Newbie can't connect Tivo to network

[jde5g]

I'm not a hardware person, and not much of a networking person either, so please bear with me. I've searched everywhere that I can find on or via the oztivo.org site, but the resources I found there didn't help me (most of them seem to assume a higher level of base knowledge than I possess).

What I have: Philips series 1 PVR, US version; fully modified, fitted with network card, tested and working before being sent to me. Using a Netgear router for my home network, which works perfectly well for my two laptops.

What I did:
* Connected and started the Tivo. Setup is STB (FTA) -> Tivo -> VCR/DVD combo -> TV, with ethernet cable from Tivo to router. All working ok, able to run through the menus, watch tv, change channels etc. Only problem, no IP address assigned. Logged into router, cannot see the Tivo. Restart a few times, no difference.
* Read the networking howto, discovered that I (apparently) need a crossover cable, not a regular ethernet cable. Go and get a crossover cable, plug it in, restart the Tivo. Restart a few more times. Still no joy.
* Tried a serial connection, using the cable that came with the Tivo, plus a gender adapter, to connect to my laptop. Couldn't get anything to appear on the screen. Found the instructions on what settings to use in Hyperterminal, but didn't help.

So, I'm stuck. Any suggestions, taking due allowance for my lack of background, would be very gratefully received.

Thanks,
Jeff Eckermann

[Darren King]

Hi Jeff


* Only problem, no IP address assigned. Logged into router, cannot see the Tivo. Restart a few times, no difference.

OK. First up does the statement "no IP address assigned" refer to the mail message saying "0.0.0.0"? If so as per that sheet I supply with the TiVo (the "modification checklist") that is a bug in the latest image release.

Also you asked for DHCP network assignment so as long as your router does DHCP address assigning then you should see something. To confirm, do you have a link light up on your router for the port the TiVo is plugged into? If the router does not have a link status light inbuilt there is one on the network card if you take the cover off. You can try peering through the fan grille but you might get confused with the front panel "receiving" light so it is not recommended. The link light on the TiVo may be flashing on and off but this is normal. So long as it is either flashing (meaning data flow) or steady (meaning linked but no data flow) then you should have a link to the router.


* Read the networking howto, discovered that I (apparently) need a crossover cable, not a regular ethernet cable. Go and get a crossover cable, plug it in, restart the Tivo. Restart a few more times. Still no joy.

No you don't need a crossover cable. Where does it say that? Maybe you referring to the statement that says a crossover cable for connecting direct to a PC running ICS sharing software is required, which is not what you are doing. Connecting to a router only requires a standard networking cable.


* Tried a serial connection, using the cable that came with the Tivo, plus a gender adapter, to connect to my laptop. Couldn't get anything to appear on the screen. Found the instructions on what settings to use in Hyperterminal, but didn't help.

Serial connection is 9600 baud 8N1 parity and may not be showing itself if the TiVo has booted and showing live TV as I have noticed that serial can be flakey unless you have first just booted the TiVo and it is sitting on the "TiVo Central" screen BEFORE you even go to watch live TV.

[jde5g]

Hi Darren,

I didn't want to believe the "0.0.0.0" ip address, so I logged into the router, which showed no other device connected (other than my laptop, that is).

I read the bit about crossover cables here:

http://minnie.tuhs.org/twiki/bin/view/Network/NetworkingHowto

Though I didn't get around to reading that until I had already failed with a regular ethernet cable.

Yes, the router is set up to do DHCP, and there is a link light on the front of the router, which is on and steady.

I'll switch the cables again, try some more, and report how it goes.

Jeff

[jde5g]

Ok, I switched back the ethernet cable and tried again. My router still doesn't show the Tivo connected, although the link light is on. On the off chance that the router port was bad, I tried another, but that made no difference.

I tried the serial connection again, without taking the Tivo from the main menu after restarting, but get no response. I'm using the serial cable that came with the Tivo, with an adapter that allows it to plug into the male serial port on my laptop. Is there maybe some other setup needed? Would I do better with a serial-to-USB adapter?

Still stuck.

[Darren King]

Ok, I switched back the ethernet cable and tried again. My router still doesn't show the Tivo connected, although the link light is on. On the off chance that the router port was bad, I tried another, but that made no difference.

Strange. Without actually being there in person I can't offer any other explanation given that the TiVo worked fine on my DLink DI-804 before sending to you - just like everyone else's that pass through my hands (approx five a week).


I tried the serial connection again, without taking the Tivo from the main menu after restarting, but get no response. I'm using the serial cable that came with the Tivo, with an adapter that allows it to plug into the male serial port on my laptop.

Penny has just dropped here. Sorry. What you have is the TiVo serial cable and NOT a null modem cable. The adaptor you need is a female-female "null modem" adaptor (one that crosses the RX and TX pins 2 and 3) and not simply a straight pin-for-pin gender changer. These are available at computer places or through WES components in Sydney.

[petestrash]

Ok, I switched back the ethernet cable and tried again. My router still doesn't show the Tivo connected, although the link light is on. On the off chance that the router port was bad, I tried another, but that made no difference.

Possibly you have some security feature enabled on your router that is stopping the TiVo from obtaining an IP address. One example may be MAC address filtering where only known MAC's are given an IP address.

Peter

[jde5g]

Possibly you have some security feature enabled on your router that is stopping the TiVo from obtaining an IP address. One example may be MAC address filtering where only known MAC's are given an IP address.

Peter

Unfortunately not. My router is about as open as it could be. But thanks for the suggestion.

[jde5g]

What you have is the TiVo serial cable and NOT a null modem cable. The adaptor you need is a female-female "null modem" adaptor (one that crosses the RX and TX pins 2 and 3) and not simply a straight pin-for-pin gender changer. These are available at computer places or through WES components in Sydney.

A ray of hope, at least: thanks.

[jde5g]

Well, there's something weird: the Tivo has guide data, and is working! But I still can't see it on the network. Supposedly it did a daily call yesterday morning, and again this afternoon. How it did that, without a network connection, is beyond me, but the evidence is there. Before yesterday, the only program data was a little bit of stuff used for testing. Yesterday evening, the data was there, but not everywhere it should have been, apparently: when choosing programs to record, I could browse the info by channel, but not by name (i.e. nothing new would show when browsing by name). But today, everything is as it should be.

I guess you could say I have no big problem, if the Tivo is doing its stuff. But I am still pretty limited in what I can do, if I can't connect to it when I need to. Apparently it is joining the network intermittently, then dropping off again. Every now and then I see a flicker in the link light on the modem, but by the time I log in to the router to see what's up, there is no connection.

Anyway, when I get my hands on that serial cable, we'll see what's what.

[jde5g]

"Solved" is not quite right, because it implies that I actually did something to fix the problem. What has happened is, the problem has simply gone away by itself. Now, my Tivo is happily existing on the network, with its own IP visible, and I am able to connect to it via http or telnet. All of which has come about in stages. I have no idea why this should be so, and probably there is no profit now in trying to find out. At least everything is now as it should be. Thanks to all who offered help.