N750 causes xbox 360 freezing / locking when combined with HDHomerun Prime

I have had this exact problem with two N750s.  I RMA'd the first one and when the second one exhibited the exact behavior, I requested help at the support portal on 10/26 [Deleted - Trancer] and never heard back.  Today I opened another case [Deleted - Trancer] with the hopes of getting someone’s attention.  

Problem:
The N750 causes a hard lock with either of my xboxes in under 5 minutes. It is a hard freeze and the xboxes can only be physically turned off with the button at this point. The freezing occurs whether playing a game like Borderlands 2, watching streaming movies via Netflix, etc or connecting to a Windows 7 computer running Windows Media Center. I do not play in the multiplayer mode. I use the online xbox cloud storage for saving my games. If I disconnect the xbox from the internet (unplug the ethernet cable) before I start it, there is no problem with freezing.

The problem started as soon as I installed the N750.  It goes away if I go back to *ANY* of my older routers (DIR-655, WRT-54gl, USR5461, DIR-601) and returns the moment I reinstall the N750.  If I use any other wireless router changing NOTHING else, there are NO problems.  PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS WHEN THE N750 IS BEING USED.

In my case, I have narrowed the issue down to some sort of problem between my HDHomerun Prime tuner from Silicon Dust and the N750 that causes either or both xboxes to completely lock up.  I can play on the xbox for hours but as soon as I turn on the HDHR, the xbox 360 locks within a few minutes. I contacted silicon dust and they said they have seen this problem before with a WD router but couldn’t tell me with which model.

Environment:
I have internet service via comcast cable.
The locking occurs whether I use the comcast tm502g modem or the tg862g modem. Currently I am using the tg862g modem which is set to router use only. The tg862g wifi feature has been turned off by Comcast.

Connected directly to the N750 via Ethernet are 2 computers plus an 8 port trendnet switch with 7 devices directly connected via ethernet. I also replaced the trendnet switch with an ASUS 8 port switch and have the same problems. One of the devices connected to the switch is an HDHomeRun Prime Cable TV tuner. Several of the computers are running Win7, one is running Win8, one is running OS X Lion. There are many wireless devices including ipods and one ipad.

I have one original xbox and one 4GB xbox. Both are directly connected to network via Ethernet. Both show the same symptoms of locking within 5 minutes.

Here’s what I have done to troubleshoot:

I have been using the WRT54GL wireless router with zero problems while I waited for my replacement N750 to arrive. When the replacement N750 arrived, I replaced the WRT54GL with the N750 and rebooted everything (TG862G, switch, HDHomerun, etc.)

Test 1
I did NOT run the WD setup. Just replaced WRT54GL with N750 and rebooted everything.
Results: Computers all able to access internet, xbox starts normally and signs into xbox live, but locks within 5 min. It never locks at same spot. Sometimes it locks at startup. Sometimes I can actually play a few minutes before it locks.

Test 2
Run WD setup, change password, setup wireless on both bands, etc. Firmware is v1.01.04 but I leave it.
Reboot everything
Results are the same. Xbox locks within 5 min.

Test 3
Reset N750 to defaults. Update firmware to lastest 1.4.16. Run N750 setup, set password, etc.
Results are the same. Xbox locks within 5 min.

Test 4
Connect xbox wirelessly over 5ghz with a Belkin wireless adapter.
Results are the same. Xbox locks within 5 min.

Test 5
Turn off Network UPnP on N750.
Results are the same with the xbox locking.

Test 6
Put WRT54GL back as main wireless router. Take out N750 completely.
Result. Everything works fine.

Test 7

Since all I really want is access to the 5 GHz band option,  I also tried just using the N750 as an access point behind my DIR-601 and had the same issues with xbox locking.   

Conclusion:
There is definitely a problem with the N750.

PLEASE read everything I’ve written carefully. Please DON’T tell me to reboot, reset, check firmware, or any other answer from your script because I’ve already done all of that. Please don’t blame the HDHomerun Prime.  It works just fine with any other router.

Please DO offer help.

I have never seen a post event remotely similar to yours on these boards dude, so you’re having an isolated problem. If you already got a replacement with the same issue then you just happen to have everything needed in layout, configuration, ports, firmware, and devices for this to happen.

Are you saying I should just live with it?  Did you see that none of my other four routers have this problem including one that is almost 10 years old?

There are other people with WD routers complaining that they are seeing xbox locking in this community and in the newegg reviews for starters. I’m a hands on kind of guy and I have already tried all of the suggestions I found here and else where usually around QOS or UPnP & port forwarding.

I assume if WD is serious about having a successful router business that they would want to address any problems like this.  To that point, I have been contacted by WD support since I posted here and am awaiting a call today fyi.  They get kudos for that.

FYI, if anyone else encounters this problem, I have discovered a partial workaround.  Install a second nic in the Windows Media Center server and connect the HDHomerun directly to that computer using the instructions below.  Your WMC will be able to record TV and your xboxes can still be used as extenders but of course, you lose direct access to the HDHR prime from any other device/computer which is why this is only a temporary solution for me until WD can help me fix this.

There are instructions on how to do this here: http://www.silicondust.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?t=4088 under the topic “Connecting the HDHR to a PC without a switch/router”

After I set up the NIC, I ran the HDHR setup again, then the WMC setup, and had to reboot several times before windows kind of caught on that things had changed.  At first I kept getting the “there is no tuner available” error in WMC but it corrected itself after like 2 reboots.

WD issued another RMA.  I appreciate the help from Sam and Albert.  I will post if the new router solves the issue in the following week or two.

impress_me_pls wrote:

Are you saying I should just live with it?  Did you see that none of my other four routers have this problem including one that is almost 10 years old?

Yes, because you are apparently the only person on the planet with this problem. if you already had a replacement then it means the entire combination of devices and firmware triggers your problem. The more specific it is, then less relevance it has because of the many factors that must add in for this to happen.

impress_me_pls wrote:

There are other people with WD routers complaining that they are seeing xbox locking in this community and in the newegg reviews for starters. I’m a hands on kind of guy and I have already tried all of the suggestions I found here and else where usually around QOS or UPnP & port forwarding.

 

Different problems than yours, and those are common problems, not extremely specific problems.

impress_me_pls wrote:

I assume if WD is serious about having a successful router business that they would want to address any problems like this.  To that point, I have been contacted by WD support since I posted here and am awaiting a call today fyi.  They get kudos for that.

The routers are not even on WD’s main site anymore, so I don’t think they’ll live long if history is to be followed.

impress_me_pls wrote:

FYI, if anyone else encounters this problem, I have discovered a partial workaround.  Install a second nic in the Windows Media Center server and connect the HDHomerun directly to that computer using the instructions below.  Your WMC will be able to record TV and your xboxes can still be used as extenders but of course, you lose direct access to the HDHR prime from any other device/computer which is why this is only a temporary solution for me until WD can help me fix this.

 

There are instructions on how to do this here: http://www.silicondust.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?t=4088 under the topic “Connecting the HDHR to a PC without a switch/router”

 

After I set up the NIC, I ran the HDHR setup again, then the WMC setup, and had to reboot several times before windows kind of caught on that things had changed.  At first I kept getting the “there is no tuner available” error in WMC but it corrected itself after like 2 reboots.

 

Good luck finding someone else having the exact same problem because they have the exact same devices on the exact same firmware, configuration and layout as you do.


impress_me_pls wrote:

WD issued another RMA.  I appreciate the help from Sam and Albert.  I will post if the new router solves the issue in the following week or two.

 If it’s incompatibility with your entire layout, then I have a gut feeling the next replacement will do the same. 

Pizzamatrix,

Do you get paid for hijacking threads like this with worthless chatter?  How on earth are you deemed “honored contributor”?  Can you go troll somewhere else please?

If an admin is monitoring, maybe you could just delete pizzamatrix’s comments since they seem to violate the “code” and “spirit” of this community to me.

impress_me_pls wrote:

Pizzamatrix,

 

Do you get paid for hijacking threads like this with worthless chatter?  How on earth are you deemed “honored contributor”?   Can you go troll somewhere else please?

 

If an admin is monitoring, maybe you could just delete pizzamatrix’s comments since they seem to violate the “code” and “spirit” of this community to me.

Since you’re a gamer, I would have expected for you to be more in touch with how conversations flow in a forum most of the time.

Because of my post history, which includes 205 solutions marked by other users, and 488 kudos por helpful posts also marked by other users. That you don’t like what I’m posting doesn’t mean it’s trolling. Your username implies self-entitlement on your end to begin with and likely the reason as to why no one else even bothered to reply to you on top of no one else having your problem. You also close your OP as this:

“PLEASE read everything I’ve written carefully. Please DON’T tell me to reboot, reset, check firmware, or any other answer from your script because I’ve already done all of that. Please don’t blame the HDHomerun Prime.  It works just fine with any other router.”

That alone won’t get you a “friendly” and warm response.

Regardless of how frustrated you are about your problem, demanding a “fix” if you are alone is simply not reasonable as corporate business management 101 dictates the company won’t invest engineering resources on fixing your extremely specific problem. WD staff members will try to help you but if you are still having the exact same problem with a replacement, then it’s hardware/firmware incompatibility, and WD has more and more important of those to fix first based on common problem on other products like network drives and internal hard drives.

Again: I have a gut feeling the next replacement will do the same. At that point just sell it on eBay to at least try to get some of your money back and move on.

Oh, and check the forum guidelines yourself. Just because I’m not giving you a back rub and demanding a fix like you are doesn’t mean I’m breaking the rules.