[BC] Barix Question

[patrick roberts]

I just wanted to relate a problem and cure it seems for a Barix extreamer
100 I had.  It turns out that the replacement Barix that I installed at a
remote location (first one I put there had a real problem related to
heat) kept having to be reset occationally when it stopped emitting audio.
The PD on the other end wasn't pleased of course having to "deal with it".
It turns out that CableOne didn't get their configuration right for our
static IP address, and that's why we kept having issues.  CableOne uses the
equipment MAC address to tie to the static IP they assigned to us.

When we had to quickly change out from the first unit that really did have a
equipment issue to another known working one perminently borrowed from a
friend's station that had it working right 100 percent of the time I
think, in their haste to get things configured quickly, they must
have misconfigured their settings.  Months after the install of the second
known-working unit, they had a city-wide service failure on their end. The
box wouldn't work at all until I called them and they re-entered all of our
MAC info, etc.  Now they put the right info in their system, the thing just
runs and runs!

:)

That's the trickiest thing about any of these internet-based streaming boxes
really IMHO: configuration.  Even if you, the customer do everything right
and your equipment is right with the world, your service provider may reek
havock on your success if they make an error. The saddest thing is I was
VERY careful to make sure they got the right mac by making them read it back
to me (they could see it also on the network).  Who knows what they had
goofed up, but I think they caused at least a splotch of white hairs on my
head because of their error.

Now that things are straightened out, we are very happy with our Barix
equipment choice.  For an initical 600 bucks outlay and about 80 re-occuring
cost it's nice that a guy can have a nice and reliable "STL" 65 mile
hop.  It sure beats the 4000 dollar ISDN equipment that kept failing (thank
you ATT) and 300 dollar services required for price and reliablility the
Barix replaced!

PR