# Tivo serial connection - H to?



## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

I need to connect to my parent's Tivo via the serial connection as they don't have a cache-card. How do I do this? The available laptop only has a USB connection and I can't find any 3.5mm-to-USB leads anywhere.

An I going to have to make a lead up? 

Help!

Thanks.

*ETA:*
<looks at thread title>
Huh? How'd that happen?


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## terryeden (Nov 2, 2002)

Easiest to use a 3.5 to serial then a serial-to-USB. I've got an old 3.5 to serial lead you can have for an SAE if you want.

I thought you had to do something to the TiVo's disk to get the serial port working. Can you do whatever you need to do with the disk in a PC? Or am I wrong?


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

You can buy 3.5mm to 9pin serial, and usb-to serial leads seperately.
Plug one into the other...

Are you after serial for a bash prompt, 
or the whole tivoweb & dialup over serial via PC internet thing ?


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

terryeden said:


> Easiest to use a 3.5 to serial then a serial-to-USB. I've got an old 3.5 to serial lead you can have for an SAE if you want.


Thanks. You might be getting a PM sometime this week.



> I thought you had to do something to the TiVo's disk to get the serial port working.


Oh gawd! I hope not 

@mikerr: TW over serial only.

I installed a couple of hacks and the logos but one of the hacks (and most of the logos) have failed so wanted to have a look without the bother of removing the Tivo from the system and then the drive from the Tivo.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Pretty sure you have to pull the drive to gett PPP over serial working. You used to be able to do it without under an old software version IIRC.


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## Richard Loxley (Jun 4, 2002)

Yup, you need to pull the drive and modify /etc/rd.d/rc.sysinit.author to activate the serial port.

Pity you didn't do this when you installed the hacks 

This is what you need in there:


```
#!/bin/bash

# bash on serial port
/bin/bash --login < /dev/ttyS3 >& /dev/ttyS3 &
```
This is just for shell (bash) access. I don't know about PPP and Tivoweb, I just use the serial port for command line stuff.


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Richard Loxley said:


> Yup, you need to pull the drive and modify /etc/rd.d/rc.sysinit.author to activate the serial port.


Oh bol......

I may as well pull it and sort out the problem there and then 

Thanks for the tip anyway!


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## AMc (Mar 22, 2002)

RE: Serial to USB convertors. I've tried a couple and found them to be useless. The ones that came with my UPS simply don't work between the UPS and the PC. Likewise one I bought for work from Maplin didn't want to communicate with the kit we connected it to.
It may be something arcane in the world of IRQs and Comm ports but I wouldn't spring out for one unless you have the option of returning it if it doesn't work. YMMV


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