remote volume not working

Volume is a major part of how we enjoy our entertainment. Some like it wall-shakingly loud, while others prefer the sound to be just above a whisper. Neither of the two groups nor any groups who fall in between are particularly impressed when the volume controls fail altogether. 

If the volume controls on your Xfinity remote stop working, or even work sporadically with no degree of consistency, then the first things that you should look at are loose batteries, weak batteries, range, and potentially, factory resetting everything. 

Oftentimes, its not a matter of something being physically wrong with your remote control, but something as silly as batteries sitting loosely in their housing, or simply being completely drained and no longer operable. 

Unpairing and Pairing Your Remote

When you first get your system, your remote control is already paired to your Xfinity box, or it will be paired when the technician installs the hardware.

You can always unpair the remote and pair it back if it is giving you problems. 

Resetting the remote (momre on that below) is almost the exact, same process as unpairing it, except when you unpair it, you will hold down the “setup” button rather than pressing it in sequence. 

  • Hold down the “Setup” Button
  • While holding it, press “9”, “8”, and “1” in sequence
  • You will see the LED flash
  • If it doesn’t flash, repeat the procedure

Of course, now that it is unpaired, you need to pair it back. 

  • Hold down the “A” and “D” buttons
  • Hold them until the LED stays green
  • Press the 9, 8, and 1 buttons in sequence again
  • Once the LED turns blue briefly, the remote is successfully paired again

The pairing process isn’t too terribly difficult but its not a process that most people are familiar with and its not often listed in the user manual.

Also, after installation, the manual often gets lost in the process. 

Signal Issues

Similar to range issues, you could be dealing with something that is interfering with the remote’s signal and it is no longer effectively communicating with the Xfinity box. The remote operates using IR or infrared.

There are several things that interfere with IR signals, including fluorescent lights, LCD displays, Plasma displays, other remotes, ambient lights at the right angle (mostly sunlight), and electronic ballasts.

If you have several devices in the room that are operated by remote control using IR technology, you could have an interference problem from those devices, even when they aren’t currently being used.

Sunlight is also an effective obstacle for IR, especially if the sunlight is head on. Fluorescent lights and other LCD or plasma displays can run interference as well. Much of it just depends on what all you have in the same room and what is running at the time. 

If you have fluorescent lighting in your room, for instance, the electronic ballasts that sit to the side of the fluorescent tubes definitely throw interference at an IR remote control.

These are all things you should consider removing or consider prior to installing your Xfinity rig in that room.

Loose Batteries

The first thing that you should always do when you have a problem with a remote control is check the batteries.

The older a remote gets and the more often you replace the batteries, the looser the springs get, as well as the compartment itself.

Its easy for the batteries to pop loose in their compartment without the batteries actually coming out or the cover coming off.

Pop the cover off and ensure that the batteries are sitting snug in their place. Also, make sure that the positive end and negative ends of each battery are correctly aligned. 

Dead Batteries

Dead batteries may seem like a silly thing to add to a troubleshooting guide over an inoperable Xfinity remote.

However, dead batteries make up the vast majority of remote control issues, not only with Xfinity remotes, but any kind of remote.

You shouldn’t rely on cheap batteries. It may seem as if you are saving money in the long run, but its a short term solution and a long term money pit.

Stick with higher end, premium batteries that are guaranteed to last longer and be more reliable than generic, no-name brand batteries. 

Range

If you have range issues its probably going to be an actual issue with your remote, as in your remote is dysfunctional.

Remotes work by line of sight, for the most part, and if its not working in the living room, with the TV and cable box in the same room, it’s time to get a new remote. 

Obviously, if you try to use the remote, well out of line-of-sight and across the house from your Xfinity box, you’re going to have problems.

But if you have eliminated batteries as an issue and range is giving you a problem in the same room, you should contact Comcast and get a new remote. 

Factory Reset

Believe it or not, you can actually factory reset an Xfinity remote.

Remotes have come a long way since the old boxy versions of the 80s and 90s and now, most of them have their own computer chips and software that interacts with the software in your Xfinity setup. 

  • Click the “Setup” button on your remote
  • In this order, press “9”, “8”, and “1”
  • The LED should blink twice
  • If it doesn’t blink twice, repeat the procedure

That should factory reset your remote back to the way it was when it came out of the box. If it continues to give you problems, however, its time to give Comcast customer service a call and see if you can get a new one. 

All Things Considered

Remote controls have been out for decades and they’re still almost exclusively tied to IR technology. If you’re having problems with yours and it can’t be solved through the troubleshooting process, you should contact Comcast customer service or consider using your smartphone. 

With your smartphone, you can download the Xfinity Remote Control app for Android or iOS and never have to worry about remote problems again

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