New TiVo on home network has 'disappeared

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johcar

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Topic # 101331 29-Apr-2012 09:06
I bought a new TiVo recently and installed it in the lounge (I shifted the existing one downstairs - it was an old beta-test unit with a 160GB HDD). Initially, on each TiVo I could see the other TiVo as well as my laptop on which is installed the TiVo Desktop software and I was able to transfer programs from the downstairs TiVo to the lounge TiVo and vice versa... Following a restart (not sure whether it was a TiVo restart or a laptop one) the downstairs TiVo and the laptop have disappeared from the bottom of the "Now Playing" list on the new lounge TiVo. The downstairs TiVo still 'sees' the laptop and the lounge TiVo, but it cannot access the programs to transfer from the lounge TiVo. The lounge TiVo can access the wireless home network and connect to the TiVo service. I have checked the network settings on each box (Messages and Settings>Settings>Network>View network diagnostics) and the DNS resolution test has succeeded on both, but the Port Config test has failed on the lounge TiVo. The downstairs unit has a list of available ports (37, 80, 7728, 7287, 8080, 8081) and the lounge unit just says "Failed" and advises that I connect to TiVo to download a list of ports and then returned to the diagnostics screen again to re-run the test. I have followed these instructions a number of times with rising levels of frustration!! I have also restarted the lounge TiVo (with the downstairs machine off and on) and restarted the laptop a number of times. Does anyone have any ideas how to fix what was working fine?

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587 posts

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Reply # 616883 29-Apr-2012 10:49
johcar: I bought a new TiVo recently and installed it in the lounge (I shifted the existing one downstairs - it was an old beta-test unit with a 160GB HDD). Initially, on each TiVo I could see the other TiVo as well as my laptop on which is installed the TiVo Desktop software and I was able to transfer programs from the downstairs TiVo to the lounge TiVo and vice versa... Following a restart (not sure whether it was a TiVo restart or a laptop one) the downstairs TiVo and the laptop have disappeared from the bottom of the "Now Playing" list on the new lounge TiVo. The downstairs TiVo still 'sees' the laptop and the lounge TiVo, but it cannot access the programs to transfer from the lounge TiVo. The lounge TiVo can access the wireless home network and connect to the TiVo service. I have checked the network settings on each box (Messages and Settings>Settings>Network>View network diagnostics) and the DNS resolution test has succeeded on both, but the Port Config test has failed on the lounge TiVo. The downstairs unit has a list of available ports (37, 80, 7728, 7287, 8080, 8081) and the lounge unit just says "Failed" and advises that I connect to TiVo to download a list of ports and then returned to the diagnostics screen again to re-run the test. I have followed these instructions a number of times with rising levels of frustration!! I have also restarted the lounge TiVo (with the downstairs machine off and on) and restarted the laptop a number of times. Does anyone have any ideas how to fix what was working fine? Don't worry about the port test, we have 3 tivo's all return the same port test error. I've had a similar problem and found that the DSL router was the cause of the tivo's falling off the network, in the end I moved all the tivo's to a wired ethernet connection to a 8 port router which was is plugged into the DSL router, since I've done that all the tivo/network problems have gone. BTW the router I've been using is a Vodafone home complete unit

wallop

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Reply # 616895 29-Apr-2012 11:44
I had the same sort of problems using the wireless, once I went to wired connections all the problems disappeared.

mattwnz

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Reply # 616920 29-Apr-2012 12:46
wallop: I had the same sort of problems using the wireless, once I went to wired connections all the problems disappeared. I use wireless. Occasionally it may disappear, but then reappears. Also restarting the tivo will mean it reappears.

gregmcc

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Reply # 616931 29-Apr-2012 13:05
it does seem that the Tivo's are a little intollerent of a flakey network, and more so if it's wireless. The 3rd tivo we got was only on the wireless and it only ever had a stable connection to the other tivo's for a few hours. If at all possible stick to a fully wired solution, anyway the transfer rate via ethernet rather than wireless is way faster anyway

mattwnz

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Reply # 616938 29-Apr-2012 13:12
gregmcc: it does seem that the Tivo's are a little intollerent of a flakey network, and more so if it's wireless. The 3rd tivo we got was only on the wireless and it only ever had a stable connection to the other tivo's for a few hours. If at all possible stick to a fully wired solution, anyway the transfer rate via ethernet rather than wireless is way faster anyway Also could be the power of the wireless router. Some routers probably can't handle too many wireless connections to it at one time.

gregmcc

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Reply # 617009 29-Apr-2012 16:16
mattwnz: gregmcc: it does seem that the Tivo's are a little intollerent of a flakey network, and more so if it's wireless. The 3rd tivo we got was only on the wireless and it only ever had a stable connection to the other tivo's for a few hours. If at all possible stick to a fully wired solution, anyway the transfer rate via ethernet rather than wireless is way faster anyway Also could be the power of the wireless router. Some routers probably can't handle too many wireless connections to it at one time. That could have been the problem as well, but only have 2 wireless devices, Tivo and cell phone so it's unlikely it's an overloaded problem.

old3eyes

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Reply # 617053 29-Apr-2012 18:59
gregmcc: it does seem that the Tivo's are a little intollerent of a flakey network, and more so if it's wireless. The 3rd tivo we got was only on the wireless and it only ever had a stable connection to the other tivo's for a few hours. If at all possible stick to a fully wired solution, anyway the transfer rate via ethernet rather than wireless is way faster anyway Not much faster. When I transfer a file from my desktop PC to my TiVo it's about 10 ~14 Mbits.. Regards, Old3eyes

johcar

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Reply # 624302 13-May-2012 12:10
Right. To eliminate the possibility that this issue is related to my wireless home network, I went out and bought ethernet cables. Plugged them in. No difference whatsoever, even after restarting the unit that can't see the home network. The other (original) TiVo still has the same functionality it did on wireless. Does anyone have any ideas/things I could try?

trig42

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Reply # 624338 13-May-2012 13:33
Do you have the Home Networking Pack?

mattwnz

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Reply # 624339 13-May-2012 13:34
johcar: Right. To eliminate the possibility that this issue is related to my wireless home network, I went out and bought ethernet cables. Plugged them in. No difference whatsoever, even after restarting the unit that can't see the home network. The other (original) TiVo still has the same functionality it did on wireless. Does anyone have any ideas/things I could try? If one was a beta, perhaps tivo have done something at their end?

johcar

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Reply # 624364 13-May-2012 14:57
Yes - I have the HNP (TiVo Desktop v2.8.1 - which is later than the TiVo Desktop software available for download on the TiVo site). The "ex-beta-ness" of one of the units is not relevant - that's not the one I am having issues with... Since posting this again today I have rung Support. They suggested I try uninstalling the TiVo Desktop software and then reinstalling it. After some mucking about (unticking the services in msconfig) I managed to stop the TiVo server (TiVo Desktop software) and get it uninstalled. But now when I run the 2.8.1 EXE, I get the option to "Repair" and the EXE appears to run successfully but doesn't install the software (no TiVo Desktop). Bugger! Support has now escalated this to Hybrid.

GeoffisPure

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Reply # 624493 13-May-2012 19:14
Tivo are still working on issues with recent Home Network Package purchases. They are still working on them, as per their status page. Toys: Samsung Galaxy S2 (Telecom), iPad 4, Roku, iPod Touch 4, Dell Inspiron 17R SE laptop, Sony 40CX520 TV, TiVo x2, Snap ADSL.

johcar

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Reply # 625013 14-May-2012 18:08
GeoffisPure: Tivo are still working on issues with recent Home Network Package purchases. They are still working on them, as per their status page. Thanks - this doesn't apply in my circumstances as I have had the HNP for two and a half years or so...

mattwnz

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Reply # 625017 14-May-2012 18:16
johcar: GeoffisPure: Tivo are still working on issues with recent Home Network Package purchases. They are still working on them, as per their status page. Thanks - this doesn't apply to my circumstances as I have had the HNP for two and a half years or so... I think there are some issues with it, as I I changed the name on one of my tivos, and it took nearly two weeks for the other tivo to get the new name appearing on it. This was despite restarting everything, and doing all updates. Previously it would update the name within a day. The other thing is have you tried another router, and both wired and wireless connection?

johcar

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Reply # 625022 14-May-2012 18:25
Ah. Interesting. When I got the new one I changed the name on it - we might be onto something here.... I haven't tried another router, but I have tried both wired and wireless. The router hasn't changed, so is probably an unlikely candidate for issues - it a nice shiny Thomson TG582n router which has made my connection to the interweb rock-solid (not hard, considering my last one was the TG585 v7 POS)

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