# Guided setup can’t find DVR, known issue?



## Roy Brotherhood

i recently had a mini fail after 3 years of use. Called support and opted for an advanced exchange repaired unit. When doing guided setup on the new mini it connected to the internet downloaded the info and loaded it successfully. After selecting a name for it, it failed to find my dvr. Called support and thy had me do all the troubleshooting steps and they finally said to let it sit for a few days and try again. Waited 4 days and still had the same error. Called back and they opted to send another mini; that arrived and I had the same problem. Called support again, more trouble shooting which included them saying my COX cable splitters were causing a problem so I replaced them and still had the same issue. Then support said they would send a third replacement mini. That arrived and I still had the can’t find dvr problem. Called again and got the problem escalated where the csr told me it was a known issue in their software that started around November 1st (when my problem started) and the number of effected units is growing. This csr finally said they have software engineers working on it and I have to wait a week or two to have them to fix it. They will not contact me and I just have to keep trying. Apparently it has something to do with transferring my lifetime service to the replacement unit.

I am not real pleased with this and am curious if anyone else is having the problem.

My setup is; Romeo Plus, 3 Mini’s, moca with the Romeo connecting to the internet with cat-5 network cable. All units have always worked great and the two mini’s that still work work in all locations The new mini will not work in any location whether using moca or network connections. I have forced the Romeo Plus to connect to the TiVo service more time than I can count before going through guided setup On the mini again.

Thanks for any input.
Roy


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## luvlakers

Roy! It's like reading my exact words!! Same exact issue, same calls, same exchange, literally we are tivo mini twins. I have called and talked to tech prob 10 times in the past month, done ALL the trouble shooting over and over, did the 24 hour waiting period and getting the same message. Finally talked to a supervisor yesterday and he gave me the same speech. Basically he said it was being "elevated" as well, other people are having similar issues and just to wait patiently until I hear back from from Tivo with info. I asked how long... a day? A week? A month? He just said he didn't know. I'm VERY frustrated. I've emailed TIVO customer service 4 times, just to complain and I've never received a call or email back. 

I'm trying to stick with it, I do love my TIVO when it's working,but this is nuts. I am a little happy knowing it's not just me and it's not my wiring, but a problem with the mini. I've already spent $150 having Best Buy come out to my place..... money wasted. 

Hopefully we'll have a resolution soon!
Robyn


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## JoeKustra

luvlakers said:


> Robyn





Roy Brotherhood said:


> Roy


I hope you post on TiVo's support forum. More exposure the better. TiVo Troubleshooting | Discussion Forums | TiVo Help Forums


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## chrisny9

Same exact issue here, was considering returning this mini and buying a mini vox to see if that would fix it but the lack of amazon video on the vox make this a no go for me right now.


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## krkaufman

Related post: HELP - Tivo Roamio and Mini


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## Roy Brotherhood

JoeKustra said:


> I hope you post on TiVo's support forum. More exposure the better. TiVo Troubleshooting | Discussion Forums | TiVo Help Forums


Done! 
Roy


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## krkaufman

Roy Brotherhood said:


> Done!
> Roy


(link) ... should anyone else want to jump-in and pressure TiVo.


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## slowbiscuit

Had this issue with my first Mini long ago, had to connect Roamio and Mini to the same Ethernet switch to get Mini to see DVR. Haven't had the issue since then with the other 2 Minis I bought.


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## Roy Brotherhood

My mini still cannot find the DVR after sitting for four days.


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## slowbiscuit

Have you tried connecting Tivo and Mini to the router directly with Ethernet? Or the same switch?


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## chrisny9

Yes, it doesn't help. Tivo has confirmed this issue is on their side just no idea if/when it will be fixed.


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## buildersboy66

You know what is sad, TiVo does not care about issues we are having. I bet Arris and Cable/Telco TiVo products have flawless firmware. Yet we are dumped on (rephrased). I ordered two new mini vox, maybe someone will post when it is safe to set them up. My V2 Minis have never been the same since the horrible upgrade process to Hydra. TiVo is outright refusing to fix problems with their equipment. It is time to call them out on it everywhere.


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## Roy Brotherhood

Tried to connect again today and it still will not find my DVR. Rats!

No help from TiVo yet.


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## chrisny9

Still not working...


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## buildersboy66

Well it was not too smooth getting the new Mini Vox's setup. The worst was the non responsive remote issue right after first update/boot. Anybody without knowledge and that superior tech support TiVo is known for...I could guarantee the devices would be going back to the retailer. 

Seriously if you really believe somebody here stating that the issues did not appear in testing, then something is wrong with your common sense. I was able to get them paired after reading the dribble here and there in the community forum. Thank God we have one another since we cannot rely on TiVo support one iota. Kudos to everyone for what you contribute.


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## Roy Brotherhood

They fixed it! I forced the connection on my Romeo DVR this morning and then did the guided setup on my Mini. Much to my surprise it found my DVR and everything works again.

I hope it works for everyone else with this problem as well.
Roy


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## chrisny9

Partially working for me. I can get live tv, recorded programs and netflix but no amazon or plex right now. step in the right direction but still not completely functional....


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## Cal Nelson

Well, today this problem still exists. Same issue. Had mini failure, did Tivo exchange, 1st exchange=mini DOA. 2nd exchange=mini cannot find DVR after running setup. Did all the multiple troubleshooting with support. Just got worse. Now I get either "download interrupted" or "service not found" after the mini connects to Tivo server. Same deal with support, "just wait". No idea how long. Would buying a new VOX mini fix this? I have three other minis that work fine.


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## BenG

Hello, Cal and all. I wish I could offer something positive but I have the same complaint as so many others: The Mini Cannot Find DVR after running the setup. Mine is a TCDA95000 that I just purchased in December along with a new Bolt Vox. I have tried every permutation of connections: Ethernet, WiFi, and MoCA, I have done multiple updates on the Bolt, and I even created a "sterile" test network using a spare router to which I connected both Bolt and Mini via hard-wired Ethernet with nothing at all else connected to the LAN ports and WiFi completely disabled. I've used static IPs and DHCP dynamically issued IPs. Two different routers by two different manufacturers. 

In all cases I get exactly the same result. I go through the setup on the Mini and get to the dreaded "Can't find DVR" page. ****e! Obviously, if both Bolt and Mini can connect to the Tivo servers when I force a connection, the router(s) and the Internet connections are working, and there is good, two-way communication with Tivo. So what the hell is the problem?

I don't think this is necessarily a problem with the Mini itself, but some aspect of the software is preventing handshaking between Mini and main Bolt. It is interesting to note that I have the same result when using the Android app -- it can't find the Bolt even when I am connected via Wi-Fi to the local router, the same one to which the Bolt is connected.

My overall assessment at this point is that the damn Mini has great potential, but until the software is workable, it's an expensive brick. Why haven't I called Tivo support? Simply stated, it is hard enough keeping my blood pressure under control without being asked if I plugged everything in. The travails reported previously in this thread are not at all encouraging. I have better things to do than talk with some script reader. Maybe some day, after I borrow some weed from my step-son...


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## ke3ju

I wish I had seen this thread before I laid out over $600 for a Roamio OTA and Mini that can't see each other. There should be a website called tivosucks.com warning everyone about this.


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## ej42137

Here are the situations that cause "DVR not found" for me:

Network issues, such as a switch powered off or a cable unplugged.
IGMP snooping being turned on in my Netgear switches.
Internet issues preventing communication with the TiVo servers, or the servers themselves being offline.
Having "Video Sharing" and "Downloads Allowed" turned off in Device Preferences at tivo.com.
Having more than 12 devices in my tivo account with "Video Sharing" and "Downloads Allowed" turned on at the same time.
Not having run Network Connect twice and rebooting the TiVo I'm trying to connect to.
The Mini not yet activated. (I'm sure it wouldn't work with the TiVo not activated, but I've never owned a TiVo that didn't have Lifetime service activated before I opened the box.)


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## HerronScott

ej42137 said:


> IGMP snooping being turned on in my Netgear switches.


This one seems to be hitting a lot of users that post issues with this.

Scott


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## ke3ju

ej42137 said:


> Here are the situations that cause "DVR not found" for me:
> 
> Network issues, such as a switch powered off or a cable unplugged.
> IGMP snooping being turned on in my Netgear switches.
> Internet issues preventing communication with the TiVo servers, or the servers themselves being offline.
> Having "Video Sharing" and "Downloads Allowed" turned off in Device Preferences at tivo.com.
> Having more than 12 devices in my tivo account with "Video Sharing" and "Downloads Allowed" turned on at the same time.
> Not having run Network Connect twice and rebooting the TiVo I'm trying to connect to.
> The Mini not yet activated. (I'm sure it wouldn't work with the TiVo not activated, but I've never owned a TiVo that didn't have Lifetime service activated before I opened the box.)


Number 6 fixed this for me. I think the Roamio didn't have authorization from the TiVo mother ship until I forced a connection. I have another mini on the way. I will do number 6 before going through the guided setup and see if that makes it work out of the gate.


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## krkaufman

ke3ju said:


> Number 6 fixed this for me. I think the Roamio didn't have authorization from the TiVo mother ship until I forced a connection. I have another mini on the way. I will do number 6 before going through the guided setup and see if that makes it work out of the gate.


Yep, that's a pinned thread in the Mini forum (if awfully titled) for a reason.


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## ke3ju

krkaufman said:


> Yep, that's a pinned thread in the Mini forum (if awfully titled) for a reason.


I followed the direction that came in the box instead...

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## krkaufman

ke3ju said:


> I followed the direction that came in the box instead...


Then what was the following comment in reference to?


ke3ju said:


> I had a hard time getting the mini to see the Roamio OTA, but someone here posted something that got me up and running.


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## ke3ju

Meaning, I followed the directions that came in the box, and that didn't work, but what was posted here did. Sorry for the confusion.


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## BenG

The IGMP issues struck a resonant chord here. I'm using Google WiFi, which famously messes with multicast transmissions on the local network, among other things. I did try using another router to eliminate the Google WiFi as being the entire problem. Ah, but it is a Netgear router so I'm going to have to dig in to see whether it has IGMP snooping configurability. Thanks to ej42137 for bringing this useful information to the thread.


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## JoeKustra

BenG said:


> Ah, but it is a Netgear router so I'm going to have to dig in to see whether it has IGMP snooping configurability. Thanks to ej42137 for bringing this useful information to the thread.


With R8000: Advanced/Setup/WAN Setup. Uncheck box. Apply.


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## eric29210

I'm having the same issues as most of the others on this thread... even after following all the advice of ej42137 -- V70 - TiVO DVR Not Found. Additionally, I've gone so far as to remove my Tuning Adaptor from the equation & wiring my Roamio DVR to my router via Ethernet cable. Here's what I've currently got:
Roamio DVR wired directly to my Linksys EA4500 router via Ethernet cable.
TiVO Mini wired directly to my Linksys EA4500 router via Ethernet cable.
DVR is connected to cable entering the house through a powered splitter.
I've rebooted everything (DVR, Mini, router, modem) half a dozen times.
I've performed #6 of ej42137 suggestions three times.
I have no idea on the IGMP Snooping issue -- I've pulled up the Linksys site for my router & I don't see anything regarding IGMP.
By the way, I've been fighting this issue on & off for the past week. I've contacted TiVO support via My Account, but thus far they haven't responded. I know for a fact that this has been an ongoing thing for at least 3 years now, so you'd have thought TiVO would have some sort of definitive fix by now.


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## hairyblue

I've had the same problems. My set up:

Roamio OTA
Mini A93-(now)
Premiere 

The Roamio and Mini are wired to same Asus Router. 

I have gone through 4 Minis. The first one didn't work, they sent me another one that did for a while, but stopped after about a month. Then they sent me another one that didn't work. At this point the customer service guy told me there was a known issue with the Mini model I had. He said they had hundreds of tickets for this model. He got permission to send me an A93 model which they did 2 days ago. It is currently working. Thank you so much.

The Mini model I had before was an A92.

I went through the same scripted trouble shooting you guys did and it didn't help. It has to be a software problem with that model.


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## eric29210

hairyblue said:


> I've had the same problems. My set up:
> 
> Roamio OTA
> Mini A93-(now)
> Premiere
> 
> The Roamio and Mini are wired to same Asus Router.
> 
> I have gone through 4 Minis. The first one didn't work, they sent me another one that did for a while, but stopped after about a month. Then they sent me another one that didn't work. At this point the customer service guy told me there was a known issue with the Mini model I had. He said they had hundreds of tickets for this model. He got permission to send me an A93 model which they did 2 days ago. It is currently working. Thank you so much.
> 
> The Mini model I had before was an A92.
> 
> I went through the same scripted trouble shooting you guys did and it didn't help. It has to be a software problem with that model.


The Model Number on my Mini is TCDA92000, so I'm guessing this is the "92" you're referring to.


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## hairyblue

eric29210 said:


> The Model Number on my Mini is TCDA92000, so I'm guessing this is the "92" you're referring to.


My old Mini was a 92. The one I have now is a 93, and it is working...so far.


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## krkaufman

eric29210 said:


> The Model Number on my Mini is TCDA92000, so I'm guessing this is the "92" you're referring to.


Correct


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## BenG

I have a 95, so don't count on a model upgrade magically solving your problems.


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## eric29210

I was afraid someone would say that -- I was just about to order a 93 from "Weaknees", since it seems they are just about the only place that carries the old style Minis. Thanks.
Okay, just checked & it appears the "95" is the Mini Vox. I have no idea what glitches they have going on.
It has now been 2 solid weeks since I presented my dilemma to TiVO support & I have STILL not heard a thing from them in response!!! As much as I like my TiVO Roamio, I'm becoming disenchanted with TiVO in general & especially their support staff!


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## eric29210

Okay, yesterday I managed to come by a "93 model" TiVo Mini cheap, so I thought I'd give it a try. Sure enough, after registration, it installed "almost" without a glitch! The ONLY issue I had was this morning, roughly 24 hours after the initial setup, I had a message saying I either had to upgrade my TiVo Roamio or downgrade this Mini. Well, I followed the directions for upgrading the Roamio, but couldn't find the App that was called for in order to perform the upgrade, so I decided to downgrade the Mini. As claimed, the downgrade took about an hour, & then I had to run through setup again -- everything went exactly according to plan, miraculously! I'm pretty sure that upgrading my Roamio would have wiped everything clean (recordings, etc.), but I checked for the App, anyway, just to see if it existed. Now I'm curious as to why I couldn't get the "model 92" to work! I'm also interested in whether or not a Mini VOX would be viable -- can it be "downgraded", & if so would it lose the "VOX" feature?


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## JoeKustra

eric29210 said:


> I'm also interested in whether or not a Mini VOX would be viable -- can it be "downgraded", & if so would it lose the "VOX" feature?


Voice is a Hydra feature.


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## eric29210

JoeKustra said:


> Voice is a Hydra feature.


I suspected as much -- thanks. I don't know enough about Hyrda. 
Do you have any idea as to why I had to either upgrade my Roamio or downgrade the Mini? The Roamio is a Series 5 that's been connected for a couple of years now, so the soft/firmwares SHOULD be up to date. I'm also still bummed that I can't get the "model 92" Mini to work.


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## JoeKustra

eric29210 said:


> I suspected as much -- thanks. I don't know enough about Hyrda.
> Do you have any idea as to why I had to either upgrade my Roamio or downgrade the Mini? The Roamio is a Series 5 that's been connected for a couple of years now, so the soft/firmwares SHOULD be up to date. I'm also still bummed that I can't get the "model 92" Mini to work.


The host and its Mini boxes must run the same software. Be glad you had a choice. My only v1 Mini is in a box, but I have a Mini VOX and a Roamio Hydra host that I use for testing. As shipped, a Mini VOX has Hydra software, and any new Roamio or Bolt boxes install it during the first guided setup.


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## eric29210

JoeKustra said:


> The host and its Mini boxes must run the same software. Be glad you had a choice. My only v1 Mini is in a box, but I have a Mini VOX and a Roamio Hydra host that I use for testing. As shipped, a Mini VOX has Hydra software, and any new Roamio or Bolt boxes install it during the first guided setup.


Thanks! I was pretty sure it was a difference in software that kept my "model 92" Mini from finding the Host Roamio, but it never even attempted to upgrade -- I just kept getting the V70 Error. Unfortunately, TiVo support wasn't any help at all.


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## buckyswider

Hmmmm....running into the same issue....

One of my minis (v92) has been fritzing occasionally, so I decided to replace it with a mini vox. During guided setup of the mini vox, it can't find the Roamio Plus. Is this a "hydra" type problem- meaning I have to force the Roamio to update? And if that is true, once I do that, will my 3 other v92 minis still talk to the Roamio? Or do they need to get a 'hydra' update also? Been away from the forum for a while- I'm not even sure what hydra is besides a software update that enables voice...


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## kpeters59

You probably don't want it.

I'd move the new Mini directly by the TiVo and see if you can get it to communicate. It will cause a 'downgrade' of the OS on the Mini once it finds the TiVo.

-KP


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## buckyswider

They are as "Directly" by each other as much as they can get- both have home-runned coax cables into an amplified splitter. 

BUT, I just re-read the thread and the link for "#6" on the prior page (forcing the roamio to connect after the new mini is added to the account) and VIOLA! I'm downgrading now!

(Didn't try to upgrade everything based on your advice- i guess voice control will have to wait!)


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## kpeters59

Do voice control (if you want it) with a Harmony Hub and Google Home...

-KP


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## buckyswider

(Already doing it with Alexa, but I'm assuming the Vox will fill in gaps with commands that aren't supported on Alexa)


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## NoVa

Hi - turned on one of my Mini's tonight (kitchen) & it couldn't find my Bolt.
Tried guided setup & it still can't find the Bolt.
My 3 other Mini's work as expected.
All 4 Mini's are using Moca via coax.
The Bolt is on eithernet for Comcast internet & coax for Comcast cable.

Any guidance please?


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## krkaufman

NoVa said:


> turned on one of my Mini's tonight (kitchen) & it couldn't find my Bolt.


Are you seeing a specific error code displayed?


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## krkaufman

NoVa said:


> Tried guided setup & it still can't find the Bolt. My 3 other Mini's work as expected. All 4 Mini's are using Moca via coax.


You could start by performing a full power reset, when you could afford the recording, viewing and Internet outage, per the following:


> To do a full power reset, *power down all your gear* (modem, router, network switches, MoCA adapters, TiVo devices), *and leave it all off for a minute or three*; and then power the devices back on, in the order above, allowing each device to come online before proceeding to the next.


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## NoVa

krkaufman said:


> Are you seeing a specific error code displayed?


Originally, it said it wasn't connected to my network.
Then I tried to reset the Mini back to factory.
That's where it shows a v70 under a long message that it couldn't find a connected Tivo DVR.


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## NoVa

krkaufman said:


> You could start by performing a full power reset, when you could afford the recording, viewing and Internet outage, per the following:
> ​


Didn't work unfortunately


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## NoVa

krkaufman said:


> You could start by performing a full power reset, when you could afford the recording, viewing and Internet outage, per the following:
> ​


Well - after purchasing a 50 ft ethernet cable & trying to connect via ethernet & also trying the above with no positive results, I tried reconnecting my main Bolt to the mothership (TiVo Service Connection) & lo & behold after reattaching the coax to the Mini - it worked again!

What I surmised is that the Mini was going through some updates (schedule or just dialing back to the mothership) last week when we had some Hurricane Michael related flickering.
While I do have a UPS on the router, switch, Mini, Bolt & router, it probably still messed with the Mini udpating.

Oh well TL; DR: note to self - always try to do a TiVo Service Connection on main TiVo before doing anything else.


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## earmand

I have been having the problem where my Tivo Mini would not connect to my Tivo Bolt. The Tivo bolt is connected via Ethernet and the Tivo mini is connect via MOCA. What was interesting it that my Tivo Mini did not have any issues connecting to a Tivo Roamio that is also have on the network. After a lot of testing, I found that the Tivo Mini would start to see the Tivo Bolt after I forced a refresh to the network settings (IP configuration) on the Tivo Bolt. Note, I didn't change the settings, just forced a refresh. IE
If using DHCP, Settings & messages ->Network Settings -> Change Network Settings -> IP address -> Get automatically from a DHCP Server (Typical) 
OR If using Static IP, Settings & messages ->Network Settings -> Change Network Settings -> IP address -> Specify a static IP address -> Use these settings.

Unfortunately, if the Tivo Mini gets rebooted or unplugged and restarted, it can no longer see the Tivo Bolt and I have to go back through this process again. 

Hope this helps someone else. Also curious if anyone else has seen this.


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## J3ff

ej42137 said:


> Here are the situations that cause "DVR not found" for me:
> 
> Network issues, such as a switch powered off or a cable unplugged.
> IGMP snooping being turned on in my Netgear switches.
> Internet issues preventing communication with the TiVo servers, or the servers themselves being offline.
> Having "Video Sharing" and "Downloads Allowed" turned off in Device Preferences at tivo.com.
> Having more than 12 devices in my tivo account with "Video Sharing" and "Downloads Allowed" turned on at the same time.
> Not having run Network Connect twice and rebooting the TiVo I'm trying to connect to.
> The Mini not yet activated. (I'm sure it wouldn't work with the TiVo not activated, but I've never owned a TiVo that didn't have Lifetime service activated before I opened the box.)


Have tried these, no dice.. anyone figure anything else out in the last three years?? Both can connect and download from the tivo network.. they pass all internet connection tests.


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