Error 721 on your RV’s satellite receiver? We can fix it!

At the risk of sounding like a geek from 2013, winter is coming. If you’re up north, you’re probably thinking of putting that RV away for a while. But if you’re in the south, you might just be firing it up for the first time or you might use it year round. Either way, you’re going to want to make sure it works well before you take a long trip. So, you turn on everything and check it. This includes the TV and satellite system. You turn everything on, and instead of a crystal-clear picture, you get…

This.

Your DIRECTV receiver doesn’t give you a picture! Instead you get a message saying “721 – Channel Not Purchased” or something similar. You’ve been paying the bill, you’re a good person, how can this happen to you?

Don’t worry.

Relax. This is a normal thing that happens to DIRECTV receivers if they’re left unpowered for more than a few weeks. DIRECTV receivers are insecure — they get very worried if they don’t hear from the satellite on a timely basis. While that sounds funny, it’s a homespun way of saying that for security purposes, every DIRECTV receiver needs a new authorization signal on a timely basis or it will assume that service has been turned off or that the receiver is no longer in the USA (which is a big no-no.)

This is easy enough to deal with. I’ve published these steps before, and they’re good to have on hand for when this happens.

  1. First, go to DIRECTV’s page explaining this sort of error. The URL has changed and you may want to bookmark the new one.
  2. There is a link there to go to the page to refresh your service. Because it’s a little hard to find, you can also just click here. Use this link if you sign in with myAT&T, and this link if you sign in at DIRECTV.com.
  3. Go to My Equipment and choose Refresh Your Service.
  4. It’s easiest to just select all the equipment on your account rather than just the one that is giving you trouble.
  5. Try this at least 3 times and give it 5 minutes between each to make sure it works.
  6. If that does not work, confirm that the access card # listed at directv.com is the same as listed on the setup page (Menu, Settings&Help, Settings on an older receiver, Menu, Settings on a newer one.)

What if that still doesn’t work?

Don’t worry, you have a friend in the business. No one does more RV satellite activations than Signal Connect. We specialize in fixing the kind of problems that only RV owners have. And best of all, we’re here to help you, even if you got your satellite equipment from somewhere else.

We have access to all of DIRECTV’s systems, same as their overseas call centers. The difference is that we know how to use those systems to help RV customers. RV accounts can be very different from regular household accounts. You probably already knew that. So don’t waste time with a script reader. Call the experts right away.

Signal Connect’s technicians are here for you during East Coast business hours. We’re just a phone call away. Call us at 888-233-7563. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you, usually within one business day.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.