Very interesting.

I have just disconnected my WiFi (entered a random password) and will be doing some tests. I’ll report back in a couple of days.

I think you may well be onto something here for the following reason :-

In all the time I have owned my 4000t, I have never had the issue (widely reported) of the box showing no recordings out of standby until recently (last week). The only thing that was different was I had server/samba/file share on to do some investigation based on the issues reported by another user. 3 or 4 times I “lost” the recording list but they returned after a power disconnect/reboot and since turning them off I haven’t had the same occurrence.

Network and networking functions are poor on the 4000t/5000t at the best of times but if it is affecting other operations aswell, Humax need to address the issues.

Hi again. Just to clarify, it’s the loss of WAN (internet access) that ‘fixes’ the problem, having a LAN (without internet access) connected, via wifi or wired makes no difference to the issue either way. So just disconnecting the internet from your home will do, so as you suggest, disconnecting at the BT Hub or similar on its web interface is perhaps the easiest. Just entering an incorrect password into the wifi settings on the machine like SSThing and also unplugging any network cable you may have to the machine as well, will equally work.

Only other thought after last post, was to say that the fact that not all apparently identical machines of the same model exhibit the same issue, could be down to different hardware versions of course.

Please let me know how you get on.

First tests are looking promising.

Before I went out I set up three simultaneous instant recordings (direct from the channel then change/repeat). All have recorded correctly.

With regards to the password, it was a bit odd because when I first entered a random password, the “network connection status” test reported that I was still connected but everything else indicated not (iPlayer etc). But a few moments later the test then reported a fail.

I don’t need to be connected to the internet on the Humax because I use iPlayer/YouTube etc via my TV now, so if this workaround proves viable, it’s at least a solution for me, thank you.

Good to hear, it’ll be interesting to see if it works for anyone else.

RichHumax – 1 hour ago  » 

Good to hear, it’ll be interesting to see if it works for anyone else.

So if it is a networking related issue, can we establish anything that is different between the people for who it works and those who get failed recordings? I am in the it works for me camp.

I use FTTP broadband supplied by Plusnet (a trial product that isn’t generally available).

I don’t use an ISP router (I am currently using an Asus RT-68U router).

I specify a third party DNS server rather than relying on the router.

My network doesn’t use IP addresses that start 192.168

What other network parameters might conceivably be significant?

Anybody else care to share their set up?

NB I have absolutely no clue about what might be happening.

Hi, my FVP-5000T is wired back to a BT Smart Hub 2 via a number of switches. The BT Hub is largely running on default settings from a DNS and DHCP (198.162) point of view. It connects to a street cabinet via VDSL, achieves around 40/6M and is normally very stable.

To be honest, I’m not sure that our network arrangements have anything to do with the issue. To prove the point I tried to connect my machine via a hotspot from my iPhone this morning but was unsuccessful due to a number of local reasons. If I had more time, I’d do a factory reset and then I believe I’d be successful. If anyone is so inclined, it would be a good test for someone to try.

In my humble opinion, the machine isn’t faulty! It’s simply doing what it’s been programmed to do. The instant recordings do not crash the machine or even show up as ‘broken’. They simply stop as if their session has come to its end time.

I honestly have insufficient knowledge of how the machine works but it looks as if, when in instant record, the machine frequently poles an external database to check to see if the programme is ending earlier than scheduled, as the EPG does, and unfortunately, when able to access that database due to an active WAN connection, gets an instruction that says it has finished or misinterprets an instruction that way. Why the same doesn’t occur for scheduled recordings I have no idea!

I do appreciate that my ‘fix’ is not a fix but it gives us a possible insight into what’s going on and may be a workable solution for some depending on how they normally use their machines. It may even lead to a way we can get Humax to address the issue, as I’m pretty sure only they can.

RichHumax – 18 mins ago  » 

To be honest, I’m not sure that our network arrangements have anything to do with the issue.

I am not saying that the network arrangements definitely make a difference but it remains true that instant recording works properly for me and doesn’t work for you and several others. So I am simply trying to find if there is anything obviously different.

I honestly have insufficient knowledge of how the machine works but it looks as if, when in instant record, the machine frequently poles an external database to check to see if the programme is ending earlier than scheduled, as the EPG does, and unfortunately, when able to access that database due to an active WAN connection, gets an instruction that says it has finished or misinterprets an instruction that way.

My understanding is that instant records don’t look for an end of programme signal; they should run for a fixed length of time set by the data in the epg (received via the aerial) at the time the recording is set. I assume that is why there is the option to extend the time of the recording.