# TIVO BOLT set up with FIOS - Questions



## ox12345

Bought new TIVO Bolt from Best Buy and live in Nassau County Long Island. I have Verizon FIOS TV/Cable.

Question 1 - Can I take the cable card from the set top box and just activate it or do I need to order a new cable card from FIOS?

Question 2 - When setting up TIVO bolt I am asked if I am using Optonline of Woodbury or FIOS of Queens? I assume it is FIOS of Queens but can any one confirm this is right? seems the channels don't match to what I previously had


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## fcfc2

ox12345 said:


> Bought new TIVO Bolt from Best Buy and live in Nassau County Long Island. I have Verizon FIOS TV/Cable.
> 
> Question 1 - Can I take the cable card from the set top box and just activate it or do I need to order a new cable card from FIOS?
> 
> Question 2 - When setting up TIVO bolt I am asked if I am using Optonline of Woodbury or FIOS of Queens? I assume it is FIOS of Queens but can any one confirm this is right? seems the channels don't match to what I previously had


Hi,
You need a new cable card from Fios, from the store if you have one local, or have one shipped. They charge $25 or more to ship the card.
Regarding the local office to use in setup, either call or try the other Fios location, whatever suits your need.
When you get the cable card there should be a sheet of instructions for either online activation and a number to call, most of the time one of these work fine, if not call again but try and force to speak to a human if you can. Another option if there are issues is to use the Verizon Direct forum, https://www.dslreports.com/forum/vzdirect 
Write down the cc serial number, CCID, Host ID, and Data ID before you contact them, double check that if they try any additional hits that the Data ID has not changed.


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## BigJimOutlaw

Swapping out STB cards used to work well before Fios cards needed to be paired to the box to get all the channels. I'm not sure Verizon will pair the card to another box.

If the Fios channels don't seem correct, try some other surrounding zip codes. Maybe something's wonky in the way they do their map.


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## sangs

ox12345 said:


> Bought new TIVO Bolt from Best Buy and live in Nassau County Long Island. I have Verizon FIOS TV/Cable.
> Question 2 - When setting up TIVO bolt I am asked if I am using Optonline of Woodbury or FIOS of Queens? I assume it is FIOS of Queens but can any one confirm this is right? seems the channels don't match to what I previously had


Optonline would be Cablevision I believe. So since you have FiOS...


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## wmcbrine

Technically, you could pull the card, and it would work in the TiVo, tuning everything except HBO/Cinemax and the Fox-owned channels. Those require pairing, and Verizon won't pair the card from their STB with your TiVo. Besides, you'd have to return the card when you returned the STB anyway -- and you'll want to return it, because renting just the card is cheaper (and AFAIK the STB is useless without the card).


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## ox12345

All good advice. Thanks. And yes, I will try a different zip code and do see I have some channels using the STB cable card. I guess I will have to wait for FIOS to send a new CC and go from there. Just kind of a bummer when TIVO sells how simple it is to hook up and get running.


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## markjrenna

I had to call the number on the paper they gave me with CC. 

As fcfc2 said... Make sure you have all this info when you call... 

cc serial number, CCID, Host ID, and Data ID

It is located within the TiVo menus.

***Very important. When you tell them... Include the dashes along with the numbers.***


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## wmcbrine

You can activate via the web. I strongly recommend this over a phone call, if for no other reason than because you've got long strings of numbers to type, which you can verify for yourself on the web site, instead of chancing typos by an indifferent CSR. Of course, you do have to call if anything goes wrong, and you can only use the site for an initial activation (and not, e.g., for transferring the card from an old box to a new one).


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## esilbe1

I'm getting FIOS in a couple weeks, and I'm wondering how you got a cable card. They told me I did not need one for my TIVO. 

What is your advice?


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## HD_Dude

wmcbrine said:


> You can activate via the web. I strongly recommend this over a phone call, if for no other reason than because you've got long strings of numbers to type, which you can verify for yourself on the web site, instead of chancing typos by an indifferent CSR. Of course, you do have to call if anything goes wrong, and you can only use the site for an initial activation (and not, e.g., for transferring the card from an old box to a new one).


Absolutely!

Recently I activated cablecards a few times with FIOS. Traded out a few TiVo boxes, so it was about 6 times.

On the phone? It was absolutely - unpredictable.

Some CSRs would ask for the numbers. Cablecard ID, Host ID, Data ID...done.

Others were in wonderland. After I told them I was activating a cablecard? Their responses, no joke:

'What room is the FIOS set top box located in?"

"What do you see on your screen?"

"How many TVs do you have?"

"Oh, you mean I need to put in the dashes between the numbers? Maybe that will work."

It went on and on and on.....

Finally, after a CSR took offense when I asked 'Have you ever done this before?" I hung up, and I did it online.

Entered the numbers, hit 'enter,' and all the channels poured in - perfectly.

The only catch - you need to order the cablecard from Verizon, to get an activation number. That's the key. Get that number, and the process is easy.

I'm a big fan of FIOS, but sometimes I think they have elective classes.

"Quantum Set Top Box? I guess I'll take that class. Cablecards? I'll pass...I mean, it's at the same time as the 'Is your box plugged in?' class."

Jeez.


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## dianebrat

esilbe1 said:


> I'm getting FIOS in a couple weeks, and I'm wondering how you got a cable card. They told me I did not need one for my TIVO.
> 
> What is your advice?


They're wrong, you need a CableCARD, the advice? remind them that they're wrong and you need a CableCARD.

It's no big deal, you tell them you need one, they get you one, and you slide it into the Tivo and then activate it, preferably over the web since since it's easier.


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## jtashiro

HD_Dude said:


> Absolutely!
> 
> Recently I activated cablecards a few times with FIOS. Traded out a few TiVo boxes, so it was about 6 times.
> 
> On the phone? It was absolutely - unpredictable.
> 
> Some CSRs would ask for the numbers. Cablecard ID, Host ID, Data ID...done.
> 
> Others were in wonderland. After I told them I was activating a cablecard? Their responses, no joke:
> 
> 'What room is the FIOS set top box located in?"
> 
> "What do you see on your screen?"
> 
> "How many TVs do you have?"
> 
> "Oh, you mean I need to put in the dashes between the numbers? Maybe that will work."
> 
> It went on and on and on.....
> 
> Finally, after a CSR took offense when I asked 'Have you ever done this before?" I hung up, and I did it online.
> 
> Entered the numbers, hit 'enter,' and all the channels poured in - perfectly.
> 
> The only catch - you need to order the cablecard from Verizon, to get an activation number. That's the key. Get that number, and the process is easy.
> 
> I'm a big fan of FIOS, but sometimes I think they have elective classes.
> 
> "Quantum Set Top Box? I guess I'll take that class. Cablecards? I'll pass...I mean, it's at the same time as the 'Is your box plugged in?' class."
> 
> Jeez.


Can I ask, were you able to use the original Activation code that Verizon provides with cable card, to re-activate the cable card on a different DCR device? I am moving from HDHomeRun Prime (already paired w CableCard) to a Tivo BOLT and am planning to use the original activation code, instead of placing a call to Verizon. Thoughts or experiences?


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## jtashiro

jtashiro said:


> Can I ask, were you able to use the original Activation code that Verizon provides with cable card, to re-activate the cable card on a different DCR device? I am moving from HDHomeRun Prime (already paired w CableCard) to a Tivo BOLT and am planning to use the original activation code, instead of placing a call to Verizon. Thoughts or experiences?


Answering my own question - I needed to contact Verizon tech support using web-chat to re-activate and pair the Fios cablecard with Tivo. The In-home agent, phone and web activation did not work on their own.


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## aaronwt

jtashiro said:


> Can I ask, were you able to use the original Activation code that Verizon provides with cable card, to re-activate the cable card on a different DCR device? I am moving from HDHomeRun Prime (already paired w CableCard) to a Tivo BOLT and am planning to use the original activation code, instead of placing a call to Verizon. Thoughts or experiences?


You can only use that activation code once. At least that has been the case with me. I've tried the code given for each cable card again when needing to be re-paired and it has never worked for me past the first time. Just this year I've tried this with four new cable cards with the same result. The activation code worked the first time. But when re-pairing was needed it didn't work again. I called or used chat to get the card re-paired.


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## waynomo

fcfc2 said:


> They charge $25 or more to ship the card.


I've never experienced that. Verizon always shipped them to me for free.


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## TonyD79

I just activated a bolt with fios yesterday. The phone number is an automated system and only asked my phone number and the numbers associated with the TiVo and card which were in my screen during activation. It went very well. 

My phone has a screen so I could see what I typed.


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## fcfc2

waynomo said:


> I've never experienced that. Verizon always shipped them to me for free.


https://www.dslreports.com/forum/r30253661-TiVO-Latest-CableCard-Shenagans

Verizon makes numerous unannounced changes all the time. Lately they have been increasing their initial install fees dramatically and both the name used and amounts have jumped up, i.e., "installation fee, setup fee, activation fee" etc. Sometimes there are more than one of these fees.


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## dmurphy

fcfc2 said:


> https://www.dslreports.com/forum/r30253661-TiVO-Latest-CableCard-Shenagans
> 
> Verizon makes numerous unannounced changes all the time. Lately they have been increasing their initial install fees dramatically and both the name used and amounts have jumped up, i.e., "installation fee, setup fee, activation fee" etc. Sometimes there are more than one of these fees.


I've found that they will waive the shipping fee for the CableCards if you ask nicely.

Also - I don't have it handy but there is a special 866# "FiOS Cable Card Activation" hotline. The folks that answer there actually know what they're doing.

The good news is that FiOS does a) offer self activation; b) has people that have a clue; and c) has technology that works. The problem is sometimes location option B! I'll see if I can dig up that phone #.


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## pbug56

fcfc2 said:


> Hi,
> You need a new cable card from Fios, from the store if you have one local, or have one shipped. They charge $25 or more to ship the card.
> Regarding the local office to use in setup, either call or try the other Fios location, whatever suits your need.
> When you get the cable card there should be a sheet of instructions for either online activation and a number to call, most of the time one of these work fine, if not call again but try and force to speak to a human if you can. Another option if there are issues is to use the Verizon Direct forum, Verizon Direct forum | DSLReports, ISP Information
> Write down the cc serial number, CCID, Host ID, and Data ID before you contact them, double check that if they try any additional hits that the Data ID has not changed.


Be very careful to get these ID's accurately. Zeroes look like OOOO's. During my installation the tech and I had to guess which was which, and overall that added an hour to the installation times.


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## aaronwt

dmurphy said:


> I've found that they will waive the shipping fee for the CableCards if you ask nicely.
> 
> Also - I don't have it handy but there is a special 866# "FiOS Cable Card Activation" hotline. The folks that answer there actually know what they're doing.
> 
> The good news is that FiOS does a) offer self activation; b) has people that have a clue; and c) has technology that works. The problem is sometimes location option B! I'll see if I can dig up that phone #.


Over the past thirteen years with FiOS, and dozens of cable card activations, I've found that dealing with a FiOS person is a 50/50 proposition for cabke card pairing. I've had some really bad experiences with them. With the absolute worst being over the last five years.

One of those times they screwed things up so bad that the tech on the phone rendered my cable card unusable. I had to get a replacement. And then I found that it was much easier process to just get a new card every time I wanted to move a cable card. Intead of taking a 50/50 chance on repairing.. Since I could use the automated process on a new card which was flawless 99% of the time.

But I also have a FiOS store a few miles away from me. So its easy to drop off an old card and pick up a new one.

Sent from my Tab A 8.0


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## old_dood

pbug56 said:


> Be very careful to get these ID's accurately. Zeroes look like OOOO's. During my installation the tech and I had to guess which was which, and overall that added an hour to the installation times.


when the tech showed up with the cablecard did it come with an activation code? I found a link online to do a self activation here Set Top Box Activation. previous replies here seem to indicate it's best to do this way.


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## cpgny9

I have 2 cable cards with Fios - one that came when I had fios installed and one I got later on from a fios store. On top of that I have had to re-activate them multiple times (new boxes, hard drive expansions, etc). My experience with them has been pretty darn good. .. The one that came with the install still required a call in, but the tech actually did the call in while he was here. I have called in myself to pair at least 10 times and have had 100% success rate - sometimes a 10 min call sometimes a 40 min call. A couple of times they have started to give up and tell me I had a bad card, but I remind them it was just working in a different box not more than 15 minutes ago and they will (sometime unhappily) continue trying - but always end up successful. The card I picked up in store was probably the easiest ever - have to order online, they try to push to ship it to you for a $25 fee...but after a little back and forth (not much . .. just a little), they agreed to let me pick up in store. When I picked up the cablecard, it came with a white instruction sheet that contained an activation number. Literally, all i had to do when I got home was insert the card into my other tivo, sign into my fios account online (I did it on my iPad) enter the activation number and in less than a minute everything was working. However, when I upgraded the hard drive and needed to re-pair that cable card, the activation code no longer worked - had to call in and have them pair over the phone, so its one time use only.
One time calling in, I spoke with a very knowledgeable person that was what I would call a "cable card expert" - we got to talking and he said 9/10 times the problem the techs encounter when pairing is that they don't unbind the cablecard (even if its a new cable card for you, it may have been used previously by someone else) and then they need to do a "manual validation" after that. Something to do with the proper order that the steps need to happen that they always screw up. 
One thing I can say for sure is that its night and day when comparing Fios vs Optimum. Even before Altice, Optimum was a nightmare to deal with. I had entire days wasted on the phone with Optimum - running back and forth to their store returning cards in the past. Just did one for my parents who are still on Optimum and it was a 2 week 4 call process. Last call was 2 hours and finally it worked....and by worked I mean they can see all their channels . . but lots of freezing and pixelating . . . . optimum is a mess.


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