Failed - couldn't connect

leighv · 01-14-2006, 08:14 AM

I have been using my Tivo for about 4 years - but recently changed providers for telephone/internet/tv (btw - I am in France).

I have been using the dialup without no problems - but as the telephone is now over ip, the tivo is far too far from "the box" that provides this connection. So I have to run a 10m cable every couple of weeks - do a forced dialup.

I have done one - and it worked no problem. Now - I have been trying all day without success. I am not sure whether it is me or the pop. I get the message failed - couldn't connect. Apart from waiting until tomorrow - how can I tell if this is me or the pop? This wouldn't normally be an issue - but I only have 3 days worth of listings left.

leighv · 01-14-2006, 06:58 PM

And the silence was deafening....

I have listened into the call from the Tivo on another line - and it appears to dial the number (I have tried 2) but does not want to connect. I have also rebooted.

blindlemon · 01-15-2006, 03:59 AM

Does the number answer? If you dial that number on your phone, does it get picked up and answered by a modem?

If it does, then maybe you have some line-voltage issues. Have a look here for a few things to try.

leighv · 01-15-2006, 05:12 AM

Sometimes the modem does not seem to dial the number nor all the numbers. When it does - I am unsure whether there the Tivo modem is actually responding. What do all the different messages mean on the Tivo failure. Is there a glossary somewhere?

I don't have another phone cable long enough so I can't try that at the moment.

I have tried 2 pop numbers in France - same result.

Set Phone Avail Detection and Set Dial Tone Detection are both off.

How do I set these dialling prefixes if I am in France and already using a dialling prefix for my number (0860505050,,)?

Thanks.

leighv · 01-16-2006, 05:28 AM

How would i know if my modem in my Tivo is fried???

leighv · 01-17-2006, 02:09 AM

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Cainam · 01-17-2006, 07:11 AM

One (admittedly risky) way of testing is to reboot your Tivo.

When it starts up, it runs the modemtest program to check everything is OK. However, if the modem is fried then this program hangs and your Tivo will just stop there

. If you Tivo loads normally, changes are your modem is probably OK.

The only way to get Tivo back to a working state again if the modem is dead is to take the hard drive out and rename the modemtest file, as suggested by Blindlemon here

leighv · 01-17-2006, 01:11 PM

Can I ask - what do you mean by "reboot". Is this "restart" or switching the box off and on?? If so - I have already done this and the Tivo works fine. So I am therefore assuming that this means the modem is not fried. Is this correct??

manicminer · 01-17-2006, 01:40 PM

I've got a similar problem with my Tivo connected in the normal way in the UK. I've been speaking to Tico CS and they talked me through a way of testing the modem.

I'll check the settings exactly, and re-post when I get home - but very roughly you can change the system settings to stop the Tivo checking if the line is already in use - then pick up another extension in the house, and force a test call / daily call.

You can then here the modem attempting to dial out.

Unfortuantely this test isn't conclusive - our modem definately makes all the right noises, but still fails to connect - I'm still waiting for my "escalated" call back from Tivo CS as to the next steps.

leighv · 01-17-2006, 03:15 PM

Yes - I think the option you are talking about is dialtone. I have disabled this. The modem certainly dials out - however sometimes I have found that it does not seem to dial all the digits..... Another user in Switzerland you was dialling the UK for updates had a problem - but now dials local in Switzerland. I have always dialled the local pop here in France. But it does seem coincedental that it seems that after the 31st of December - a few problems are having problems.

leighv · 01-19-2006, 03:38 PM

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manicminer · 01-20-2006, 04:03 AM

After waiting several days for TiVo CS to ring me back, I rang them and re-explained the problem.

Rather embarassingly they suggested simply swapping the telephone lead (I swapped it with the one to the Sky box) - and it worked straightaway

I don't really understand why, as I could clearly hear the dial tones through another phone ext, the cable didn't appear to be damaged, degraded or to even have moved - but sometimes I guess Technology is more blackmagic and witchcraft than logic!.

Glesgie · 01-20-2006, 10:37 AM

Telephone systems are notoriously susceptible to cable faults anywhere in the chain
from the device to the local exchange. I once had a connection that worked fine
except after heavy rain when the cable to the exchange got flooded !

I would try making sure that the TiVo is the only device connected to a phone socket
and if possibly connect it to the Master socket, if you know which one that is.

leighv · 01-21-2006, 11:41 AM

I have relocated the Tivo nearer to the phone socket - and am connecting only the Tivo. Still no luck. I am even using a different lead. It seems to not dial sometimes, not dial all the digits or when it does - does not seem to be able to connect!!!

The only things I can think of:

1) The Tivo does not work with Telephone over IP (not likely...)
2) The modem is somehow damaged due to old age - or more likely, not being connected to the phone line for a month and trying to dial out without any lead. It seems strange it has been working for 4 years and the month I disconnect the lead it stops working.....

Fozzie · 01-21-2006, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leighv

1) The Tivo does not work with Telephone over IP (not likely...)

Why do you say not likely? I'd actually be surprised if it does work. As part of the packetising of the voice, it is also likely to be compressed (using a lossy compression scheme). Compressing the modem tones will seriously affect the ability of the modems at each end of the link to negotiate a connection as a lot of the frequency components of the original signal will have been lost.

Glesgie · 01-21-2006, 04:26 PM

When you say "Telephone over IP" what do you mean ?

If you have broadband, you need a microfilter on the connection to the TiVo as if it was
a telephone.

Fozzie · 01-21-2006, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leighv

I have been using the dialup without no problems - but as the telephone is now over ip, the tivo is far too far from "the box" that provides this connection. So I have to run a 10m cable every couple of weeks - do a forced dialup.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glesgie

If you have broadband, you need a microfilter on the connection to the TiVo as if it was
a telephone.

I assume that means he's not using broadband

leighv · 01-22-2006, 04:51 AM

What I did was simply take the rj11 from my phone and connect to my Tivo - hence it is already running through a microfilter. The next phase of testing I think I will try is to use dialup from my PC to my local isp and see whether that works with the old rj11.

Glesgie · 01-22-2006, 07:19 AM

Have you ever managed to connect your TiVo since you got broadband ?

Some broadband suppliers switch on echo cancellation on their lines
and this will confuse a modem.

Glesgie · 01-22-2006, 07:21 AM

Just another thought, but if you have a friend and/or neighbour who DOESN'T have broadband, you could take your TiVo to them and that would help determine
if it was a line problem, or a TiVo modem problem.

leighv · 01-23-2006, 04:15 AM

I live in France - so that's a little difficult. I did manage to dial out once after I changed ISP's - but of course that could have been a fluke. I did a test call the other day - and it succeeded. As I said before, sometimes when I listen to the call - not all numbers seem to be dialled - sometimes none are called - and sometimes all are called but it doesnot connect. And sometimes it does dial all numbers and does connect....... just sometimes.....

leighv · 01-25-2006, 06:36 PM

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Glesgie · 01-26-2006, 01:09 PM

Have you got an analogue modem on a computer ?

If you have then you can dail the same number as the TiVo and see if that modem will
connect to the ISP. If it does not then you need to talk to you braodband supplier.

I had a similar problem and finally resolved it by going the Terbonet route.
Best decision I ever made.

Stangera · 01-31-2006, 07:26 AM

I lived in France for 2.5 years and had no problem using the local pop number at all (I had Free.fr as my ISP). But as soon as I moved to Finland (where I get free 10MB broadband!) I can't get it to work at all! And in fact I think it has just packed up on me yesterday as I can't get even get anything on screen now despite the green light being on. Uptil then I was using it manually (real pain). Now feel I will have to buy a sky+ box. :-(

Wonder_lander · 01-31-2006, 09:38 AM

If I where you I think I'd get a turbonet card card and do you updates via the internet