio.

• Check whether your router has MAC address filtering enabled. If so you will need to add the radios MAC address before the radio will connect to the network. Beware, some routers e.g. Orange Livebox employ auto MAC filtering. Check your routers manual for clarification if in doubt.

• Check the security logs for your router. Look out for Denial of Service (DoS) messages , and other 'intrusion' reports.

• Reciva radios use the following ports : 80, 554, 1755, 5000 and 7070. Check that these ports are not blocked by your firewall(s) , and not hogged by some other application. Consider switching off all other wifi devices whilst testing your radio. To check on the status of those ports in Microsoft Windows XP (and similar for others versions of Windows) :Start -> All programs -> Accessories. You should then see the C: icon (or Command Prompt) in the list of programs - click on that then type in netstat -a. This lists the status of ports. Ensure that ports 80 etc are not in ESTABLISHED or TIME_WAIT mode.

• If your radio has an ethernet port, connect the radio to the router using the ethernet cable. If the radio connects and plays internet radio when connected by ethernet, this at least proves connectivity with the Internet and suggests that some, if not all, of the firewall ports required by the radio are functioning. From this you can deduce that the problem is with the wifi connection rather than the network as a whole.

• If you are using auto-DHCP (i.e. if your router is handing out dynamic IP addresses for your wifi devices), consider setting up a static address for your radio and your other wifi devices. The radios use auto-DHCP by default (out-of-the-box).

• A special procedure exists for users of the EMBARQ internet provider service in the USA - see http://www.gracedigitalaudio.com/forum/content/receiving-dns-servers-invalid-error-when-connecting-embarqs-broadband-network

• Make a record of your network setup , and quote it in your posts on the Reciva forum, as this may speedup resolution by forum contributors. To do so in Microsoft Windows XP (and similar for others versions of Windows) :Start -> All programs -> Accessories. You should then see the C: icon (or Command Prompt) in the list of programs - click on that then type in ipconfig /all. This lists your network setup.

• Messages on screen such as 'Internal Error 1014 xxxx ' are non-fatal. They indicate some firmware issue. The usual solution is to ignore them, or if the radio fails to work correctly, restart the radio. There is no information from Reciva which might explain these errors. They are infrequent or non-existent on later firmwares.

• 'End of stream' messages may occur if you start the radio out of standby and it attempts to play the last listened-to station. This indicates a router-radio connection failure during the standby period. The solution is to do a cold restart of the radio.