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How to Connect STB to new SSID?

ColdGranite
I'm a senior contributor

I want to change my SSID. Everything is installed and working great, but now I want to change my SSID. 

Is there a way to tell the TV boxes the new SSID?... do they find it automatically the next time the come out of sleep?

Or the next time they are powered down and up by pulling their power plug???

Or will I have serious problems when they cannot find the gateway?

 

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37 REPLIES 37

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

-G-
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

@SS76 wrote:
Is it possible that the setup box is still looking for the old SSID and if so, how do I stop that from happening?

I get the feeling that the set-top box's WiFi behaviour has changed over time.  The really frustrating thing is that nothing about the Ignite TV equipment's internal workings are documented anywhere that is available to us.

 

Comcast designed the modem and set-top boxes to work together seamlessly.  To add a new set-top box, all that you need to do is take it out of the box and plug it in.  The XB6 helps the set-top box discover and connect to your internal WiFi network automatically.

 

In my current setup, I connected all of my set-top boxes to the XB6 gateway, as described above, the way that they were meant to be installed.  I had previously also configured the same WiFi credentials (as what was configured into the XB6) into my own Wi-Fi Access Points.  To switch over to my network equipment, I simply put the XB6 into bridge mode, powered up my equipment, rebooted the set-top boxes, and everything continued to "just work".

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

ColdGranite
I'm a senior contributor

@SS76 wrote:
So I put my modem out of bridge mode and just manually disabled both Wi-Fi bands. Then I put it back in bridge mode and restarted my router as is normal to keep it optimized. Once the router was completely restarted, all my devices reconnected to my router's Wi-Fi except for my setup box. 

Are you saying that one TV box is "not connecting" because it looks like it is looking for a non-existing SSID???

 

IF SO... don't forget that it will take a LONG TIME, maybe 5 minutes or more, but eventually it will time out and ask you for the SSID/password.

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

SS76
I plan to stick around
That's just a guess, because when I manually connect to the router Wi-Fi, it connects without issue.
But I just tried to do was disable broadcasting the SSID from the Rogers modem because even with Wi-Fi disabled, it still shows. Even after doing this, the old SSID that was configured originally still shows up and my list of available networks and my only guess as to why the set top box is failing to connect to my new SSID network after rebooting the router, is that it must be looking for the old Network which is not going to work as the modem is bridged. I don't know what else I could do

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

-G-
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

@SS76  Keep in mind that the XB6 is a different animal than the Hitron CODA gateways.  Comcast designed the XB6 to be the Hub for a "Connected Home".  It can provide connectivity for IoT devices and it also has a bunch of services that continue running even when Bridge Mode is enabled.  Even with WiFi disabled or in Bridge Mode, the XB6 will continue to have multiple hidden WiFi networks active, on both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands; they support other services that are still running on the XB6.

 

The Xi6 set-top boxes were also designed to connect to the XB6.  Don't expect them to behave like an Apple TV or Roku streaming box.

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

ColdGranite
I'm a senior contributor

@-G- wrote:

@SS76  Keep in mind that the XB6 is a different animal than the Hitron CODA gateways.  Comcast designed the XB6 to be the Hub for a "Connected Home".  It can provide connectivity for IoT devices and it also has a bunch of services that continue running even when Bridge Mode is enabled.  Even with WiFi disabled or in Bridge Mode, the XB6 will continue to have multiple hidden WiFi networks active, on both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands; they support other services that are still running on the XB6.

 

The Xi6 set-top boxes were also designed to connect to the XB6.  Don't expect them to behave like an Apple TV or Roku streaming box.


When you "bridge" the XB6, all those hidden WIFI networks are shown as "network name unavailable" when you do a wifi scan of the house.   They should not be relevant for the TV boxes if the tv-box has been "connected" to a specific SSID

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

@ColdGranite  I was merely trying to explain why those hidden SSIDs are there.

 

One of those hidden SSIDs is also associated with an internal service that helps the Ignite set-top box discover and connect to the WiFi SSID that is configured in the XB6.  I'm wondering if the set-top box is connecting to that same service when it boots up or connects to WiFi, and if it runs into problems when the only available WiFi networks are different from the one that is configured in the XB6.

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

ColdGranite
I'm a senior contributor

@-G- wrote:

@ColdGranite  I was merely trying to explain why those hidden SSIDs are there.

 

One of those hidden SSIDs is also associated with an internal service that helps the Ignite set-top box discover and connect to the WiFi SSID that is configured in the XB6.  


How would that explain that a tv box is quite willing and able to connect to MY OWN router with my router's SSID... in fact it actually connects to an plain vanilla EXTENDER for that router?  That particular box is so far away from the XB6 that I doubt it would see it (without pods), even if wifi were enabled on the XB6.

 

  

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?


@ColdGranite wrote:

How would that explain that a tv box is quite willing and able to connect to MY OWN router with my router's SSID... in fact it actually connects to an plain vanilla EXTENDER for that router?  That particular box is so far away from the XB6 that I doubt it would see it (without pods), even if wifi were enabled on the XB6.  


The Ignite set-top box connects to my own WiFi network just fine as well.  I'm just postulating why @SS76  might be experiencing difficulties and why you need to jump through hoops from time to time to get the STB to connect to your equipment.

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

ColdGranite
I'm a senior contributor
@SS76 wrote:
That's just a guess, because when I manually connect to the router Wi-Fi, it connects without issue.
But I just tried to do was disable broadcasting the SSID from the Rogers modem because even with Wi-Fi disabled, it still shows. Even after doing this, the old SSID that was configured originally still shows up and my list of available networks and my only guess as to why the set top box is failing to connect to my new SSID network after rebooting the router, is that it must be looking for the old Network which is not going to work as the modem is bridged. I don't know what else I could do

Something here does not compute.  You say "I ... tried to ... disable broadcasting the SSID"... But if you are in "BRIDGE" mode, you do not have access to the wifi settings... which makes me ask, did you truly enable "bridge" mode on the XB6?

 

When you have your XB6 in bridge mode, its SSIDs should not show.  (Its "internal" wifi networks show up in a wifi scan as "unknown network".)

 

What else can you do?   

Well, try disabling wifi on ALL the routers, then booting up the box.  When it cannot find any SSID to connect with, it may ask, as it did for me... as I said before, it takes a long time to come up... 5 minutes or more, you have to wait.

Not sure how to proceed after that... presumably restore wifi on your router, and you may be able to have the box refresh the list of available SSIDs, or perhaps the box will refresh the list itself... When I was setting up, I managed to get it to that point where it asked me, but I don't recall if there was a refresh function. 

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

SS76
I plan to stick around
To clarify, I first set my modem to bridge, however as I was still seeing the old network, I thought maybe somehow the modem WiFi was still active, so I disabled the bridge, and the went into the WiFi settings to manually disable but even after doing this, and putting the modem back into bridge mode (which is simply a toggle you can't mess up), the old network name was still available (did not show as an unknown network btw)

I'll give you suggestion a try tomorrow. Thanks

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

ColdGranite
I'm a senior contributor

@SS76 wrote:
To clarify, I first set my modem to bridge, however as I was still seeing the old network, I thought maybe somehow the modem WiFi was still active, so I disabled the bridge, and the went into the WiFi settings to manually disable but even after doing this, and putting the modem back into bridge mode (which is simply a toggle you can't mess up), the old network name was still available (did not show as an unknown network btw)

I'll give you suggestion a try tomorrow. Thanks

One other thing to try:

Pull the plug on the gateway XB6 (and see if the "old wifi" is still active.  If so, then its not coming from the XB6.)

   

With the XB6 unpowered, boot up the tv box(es).  and see if they will connect (or ask for connection) to your own wifi THEN.  (Remember, it will look like nothing is happening for a long time, as described before... )

 

 

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

macdted
I've been around

Thank you, worked for me to connect my STB to my Deco Mesh. It really should be an option in the setup screen on the Set Top Box.

Is there a list of the options in diagnostic mode after you do the 3 second exit and down down?

 

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

-G-
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

@macdted wrote:

Thank you, worked for me to connect my STB to my Deco Mesh. It really should be an option in the setup screen on the Set Top Box.

Is there a list of the options in diagnostic mode after you do the 3 second exit and down down?


As far as I know, there isn't any easier way to connect to the 3rd-party Wi-Fi network.  Another option is to connect the set-top box to a Wi-Fi network using WPS, using the button on the bottom of the STB.

 

Keep in mind that in a typical Rogers-supported configuration, the Ignite TV set-top box automagically connects to Wi-Fi on the Ignite gateway, without any action required by the end-user.  Rogers (and Comcast) didn't intend for their users to connect Ignite TV to third-party equipment, and making the Wi-Fi network connection option available in settings could result in users accidentally disconnecting their set-top box from Wi-Fi.

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

ColdGranite
I'm a senior contributor

@-G- wrote:

Keep in mind that in a typical Rogers-supported configuration, the Ignite TV set-top box automagically connects to Wi-Fi on the Ignite gateway, without any action required by the end-user.  


Is there really any difference whether the WIFI is being provide by the Gateway, or by another router??  I don't see it.

 

There is always SOME user-action required:   somebody has to set (and to provide) the WIFI password, for example, no matter which router.

 

After that, the TV set-top box "automatically connects" only to its previous connection, whatever it is.

 

Unless changed with the ROGERS(3 secs) - down -down - 9434 sequence and procedure.... in which case it "automatically connects" to the newly specified SSID.

????

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?


@ColdGranite wrote:
Is there really any difference whether the WIFI is being provide by the Gateway, or by another router??  I don't see it.

It all depends on the home, the options that you have available for placing your Ignite gateway, and your technical requirements.  I currently run Ignite TV over my own network gear and use business-grade Wi-Fi access points.  Other family members use the XB6 gateway and nothing else.  Previously, I ran Ignite TV on a 3rd-party consumer-grade Wi-Fi mesh.

 

Wi-Fi on Rogers-supplied and Rogers-supported equipment should work perfectly fine for most people, assuming that it has been installed correctly.  I also recommend the "all-Rogers" solution because it is easy to manage and the Ignite components were designed to work together seamlessly.

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

SpeedyC
I'm a reliable contributor

Hi.

 

These steps do not seem to work anymore ... is there an updated method?

- Hold Exit button on the remote for 5 seconds
- Press DOWN, DOWN (i.e. DOWN arrow on centre keypad twice)
- 9434 (spells WIFI)
- Enter Wifi network settings screen

Re: How to Connect STB to new SSID?

-G-
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

@SpeedyC  That button sequence still works... but as you and others have reported, apparently not always, and I confirmed that the hard way last week after making some Wi-Fi changes in my home.

 

Remember that these set-top boxes were meant to connect to (and even auto-discover) Wi-Fi on the Ignite gateway.

 

If the magic button sequence does not work, you can try to get the Ignite boxes to connect to an external Wi-Fi network through WPS but depending on what state the STBs are in, that may not work either.

 

To get my STBs connected again, I ended up disabling Bridge Mode on my gateway, programming the WiFi credentials that I wanted to use into my XB6, connecting my set-top boxes via Wi-Fi to the my XB6 by pressing the WPS button on the bottom of the STB, disabling Wi-Fi on the XB6, and then programming that same SSID/passphrase into my external Wi-Fi gear.  The boxes then reconnected without issues and remained connected.

 

One other thing: I have also found that you definitely do need to use the same SSID/passphrase on your external Wi-Fi gear as what you had configured on your Ignite gateway.  I did not, and found that my set-top boxes kept losing Wi-Fi connectivity... and when that happened, I found that I could not get them to reconnect to the external Wi-Fi network using the magic button sequence or with WPS.

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