# Dialling call failure



## andrew_jill (May 23, 2003)

Hi,

I have a Tivo that has suddenly decided to fail when making it's daily call. It's on a lifetime subscription and I've never had this problem before. I've left it a while and now I have got to the stage that we have no TV details available.

The message we get is "couldn't connect". I know it tries to dial out as I have had the normal phone on when it has tried and have heard the numbers being dialled? I've also taken the phone line out and tried a test call but received a different message - "line unavailable" (which you would expect).

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks

Andrew


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## andyjenkins (Jul 29, 2001)

Can't really help you there Andrew, but I had the same problem. Never managed to fix it - and even had TiVo's "specialists" look at the problem - and they were still stumped. In the end I bought a CacheCard and never had a problem since.


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## b166er (Oct 24, 2003)

andrew_jill said:


> I have a Tivo that has suddenly decided to fail when making it's daily call.


Same here! Started about 3 days ago. I've been making my daily call over the network since January without a single problem.

First time it failed (Thursday or Friday) I noticed it in my TiVo Daily Mail that it said it failed to connect. I tried a manual daily call and it worked. Same thing happened Saturday, again manual call worked. Today I see it again and I've had to try multiple manual calls. The 3rd one finally seems to have worked. I can't help wondering that if I wasn't getting the Daily Mail email from TiVo and if I was away, I might well not manage to successfully make the daily call for a whole week.

I don't suppose there's a tweak that would make it RETRY the daily call a certain number of times is there?


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## Automan (Oct 29, 2000)

Have you checked your phone wiring for damage (just in case) ?

Otherwise it may be worth unplugging Tivo from the mains for five minutes.

Good Luck

Automan.



andrew_jill said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have a Tivo that has suddenly decided to fail when making it's daily call. It's on a lifetime subscription and I've never had this problem before. I've left it a while and now I have got to the stage that we have no TV details available.
> 
> ...


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## andrew_jill (May 23, 2003)

Thanks for all the replies.

I have tried the switch it off for 5 mins suggestion and also checked the wiring but with no success. I like the idea of the cachecard but currently not the cost. So I think I'm stuffed for the time being.

I'll have to start saving!

Cheers 

Andrew


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## andrew_jill (May 23, 2003)

Well you just never know!

Took broadband connection out of phone socket, made daily call, volia all updated.

I assume the line was too conjested to accept the Tivo modem call? In future, until I can afford a cachecard that is, I'll just have to remember every now and again to unplug and manually set the daily call to update.

Hope this info helps someone else someday!

Cheers

Andrew


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## Ian_m (Jan 9, 2001)

andrew_jill said:


> Took broadband connection out of phone socket, made daily call, volia all updated.


Sounds like you have a duff/poor quality ADSL line filter and/or your telephone is wired up incorrectly and/or you haev a crap ADSL modem.

You should be able to use both your TiVo via modem (or any other device via modem) as well as your ADSL connection at the same time, that is one of the great advantages of ADSL.


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## Late_sleeper (Oct 27, 2002)

Two TiVos, neither have made a succesful cal for over two weeks so no guide data left. Tried everything. Must be noise on the line.

My question is will my TiVo work on someone elses phone line or is CID used to verify accounts? If it will work I'll take them round to my dads to try and at least get another two weeks guide data.


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## kitschcamp (May 18, 2001)

Yeah, it works on any telephone line.


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## kweller (Mar 10, 2002)

Same problem here. My TiVo connects over DSL and I've just come back from holiday to be greeted with a 'number unobtainable' message and little guide data.

Everything else is connecting OK. I'll try a reboot once it stops recording.

[Later] It's still recording but I tried forcing another call and the error message has changed to 'Failed. Service unavailable'.

Later Still] Guess who has just remembered changing the DSL router address just before he went on holiday...[blushes] 

Kevin


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## Warble (Sep 2, 2002)

My Tivo has stopped getting guide updates as of last night. Since my modem failed recently I have a Cachecard fitted and the Tivo and an Xbox connect through a Linksys wireless router acting as a bridge. I can telnet and browse to the Tivo and the Xbox can connect to the web okay so the bridge appears to be working.
What should I be checking in the logs to see what is going on?

Thanks


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## kitschcamp (May 18, 2001)

Who do you connect through? Have they introduced transparent proxies? They are a good killer of EPG data.


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## Warble (Sep 2, 2002)

I am using BT - but it has been working fine - up until the last update yesterday.
How can I check if it is a proxy issue?


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## kitschcamp (May 18, 2001)

There are several internet checking sites that will show you if there is one inbetween. There was one for ntl users that should show quite well.


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## Warble (Sep 2, 2002)

Ran a couple of checks - no proxy detected.


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## Warble (Sep 2, 2002)

Strange - its now working again?
The only thing I know has happened is the plug was pulled from the Tivo all day yesterday. Powered back on and updated okay!
Tivo is very confusing.
(Anyone know how to check what is going on during the update process?)


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