How To Tell If DirecTV SWM Is Bad? – Know Here

Have you ever had issues with your DirecTV SWM? If you had unplugged and plugged it several times recently, you may need a new one.

We will discuss how to tell if DirecTV SWM is bad and what you can do about it.

When your DirecTV SWM connection isn’t working, it may not have enough power. It is also possible that you lost the satellite connection on your device.

If you have problems with your DirecTV SWM, check for rusted or damaged cables first.

What should you do if you have a bad SWM? Let’s find out!

To fix a bad DirecTV SWM connection, you should first turn off your receiver. Next, turn them on one at a time. If this doesn’t work, switch satellites manually or use a power inserter. As a last resort, replace your SWM splitter.

Before we get into the details of fixing your DirecTV SWM issue, let us enumerate the signs that you have a bad connection.

DirecTV SWM Connection is Not Working – What to Know

SWM was developed to address issues with DirecTV. If it is broken, it can be very frustrating.

You’ll know it’s malfunctioning because you don’t have a satellite signal on all your devices or the signal cuts in and out.

Check the following list of items to determine the cause.

✅ 1. Rusted or Damaged Cables

If your cables are rusted or damaged, the transmission won’t be effective. Ensure the cables are clean and snug so there is no slack.

✅ 2. Not Enough Power

If you have a new receiver, you have a bad DirecTV SWM connection with an inadequate power supply. You need a power inserter to make sure your device will run smoothly.

✅ 3. Connection Issues

Either you did not connect your device correctly to SWM, or you surpassed the device limit. In this case, you will see an error message and experience service interruption across your DirecTV connections.

✅ 4. Satellite Connection Settings

One of the satellites in rotation should be SWM. If you don’t see it, either there’s an issue with your satellite connection or your device is not SWM-compatible.

Once you have verified that you have a bad DirecTV SWM connection, proceed to the solutions below.

Complete Steps How to Tell If DirecTV SWM is Bad

Before we move on to more advanced troubleshooting steps, see if the receiver issue can be fixed by a simple restart.

To restart your receiver, follow these steps:

• Turn off the receiver using the power button.
• Disconnect the SWM from the power outlet.
• Wait for 30 seconds.
• Plug in the device and wait for another 30 seconds.
• Turn on the receiver.

If restarting the receiver doesn’t work, proceed to the solutions below.

Step #1: Turn On Your Receivers One at a Time

If restarting the receiver that shows the error does not work out, an option that you can do is to reboot all of them one at a time.

This problem is likely to happen if you have been on the SWM setup for some time now and you suddenly get this error.

The SWM assignments for each receiver can be affected every time you turn them on.

Whenever this happens, it’s essential that you turn them on one at a time to avoid any SWM assignment conflicts.

Here’s the proper way to turn on your DirecTV receivers:

1. Turn off your DirecTV receivers and unplug them from the wall socket.
2. Turn one of the receivers on and wait for it to connect to DirecTV.
3. Once the first receiver is successfully connected, turn the next one.
4. Repeat this process until you turn on all of your receivers.

Step #2: Disconnect the B-Band Converters from the Receivers

B-band converters allow your receivers to get the HD signal and process them properly.

However, if you’re using the latest equipment from DirecTV, there’s a good chance that you don’t need one.

This is especially true if you have an SWM setup, as the multiswitch will do most of the signal converting for you.

If you have a B-band converter in your DirecTV setup and using an SWM causes errors, consider disconnecting them from your receiver. You’re better off plugging your cables directly into your receiver straight from the SWM.

Here’s how to disconnect the B-band converter from your receiver:

1. Check if your DirecTV coaxial cable is connected to a B-band converter.
2. If it is, disconnect the B-band converter from your receiver.
3. Remove the coaxial cable from the other end of the converter.
4. Fasten the coaxial cable into your receiver’s Satellite IN port.
5. Check if the HDMI cable is fastened properly.

Note: You want to ensure that your SWM setup is already in place before removing the B-band converter from your receiver.

Step #3: Link Your Satellite Dish to Your SWM Properly

If you’re switching to an SWM setup, you want to ensure that your satellite dish is connected properly.

There are several considerations you need to take when moving to SWM. Doing this will restore your connection with your satellite.

It’s important that you check the cables and verify that they are properly connected. If you don’t do it, you’ll see several errors pop up.

One issue that will likely appear in your receiver is that it will not work since there is no connection with your dish.

Here’s how to connect your DirecTV dish to your SWM:

1. Connect the cables to the 4 outputs of your DirecTV 5 LNB dish.
2. Run the cables down from your dish to your SWM.
3. Connect the 4 cables to the SWM1 to SWM4 ports.

Tip: There is no particular order to connect the 4 cables from your dish to the SWM ports.

Step #4: Use a Power Inserter

Since you’re using an SWM setup with lots of connections after the splitter, it’s recommended that you use a power inserter.

Adding this device to your setup ensures that there will be enough power for all the cables and equipment down the line.

With non-SWM setups, it’s the receiver that supplies power to your dish. However, with SWM equipment, many more connections and devices require powering up.

Here’s how to use a power inserter with your DirecTV SWM setup:

1. Connect the cable coming from the SWM1 output into the Power to SWM.
2. Connect another cable from the Signal to IRD to your DirecTV receiver.
3. Plug the Power Inserter into a wall outlet.
4. Check if you still experience an SWM error.

Pro Tip: If you have an SWM-16 multiswitch setup, you can connect a cable from the DC/PWR instead of the SWM1 port.

Step #5: Change the Satellite Setup on Your Receiver to SWM

If you just switched to an SWM setup from the older H24, you need to make changes to your configuration.

You need to look closely at a few settings, particularly with your satellite and SWM.

You want to change the configuration on your receiver to SWM, so it knows what kind of signal to expect.

If you don’t change this, you’ll experience many errors that can make it hard for you to resolve.

Here’s how to change the satellite setup on your DirecTV receiver:

1. Go to your receiver’s Main Menu.
2. Go to Settings and Help, then Satellite.
3. Select Repeat Satellite Setup.
4. Change the multi-switch type to SWM or DSWM.
5. Confirm to complete the setup process.

Note: Performing this will interrupt the programming on your receiver as you switch to SWM.

These are the steps you need to follow to know if your DirecTV is bad or malfunctioning. This usually happens as you switch to an SWM setup from the older one.

However, once it is dialed down, you can enjoy your DirecTV subscription using multiple receivers in your home.

You can reset your SWM or receiver if you continue having issues.

Bottom Line

Do you now know how to tell if DirecTV SWM is bad? Following these steps will give you a better idea of what to do while in the process of changing to an SWM setup.

There are going to be a few challenges as you make the switch.

With these steps, you can eliminate these issues and succeed in getting your SWM set up properly.

Read Next: Shaw Direct Receiver Red Light Blinking? – Fixed