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Reviews For: Yaesu Wires-X HRI-200

Category: Interfaces, Radio to computer, amp, rotor, coax switch, internet

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Review Summary For : Yaesu Wires-X HRI-200
Reviews: 7MSRP: 124.95
Description:
The Yaesu WIRES-X HRI-200 (Wide-coverage Internet Repeater
Enhancement System) enables Internet to RF communications that
expands the range of amateur radio using internet enabled Voice-
over-IP technology. With WIRES-X, an amateur node station
connected to the Internet and Interfaced to the WIRES-X HRI-200
unit can communicate using VoIP over long distances reliably with
ease.
Product is in production
More Info: http://https://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=249&encProdID=1D23D01F7B34D76072988D9857AA1A7C&DivisionID=65&isArchived=0
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0074.1
W9MT Rating: 2020-10-31
Bug free software is NOT Yaesu's strong suit... Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I, myself, experienced most of the issues about which others have complained here. Here are some of the things I found on my way toward creating a stable WiresX access point using the Yaesu HRI-200 pc software, the HRI-200 itself, an FTM-100DR radio, and the supplied mini-DIN cable to interface box cable:

1. You MUST use the Yaesu supplied USB driver with whatever computer and Windows OS you are using to host the Yaesu HRI-200 pc software. If you ignore the manual's warning and use a standard Microsoft Windows USB driver, things will NOT work. This goes for ANY version of Windows. Yaesu did NOT write this driver. (Check out the manual for the 3rd party software company's name.) Once you get a stable system running, beware of the fact that sometimes Windows Update will go back to a generic Microsoft USB driver and totally unravel your stable implementation of WiresX pc software hosting. Turning off auto updates for your Windows OS implementation makes the most sense to prevent this.

2. The Upnp function of most routers doesn't always automatically open all six ports through your router's firewall and other protections from the outside world when the HRI-200 software is trying to interact with Yaesu's WiresX server in Tokyo. My own Asus router would sometimes work (but only with my Win7 computer with a 32 bit OS...see more info following) but didn't work 100% until I manually and permanently opened the ports in the router's dashboard. Open them this way with your own router for best results.

3. Most Win10 pc's today are running a 64 bit version of OS, either Home or Pro. Nothing I tried would get the 64 bit version of the Yaesu HRI-200 pc software to work. I switched computers to a tower running Win7 32 bit OS and loaded the 32 bit version of the software on it. That set up worked fine (no software stumbles for more than a week) once I manually opened up these six required ports in my router. (I was as frustrated as most of the other posters to this site until I discovered this.)

I then bought (on Amazon) a Win10 Pro 64 bit OS "nuc" style "hockey puck" sized computer to be my dedicated pc for WiresX software hosting with my HRI-200. The Yaesu 64 bit software didn't work there, either. The deadly "only two ports will open" issue would stubbornly not go away, making the configuration useless.

Only then I got the Epiphany to load the 32 bit version of Yaesu pc software onto my 64 bit Win10 Pro OS nuc computer. BINGO !!! This configuration worked and has been working in a stable fashion FOR MONTHS. All six manually opened router ports always work reliably and there have been NO FURTHER OPERATIONAL ISSUES.

I am now a happy WiresX node and room "owner/user".

My theory is that Yaesu did better system testing on their (likely older, and likely based off of a Wires2 software load from years back) 32 bit software version. I'll bet the bug fixing was better on this version, making it more stable, while the 64 bit release was (politely stated) possibly "rushed"? (Maybe it was a rewrite to take advantage of 64 bit capabilities that "fell a bit short"?)

You don't lose any functionality implementing this way, a 32 bit software load running on 64 bit OS, so what's the diff? You get the desired functionality and lose NOTHING.

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So to sum up, the "recipe for success" is three-fold:

1. Make sure you're ONLY using the Yaesu-supplied USB driver for your HRI-200. Shut off auto Windows updates (if you have to) to prevent USB driver reversion.
2. Open the six specified ports MANUALLY in your own router. (No Upnp, even if your router supports this mode...don't trust it.)
3. Run ONLY the 32 bit load of HRI-200 pc software from Yaesu's software CD, regardless of whether you have a 32 bit or a 64 bit Windows OS.

I've given this recipe to several other frustrated HRI-200 WiresX node implementers and they're all up and running. So, quit pulling out your hair and don't fling that HRI-200 box into the garbage (or sell it a great loss) like an unwanted Frisbee.

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Yaesu has stumbled with other product softwares...

Please read my review of the FT-3DR regarding its poor Bluetooth headset implementation. Also check the "first month bugfix firmware release after shipments began" reviews of the FTM-300DR C4FM mobile. It sometimes seems that the earliest adopters of new Yaesu products become "paying Beta release testers". Yaesu ultimately makes fine products, but I'd wait at least six months after initial shipments before buying a brand new product from them. (Sometimes it takes even a bit longer...I did this with my FT-3DR and its Bluetooth is still unusable, IMHO.)
KE8LEQ Rating: 2019-08-20
Trouble getting it to work Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Got my HRI-200 last week and waited for registration, while installing it my port check fails every single time, only the second one down which is communication with the device was a go. Opened the ports in the router and still a big fail, did everything humanly possible to get it up and running even called ISP for opening ports in modem and still no communication. I am at wits end am more than likely going to return it and write it off as a piece of junk. Why does it work for some people and not others? I guess it's not pnp as advertised.
KW4XQ Rating: 2019-06-29
HRI200 Good/Internet Provider not Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased this with the intention of setting up a personal WIRES node. One thing to say is that you MUST install the Yaesu software first!!!! Before buying, check with your internet provider. I did not, and now I have equipment that I cannot use until I switch providers. My ISP has the IP address blocked inside a corporate NAT. This renders the unit useless. It will not pass UDP port checks without an IP address that you can input in the software. I am checking with ISPs now to find one that has an unblocked ISP for my router/modem, without having to resort to getting a business class service for internet. As far as I can tell the unit works fine, but I cannot get full functionality due to IP problems.
KA3ZAI Rating: 2018-08-02
Update to my previous review Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After turning the "preset search CH" off, there doesn't appear to be any dropoffs now.
WIRES-X seems to be working ok.
M0WNF Rating: 2018-04-30
works really well Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This device is easy to setup if you follow the instructions, But read through all instructions first then install should be faultless. Don't interfere with router settings until you have installed the device and run port checker, make sure UPNP is ticked and be patient, it takes a couple of minutes to run the routine.
N0AN Rating: 2016-11-24
Excellent Wires-X Interface Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
A very nice and excellent interface for Wires-X radios like the FTM-100 and FTM-400.

The setup is easy, to be sure, BUT there have been problems installing the drivers on some Win10 computers. I tried it and failed on two HP Quad Cores, but they installed first try on my HP Laptop Core Duo.

Here is the cure for "Driver Won't Install" Issues:

If you try to install the drivers, when you click the box to do so, you will see a rapid box flash and the message "Connect the HRI-200". This, of course violates the install instructions that say "Do NOT connect the HRI-200 until the drivers are installed!" (and they could not have installed in a flash that fast. You can confirm by looking for new ports in the Device Manager.

Solution:

Go ahead and connect the USB cable from the HRI-200 to your computer. It will install the Microsoft drivers, which of course, won't work.

Then:

Go to Device Manager, find the port that was installed with the wrong drivers (it will be a generic port). Highlight that port, right click on it, and select UPDATE DRIVER.

Tell it you Have Disk, then point it at the location of your install disk or install software (if you downloaded it) and let it update the driver...it will replace the generic Microsoft driver that won't work, with the HRI specific driver that works just fine.

Finish the setup and away you go!

Since getting past the install issue, performance of the HRI-200 with an FTM-100 as the node radio in Wires-X mode has been remarkably solid. No hangs, no spontaneous reboots, no crashes. Very, very well done, Yaesu!

Having your own node for either analog or digital (mine is digital) is a real treat! I can access the Wires-X world wide network from 25 to 30 miles away with the FTM-400 in my car, or from 8 miles away with my FT1-XDR HT using a stub ducky and 5w. Very impressive!
G8UBJ Rating: 2016-08-17
Easy to set up Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I finally took the plunge with Yaesu's C4FM and haven't been disappointed. There are no nodes within easy reach of my QTH so I registered with Yaesu and had my own set up very quickly. Only snag I encountered was the need to manually open port forwarding on my router but once this was done it worked out of the box. In the UK we are not allowed to re-broadcast Wires-x without a permit (NOV). I applied for one and it came very quickly so now I have a UHF Gateway set up for SW London - MB6ISR on 434.5125Mhz

Yaesu have built a successful integrated Voice, data and internet solution which is easy to set up and use.