Flashing DM500HD with dreamup - what you should be aware of

[shumifan50]

NOTE: Normally I would not flash using dreamup; use a browser like with the DM600:
a. Switch of DM500HD, press the front switch and hold while powering on.
b. Connect with a browser to the DHCP supplied IP.

But if the box has been flashed with a bad image, use dreamup as follows.

The DM500HD does not have a serial port. It has a mini USB port instead. When using dreamup, it expects to use a COM port to set the box in flash mode. This had me confused for a bit as the DreamMultimedia website did not have any explanation of how to get around this problem.
1. On the off-chance something might happen, I connected the mini USB (dreambox) to a USB port on my PC and got 'new hard found DM500HD'. I then let it install the software for the 'new hardware', which was reported as a 'composite device' with nothing in the name to indicate it was a dreambox. I let it go through all the installing software rubbish until it said ' new hard is installed succesfully'.
2. Connect your dreambox to the LAN - FLASHING USING THE SERIAL(US CONNECTION DOES NOT WORK But you have to have the USB also connected to use dreamup.
3. I switched off the dreambox.
4. I then opened dreamup and a new COM port had appeared (COM15). I selected this COM15 and clicked 'connect' at which point dreamup wanted me to switch on the dreambox.
4a. Tick the box 'Network Connection' and set up the correct IP addresses.
5. Switch on the dreambox. It will now upload the flash loader to the dreambox - wait.
6. Click 'Flash' and select the image you want to flash. Then wait until it reports it has completed flashing.

If the network does not connect for some reason, then you will get an error 'Bad Request 400' in the dreamup window. This will happen anytime you try to flash using only the USB connection. Remember to tick the box 'Use network' in dreamup.

Good luck.

 

[oddbob]

Thanks, good job, especially with the USB setup, I would never tried that myself. I flashed my box with the DreamEliteBH_DM500HD_1_0 using a browser, all OK until the restart, - DB dead. Not able to restart, could not ping the DB, DB edit and Dreamup not working. Hooked up the USB cable and I got Dreamup running, flashed again, and its working.

Bob

 

[mjamil]

I am trying update with dreamup but no luck like this power off from mains now link meni usb to dm and usb to my windows vista computer found new hardware installing drivers after few minuts said no drivers found go to site for drivers cp210 usb to uarta bridge linux vcp drivers download it but no luck if i go to brows type dm ip its go throw in reciever but no found how up date image please help me thanks!

 

[choco]

@shumifan50 or oddbob....good job m8s.
Can you please say which version of Dreamup you used and
how to get Box IP.

Thanks.

 

[mjamil]

dreamup 1.3.3.5 I press and hold front button than power on from back

 

[choco]

dreamup 1.3.3.5 I press and hold front button than power on from back

But the DM500HD has a display?

 

[mjamil]

No dreambox has no display

 

[choco]

That's why I asked how to get the Box IP earlier on.

 

[shumifan50]

Elsewhere on this forum (I think in the DM600 section) is an extensive discussion on how to flash the DM600(same as DM500HD almost except for USB instead of RS232 cable) and how to get the IP. This is not easy as it is DHCP provided (NOTE that you MUST have a DHCP server on your LAN, typically your router, but it must be enabled).
See:
_http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/dreambox600/132780-flashing-dm-600-4-easy-steps.html

If you use dreamup, connect the mini-USB to a USB on your PC AND connect the dreambox to your LAN.
However, if you use dreamup (download from dream-multimedia the latest version), then when you run it, tick the 'use network' box and enter your PC IP in the left top box. Dreamup will then allocate an IP and display it in the right hand box. When it uploads ther flash loader, it will set the dreambox up with this IP. Click on 'flash', select the file you want to flash and away you go.

CP210 drivers for Vista can be found here:
_http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/pages/usbtouartbridgevcpdrivers.aspx

The drivers were already installed on my machine under XP.

 

[mjamil]

Hi bro i try las night these drivers _http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/pages/usbtouartbridgevcpdrivers.aspx but after this my reciver stop working only green light on can you help me please !

[Moderation] Unparsed URL

 

[shumifan50]

What happens when you:
First of all have you got a new COM port in the "serial Port" drop down? I think it will be COM15. If you dont the drivers are not working.

1. switch the box off.
2. Plugin LAN cable AND USB connect to PC.
3. Start dreamup on PC.
4. Tick the 'use network' box in dreamup
5. Set your PC ip address in top left (where it says "local IP(PC)")
6. Set an IP for your dreambox in "Remote IP(box)".
7. Select the COM port which is your newly installed UART bridge COM port (I guess it will be COM15.
8. Click "Connect"
9. It should tell you to switch the DM500HD on.
10. Switch on the DM500HD and it should download the "flash loader"
11. When it finishes, click on "Flash", select the image you want to download.
12. It should now download the image to the dreambox and start flashing it. Wait for it to finish. Do not switch the dreambox off while it is doing it. It takes a couple of minutes.
13. Switch the box off and then on. It should now boot the new image.

 

[mjamil]

Plugin LAN cable AND USB connect to PC are they two differant cables need two cables?

 

[Analoguesat]

No disrespect mjamil but if thats the level of your technical knowledge then a dreambox probably isnt for you.

However the lan cable is the ethernet network cable and the usb cable well thats the usb cable

 

[mjamil]

Dear friend, sorry i just need u to explain post 11 shumifan50 [2] said Plugin LAN cable AND USB connect to PC. So what dose that mean? I know that we can use only usb mini cable for updating dreambox,but why did shumifan say in his post 11 use plugin LAN cable and usb connect to pc i knew that LAN cable for erthnet. SO PLEASE EXPLAIN! thank you

 

[shumifan50]

Connect both the LAN and the USB of the dreambox to the PC = 2 cables: 1 x ethernet and 1 x minUSB to USB.
If you plug the dreambox directly to the PC without a router or switch you need a crossover ethernet cable. When using a router or switch you need a 'normal' ethernet cable.
according to the manual at DMM you can flash the DM500HD without connecting the LAN (ethernet) and just using the USB , but THIS DOES NOT WORK - flashing fails every time. SO you HAVE to connect both LAN and USB between PC and dreambox and follow the instructions exactly.

 

[mjamil]

Thanks bro

 

[sblinx]

hi all

today i received my new box ... i might have to say that the picture is awesome. i connected the box to an older TV thru a scart (not HDMI yet) and there's an improvement even from my 8000 (first impression)

i changed the original image with the black hole by using the browser. tried this method first and worked just fine. image loaded in about 2 minutes.

what i found inferior is that the box does not have usbs (its a pity) but otherwise seems very fast

thanks shumifan for your insights

 

[shumifan50]

Once you have connected an external eSata hard disk (remember to get one with its own power supply), you don't need the USB, unless you want to run multi-boot, which is a bad idea in any case. You can set up swap on the hard disk, but my box has never used any swap space.
I think this is the best dreambox ever made to date.

 

[sblinx]

@shumifan the USBs are useful for alot of other options - to mention 1 watching vidoes thru a pen drive!!

but i agree with you as it seems that this is an excellent box

 

[powel000]

can u name few brands that make esata external hard disk with its own power supply. Also, why not use a mini usb adapter and just connect it to a flash memory card. thanks