Sky HD Box Test

[sijones]

Hi,

As it seems some people would like Sky support am having a look at it - am not promising anything as i don't own a sky box, am researching and trialing things.

So can someone try this command on a linux box - make sure you have netcat installed

echo '4100002240' | nc -w 1 SkyIPAddress 49160

and let me know the result.

[Westcott]

I got this -

nc: getaddrinfo: Name or service not known

[suridge]

First post here, hope this is helpful...

Code: Select all

$ echo '4100002240' | nc -w 1 192.168.0.2 49160
SKY 000.001

$ nc -w 1 192.168.0.2 49160
SKY 000.001

[sijones]

I got this -

nc: getaddrinfo: Name or service not known

Apologies, I should have said you need to change SkyIPAddress to the IP address of the box.

[sijones]

First post here, hope this is helpful...

Code: Select all

$ echo '4100002240' | nc -w 1 192.168.0.2 49160
SKY 000.001

$ nc -w 1 192.168.0.2 49160
SKY 000.001

Did the box respond / do anything, that command should be the power toggle, so switch to standby and out of standby?

[blackdog65]

I get this

Code: Select all

$ echo '4100002240' | nc -w 1 192.168.1.75 49160
SKY 000.001

I tried with the sky box on and on standby, but nothing happened. Hope that still helps in some way.

Good luck

[C4rtm4N]

Tried on 2 Sky boxes with both the old & the current EPG & they return the same as Suridge, neither coming out of standby.

Reply is identical whether the box is on or if it's off.

[Westcott]

No - my fault for not putting my IP addr in

Now I get standby and on -
SKY 000.001

As Blackdog65 reported, nothing changed on the box itself.

Attempting to ping the box, the ping command hangs (yes, really!)

Added the box's IP to Domoticz to the 'System alive checker', it does not change status

[sijones]

Cheers for testing, I'll have a another look and come back to you.

[sijones]

ok, little update.

I have the way to toggle the box power, i need to put it in to domoticz but it's not going to be quite a straightforward implementation as it needs 2 different ways of talking to the box, one for power and the other to test the status for if the box is on or off.

So I will leave this open to you who want this, either i need someone to forward ports on their router so i can test against it - this can be locked to only allow my static ip's so shouldn't be too risky.

or someone with a spare box or you club together to buy a cheap second hand one sent to me and i'll put something together on that.

Note that I can't promise a date of completion, i do this in my spare time and that varies week to week.

Let me know what you think.

[C4rtm4N]

As discussed I can open ports temporarily but I'm away on business for most of the next 3 weeks so it needs to wait until after then. Hopefully one of the others who are interested in this can help before then.

How are you thinking about detecting whether it's on?

[sijones]

There's a function call over dnla interface that may give away that the box is on - yet to test.

Although to be honest by the lack of response I may not do this as it's not seemly wanted!

[sijones]

Here's a linux app that will toggle the box power:

Code: Select all

#include <sys/socket.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <netinet/in.h>
#include <netdb.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <arpa/inet.h>
  
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
  int sockfd = 0,nin = 0,nout = 0,l = 12;
  char recvBuff[32];
  char sendBuff[9] = {4,1,0,0,0,0,224,0}; 
  struct sockaddr_in serv_addr;
  if(argc < 2)
    {
      printf("\n Usage %s Sky box IP address\n", argv[0]);
      return 0;
    }
  memset(recvBuff, '0' ,sizeof(recvBuff));
  if((sockfd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0))< 0)
    {
      printf("\n Error : Could not create socket \n");
      return 1;
    }
  serv_addr.sin_family = AF_INET;
  serv_addr.sin_port = htons(49160);
  serv_addr.sin_addr.s_addr = inet_addr(argv[1]);
  
  if(connect(sockfd, (struct sockaddr *)&serv_addr, sizeof(serv_addr))<0)
    {
      printf("\n Error : Connect Failed \n");
      return 1;
    }
  while (1)
  {
    nin = read(sockfd, recvBuff, 31); 
    if( nin < 0)
      {
        printf("\n Read Error \n");
      }
    if (nin < 24)
    {
      nout = write(sockfd, recvBuff, l);
      if( nout < 0)
        {
          printf("\n Write Error \n");
        }
      l = 1;
    }
    else
    {
      nout = write(sockfd, sendBuff, 8); 
      if( nout < 0)
        {
          printf("\n Write Error \n");
        }
      sendBuff[1] = 0;
      nout = write(sockfd, sendBuff, 8); 
      if( nout < 0)
        {
          printf("\n Write Error \n");
        }
      close(sockfd);
      return 0;
    }
  }
}

[blackdog65]

Although to be honest by the lack of response I may not do this as it's not seemly wanted!

I happy to help (been busy with my E3Q Max! Heating Control), but I'm not sure what you want to achieve.
Obviously an off command has uses (though mine has an auto sleep function) but what else is possible?

Sean

[C4rtm4N]

Blackdog, is 'on' not the aim as if people have it connected to a supported TV via HDMI it will turn the TV on. Live pause on a doorbell ringing is also lee's aim.

[C4rtm4N]

Thanks for the code @sijones - I will try it later if I have time before I leave

[Marci]

Use app above to toggle power, use any of the current Node-based libraries to provide a http api for the rest...?

The notable two are...
https://github.com/dalhundal/sky-plus-h ... plus-hd.js
https://github.com/mwrf/skyplus.js

The former, if memory serves provides a box-status request also.
Should simplify a pause script down to triggering a switch in domoticz which fires the relevant http request over to localhost:5555 or similar.

[blackdog65]

Live pause on a doorbell ringing is also lee's aim.

Yup, sounds useful. If the communication is two-way then lighting control (like kodi) would be super sexy!

[C4rtm4N]

Many thanks @sijones - code is working well

@Marci - I never could get dalhundal's code to work although it looks as though he does now have a more simple remote app available that can't get the sky box's state

[sijones]

Many thanks @sijones - code is working well

Code was in the public domain so no need to thank me, was pointed to me by Dal, the developer of the NodeJS stuff.

Possibly if enough people want the functions I'll integrate something but have had to look at something else at the minute that we need more importantly.

Cheers sijones