Hi Geoff, hopefully this will help a bit, although I may be a bit off - I'm hardly an expert with the TiVo.

Quote Originally Posted by geoffo View Post
1. Am I doing something wrong with the modem settings and is there a sure-fire way to test the modem or will I need to send it to Darren?
Hmmm it's possible that they infact disabled the modem. I remember researching some of these kinds of places and one noted that they destroyed the modem circuitry as it was not AUSTEL certified, and thus was technically illegal and potentially unsafe to operate on the Australian POTS network.


Quote Originally Posted by geoffo View Post
2. Can the Setup Call be made over the internet once I have setup the network since I won't need a modem then. That way I can leave the modem as is? (Current set up is two way satellite service 512 Kb down 128Kb up with 3 comps networked thru a TP-Link 108Mb wireless router)
Yes, once you have installed an configured a TiVo network card, guided setup will be able to place the first phone home call via the internet.


Quote Originally Posted by geoffo View Post
3. The TiVo is running from a dedicated Standard Def STB receiving FTA from Mackay Qld, our nearest town 120 Km away so don't think PAL (or non-PAL) tuner is an issue for me. Have no intention at this stage to buy Austar or similar, so can get programme guides from newspaper. Can TiVo be used as a sort of high quality VCR until I get all the other problems sorted out?
Hmmm this is a bit of a tricky one. TiVo is able to function without guide data - you simply use the manual record feature.
However, if you were unable to make the initial setup call then it won't work as far as I know. I believe that the channel lists and set top box IR codes are downloaded during the initial setup call. I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure that's how it works.

Hope this helped you out a bit, but again take it with a grain of salt, I'm far from the level of knowledge of Darren etc.