Can't Watch Certain Channels On Ignite TV App

[JHRM]

I cannot watch certain channels, says connect to your in home wifi, I am connected to my in home wifi, it does it on all devices, it doesn’t care if I’m on The gateway itself or the wifi pod provided by rogers, I’ve re installed the app, it makes no difference, also what’s my ip shows out of Ottawa in error but that shouldn’t matter, this is clearly a rogers issue as I’m connected to my home wifi through rogers. A fix would be appreciated as I can’t stream certain channels I pay for in my own home.

[JHRM]

Really Rogers? Nothing, no response, fantastic customer service and support.

[RogersCorey]

Good morning @JHRM!

We were going to respond to your post today but it looks like you came back to post again before we had the chance. I apologize if our reply was not swift enough.

Which channels are impacted? Are you able to watch these channels without any issue directly on Ignite TV through your set top box? When you say that it impacts only certain channels, I'm assuming that means you don't see this error on every channel?

Are you using our gateway modem directly or do you have your own router connected with our gateway in bridge mode?

Regards,

RogersCorey

[JHRM]

Did you actually read my post? I was quite clear it’s the ignite tv app, it doesn’t consider me connected to my home wifi even though I am, I made it clear as well it behaves the same with both the rogers wifi pod and the
Rogers gateway/modem. Others have posted this same issue over many months, no resolution, no answers, no fix, all I see is rogers blaming the consumers and assuming it’s an issue with their equipment, that it’s their tablets, that they are on routers, the issue is with rogers, the Ignite APP doesn’t recognize it’s on rogers equipment, or on rogers service, I explained clearly as well it’s on all devices, regardless of the wifi pod or the modem, and that re installing the app has no effect, this is beyond frustrating. There are no issues with the channels on the STB, I would have mentioned that if there were.

[MommaMirab]

I'm having the exact same issue.  It wont let me watch recorded shows because its says "Connect to in-home WiFi to watch."  I'm at home and my computer is connected to my in-home wifi which is Rogers.  How do i tell the app that information?  And why wouldn't it know that already! My work computer works fine from the exact same wifi connection and exact same app.  SO FRUSTRATING!

If you find out, pretty please pass it along.

[RogersJo]

Greetings @JHRM, and @MommaMirab! 😊

Thank you both for bringing this to our much needed attention. Avid Ignite TV app user here. I too have experienced this very same issue. 

I totally understand your frustration here @JHRM. The reason for @RogersCorey's probing is merely to try to eliminate any potential reasons for this issue happening. It's most certainly not to induce further frustrations. I just have a few questions for the both of yous in hopes of getting this ironed out:

Are you on VPN by chance? If so, are you able to disconnect from VPN and attempt to access said channels on the app?

Have you tried to reboot your Ignite Modem? ( this is what rectified my issue in all honesty) 

If none of these suggestions work- please feel free to send a private message to @CommunityHelps so we can assist you further. For more information on how our Private Messaging system works, you can find out more here.  

Looking forward to hearing from both of you!

RogersJo 
 

[JHRM]

As I’ve repeatedly said, it’s a rogers issue, no other routers or switches, direct from both the xb6 gateway, or the gen 2 pod, supplied from rogers, no VPN’s, no anti viruses, multiple devices, restarting devices or equipment is the same result, re installing app has no effect, id also like to mention you also can’t cast anything from the ignite app to a smart tv because it lags and stutters badly, and its only with the ignite app, all other apps from other companies and providers cast just fine without lag or audio issues even in 4K, so the claims I’ve seen it’s about video quality and bandwidth in other posts are just false. the app is clearly not working, multiple people have been reporting these issues now for many months and still no resolution or answer, just deflections to people or their devices or setups being at fault, it’s frustrating, it’s not vpn, or router related, it’s a flaw in the app that’s not being acknowledged or addressed. If you check there are dozens of others reporting the same issues going back quite a while and it’s the same non Answers each time with no fix or acknowledgement.

[Gdkitty]

Asking a VPN would be a valid question to ask.

My understanding how sort of works.
For whatever reason (likely specific licensing issues) you need to be on a rogers wifi (they assume  your home) to be able to watch specific channels on the app.  (Dont want to get into all of some of the stupidity of how TV licensing seems to work.. i agree that this sort of thing is stupid).

So, when your home, should be able to view them all.  But your getting the message.

I wonder if, for that check, if its trying to compare what the IP address yours appears to be coming from.  Coming from a rogers home IP address? You can view stuff.

So in this case, asking about the VPN.. as it would report your IP address as somewhere else.

My Guess, might be that its possible that Rogers has a new batch of IP address ranges?   And those have not been added to the list which the app compares against?

Still something rogers needs to fix.  
But something they can pass along.

[-G-]

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@Gdkitty wrote:

Asking a VPN would be a valid question to ask.

My understanding how sort of works.
For whatever reason (likely specific licensing issues) you need to be on a rogers wifi (they assume  your home) to be able to watch specific channels on the app.  (Dont want to get into all of some of the stupidity of how TV licensing seems to work.. i agree that this sort of thing is stupid).

So, when your home, should be able to view them all.  But your getting the message.

I wonder if, for that check, if its trying to compare what the IP address yours appears to be coming from.  Coming from a rogers home IP address? You can view stuff.

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The checks are even more granular than that.  The backend systems check whether you are accessing the the Ignite TV service from the home that is associated with the account that you are using when logged in with the Ignite TV mobile app.

Here's an example: ABC (channel 18) is one of those channels that you can only watch from within your own home.

My parents and I both subscribe to Ignite TV Premier.  We also both subscribe to the Primetime theme pack to get the US networks.  However, when I visit their home, I am not able to watch ABC on my iPhone.  I also cannot watch the channel while I am in my home but using cellular data.  I can only watch ABC on my iPhone when I am connected to my in-home Wi-Fi.  (I am also a Bridge Mode user, and it still knows that the IPv4 and IPv6 address spaces that I am using are associated with my home/my account.)

[-G-]

Sites, such as https://test-ipv6.com/ , can tell you the IP address that you are connecting from.  If it's not not an IP address belonging to Rogers Communications, that's a problem.

If some IP geolocation service places your IP address in a completely different city, that typically happens when the Rogers network team makes changes to their network, and changes how/where chucks of their IP address space are allocated and assigned to end customers.  It will affect the ability of an online shopping site to automatically find your local store but it definitely should not affect your ability to watch Ignite TV.

If Rogers is actively making changes to their network in your area overnight, you may experience network issues the next day if the network teams did not proactively reboot your Ignite Gateway, or if you are running in Bridge Mode using your own network gear.  If you are running into any weird issues, I would power-cycle/reboot the Ignite gateway and/or any 3rd-party router that you are using.

[MommaMirab]

Based on the above conversation:

1. I checked the IP address link you provided:  It said I am on Rogers communcations Network
2. I do not have VPN
3. I have turned my router on and off
4. I have done everything suggested above.

AND I still cannot get onto Rogers ignite from my personal computer.  I can get on there from my work computer, my ipad, my iphone, my tvs... but not this one computer.

There must be another setting somewhere that needs to be clicked.  It used to work on this computer, but does not anymore.  

Maybe its time to go back to Bell....

[57]

@MommaMirab : Please see the following post outlining possible resolutions - like the browser (try a different browser and/or Incognito/private browsing), cookies, cache, extensions, etc.

https://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/MyRogers-Rogers-Apps/Tips-for-Rogers-Websites-amp-Apps/m-p/491...

[wayner92]

 A couple of comments on this restriction.

First off the message "Connect to in-home WiFi to watch" - you mean I can't use a wired Ethernet connection?  I have to use Wifi?  The message is actually wrong because being connected via Ethernet works fine.  Rogers shouldn't dumb down messages like this.

Secondly, what's the best way to get around this?  It looks like if you are using a VPN to get back to your home LAN then you can still watch this content.  I have Wireguard client on my tablet, phone and laptop and Wireguard server on my LAN and this seems to work.  When I have the VPN turned on with my mobile devices then everything seems to work.  Anyone else have any other tips on this?

[-G-]

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@wayner92 wrote:

 A couple of comments on this restriction.

First off the message "Connect to in-home WiFi to watch" - you mean I can't use a wired Ethernet connection?  I have to use Wifi?  The message is actually wrong because being connected via Ethernet works fine.  Rogers shouldn't dumb down messages like this.

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Either Wi-Fi or Ethernet is fine.  To watch some channels, you just need to connect from your in-home network.

Secondly, what's the best way to get around this?  It looks like if you are using a VPN to get back to your home LAN then you can still watch this content.  I have Wireguard client on my tablet, phone and laptop and Wireguard server on my LAN and this seems to work.  When I have the VPN turned on with my mobile devices then everything seems to work.  Anyone else have any other tips on this?

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VPN'ing back to your home network should also work fine.  However, you could also potentially run into issues with the Ignite TV client if Location Services on your device places you out of your home.

[wayner92]

So Ignite uses your location, interesting.  Is that mandatory?  If I didn't allow the Ignite app, or web page, to access my location would streaming not work?

[RogersJo]

Good Day @wayner92 👋

Thanks for contributing to this thread! We did in fact make some changes to our Ignite TV app with regards to enabling location services. The Ignite TV app is only available for streaming video within Canada, due to the rights associated with the content on Ignite TV. In order to validate that your device is located in Canada when you attempt to stream content, the app will check the device’s location through location services on your device.

If you choose not to enable location services on your device, you will not have access to live and On Demand Ignite TV content. You’d only have access to pre-downloaded content. As long as location services is enabled on your device, you will not be asked again when using the Ignite TV app. You are able to watch all of your downloaded content without location services enabled.

Due to broadcast rights, streaming content through the Ignite TV app is only available within Canada. If you used the app outside of Canada before we enabled location services, you would have been able to see additional content.

I hope this is helpful!

Regards, 

RogersJo 

[ashtonb]

Exactly, it's insanity and Rogers does not have a good answer for this.  It blocks wifi extenders, wifi network at your GYM --essentially making this service USELESS.  

[ashtonb]

THERE ARE TONS OF RESTRICTED CHANNELS THAT I CANT WATCH WHEN NOT ON MY HOME WIFI NETWORK.   I CANT WATCH FOX NEWS AT THE GYM OR MANY OTHER CHANNELS.   WHATS THE POINT OF CALLING IT "TV ANYWHERE" WHEN ITS ONLY "TV IN ONE PLACE"!   GO LOOK AT YOUTUBE TV IN THE USA AND GET A CLUE GUYS.  SO FAR THIS SERVICE SUCKS AND THE IGNITE PIC AND SOUND QUALITY ARE WORSE THAN THE OLD BOX WITH A MASSIVE DELAY WHICH SUCKS IN SPORTS!   GET WITH IT AND FIX THIS!

[Kathy_M]

Greetings! I came across this thread while researching this issue. I too have been  unable to stream certain channels on the Ignite TV app while I am away from home. In my case the affected channels are PBS and TCM. Other channels work fine. This is not a problem if I am at home on Rogers network, but I still have my Bell network running at home and these 2 channels do not work when my wifi connection is to the Bell network. It tells me to connect to my home wifi. 
there is no VPN running or extra routers at home.

i was recently staying at a friends house and while connected to their wifi (they have a Bell network) these same 2 channels will not stream on the Ignite tv app. Everything else, including recorded content worked ok.

all locations mentioned are in Canada.

Wondering if  this is some type of licensing issue? Seems a bit strange that only certain channels do not work.

anyway, just thought I would put my issue here for the record.

[RogersCorey]

Good morning @Kathy_M!

Yes, there are content limitations when out of home our Ignite TV app. You will need to connect to your home WiFi to be able to access all content.

I apologize for any inconvenience.

Regards,

RogersCorey

[JHRM]

I am connected to my home wifi, im on my connection only, it doesn't matter if its the pod or the gateway, its rogers equipment, rogers wifi, rogers service, theres no vpn, it doesnt matter if im on a phone a tablet or a laptop, stop deflecting and blaming the consumer, its not my equipment.

it worked for a couple months then stopped again 2 days ago. its a known issue for a long time with xfinity which is who rogers gets it from, you should know this, it shouldnt be telling me to connect to my home wifi and blocking content when im connected to my home wifi, why do you support reps keep going in circles blaming the consumer that its their vpn, its their equipment, its their ip being assigned wrong, stop passing the buck, and take orioer steps to resolve the issue, this is unacceptable behaviour. A more and more common behaviour at rogers recently.

Its not My problem if rogers is assigning wrong ips or locations, thats a rogers dhcp issue no consumer can resolve, its an internal rogers issue. I dont know how to spell it out any clearer without using crayons, fix the issue, it not on Our end, its on yours.

The lack of support is just unacceptable, saying the same deflection or thing over and over thats not the issue and blaming us as consumers is just terrible service.

Fix the rogers issue. Stop pretending nothings wrong, you know its a known issue