[mythtv-users] Quality control issues with Acer Revo AR1600 or is it me?

[Daniel Born]

Anybody else having problems with their Revo 1600s?

The first unit I got had a defective RJ45 connector, sent it back to the online store for a replacement (at my cost). The replacement I got was good except the wired network connection would cut out every so often (between 20 minutes and 24 hours). After debugging the h*ll out of it, I finally concluded that something was wrong with the hardware (or firmware?). All of my *6* other computers are happy with my network, just the Revo was having intermittent problems.

Now the online store didn't want to help me anymore so I had to send it directly to Acer (at my cost again) and they claim they replaced the main board and shipped it back to me (scratching the case beyond belief but that's another story). I reinstalled Myth once more and it was still cutting out as before. So before I threw it in the garbage, I decided to try a final experiment: I bought a USB2 to ethernet GBIT adapter and connected it to the Revo (a Trendnet unit at $40).

First thing, Ubuntu recognized it right away without any fuss and now the Revo is rock solid, not a single disconnect in a week.

Anybody else see anything like this? could it be a hardware design issue? a driver issue (the external network adapter is not nVidia hardware so it uses a different driver), could it be a firmware issue (my unit has the most recent).

I'm happy with it now but with all the shipping back at my cost and now this external network interface, it's not such a great deal monetarily speaking at least.

Daniel