No connection since 11/3 - No DHCP Server

[Kimo]

I have three TiVos on my network - one HD and two Series 2s. All of them are connected via Ethernet (not wireless) to a Netgear WPN824NA Wireless Router and have been working perfectly for over a year. I noticed today (when I got the warning that program data was down to two days remaining) that both of the Series 2s had not connected since 11/3 . The HD Tivo still connects just fine, but it no longer sees the two Series 2s anymore (in Now Playing). The Series 2s do not see the HD either, but do see each other. TiVo Desktop sees only the HD TiVo. Formerly, eveyone saw each other and played nicely.
When I try to connect via either Series 2, I get the "N02 No DHCP Server" error. I've rebooted, recycled the router, changed ports, etc. and am now pretty convinced it is not a hardware problem. TiVo tech support ran out of ideas quickly. In addition to seeing the HD TiVo, the router is wirelessly seeing my laptop and 4 NetCams, so it's definitely working. But it no longer sees the Series 2s, which are wired to it via Ethernet cable. I've tried to Change Settings via the TiVo service menu but must admit that I am stabbing in the dark here as I'm not well versed in this area.
It seems (via Search) that other have had similar issues, but these seem to be related to the wireless function. Again, I am wired.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Mike

[ThAbtO]

Try re-entering your network settings, DHCP to your router and then reboot the tivos.

[Malcontent]

Try rebooting everything. Unplug the Tivos. Unplug the router. Unplug your broadband modem. Turn off your computer. Try the following in this order.

1. Plug in your broadband modem and wait 2-3 minutes for it to boot up and connected to the internet.

2. Plug in your router. Wait at least 2-3 minutes for it boot up and pull an IP address from your modem.

3. Plug in your Tivos.

4. After Tivos have booted, try and connect to the internet/update.

5. Turn your computer on. See if Tivo Desktop can now see the Tivos.

[Kimo]

Thanks for the replies. I'll try the rebooting sequence first. I'm a little confused on how to re-enter the network settings. If you have the time, I'd appreciate a little more guidance.
Thanks

[ThAbtO]

Look under messages & settings then settings.

[Kimo]

Try rebooting everything. Unplug the Tivos. Unplug the router. Unplug your broadband modem. Turn off your computer. Try the following in this order.

1. Plug in your broadband modem and wait 2-3 minutes for it to boot up and connected to the internet.

2. Plug in your router. Wait at least 2-3 minutes for it boot up and pull an IP address from your modem.

3. Plug in your Tivos.

4. After Tivos have booted, try and connect to the internet/update.

5. Turn your computer on. See if Tivo Desktop can now see the Tivos.

Unfortunately, this did not work. In the "negotiating" sequence of the connection, I received the error "Gateway not found". Any other ideas?
Thanks

[Kimo]

Look under messages & settings then settings.
Thanks. I know WHERE to make the setting, just not HOW to do it correctly. I've tried all three options -- the Automatic, static IP, etc. and nothing has worked. I've used the values that I THINK the router is displaying, but am not sure I'm doing it correctly. In any case, it's not working. Any other thoughts appreciated. Thanks.

[twassel]

I would double and triple check the wired connections. I have a similar setup, and when this occurs it is because a plug on the router or switch has come loose. If you're using a router, can you connect directly from the broadband modem to the Tivo with a cable you know to be good? If that works, then the problem is in one of the intermediate connections.

[LADYBUGBLUE2002]

Okay to make sure that everything is on the network...check your router and see your list of computers and their IP addresses. Make sure that any settings on the router (automatic IP numbers etc.) are correctly put in the Tivo settings if they are different.

I could be wrong but I think it means something is not on the local network for some reason. Also, I think you can ping the tivos to make sure your computer can see it.

[Kimo]

I would double and triple check the wired connections. I have a similar setup, and when this occurs it is because a plug on the router or switch has come loose. If you're using a router, can you connect directly from the broadband modem to the Tivo with a cable you know to be good? If that works, then the problem is in one of the intermediate connections.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try this with a spare ethernet cable. if I'm not mistaken, my cable modem has one ethernet port that is currently used to connect the wireless router. I assume that you are suggesting I unplug the router and run the extra cable directly from the now-empy ethernet port on the modem directly to the TiVo Series 2 to see if I can then get the automatic connection? Thanks.

[Kimo]

Okay to make sure that everything is on the network...check your router and see your list of computers and their IP addresses. Make sure that any settings on the router (automatic IP numbers etc.) are correctly put in the Tivo settings if they are different.

I could be wrong but I think it means something is not on the local network for some reason. Also, I think you can ping the tivos to make sure your computer can see it.
Thanks for your input. My router has a "Connected Devices" screen, and it is seeing the computer, the HD TiVo, and the three wireless security cameras, but NOT the two Series 2 TiVos. Similarly, my PC-Cillin Network Security software is showing the computer, the router, the HD TiVo and the 3 cameras, but NOT the two Series 2s. I have ensured that all necessary ports are open in the PC-Cillin software, and (as i mentioned before) ALL of this was working perfectly before.
I also note that the HD TiVo sees and is seen by the computer (via TiVo Desktop) but does not see the two S2s. The two S2s see each other (but not the computer) via the Now Playing menu, but do not list each others shows (indicating that there are no recorded shows in each other).

[LADYBUGBLUE2002]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try this with a spare ethernet cable. if I'm not mistaken, my cable modem has one ethernet port that is currently used to connect the wireless router. I assume that you are suggesting I unplug the router and run the extra cable directly from the now-empy ethernet port on the modem directly to the TiVo Series 2 to see if I can then get the automatic connection? Thanks.

Thanks for your input. My router has a "Connected Devices" screen, and it is seeing the computer, the HD TiVo, and the three wireless security cameras, but NOT the two Series 2 TiVos. Similarly, my PC-Cillin Network Security software is showing the computer, the router, the HD TiVo and the 3 cameras, but NOT the two Series 2s. I have ensured that all necessary ports are open in the PC-Cillin software, and (as i mentioned before) ALL of this was working perfectly before.
I also note that the HD TiVo sees and is seen by the computer (via TiVo Desktop) but does not see the two S2s. The two S2s see each other (but not the computer) via the Now Playing menu, but do not list each others shows (indicating that there are no recorded shows in each other).

Okay well that is why you cannot see them anywhere they aren't on the network for some reason. Because you can see the HD tivo then you know that the setup for the most part is not an issue.

Now I would do as suggested in the previous post and make sure that it is not the router or cables that are a problem. If you connect directly with the modem and it works for both tivos then the problem may be with the ports on your router, cables or both.

One other thing you can try is to turn off any firewall software on the pc and the router to see if this is an issue. Most routers also have a firewall so if you turn off a device/software and see if that fixes the issues to see where the problem may be.
Hope that helps.

[Kimo]

And I am now seeing that this is not an isolated problem. See this post on the TiVo Help forums - exact date too.
http://forums.tivo.com/pe/action/forums/displaythread;jsessionid=3B944BFF84223D17E88BE4E5B06EFB37?po stID=10400170&ie=x#e10400170

[twassel]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try this with a spare ethernet cable. if I'm not mistaken, my cable modem has one ethernet port that is currently used to connect the wireless router. I assume that you are suggesting I unplug the router and run the extra cable directly from the now-empy ethernet port on the modem directly to the TiVo Series 2 to see if I can then get the automatic connection? Thanks.
Exactly. The router is only needed to "split" the connection between multiple units. (Actually, that's what a switch does; a router also provides other technical features not relevant here.) If you connect directly from the cable modem to the Tivo with a good cable, it should simply work. (I have found that my series 2 Tivo needs to be unplugged and plugged back in to sense the network if the connection has been interrupted; my Series 3 seems to figure it out without a reboot.) If it doesn't, and you're sure the cable is good, and the connection is made on both ends, then there is a different problem.

[LADYBUGBLUE2002]

And I am now seeing that this is not an isolated problem. See this post on the TiVo Help forums - exact date too.
http://forums.tivo.com/pe/action/forums/displaythread;jsessionid=3B944BFF84223D17E88BE4E5B06EFB37?po stID=10400170&ie=x#e10400170

Well it sounds like it could be a network card failure. If you know anyone that has a wireless adapter to borrow you could eliminate that as an option. Also, it might be cheaper to get a wireless adapter (only if it works) than having to get the Tivo repaired, but the speed might be a bit slower.

[Kimo]

Well it sounds like it could be a network card failure. If you know anyone that has a wireless adapter to borrow you could eliminate that as an option. Also, it might be cheaper to get a wireless adapter (only if it works) than having to get the Tivo repaired, but the speed might be a bit slower.

Thanks for the thoughts. While I suppose that BOTH network cards could fail at the same time (perhaps due to some electrical trauma), this would surely be unusual. Worth a shot though.

[LADYBUGBLUE2002]

Thanks for the thoughts. While I suppose that BOTH network cards could fail at the same time (perhaps due to some electrical trauma), this would surely be unusual. Worth a shot though.

Right it does seem unusual since both aren't working. But to troubleshoot you have to see if something is working somewhere else...again the first thing I would check is hooking up both directly to the modem to see if the router or some firewall is acting up or the setting somehow changed.

One other thing to check for...from what I understand the DHCP server is used to automatically assign IP numbers. If you have devices or added other new devices that you have assigned a static IP address might be causing a problem. As I understand it if DHCP attempts to assign an IP that already exists this may cause conflicts. My brother told me to have all of my devices automatically obtain IP addresses to avoid this potential problem.

[ThAbtO]

Try network settings, static IP 192.168.1.10, netmask 255.255.255.0, DNS 192.168.1.1, alt dns 192.168.0.1

[LADYBUGBLUE2002]

One more thing...have you looked at what firmware your router has and if Neatgear has a newer version?

Hope you get things running soon.

[Kimo]

One more thing...have you looked at what firmware your router has and if Neatgear has a newer version?

Hope you get things running soon.

Yes. AFTER all of this began, I ran a firmware check and updated the firmware and it made no difference. I do backup my router settings and have reverted to an older setting (from before I started having problems) and that too has not made any difference.

I'm reluctant to go back to factory settings as i don't want to lose my other devices too!

[Kimo]

I have three TiVos on my network - one HD and two Series 2s. All of them are connected via Ethernet (not wireless) to a Netgear WPN824NA Wireless Router and have been working perfectly for over a year. I noticed today (when I got the warning that program data was down to two days remaining) that both of the Series 2s had not connected since 11/3 . The HD Tivo still connects just fine, but it no longer sees the two Series 2s anymore (in Now Playing). The Series 2s do not see the HD either, but do see each other. TiVo Desktop sees only the HD TiVo. Formerly, eveyone saw each other and played nicely.
When I try to connect via either Series 2, I get the "N02 No DHCP Server" error. I've rebooted, recycled the router, changed ports, etc. and am now pretty convinced it is not a hardware problem. TiVo tech support ran out of ideas quickly. In addition to seeing the HD TiVo, the router is wirelessly seeing my laptop and 4 NetCams, so it's definitely working. But it no longer sees the Series 2s, which are wired to it via Ethernet cable. I've tried to Change Settings via the TiVo service menu but must admit that I am stabbing in the dark here as I'm not well versed in this area.
It seems (via Search) that other have had similar issues, but these seem to be related to the wireless function. Again, I am wired.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Mike

I wanted to advise those of you who have assisted me of some progress that I made last night, and upon which I may now suspend my further troubleshooting. Recall that I have two Series 2s that will no longer connect to my wired network, nor to the TiVo service via broadband connection, but that my wired HD TiVo remains on the network and continues to connect just fine.

Last night, on a whim, I stopped at Best Buy and purchased two of the TiVo-branded AG0100 Wireless G USB Network Adapters (the adapters that plug into one of the two USB ports in the rear of the Series 2). I shut down TiVo # 1, disconnected the ethernet cable, plugged in the new wireless adapter, and initiated reboot. Once booted, I went into network settings and selected "Use Network Instead" (I had temporarily gone back to using the phone connection) and worked through the screens so as to select my wireless network, enter the security passwords, etc. The settings took and the Series 2 negotiated the connection and downloaded from the TiVo mother ship successfully!! Finally, some success! TiVo # 1 was now also appearing on my network as a connected device, as well as on TiVo Desktop.

I then went upstairs to TiVo # 2 and went through the same steps. On the first attempt to connect, though, I got the dreaded "NO2 - No DNS found", but tried again, and a connection was successfully made on the second try (I may have entered a wrong password on the first try -- more on that later). TiVo # 2 was also now appearing on my network as a connected device, as well as on TiVo Desktop! Similarly, all three TiVos (the two Series 2s and the theater room HD TiVo - which never had an issue with the network) were now seeing each other including each other's shows in Now Playing.

So, it seems that I am back where I started -- which is everything working correctly -- by ditching the wired network and going wireless (except for the HD TiVo, which is still wired). I have only had a short time to test the system, but TiVo Desktop is seeing all three TiVos and I am able to successfully negotiate a transfer from the one Series 2 for which I attempted to do so.

While the inquisitive part of me wants to continue to troubleshoot the problems with the wired network, I am pretty inclined to just leave well-enough alone. That said, I had ordered from Amazon a Belkin F5D5050 Networking USB to Ethernet Adaptor and had planned to use that in order to see if my network card had gone bad -- this adapter is the type used for the old single tuner Series 2s that do not have an ethernet port. I was also going to temporarily disable all security from my network to see if the security setup was somehow blocking connectivity. If none of this worked, I was also going to run a new Cat5 cable from the router to the TiVo to ensure that I did not have cable issues, and I was then going to try to run that same cable directly from the cable modem to the TiVo to see if bypassing the router entirely would allow the TiVo to join the network. Finally, because I just happen to have a spare Series 2 DT, I was going to try to start from scratch with a Guided Setup on that box. I put out these troubleshooting ideas for the benefit of others who may be having similar problems and who stumble upon this thread, as some ideas on how you might proceed.

So . . . what do I think? Based on anecdotal evidence from researching and troubleshooting, I do think that some sort of TiVo update or connection on or around November 4th simply caused my two Series 2s to be booted from the network, while my HD TiVo was unaffected. I now suspect that this had something to do with my network security. Why? When I installed the TiVo wireless adapter and attempted to connect via the wireless network for the first time on TiVo # 2, recall that I got the exact same error (No DNS) as I had been getting when trying to connect via the wired network. Once I corrected the password, I was able to connect wirelessly. Though it is counterintuitive to me, I am thinking that my wireless network security was somehow blocking the two WIRED TiVos from connecting. I don't even know if this is possible, but in any case, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the wireless solution will continue to work. And for those of you who already have a wireless network, perhaps you may want to try this approach. The TiVo-branded AG0100 Wireless G USB Network Adapters can be purchased on Amazon for $40 -- much cheaper than Best Buy's $70. I plan to return the Best Buy adapters.

Note that I am duplicate posting this update on both of the discussion groups from which I received the kind assistance of others.

[Kimo]

Well . . . . never mind. I have met the enemy, and he is me!

Forget everything I wrote above about the wireless solution. As it turns out, I had no more than a broken ethernet connection.

I had forgotten that my 50 foot ethernet cable that goes to both TiVos # 1 and # 2 was actually two 25 footers married with an RJ-45 coupler. Totally by accident, while looking for something else, I noticed that this RJ-45 coupler, hidden in a corner under a chair, had ejected one of the cables. I suspect the cleaning people accidently did this, as the cable is very "out of the way".

In any case, I reconnected, reset my settings, and the wired connection is back in place.

Yes, I'm an idiot, but I post this for those who may follow.

[twassel]

Well . . . . never mind. I have met the enemy, and he is me!

Forget everything I wrote above about the wireless solution. As it turns out, I had no more than a broken ethernet connection.

I had forgotten that my 50 foot ethernet cable that goes to both TiVos # 1 and # 2 was actually two 25 footers married with an RJ-45 coupler. Totally by accident, while looking for something else, I noticed that this RJ-45 coupler, hidden in a corner under a chair, had ejected one of the cables. I suspect the cleaning people accidently did this, as the cable is very "out of the way".

In any case, I reconnected, reset my settings, and the wired connection is back in place.

Yes, I'm an idiot, but I post this for those who may follow.
I suspected that was the case from the beginning (that there was an open connection, not that you were an idiot.) I've had the same thing happen. Glad you got it figured out. Happy Thanksgiving.

[bluetie]

Interesting detective work. I also have met the "No DHCP Server" jinx. My connection for my series 2 2T Tivo (new a couple of months ago) is through a pair of Linksys PLE200 powerline adapters. Initially everything was fine, then I allowed them to be disconnected long enough for the Tivo updating link to run out (over a week I think). When I tried to renew the link with my network I got the above DHCP response. After all sorts of things tried, I have come down to this. I gave the TiVo a static IP. When I link directly with an ethernet cable, I can ping the TiVo successfully. Wherever I put the powerline ethernet connection, I cannot ping the TiVo successfully over this connection. That despite the fact it ran fine initially and I also connect successfully with a Netgear EVA8000 on another such adapter (disconnected for this test). Any ideas, anybody?

[Kimo]

I gave the TiVo a static IP. When I link directly with an ethernet cable, I can ping the TiVo successfully. Wherever I put the powerline ethernet connection, I cannot ping the TiVo successfully over this connection. That despite the fact it ran fine initially and I also connect successfully with a Netgear EVA8000 on another such adapter (disconnected for this test). Any ideas, anybody?

I suspect that with the direct ethernet cable link, you could also let the TiVo assign itself automatically (first option in network settings) as opposed to having to manually assign a static IP. You seem to have somehow "dropped synch" on your Powerline, but I am not familiar with that product -- it uses your home electrical wiring instead of a Cat5 cable, right? I used to have a similar product that did that for phone lines, and if you dropped the sync on them -- no dial tone. Check your Powerline documentation to see how to re-establish the synch, and your TiVo connection should return.