MoCa with separate OTA coax

Since your Roamio is connected directly to the LAN, you should only need one MoCA adapter to bridge from the LAN to the coax. The Mini can receive MoCA signals directly from the coax, once it is configured for MoCA access.

The problem is probably that you need the Roamio to make a TiVo service connection so that it will see the Mini. After that, the Mini should allow you to select the Roamio so that it can borrow tuners.

You should also add a MoCA PoE filter at the input port of the splitter to prevent MoCA signals from reaching the OTA antenna.

You should also add 75-ohm terminations "caps" on the "TV/STB out" ports of the MoCA adapter(s) if they don't already have terminations attached.

 

Excellent observation by snerd.

Step 1: Activate Mini

Newly purchased Minis must first be registered and activated on a TiVo account either by calling TiVo (877-367-8486) or by using the online form, available here; you can also just click on the 'Activate TiVo' link on the main TiVo.com web page.

You'll simply need to enter the TSN (TiVo Service Number) found on the outside of each box (or from the info sticker on the bottom of the Mini).

Step 2: Host DVR Update

Once a given Mini (or all newly acquired Minis) has been activated on your account on TiVo.com, you should force a TiVo service connection on the host DVR to which the Mini will connect.

Sidebar: Using the online activation form can shave a bit of time from the activation process, but the big time saver is in making the "host DVR" to which the Mini needs to connect aware of the new Mini on the account (otherwise, someone could just drop a Mini on a network and start wreaking havoc on your DVR). The only way the host DVR can learn of the new Mini is by connecting to the TiVo service to get the updated account information, and this will happen during the DVR's daily service call -- thus the "it could take 24-48 hours" caution. However, the customer can expedite the process by manually forcing a service connection on the host DVR, perhaps several connections if the first doesn't get the job done for the Mini in question.​

To force a TiVo service connection on your host DVR, take the following path from your DVR's UI:

Roamio or Premiere:

TiVo Central
> Settings & Messages
> Settings
> Network
> Connect to the TiVo Service now
​

BOLT:

TiVo Central
> Settings & Messages
> Network
> Connect to the TiVo service now​

Allow the service connection to complete before continuing.

Step 3: Mini Setup

Once the host DVR's service connection has successfully completed, you could cycle power on the Mini and see if the Mini can complete its setup process.

If after allowing the host DVR's service connection to successfully complete, and the Mini fails to find and connect to its host DVR, you can periodically repeat the "host DVR service connection" and "Mini power cycle" steps. How long you wait between cycles is up to you, but the process *will* get the job done faster than just activating the Mini and repeatedly trying the Mini setup -- without ever forcing the service connection on the host DVR.

This whole process is typically moot for TiVo Minis purchased directly from TiVo as device activation is automatic for TiVo.com purchases and the host DVR will usually have made one or more successful TiVo service connections whilst the Mini is in transit from TiVo.

 

Following-up on the above "activation" angle, if you login to your account on TiVo.com, are your Roamio and Mini both listed as "Active TiVo devices"?


edit: p.s. See this thread, describing symptoms similar to yours (and resolved by forcing a host DVR service connection): http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=524132

 

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I activated 7 minis yesterday. Each one connected and was fully working within minutes of registering them to my account on tivo.com.

This part of the instructions was key for me:
Once a given Mini (or all newly acquired Minis) has been activated on your account on TiVo.com, you should force a TiVo service connection on the host DVR to which the Mini will connect.

The Minis wouldn't connect until I forced the Tivo Bolt to connect to Tivo's service connection. After I did that, the minis connected right away.

 

Just forced the connection. Going to try the setup on the mini now.

 

Yes, both are listed in the Device Preferences as activated devices.

--Hank

 

This is a necessary condition, but the trick is ensuring that the host DVR has phoned home since this information was updated (i.e. the Mini activated), to ensure that the DVR is aware of the newly authorized box; otherwise, the host DVR rejects the connection as a security precaution.

Separately, if you want to determine if the bridged network connection is the root cause, you could temporarily move the Roamio to a location where it could be connected via Ethernet to the router LAN (with or without an antenna connection; the point is to get both boxes hard-wired to the same LAN) and give the Mini setup another try.

 

Thanks guys, it worked. Right now I am running the Roamio with WiFi and the mini with coax. I plan on doing to heavy testing this weekend and see if the WiFi holds up. If not, I will add another bridge to the Roamio and put the whole thing on MoCA.

I cannot believe how many hits I got while Googling this issue where people just couldn't get it working. And none of threads recommended forcing a connection. I have learned a lot in the last two days from you guys, thanks so much. Now I want to keep learning and start helping!

After the testing of the WiFi link, I will post back what I find.

--Hank.

 

I purchased both my Roamio OTA DVR and Mini from TiVo. And both devices show activated on my account page. I will try the forced connection even though I am already connected and streaming videos from Netflix and Amazon.

 

So if someone is selling a used Mini Vox or Lux, does it need to be transferred to the buyer's account like the old ways of transferring a Tivo w/ Lifetime? Or as long as the seller de-activates it (and it just shows in the seller's inactive Tivo devices list), can the buyer just enter the TSN to activate it onto their account?

 

So if someone is selling a used Mini Vox or Lux, does it need to be transferred to the buyer's account like the old ways of transferring a Tivo w/ Lifetime? Or as long as the seller de-activates it (and it just shows in the seller's inactive Tivo devices list), can the buyer just enter the TSN to activate it onto their account?

 

Yes.

It won't 'connect' to a Host that's not on the same account.

-KP