Every fault below comes from real call-outs across Durban and surrounding areas. Some have a quick check you can try yourself before booking anyone — where that's true, we say so. When a visit is needed, the diagnosis is done with a signal meter, quoted before work starts, and covered by our 6-month workmanship warranty. New to this part? Start with the multiswitch & splitters component guide.
1. One decoder works, another has no signal
What you'll see: One unit or one flat fine, another dead, from the same dish; swapping decoders moves the fault with the port, not the decoder.
Why it happens: A failed multiswitch output port, a faulty cable run to that point, or a corroded connection at the switch.
How we fix it: Port-swap testing at the switch isolates port vs cable in minutes; failed ports mean switch repair or replacement, and we label everything while it's open.
2. Channels vanish when another decoder changes channel
What you'll see: Watching works until someone else in the house or block switches bouquet; then channels disappear or pixelate.
Why it happens: Passive TV splitters used where a multiswitch is required — the decoders' polarisation/band commands fight each other.
How we fix it: Replace the splitter chain with a correctly-specced multiswitch. This is the single most common inherited fault in multi-decoder homes, and the fix is permanent.
3. Multiswitch power failure
What you'll see: Every decoder on the system loses signal simultaneously; the dish and LNB test healthy.
Why it happens: The switch's power supply failing — age, heat, or surges; some systems also lose the powered line unexpectedly during electrical work.
How we fix it: PSU replacement and a check of the switch's housing conditions (ventilation, weather exposure). Communal systems get a maintenance note so the body corporate knows the service history.
4. Water or heat damage to the switch
What you'll see: Intermittent multi-unit faults, worse in rain or afternoon heat; corrosion visible in the enclosure.
Why it happens: A switch mounted in a flooded meter box, an unsealed enclosure, or full afternoon sun.
How we fix it: Replacement plus re-housing in a proper enclosure at a sensible location — the hardware failure is the symptom; the placement was the fault.
Symptom doesn't match any of these?
Faults overlap — a "multiswitch & splitters problem" is sometimes another link in the chain wearing a disguise. Describe what your system is doing on +27 69 423 8290 (or WhatsApp a photo of the error screen) and we'll tell you which component it actually sounds like, free, before anything is booked.