Technical Support FAQ

Please check the indoor power supply unit to your receiver. It should have a white LED light illuminated. This if this LED is not illuminated, please ensure that the power supply is securely plugged into a functional outlet. 

If this LED is illuminated and steady (no flashing or flickering) please ensure the 2 connected data cables are securely inserted into it. The data cable which connects from the router's WAN or internet port should be inserted into the power supply port labelled LAN while the cable which connects to your outdoor HollerNet receiver should be inserted into the data port labelled POE.

If after the basic troubleshooting steps are completed, you still have any of these 3 conditions listed below, please call the
"Outage Reporting Hotline" at 865-774-0011
 
1) White power supply LED is steadily illuminated and data cables are correctly secured but there is no internet.

2) White power supply LED is not illuminated although plugged into a functional power outlet.

3) White power supply LED is flashing and/or flickering

First lets start with a speed test. Connect any smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop PC to your 5Ghz WiFi network.

This is a simple open source speed test which will test the download speed of your connection https://openspeedtest.com/

In order to properly stream 1080-HD content without buffering, you will need a download speed faster than 8Mbps for each simultaneous streaming device (3 TV's streaming at once requires 24Mbps). Streaming 4K-UHD requires 25Mbps for each streaming device.

If your speed test results do not allow for enough download bandwidth to properly stream without buffering, please submit a technical support ticket here:
https://hollernet.unmsapp.com/crm/client-zone/support
If possible please include your test results in the support ticket so we can efficiently resolve your issue.

If your speed test results exceed the required bandwidth but you are still experiencing buffering or crashing streaming apps, there are some simple troubleshooting steps to identify the cause.

Ensure all of your wireless devices are connected only to the 5Ghz WiFi network on your main router, MESH points or access points if possible. Heavily loaded 2.4Ghz WiFi networks and range extenders will cause significant packet loss and jitter throughout your home network.
High packet loss and jitter will force your streaming devices to frequently "test & recalculate" the speed in which they can effectively request streaming data from their remote servers (better known as buffering). In most situations, it is not the actual speed of the connection but rather the abrupt change in that speed (jitter) which will cause buffering.
In fact, an abrupt speed increase will also cause the same amount of buffering.
In these situations, higher bandwidth internet connections will have no effect on the amount of buffering noticed. 

Often times, buffering is only noticed during mornings and peak hours when most wireless devices are at home and connected to the 2.4Ghz WiFi and/or range extenders. This is commonly misinterpreted as an internet bandwidth deficiency in which the speed test results can verify otherwise.

Of course some of your smart-home devices such as lights, thermostats and water heaters are designed specifically to connect to a 2.4Ghz network as they use very little data and sometimes require the extended range or penetrating properties of 2.4Ghz. This is entirely OK and will have a very minimal impact on your network. Each streaming or gaming device on the other hand will have a very significant impact if connected to your 2.4Ghz network or range extender.

Another factor which may cause buffering is a weak 5Ghz WiFi signal strength to your streaming device itself. This can be remedied by ensuring adequate WiFi access points for coverage throughout your home or venue. You can also test the signal strength and jitter at your streaming device's physical location by running a speed test directly beside it from your smartphone.

If speed test results show good download speeds and jitter at <5ms, then you may have a faulty streaming device or a corrupted streaming app (ie Netflix, Hulu, Paramount etc ) on that device.  Depending on the type of streaming  device (ie Roku , Firestick, Apple TV etc.) there will be differing processes for uninstalling & reinstalling those streaming apps to resolve this. If after reinstalling the streaming app, you are still seeing buffering occur, you may want to consider performing a "factory reset" on the streaming device itself. This "factory reset" function can be found in the settings menu of the device. If buffering still occurs after a factory reset has been performed, you will need to get in touch with the streaming device manufacturer for further assistance or replacement.

The WiFi network in your home or venue is generated by your in-house router.
Due to both hardware and software firewalls in place for your security, HollerNet has no access to your router's configurations or settings.

Ensure that all of your wireless devices similarly cannot detect the WiFi broadcasting from your router. If only one device is having difficulty detecting the WiFi network, then you may have accidentally enabled "airplane mode" or disabled WiFi connectivity on that specific device.

If none of your wireless devices can detect the WiFi broadcast, please ensure your router is powered up and has LED's illuminated.
Most routers have a built in "WiFi enable/disable button". If your router was already powered on with LED's illuminated, then press and hold this button for 2 seconds to switch modes. This should immediately re-enable your WiFi broadcast otherwise your router may need to be rebooted by disconnecting and then reconnecting it's power cord.

Once rebooted, if you still have no WiFi broadcasting, you will need to perform a factory reset on your router.
This is done by pressing and holding the router's factory reset button for 10 seconds while it is powered on. This will revert the WiFi name and password back to the original factory version which can be found physically printed on the router itself. This reset function will take approximately 2 minutes to complete at which time, you will need to configure the router as if it were brand new.

Be careful not to disconnect power from the router while this reset process is underway as this can cause permanently damage to the router itself.

Once the factory reset has been performed, if there are still no available WiFi networks broadcasting from it after 3-4 minutes, you will unfortunately need to replace your router.

Otherwise once the reset has completed, you will need to connect to the router's new factory WiFi SSID in order to access it's "setup page".
Depending on the manufacturer and model, this "setup page" may automatically load on your smartphone and/or laptop once you've connected to the WiFi. Otherwise there will be a "setup web address" physically printed on the router itself for you to access via your web browser.

Although your internet connection will not be functional until this setup process has completed, your WiFi network will be accessible and required to access the "setup webpage".

From there, simply follow the on-screen directions to rename your WiFi network and set it's password however you like.

Please submit a technical support ticket here regarding this:
https://hollernet.unmsapp.com/crm/client-zone/support


Please include in your ticket whether this is a constant ongoing issue which happens every 3 to 5 minutes.
Otherwise if possible, please include the last known times and dates in which you've noticed a disconnection and approximately how long this disconnection lasts.

This can be caused by WiFi range extenders, heavy 2.4Ghz WiFi traffic on your router or weak WiFi signal strength to multiple devices.

First lets test the jitter from a different device (ie smartphone or laptop) which is connected to your main router's 5Ghz WiFi or is hardwired directly to your router. If possible, disconnect all devices with weak WiFi signal strength and all devices connected to the 2.4Ghz WiFi prior to running the following speed test.

This is a simple open source speed test which will test the jitter of your connection https://openspeedtest.com/
(should be less than 5ms)

If your test results reflect a jitter greater than 5ms please submit a technical support ticket here:
https://hollernet.unmsapp.com/crm/client-zone/support
If possible please include your test results in the support ticket so we can efficiently resolve your issue.

If these tests are within normal parameters <5ms jitter, you may be having an issue with the specific device itself which is experiencing high jitter.
If your device is hardwired to your in-house network, inspect the cable and connectors for damage.
If your device is connected wirelessly, ensure it has good WiFi signal strength that it is connected to the faster 5Ghz WiFi and not the 2.4Ghz WiFi which is prone to high jitter and packet loss under load.

This can be caused by faulty equipment and/or cabling.

First lets test the packet loss from a different device (ie smartphone or laptop) which is connected to your main router's 5Ghz WiFi or is hardwired directly to your router.

This will test the percentage of packet loss in your connection https://packetlosstest.com/
(should be less than 1%)

If your test results reflect a packet loss greater than 1% please submit a technical support ticket here:
https://hollernet.unmsapp.com/crm/client-zone/support
If possible please include your test results in the support ticket so we can efficiently resolve your issue.

If these tests are within normal parameters <1% packet loss, you may be having an issue with the specific device itself which is experiencing packet loss.
If your device is hardwired to your in-house network, inspect the cable and connectors for damage.
If your device is connected wirelessly, ensure it has good WiFi signal strength that it is connected to the faster 5Ghz WiFi and not the 2.4Ghz WiFi which is prone to high jitter and packet loss under load.

The WiFi SSID and subsequent password in your home or venue is generated by your in-house router.
Due to both hardware and software firewalls in place for your security, HollerNet has no access to your router's configurations or settings. However you do have the ability to factory reset the router back to its original store shelf configuration.

This is done by pressing and holding the router's factory reset button for 10 seconds while it is powered on. This will revert the WiFi name and password back to the original factory version which can be found physically printed on the router itself. This reset function will take approximately 2 minutes to complete at which time, you will need to configure the router as if it were brand new.

Be careful not to disconnect power from the router while this reset process is underway as this can cause permanently damage to the router itself. 

Once the reset has completed, you will need to connect to the router's new factory WiFi SSID in order to access the "setup page". Depending on the manufacturer and model, this "setup page" may automatically load on your smartphone and/or laptop once you've connected to the WiFi. Otherwise there will be a "setup web address" physically printed on the router itself for you to access via your web browser. 

Although your internet connection will not be functional until this setup process has completed, your WiFi network will be accessible and required to access the "setup webpage".

From there, simply follow the on-screen directions to rename your WiFi network and set it's password however you like.

Double NAT is a scenario where multiple routers have the ability to assign duplicate IP addresses to devices within your home. This is sometimes referred to as an "IP conflict". This commonly happens whenever multiple routers on a single home network have been incorrectly configured. To resolve this, you can either set these routers to AP (Access Point) mode or manually configure each individual router's IP subnet so that they are hosting different IP address pools. This process differs by the router's brand and model while certain brands (ie Linksys, Google and Apple) are not capable of AP mode at all and must be correctly configured to a valid IP subnet.
Because your outdoor HollerNet receiver is configured to a 10.0.0.x IP subnet, your router cannot be set to use that same subnet. This should be automatically detected by the router during setup, but if not, you may want to get assistance from the router's manufacturer to resolve this or set the router to AP mode.

Strict NAT is a purely proprietary issue with certain PlayStation and Xbox devices. Users are frequently directed by Sony or Microsoft support to ensure that their network ports are unblocked and properly forwarded with UPnP, neither of which are applicable within the HollerNet network itself.

All HollerNet subscribers by default have UPnP enabled with no ports blocked unless otherwise specifically requested in writing. 
Although it is possible to manually block or "unforward" ports within a your router's settings through advanced parental controls, this is usually not the culprit.
The process for initially restricting these ports within the router requires a significant level of intentional "know how". This would suggest that whomever was applying the port restrictions to that router would probably know better than to do so in the first place as it leads to other much bigger problems.

With that stated, Strict NAT can also (and usually is) by caused by the game console's hosting server not being able to trace a path over the internet back to your physical location. This is necessary in order to figure out which "local" server you should be assigned to. Several factors can cause this.
HollerNet is not considered to be a large or well known ISP outside of East TN and therefore often times, these servers do not immediately recognize your geographic location based on your connecting IP addresses. Therefore the remote server must send a "trace-route" in order to figure out where you are physically located. In situations when remote servers may be "bogged down" due to a lack of available redundant servers especially during peak hours (commonly East and West coast server redundancy is available), it may not be able to process a trace-route on the first try at which time the bogged down server will simply give up and label your console to have a strict NAT type.
You can sometimes trick that server into sending an additional trace-route by randomly selecting a new port number in your console's advanced networking menu. This will cause the server to recognize you as a new connection which has not yet been physically located and therefore not yet labelled as a strict NAT type. This sometimes requires several attempts but whenever the remote server does recognize your physical location, it will remember this so long as you remain connected to it.

Another way to bypass this strict NAT type issue is by using a VPN connection to "tunnel out" to a location geographically closer to the hosting server (East or West coast). The server will then recognize your physical location as being "the other end of your VPN tunnel" and your console will no longer be labelled as having a strict NAT type. Although using a VPN will always slow down your overall internet connection speed, keep in mind that online gaming is more dependent upon latency and packet loss than actual download and upload speed. In fact, most competitive gaming servers max out at an average of 3 to 9Mbps per user while gaming.
Although not all console systems allow for an internal VPN, most routers do.
Some routers even come preconfigured with a gaming VPN just for this purpose. Here are some examples: 

https://www.cudytech.com/productinfo/105182.html

https://rog.asus.com/us/networking/rog-strix-gs-ax5400-model/

https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/wifi-router/archer-gx90/#overview

A common misconception is that some routers have better WiFi range or coverage than others. This is not the case as the FCC sets a limit to the maximum output power (range) in which a router can legally broadcast. Even the fancy $300 router with tactical antennas and pretty lights will have the exact same coverage area as the tiny boring $40 model. The difference in pricing and model numbers (N900 vs AX6600) only reflects the number of devices which can connect to it simultaneously and the performance of those devices while connected.
All modern routers and wireless access point also come "dual band" equipped which simply means that they simultaneously broadcast separate 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz WiFi networks.
2.4Ghz penetrates walls better and covers more distance but does not perform well for streaming, gaming or VOIP as it will bog down your router (thereby slowing down the internet speed on all of your devices). You absolutely want to use the 5Ghz WiFi for every possible application if possible.

In larger homes and venues, it is common to utilize multiple broadcasting (routers and/or access point) devices for providing adequate WiFi coverage. Penetration of walls and obstructions will also play a role in the number broadcasting devices necessary. HollerNet does not set any limits on how many of these access points you can use in your home as we only provide our service to a single Cat5 ethernet port. Anything connected "downstream" from that point is strictly at your discretion.

With that stated, here are 3 common methods of adding these additional access points:

1) The Best Method (Zero loss of internet speeds)
Place wireless access points at opposite sides or corners of your home or venue. Interconnect these access points back to your main router's LAN ports with Cat5e cabling (up to 250ft each is a safe max cable length).
Set identical SSID names and passwords to all of these access points so that they match the SSID and password of your main router. Once completed, your smartphones, smart TV's and other devices will only see a single WiFi SSID network even as you physically move between access points. This method does not require you to use any brand specific access points or main router.
If you still have "dead spots", you can also add more access points in this same manner as needed later.
(Pro Tip - If you plan to use wireless routers in place of access points, check to make sure they have "Access Point Mode" compatibility. Some brands do not support AP mode such as Linksys, Apple and Google.)
(Example of router with AP mode: https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/wifi-router/archer-ax1500/ )

2) Wireless MESH (The expensive method)
These are usually purchased with a main "MESH router" unit and multiple satellite "MESH points". These satellite MESH points connect back wirelessly to the main MESH router or to each other (via hidden WiFi) and then broadcasts an additional separate WiFi network for your smart devices to connect.
A common mistake made with these is in the placement of the MESH points. If you place these MESH points in the areas where you have poor WiFi signal, then they will also have poor signal and difficulty connecting back to the main MESH router. The result is a significant loss of internet speed while maintaining the illusion of perfect WiFi signal strength.
Instead, you will want to put these MESH points at the approximate halfway point between where your main MESH router is and the areas where you are needing better WiFi signal strength at.  This will minimize the loss of internet speed between MESH ponts.
(Example: https://www.netgear.com/home/wifi/mesh/rbk753/ )


3) Wireless Range Extender / Repeater (The quick and cheap method)
This is the single most inefficient possible way to accomplish better WiFi signal strength. Similar to the MESH points mentioned above, a wireless range extender (repeater) will also need to connect wirelessly back to your main router. This means you will want to place it at the approximate halfway point to the area in which you would like to have better WiFi signal strength.
Unlike the MESH points, a repeater will utilize the exact same WiFi network (and radio channel) in which it connects to your router with to retransmit an additional WiFi SSID network for your devices to connect. Even with perfect signal strength, this will likely cost a minimum of half of your available internet speed if not more. It's for this reason that WiFi repeaters are not recommended for any speed or response time intensive purposes such as gaming, VOIP or streaming.
This will work perfectly however for your smart-home devices such as your smart-lights, smart-water heater or smart-thermostat etc. 
(Example: https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/range-extender/re550/ )

There are 2 potential causes for this.

1) There may be wet foliage obstruction in the direct path of your outdoor receiver. Dense wet foliage is impossible to penetrate at long range with a 5Ghz signal. If the foliage is not removeable, a specialized 2.4Ghz penetrating bridge radio may be required to maintain services.


2) There may be damage to the cable which connects your outdoor receiver to it's indoor power supply. If the protective jacketing on this cable has been cut or punctured, there may be water seeping into the internal wiring. You can check for this in 3 ways.

First check the indoor power supply's white LED light. It should be steadily on without any blinking or flickering.

Second verify the indoor power supply is not excessively hot to the touch. If it feels warmer than your morning cup of coffee, disconnect power from it immediately.


Third inspect the data cable connector which plugs into your indoor power supply from your outdoor receiver. If this clear connector appears to be "foggy or hazy", then disconnect power from it immediately.


In any of these scenarios, please let us know by opening a support ticket here:


https://hollernet.unmsapp.com/crm/client-zone/support

This can be caused by packet loss or high jitter. We can test for these with the 2 simple tests below:

This is a simple open source speed test which will test the jitter of your connection https://openspeedtest.com/
(should be less than 5ms)

This will test the percentage of packet loss in your connection https://packetlosstest.com/ 
(should be less than 1%)

If these tests are within normal parameters (<5ms jitter / <1% packet loss), you may need to contact your VOIP, SIP and/or phone service provider for troubleshooting assistance.

If your test results reflect a jitter higher than 5ms and/or packet loss greater than 1% please submit a technical support ticket here:
https://hollernet.unmsapp.com/crm/client-zone/support
If possible please include your test results in the support ticket so we can efficiently resolve your issue.

Your streaming service provider has flagged your account as being "shared". This can happen whenever you use your streaming service from new locations and thereby from different IP addresses. For example, your cellular data uses an entirely different IP address whenever you are roaming as opposed to when you are at home in the same way that your home WiFi IP addresses are different from the ones at your workplace. If you access your streaming account while roaming, your streaming service provider will see that you have now accessed their services from a different IP address and therefore a different location. Although they cannot differentiate which IP address is from your home as opposed to a guest hotel WiFi network, most streaming services do have a limit as to how many total IP addresses can have access to your account before it is flagged. Streaming providers will allow for several IP addresses to be logged prior to flagging your account (Hulu has the least amount allowed at 4 max). 

Streaming service providers handle these "flags" in different ways depending upon their protocol. Some will even permanently flag the email address associated with that specific account in which case a new account must be created with an entirely different email address.

There is no scenario in which HollerNet can modify your identified IP addresses. All HollerNet subscribers use a minimum of 2 IP addresses or more (up to 3) which connect them to the outside internet. These are not only permanent IP addresses but they are also shared throughout the HollerNet subscriber network by processes called "link aggregation" and "load-balancing". This is done for security, redundancy and speed purposes. This is NOT causing your account to be flagged as although these IP addresses frequently cycle between each other (several times per second), they are always the same 2 to 3 IP addresses.

You must resolve this issue with the specific streaming provider whom has flagged your account.