topic Re: Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453 in Other TVs

Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

KDL40RD453BU — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 17:50:49 GMT

Doesn't work on my KDL40RD453BU. Why would I have to use static IP to be able to set the DNS manually? It doesn't make sense.

My working theory is that my router won't accept static IPs*, and I can see that, on DHCP, the TV is setting itself to use the router as a DNS server. I don't believe that the router provides that service. Hence, Catch 22. So, how do I test this by using DHCP with a manually-configured DNS server, which is a fairly basic thing to do?

* On a previous router, I had to reserve a range for static IPs. I can't do that with the current one.

Re: Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

Anonymous — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 17:51:28 GMT

Hi @KDL40RD453BU

Unfortunately Sony locks out using proxy/dns settings using the 'easy' setup mode and also locks out DHCP using 'expert' mode (where you can set DNS/Proxy settings).

I was just about to suggest changing the DHCP IP Adress range whilst reserving a range for static, but you mention you cannot do that on your router.

Is it possible or feasible to change the DNS on the router instead?

Other than that, I cannot really suggest anything else - New router?

Cheers

Re: Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

KDL40RD453BU — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 17:51:49 GMT

Changing DNS on the router isn't the problem - I can do that. The problem is that the TV ignores the router and sets the router itself as the DNS server, rather than picking up the DNS settings from the router. In my view, the approach that you have described from Sony is inadequate. Having to get a new router is a bit extreme just because they missed out a basic feature.

As I mentioned, I may try daisy-chaining an old router to create another subnet, and connect the TV to that. It may be that it will play nicely with the second router.

Re: Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

Anonymous — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 17:52:10 GMT

Hi there

I know a new router was extreme. Let us know on the forums how you get on when you connect that second router anyhow. Curious to know how that goes to be honest

Cheers

Re: Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

xx4L0Mxx — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 17:52:34 GMT

This is not Sony's fault. It's how default Android works.

Re: Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

royabrown — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 17:52:56 GMT

@KDL40RD453BU wrote:

Changing DNS on the router isn't the problem - I can do that. The problem is that the TV ignores the router and sets the router itself as the DNS server, rather than picking up the DNS settings from the router. In my view, the approach that you have described from Sony is inadequate. Having to get a new router is a bit extreme just because they missed out a basic feature.

As I mentioned, I may try daisy-chaining an old router to create another subnet, and connect the TV to that. It may be that it will play nicely with the second router.

Non-Android TV alert. Anything anyone says here about Android TVs may well not apply to your set.:smileytongue:

But for any well-managed DHCP handshake, the router may well say 'come to me for DNS', which is recorded as the router IP address on the TV, and when the TV goes for DNS to the router, the request is handed off to the 'real' external DNS server(s) configured in the router.

Which means you can change the DNS server centrally, for your whole internal network, just by charging the value in the router. Or for an individual device, just by changing that device away from the router IP address DNS to some other external DNS server

My last router, for ADSL, worked like this.

But my new fibre-to-the-router device instead passes out the value you set on the router to all the individual devices, Maybe it does not want to be a bottleneck by doing all the DNS itself?

And if you change the values on an individual device under this regime, then the new DNS will work for a bit, until the next DHCP handshake with the router changes it back to what the router says.

Which you can avoid by taking the device out of the realm of DHCP, by setting a static IP address for it.

So if the current default DNS address on the device is a real DNS server, you need to set a static IP address.

But if it is the IP address of the router, you can just change it; the next DHCP handshake may give the device a new IP address, but it will leave your DNS settings alone. You might still prefer to set a static IP address, though, just to be sure.

Re: Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

KDL40RD453BU — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 17:53:17 GMT

Adding another (Netgear) router didn't help. Much the same behaviour. The basic set-up was working - I'd done it before with that router, and I checked it by turning off wireless on a laptop and connecting that with a cable via the second router.

I'm a bit at a loss what to try. My son's friends (oh the shame ) said add a Roku stick; that worked flawlessly, but as far as I can see it uses its own Internet connection and doesn't provide one to the TV - so we've got streaming but the TV still can't see the Internet.

Re: Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

Anonymous — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 17:53:39 GMT

Hi @KDL40RD453BU

Ok, so you cannot change the DNS. Lets go back to basics here - Why do you need to set a DNS on the TV? Is the TV not connecting to the internet (via your home network) ?

Cheers

Re: Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

KDL40RD453BU — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 17:53:58 GMT

No, that's right. I get a local connection, but no Internet. That's often indicative of DNS problems, so I immediately suspected that the TV wasn't getting DNS from the router, and wanted to direct it to external DNS servers that I know to be working.

In practice, I normally set up external DNS anyway, though I'm aware of arguments that it's better not to do that.

Re: Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

Anonymous — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 18:01:38 GMT

Hi there @KDL40RD453BU

I have moved your post to a dedicated thread and out of the Android TV section - as this can confuse things a little. I have also changed the title of the thread to reflect your TV, however nothing else has been edited.

Right, taking this from the top. The KDL-40RD453 TV is NOT a smart TV. Therefore there are NO internet services. However it is mandatory for Freeview HD to have at least a LAN connection. The purpose of this is for the IPTV/MHEG channels in the 225 range in the EPG.

This therefore means that your TV does not support DLNA network services or Smart TV apps like YouTube. If you go to channel 226 (i think its CCTV) it should therefore connect to that TV channel as it is an IPTV streaming channel.

Cheers

Re: Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

KDL40RD453BU — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 01:01:31 GMT

Thanks. Things begin to make some sense, although...

We set out to replace a CRT TV that had lost the R and was only GB We only really wanted a good picture, and preferably the ability to do a bit of catch-up on the main terrestrial channels; we've had Freeview for some time, but rarely have time to watch that much. So, Smart TV wasn't that essential. However, I'm usually someone people come to for technical advice, and I couldn't really work out what was going on with TV technology.

Freeview HD is new to me, though I can Google it now. So is the concept of a TV needing a LAN connection if it doesn't have Internet. To make it worse, this TV reports consistently that the Internet connection has "failed", which is nonsense if it doesn't have that capability. All leading to a huge waste of time (Sony, are you listening?) trying to get something working that we didn't know we needed, but wanted to try now we had it (only we didn't). We did the research and still couldn't make sense of all the different features.

None of this is your fault, of course. However, I do think that poor information in a rapidly-changing field has left us less satisfied than we ought to be, with a product that is perfectly capable of delivering what we wanted. We've now added a Roku stick (another new concept) and that's given us iPlayer - although I was sure that the model information promoted this TV as being good for catch-up, and I can't see why now.

And somebody should shoot the marketing guys who only allow spec sheets to say YES, making them completely useless for understanding what one TV doesn't have and another does. If there are no NOs, it's not worth publishing it, guys - that makes it marketing guff, not a spec sheet.

So, good product, top marks to you and this forum for sorting us out, pretty low marks to Sony for too much marketing guff and not enough useful information, and for designing an interface that complains that a non-existent feature doesn't work. Real shame when we could have been so pleased, so easily.

Rant over

Re: Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

KDL40RD453BU — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 09:20:19 GMT

Thinking this through, what's the purpose of a LAN connection that doesn't route externally in receiving channels?

Or maybe that's something to Google later.

Re: Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 22:58:48 GMT

Hi there @KDL40RD453BU

I fully understand what you are meaning in regards to specifications and not listing things that it doesnt have (all the no's etc). I do not work for Sony (im someone like you, a customer) so I cannot change anything, but I do have contacts within Sony and will pass this suggestion onto them.

As of the 01/01/2017 (yesterday) - ALL TVs sold in the UK must be specified as "Freeview HD" - none of this "HD Ready" rubbish. This also means that it is also mandatory for all TVs to have at least a LAN port. This is part of the D-Book 6.2(?) Specifications. More information is in the PDF attached.

As mentioned about, the use of the ethernet port is specifically for the MHEG-IC channels - which are live streaming channels in the Freeview EPG from channels 225 to ? (forgot). So there is a purpose on the LAN port being provided on your TV - and it should work when connecting to a live streaming channel in the Freeview EPG

Did you test the TV by going to one of those channels - be patient, it can take a minute or two for them to 'kick-in'?

Cheers

Edit: Would help if I attach PDF

Re: Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

KDL40RD453BU — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 00:15:27 GMT

Thanks. I did realise that you were not on the Sony staff, but thanks too for passing on the comment, and for the PDF, which I'll read tomorrow.

I did try those channels, and got CCTV (Chinese TV??), but it was too slow to be useful - lots of freeze-frames. However, I still don't see where it's coming from, as the TV is reporting no Internet connection. Maybe it's magic Otherwise, we have an Ethernet (local) connection with no means of receiving the channels from the outside world.

Or maybe the Sony settings design is less than helpful to anyone but a complete expert, and doesn't mean what it says?

I'd have no objection if you were to point out to your Sony contacts that we're talking about me spending a day and a half of Christmas holiday, that I'll never get back, trying to get something working when there wasn't a problem, all because neither the product information nor the settings told me clearly what to expect.