# Tuning adapter wiring and issues



## cstrasz (Oct 15, 2015)

I'm curious to know how the tuning adapter is supposed to be wired into the tivo. I ask this because I have time warner cable and I seem to be having issues with it. I had to reboot it since I finally got my twc issues cleared up (another story where I had to be escalated to the point of having 3 top tier techs over).

Anyways all was working well until tonight and the tuning adapter stopped responding. I had to unplug it and let it all reboot it.

The wiring is coax into the tuning adapter and then from the adapter into the tivo. However I'm seeing alternate wiring diagrams online that have it split before hand, with one going into the adapter and one into the tivo (and the USB connection between the two).

The twc techs said that doesn't make sense and wouldn't be good because it would increase in overall signal loss. So I'm curious if my setup is right the way it is or if I need to change it or get a new tuning adapter.

I was getting v52 errors where premier channels wouldn't come in.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

They obviously have no experience with tuning adapters. The loss is much greater through it. But that's not your primary problem.


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## cstrasz (Oct 15, 2015)

Well since I last posted the tuning adapter has stopped again. Says it is disconnected from the tivo. So that's twice in 3 hours.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

From my experience, the RF passthrough on tuning adapters is pretty low quality. Additionally, tuning adapters don't like MoCA signals, and MoCA signals don't like tuning adapters, which is why it is generally best to use a 2-way splitter with one output going to the tuning adapter and the other output going to the TiVo. It's also best to have a POE filter on the coax going to the tuning adapter. It is true that there will be some signal loss with a splitter, but if you have a good signal it shouldn't cause problems. If it does, you could use a signal amplifier, preferably one that also amplifies the return signal to help the tuning adapter communicate with the headend better. Check the signal levels on the Bolt and see what they are running at.

It's also possible that the tuning adapter itself is just bad. My first tuning adapter from TWC never worked properly, but the second one I got works well most of the time.


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## cstrasz (Oct 15, 2015)

I will try that out tomorrow. So the USB is the only go between with the tuning adapter and the tivo?

I have a poe filter but only because I was initially going to go the moca route for Internet. I've since abandoned that and just using straight ethernet. I assumed the filter was only for the moca adapters.


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## ajwees41 (May 7, 2006)

tarheelblue32 said:


> From my experience, the RF passthrough on tuning adapters is pretty low quality. Additionally, tuning adapters don't like MoCA signals, and MoCA signals don't like tuning adapters, which is why it is generally best to use a 2-way splitter with one output going to the tuning adapter and the other output going to the TiVo. It's also best to have a POE filter on the coax going to the tuning adapter. It is true that there will be some signal loss with a splitter, but if you have a good signal it shouldn't cause problems. If it does, you could use a signal amplifier, preferably one that also amplifies the return signal to help the tuning adapter communicate with the headend better. Check the signal levels on the Bolt and see what they are running at.
> 
> It's also possible that the tuning adapter itself is just bad. My first tuning adapter from TWC never worked properly, but the second one I got works well most of the time.


the POE filter is only needed if using moca


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

cstrasz said:


> I will try that out tomorrow. So the USB is the only go between with the tuning adapter and the tivo?


Yes. All the communication between the tuning adapter and the TiVo takes place through the USB cable.



cstrasz said:


> I have a poe filter but only because I was initially going to go the moca route for Internet. I've since abandoned that and just using straight ethernet. I assumed the filter was only for the moca adapters.


If you aren't using MoCA, then that shouldn't be causing problems. Just make sure that the MoCA networking is turned off in the TiVo's settings. But even if you aren't using MoCA, I would still recommend that you wire up the tuning adapter with the splitter.


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

cstrasz said:


> I'm curious to know how the tuning adapter is supposed to be wired into the tivo. I ask this because I have time warner cable and I seem to be having issues with it. I had to reboot it since I finally got my twc issues cleared up (another story where I had to be escalated to the point of having 3 top tier techs over).
> 
> Anyways all was working well until tonight and the tuning adapter stopped responding. I had to unplug it and let it all reboot it.
> 
> ...


If your incoming cable signal is so weak that one splitter makes or breaks it, you have problems related to neither the TiVo nor the TA.

Since the TA is only needed for SDV channels, splitting the incoming co-ax and then hooking one leg to the TiVo's RF input and the other to the TA's RF input should let the TiVo keep on receiving non-SDV'ed channels (the more popular ones that they leave on the same frequency all the time) no matter what's going on with the TA--you could even remove the TA entirely without interrupting the feed to the TiVo if you weren't trying to watch or record an SDV channel.

I don't know enough about TAs to know if they can make any mischief with the RF pass-through or not, but with a splitter it won't matter.


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## CoxInPHX (Jan 14, 2011)

I have 3 Cisco Tuning Adapters
I do not use MoCA
I use the RF pass-though of the Cisco TA, (YMMV)

With a Motorola TA the consensus is to use a splitter.
Using MoCA you need to use a splitter, and a POE filter before the TA.


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## Player1138 (Oct 1, 2015)

I am a potential customer and have TWC as well.

So how is the tuning adapter supposed to be installed.

I assumed a coax cable went from wall to tuning adapter. Then another coax cable when from tuning adapter to TIVO.


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## tarheelblue32 (Jan 13, 2014)

Player1138 said:


> I am a potential customer and have TWC as well.
> 
> So how is the tuning adapter supposed to be installed.
> 
> I assumed a coax cable went from wall to tuning adapter. Then another coax cable when from tuning adapter to TIVO.


It can be connected that way, but that's not generally the best way to do it. The best way (especially if using MoCA) is to use a 2-way splitter, with one output with a POE filter going to the tuning adapter and the other going to the TiVo.


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## Player1138 (Oct 1, 2015)

tarheelblue32 said:


> It can be connected that way, but that's not generally the best way to do it. The best way (especially if using MoCA) is to use a 2-way splitter, with one output with a POE filter going to the tuning adapter and the other going to the TiVo.


So the tuning adapter then is hooked to the TiVo via USB?

This seems so odd to me. I guess I am just not exactly sure what the Tuning adapter does. More research.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

Player1138 said:


> So the tuning adapter then is hooked to the TiVo via USB?
> 
> This seems so odd to me. I guess I am just not exactly sure what the Tuning adapter does. More research.


All it does is essentially send a number to the cable company. That number is all that goes through the USB link, no video, no audio.

The coax from the TA to your Tivo doesn't do anything but weaken the signal. Don't use it.


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## Player1138 (Oct 1, 2015)

mdavej said:


> All it does is essentially send a number to the cable company. That number is all that goes through the USB link, no video, no audio.
> 
> The coax from the TA to your Tivo doesn't do anything but weaken the signal. Don't use it.


So you are in agreement that the best way to hook it up is the following.

From Wall 
- Coax to Splitter

From Splitter
- One coax to tuning adapter
- One coax to TiVo

From Tuning Adapter
- USB to TiVo

Might be a dumb question, but is the tuning adapter required on TWC to make the cable card work? I am a bit OCD with cords and this setup is more cords.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

You got it. The TA is not required. The cable card will still work. You'll just be missing several channels. 

The correct way is only one more cord. If that one additional wire disturbs you, you can use the pass thru. Your signal will just be weaker, and Moca won't work. 

All my wiring is in or behind my rack, so I never see it.


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Player1138 said:


> So you are in agreement that the best way to hook it up is the following.
> 
> From Wall
> - Coax to Splitter
> ...


With one modification, highlighted in blue, if you also have MoCA on your coax lines.


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## bodosom (Apr 28, 2002)

I have Time Warner and two TiVos (and two cisco TAs and two Cable Cards).
According to my TiVo signal strength report splitting or pass-through make no or negligible difference. Pass-through is recommended by TWC and TiVo.

A 20% signal (I didn't notice the cable was loose) is not enough, 80% is enough.

I get more channel to channel variability (82-90%) than split vs. pass-through (90% versus 90%).

Fortunately this doesn't have to be a matter of speculation or opinion since it's easy to check.


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## heifer624 (Jul 12, 2009)

Cox has pretty good tuning adapter hook up directions. Find the PDF's here under "Self-Install Manual":

http://www.cox.com/residential/supp...rticleId=a6842300-fad1-11de-f523-000000000000

Here is also some great info:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=501722


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

heifer624 said:


> Cox has pretty good tuning adapter hook up directions. Find the PDF's here under "Self-Install Manual":
> 
> http://www.cox.com/residential/supp...rticleId=a6842300-fad1-11de-f523-000000000000
> 
> ...


Thanks for the above Cox link; if only Time Warner had similarly updated instructions for install of a tuning adapter in a MoCA environment.

http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/support/tv/topics/cablecard.html


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## Nexsen (Jul 12, 2005)

My signal level (second page of tuning adapter diagnostic) dropped to -8 Dbmv and picture started pixellating and audio sometimes dropped out too. TWC said it needs to be at least -7 or better so they sent me another tuning adapter. It produced a -6 which does seem to work but doesn't give much margin. I asked for another and they sent it but it was slightly worse toggled between -6 and -7. I am using it's coax output to the Tivo but I have a 2 way splitter ahead of the TA already. TWC sent techs out twice and they measure a +4.8 going in to the Tuning so i bbypassed my 2 way splitter and took that +4.8 directly into the TA and the diagnostic screen shows -2 dbmv so the TA seems to be dropping from +4.8 to -2 Dbmv - almost 7 Db. I've gone through 3 tuning adapters. Is it likely any of them will be much better? I haven't tried a splitter to keep from using the coax output of the TZ since I already have a splitter ahead of it and would need a 3 way splitter if I did that and that would mean its outputs would be dropped -3.5, -7 and -7 so either the Tivo (cable card) or TA would get a -3.5 Dbmv drop and I am not sure that would be any better. I don't see why the TA causes such a large drop almost -7 Db. Does anyone know if that's normal? I have RG11 COMING IN FORM THE POLE so unless they boost what's on the line I probably can't get over +4.8.


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