Free Stream Box?

[Chrissy21]

I was contacted recently to upgrade by bband which I had been considering doing anyhow.

I was offered a free Stream box and I said I didn't need one as I didn't have a TV subscription.

They said it comes with the package anyhow and I'd be able to watch live TV and record shows.

I've just got it all up and working but when I go to watch a program it shows CS2004 on every channel.

I've rebooted, checked its connection, checked cables etc but still nothing.

I've read about a £35 activation fee, which was not mentioned when they said they'd send me the free box.

Question is have I got egg on my face by spending time getting it up and running only to find I now need to pay a £35 activation fee? or is it something else?

[unisoft · Accepted solution]

Are you using your own router that forces specific DNS server addresses on the client (maybe because you use DNS over TLS with Adguard DNS servers)?

If so, CS2004 will come up - you have to create a DNS exception to something like 8.8.8.8 and then it will work. I think VM do some beacons or specific URLS for tracking, and any custom DNS that blocks adverts or known URLs will cause that error.

It is a generic style error though covering a range of causes, so if you are not doing this, it could well be in scope of something else. This error for me was because of described above.....

[Chrissy21]

Thanks unisoft - no just connected directly to the VM 5 hub.

Set the hub up yesterday and then set the Stream box up today.

I can use the apps like BBC Iplayer but cannot use the VM options directly which might suggest the box hasn't been activated - but I'm only guessing 😞

[newapollo]

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@Chrissy21 wrote:

I was contacted recently to upgrade by bband which I had been considering doing anyhow.

I was offered a free Stream box and I said I didn't need one as I didn't have a TV subscription.

They said it comes with the package anyhow and I'd be able to watch live TV and record shows.

I've just got it all up and working but when I go to watch a program it shows CS2004 on every channel.

I've rebooted, checked its connection, checked cables etc but still nothing.

I've read about a £35 activation fee, which was not mentioned when they said they'd send me the free box.

Question is have I got egg on my face by spending time getting it up and running only to find I now need to pay a £35 activation fee? or is it something else?

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Are you sure that you have a Stream box and not a TV360 box? (Pictures below)

The Stream box works over the internet (IP) and doesn't have a hard drive, hence no recording function.

The TV360 box needs connecting to VM white coaxial cable and has a hard drive for recording purposes.

I've checked the /StreamErrorCodes.pdf  and it shows the following:-

Step 1. Check your connections. Make sure your HDMI and power cables are tightly connected to the Stream box.
Then check your WiFi connection and make sure your Stream box is still connected to your home WiFi network.
You can do a quick diagnostic on your Stream box by heading to Settings, then Network and picking Diagnostics.
If you’re using an Ethernet connection, make sure that the cable is securely connected to the Stream box and the Hub.
Step 2. Reboot the Hub. Just turn it off, wait a bit and turn it back on again.
Step 3. Try connecting via Ethernet if you haven’t already
To get the best connection possible, we recommend using an Ethernet cable to connect the Stream box directly to the Hub.
Can you watch TV now?
Yes. Sweet! Now that’s sorted, grab yourself a cuppa and enjoy Stream.
No. Please get in touch with us. We’ll run some extra checks to get Stream back up and running again for you

If however you do have a 360 box then as shown <<< here >>>  you need to check all your cabling (which you say you've already done)  Please note if you  do have the 360 box then it needs connecting to VM's white coaxial cable for the live TV channels.

stream box and remotemain 360 box

[Chrissy21]

Ah thank you so much I do have a 360 box.

The guy who I spoke to said I only needed to plug it in and then I could connect wirelessly to it - so duh I plugged it into my TV via HDMI and then connected it to the hub. I can get all the apps but not live TV so now this makes 100% sense.

The 360 is no good to me as the service comes in at the front of the house (about 40 feet away) from where I want to place it is at the back of the house. I have SKY and although I am not a fan the benefit is that the mini boxes connect wirelessly so I don't have to go channelling holes everywhere.

Ah well back to the drawing board - thanks for the clarification 😞

[unisoft]

I didn't read "record" in your original post. That was a give away to a 360 box rather than Stream as Stream does not currently record. Good spot by "newapollo" though.