They don't. *That is why they charge $5 extra if your box does not
"phone home" every month.

DISH doesn't. *Mine has never phoned home. *OTOH, my DirectTV is connected to
my router.


I WAS a happy dish subscriber, but dropped it when they got greedy.

I bought all my boxes, and installed them myself. I was a dealer at
one time, and even attended the echostar 6 launch as a VIP, signed the
launch banner and met charlie and jim. I had suggested they put up a
special channel and they did. I WAS a insider, or perhaps a dish
groupie......

but i dropped dish when they raised the extra receiver fees for 5
bucks each to 17 bucks.....

this began the multi year period of shrinkage or small growth.... that
increase all at once.....
THEY DESERVED TO LOSE ALL THEIR CUSTOMERS!

for the last few years direct tv has grown steadily but not dish....

I now have the comcast triple play with TIVOs.

dish DVRs are well know to be buggy, comcast and tivos have been rock
solid!