Telephone cable (UK)

[baggy99]

Hi
Recently bought my 1st TIVO, but I can't get beyond the setup screen. The unit came without a telephone cable, so I can't even log in. I have tried a standard phone cable AND a modem cable (each wired differently), but neither works. Is the Tivo cable something different again, or does the unit have a problem? I have lstened in with both cables attached and the unit doesn't even tried to dial, (I have knocked off both the dialling options, so I shld not be affecting it by listening in.)
Any help appreciated. Thanks.
Mike

[litzdog911]

Mike:

Welcome to Tivo Community!

It would help to have more information .....
* Brand/model Tivo?
* Where are you located? Your subject says "UK".
* Where in the Guided Setup process are you getting stuck?
* What on-screen messages do you see?

[baggy99]

Welcome to Tivo Community!

Thanks!

It would help to have more information .....

* Brand/model Tivo? Thomson Scenium PVR10UK

* Where are you located? Your subject says "UK". UK

* Where in the Guided Setup process are you getting stuck? On the SET-UP CALL screen. The first line says "CONNECTING 1-2 mins" and the egg-timer spiral thingy twiddles away, but eventually it times out and tells me there was a problem with the dialup. As I said, I have tried listening in and there is no attampt to dial, so I suspect its just the wrong cable configuration, but having tried 2 alternative 'off the shelf' cables, I wonder if Tivo do something wierd with theirs?

* What on-screen messages do you see? See above.

Hope that helps?

Mike

[litzdog911]

Probably best asked in the Tivo UK Forum here ....
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=14

[AWT]

Perhaps your TiVo has been 'hacked' and has a network adapter (TurboNet or CacheCard) fitted? It is the norm for networked TiVo's to dial out through their ethernet connection and ignore the telephone connection. Check if you have a network cable poking through the rear of the unit.

[Pete77]

Perhaps your TiVo has been 'hacked' and has a network adapter (TurboNet or CacheCard) fitted? It is the norm for networked TiVo's to dial out through their ethernet connection and ignore the telephone connection. Check if you have a network cable poking through the rear of the unit.

As a previous poster has said you would be better off posting your message in the Tivo UK section of the forum.

There seem to be two possibilities here:-

(a) Your Tivo has a Turbonet, Terbonet or Cachecard network card fitted in it, in which case a network cable ought to be poking out of an opening in the back unless the card fitted was a wireless Airnet card which would not reveal itself. You need to plug this cable into a router and you may or may not be able to then access it depening on whether you know the local IP address for the Tivo and it is on the same subnet mask.

(b) You have acquired a Tivo with a burnt out modem due to a lightning or other surge in the local phone network. The only solution here is to fit a network card like a Cachecard to do the daily updates to replace the modem.

Coming back to your original question a modem cable is what you want to have plugged between the phone and the phone socket.

You may find that the website www.steveconrad.co.uk/tivo provides further useful information on configuring a network card.

Can you explain more about how you came by your Tivo and how much you know about its history.

[baggy99]

Hi Folks

Thanks for the prompt & detailed help. I DO fave a network card, (with Tivo Web installed,) BUT I didn't want to complicate the question by mentioning it - I read somewhere that the initial login generally has to be done by phone - only then can the network card be used??

FWIW I also tried the network option (inc setting the dialing prefix to ,#401), but still no go. I am quite prepared to accept that my network is not talking to the Tivo, but I have tried to navigate to it via a browser & via telnet, but to no avail. (I was given the IP address for the unit when I bought it.) I have also tried pinging the network address, but the pings timeout without response. What should I try next?

I will certainly try the UK forum for anyfurther info, but you folks seem keen to help, so I'll stick with it for now, if that's OK?

Finally, on the "history" question, I bought the unit off ebay. I am pretty sure the seller was genuine and he has given me a pile of info (eg the web address) to get me started, so I would be pretty sure the unit is OK and I'm just having teething problems with it. I have tried to get hold of the seller again, but he has not responded yet, which is why I thought I would try the forum.

Thanks again
Mike

[Pete77]

Thanks for the prompt & detailed help. I DO fave a network card, (with Tivo Web installed,) BUT I didn't want to complicate the question by mentioning it - I read somewhere that the initial login generally has to be done by phone - only then can the network card be used??

Unfortunately you severely complicated the question by not giving us this information previously and therefore making it look as though you could have an unmodified Tivo with a blown modem.

The scenario here is you presumably have a router and a Tivo with a subnet mask that does not match. You can access the settings for the Tivo IP address and subnet mask etc at the Telnet prompt (eg Telnet 192.168.0.4) and change them as appropriate.

You can also gain direct access to the Tivo from a Notebook PC using a Cross Over cable although you still need to know its internal network IP address.

I suggest you get hold of the previous seller and obtain all the relevant information as otherwise a lot of time will be wasted. Now the Tivo has been set for network access you can only complete Guided Setup by accessing nic_config_tivo at the Telnet prompt and amending the settings to be compatible with your router. There are previous threads discussing all this in the Tivo UK section if you use the forum Search function.

[wolflord11]

One quick question:

Was the Tivo Unit purchased from the UK or the US?

You are based in the UK, but if the Unit was from the US, the phone Cable (From the Phone Plug in on the Wall to the Tivo Unit) is very different.

The US has Two small connectors on the phoneline, one at each end. I cannot remember what the set up is in the UK, but in NZ for example, there is One Small Connector that plugs into the unit, and a Large connector that plugs into the Wall.

Please let me know how the connectors are in the UK as I have forgotten.

Otherwise, either the Modem is fried, or has been disabled due to the Turbonet Card being installed.

[Pete77]

You are based in the UK, but if the Unit was from the US, the phone Cable (From the Phone Plug in on the Wall to the Tivo Unit) is very different.

No actually the cable is the same apart from a larger white connector at the phone socket end in the UK than in the USA. A USA modem cable can be converted for UK use with just an adapter that turns the small US connector into the larger UK one.

In any case I'm pretty sure this Tivo was purchased in the UK and not the USA.

[baggy99]

Thanks again folks, and sorry for any misleading info in the original post !!
I am no network expert so I'm probably missing something stupid, but here is a list of what I have tried:
Modem & phone cables to the telephone socket - no go
Network cable into my router - no go
Browser, telnet & ping from my PC via the router - no go
Browser, telnet & ping from a laptop plugged DIRECTLY into the turbonet card via xover cable - no go
The seller (UK based - UK machine) gave me the network address, but it doesn't ping. Could the unit have "forgotten" the IP address - its been switched off for a couple of months. Either way, it looks to me like I need to rediscover its IP address, but I don't know how.
Tks
Mike
BTW, USA & UK modem cables are exactly the same except for a proprietory "BT" plug at the wall socket end. Most modem suppliers ship US cables with a BT converter on the one end.

[AWT]

Assuming for a moment that this is simply a case of a 'forgotten IP address', grab this free IP scanner (http://www.radmin.com/products/utilities/ipscanner.php) and install it onto the laptop. Connect the laptop to the TiVo using the x-over cable.

Set the laptop's IP address to 192.168.0.1, subnet mask 255.255.0.0 and scan the range 192.168.0.2 - 192.168.254.254

Click on the 'Status' column in Advanced IP Scanner to sort the results so that the 'live' IP address is either at the top or bottom of the list.

If the TiVo doesn't show up then... Set the laptop's IP address to 10.0.0.1, subnet mask 255.0.0.0 and scan the range 10.0.0.2 - 10.254.254.254 [This might actually take a prohibitively long time to run]

[baggy99]

Cheers AWT - That little program worked a treat. I now have the IP address and I can get into Tivowebplus via the laptop and a xover cable. I still can't get the Tivo to log in to the web (using a std cat5 cable !!), presumably cos my local network addresses inc the router are all 192.168.1.xxx and the Tivo is on 192.168.0.xxx? I don't really want to start messing with the router network settings, so how do I change the Tivo's IP address to one starting 192.168.1.xxx? Am I right in thinking that's all I need to do?
Tks again
Mike

[Pete77]

Cheers AWT - That little program worked a treat. I now have the IP address and I can get into Tivowebplus via the laptop and a xover cable. I still can't get the Tivo to log in to the web (using a std cat5 cable !!), presumably cos my local network addresses inc the router are all 192.168.1.xxx and the Tivo is on 192.168.0.xxx? I don't really want to start messing with the router network settings, so how do I change the Tivo's IP address to one starting 192.168.1.xxx? Am I right in thinking that's all I need to do?


Telnet on to the Tivo with Telnet 192.168.0.xxx and then type nic_config_tivo at the Telnet prompt. You now get a series of menu options to change the IP address, Subnet Mask or Gateway of the Tivo.

[baggy99]

OK - we're almost in business now. I still have a problem, which I will explain below, but if anyone wants me take this to the UK site or to start a new thread I will happily do so. You have all been a great help and I don't want to push my luck!!

OK - I can now log in and go through the setup call as far as "Importing". The import progresses OK - 10, 20, 30% etc, but when it gets to around 86% the gong sounds and the Tivo reports an error "FAILED WHILE LOADING SERIES" I have now tried it 3 times and it stops at the same point every time.

Thanks again all.
Mike

[Pete77]

OK - we're almost in business now. I still have a problem, which I will explain below, but if anyone wants me take this to the UK site or to start a new thread I will happily do so. You have all been a great help and I don't want to push my luck!!

OK - I can now log in and go through the setup call as far as "Importing". The import progresses OK - 10, 20, 30% etc, but when it gets to around 86% the gong sounds and the Tivo reports an error "FAILED WHILE LOADING SERIES" I have now tried it 3 times and it stops at the same point every time.

Mike

Sounds like possible database corruption to me.

You may want to reboot and retry Guided Setup again, picking a different program source platform and postcode from the one you were choosing previously and see if you can now complete Guided Setup with that. If you are successful then try running Guided Setup again selecting the program platform source and postcode that you actually wanted.

[baggy99]

It was !! Did as you suggested and its OK now.

Many thanks again to one & all.

Cheers
Mike :)

[Pete77]

It was !! Did as you suggested and its OK now.

Many thanks again to one & all.

Cheers

Good to hear we have returned another British Tivo to the land of the living.

Does this one come with a Lifetime Sub by the way and what size hard drive does it have? Also does your Cachecard have RAM on it. If it does you should get a report on how much RAM it has during the SiliconDust bootup screen. The maximum is 512MB - just short of the database size that is also reported during the Silicon Dust bootup screen.

If you have any more queries re your Thomson Tivo PVR10 Uk the Tivo UK section is really the best place to post them. I'm one of the UK regulars and not one of our friends from across the pond.

The following websites may also prove useful when trying to further enhance or improve your Tivoweb setup and add ons:-

www.steveconrad.co.uk/tivo

http://tivo.lightn.org/

www.ljay.org.uk/tivoweb/

www.planetbuilders.org/tivo/tivo_upgrade_diary.html

www.garysargent.co.uk/tivo/hacking.htm

www.beaconhill.plus.com/TiVo/tivohacks.htm

http://www.arielbusiness.pwp.blueyo.../TiVo/HowTo.htm

http://alt.org/wiki/index.php/TiVoWeb%20Modules

http://thomson.tivo.googlepages.com

http://tivo.stevejenkins.com/network_cd.html

http://hywel.underground-history.co.uk/tivo/logos/

http://thomson.tivo.googlepages.com/tivowebplus

http://widgets.yahoo.com/gallery/?search=oztivo&x=0&y=0

www.tivohackman.com

[baggy99]

YES - IT LIVES!!
It has a lifetime sub, no cache and 2 x drives - 40 & 61.4GB. Not used it in anger yet, but looking forward to getting it to learn my likes & dislikes. 2 weeks epg shld also be fab when I go on holiday.
Mike

[Pete77]

YES - IT LIVES!!
It has a lifetime sub, no cache and 2 x drives - 40 & 61.4GB. Not used it in anger yet, but looking forward to getting it to learn my likes & dislikes. 2 weeks epg shld also be fab when I go on holiday.Mike

You may need to do a clear and delete of the previous owners thumbs preferences if you want it to do anything meaningful with your own thumbing preferences creating good Suggestions.

Those small hard drives sound like they are pretty old, which may be why you had the data corruption problems. If you get any further signs of data corruption you may want to install one large hard drive instead. A 400Gb Samsung hard drive now only costs £75 delivered from www.komplett.co.uk and can be installed using the guide at www.steveconrad.co.uk/tivo if you have a desktop PC of any sort knocking around or if not get one for free at www.freecycle.org

[wolflord11]

:D am glad all is well. And another success for the Forum!!!

[baggy99]

All is well !! And the forum's great - thanks.

Pete77 - I had wondered about changing the drives. I may well do that - cheers.

Mike