# Can't access TiVoweb from internet



## JanSzafranski (May 6, 2007)

Hi, I've just upgraded my TiVo including cachecard (from TiVoHeaven... excellent service from beginning to end BTW) and can now use TiVoweb to access it. My problem is that I can't access it from outside my network... can anyone help?

I've used dyndns to point to my router (and it works fine) but I can't get it to forward to my TiVo.

I'm using a 'USR9108A Wireless MAXg ADSL2+ Gateway' and have set up 'Virtual Servers' as:

Select a service - Other
Custom server - TiVoWeb
Server IP address - the usual address
External port (start/end) - 90 and 90
Protocol - TCP
Internal port (start/end) - 80 and 80

assuming that if I enter my url ending with :90 I'd get to my Tivo... but I only get a 'webpage cannot be displayed' error with 'most likely cause: some content or files on this webpage require a program that you don't have installed' message on the error page (on IE7, but Firefox also fails with the normal 'cannot display page' error).

Can anybody help please?


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Hi Jan, thanks for the kind words 

Hopefully somebody will have an idea how to configure your router to do this...


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## ColinYounger (Aug 9, 2006)

On my NetGear, I've set up port forwarding, so that any request my router receives on a specific port number are forwarded to my TiVo's IP address on the same port number.

So on your setup, is the 'Server IP address' set to be your TiVo's IP address?

TivoWeb also needs to be set to listen (in your case ) to port 90 as well.


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## Heedyheed (Jan 17, 2004)

Can't help with that particular router, but it probably has a configuration option that effectively rejects any 'unexpected' packets attempting to get at your network from the internet. On my router it's called 'block anonymous internet requests' and is enabled by default.

Have a look in the security-related settings to see of you can find something like that. Alternatively, does the router manual have a section on accessing devices behind the router from the internet?

Mike


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## iankb (Oct 9, 2000)

ColinYounger said:


> TivoWeb also needs to be set to listen (in your case ) to port 90 as well.


Shouldn't need to, since his router is setup to remap external port 90 to internal port 80.


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## JanSzafranski (May 6, 2007)

I know I've limited knowledge... but I've done everything the manual suggests and wwhat seems appropriate... but still no cigar. When I enter :80 at the end of the URL I get my router homepage, regardless of any settings. Does anyone know this USR router?


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## JanSzafranski (May 6, 2007)

Don't know if I'm just being stupid... but I tried to access my TiVo internally with:80 on the end. Normally, 192.168.1.200 gets me there but 192.168.1.200:80 failed. Is this useful?


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

What port number do you have set up for your Tivo in your tivoweb.cfg file? This controls the Port number that the Tivo is providing to your router and the rest of the outside world.

The tivoweb.cfg file is in your var/hack/tivoweb-tcl directory on your Tivo. You can edit it by telnetting to your Tivo (eg Telnet 192.168.1.200 from Windows Start/Run) then typing cd /var/hack/tivoweb-tcl and then edit it with /var/hack/joe tivoweb.cfg

I hope this helps.


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## JanSzafranski (May 6, 2007)

What port number do you have set up for your Tivo in your tivoweb.cfg file? This controls the Port number that the Tivo is providing to your router and the rest of the outside world.

I don't know... I'm a newbie

The tivoweb.cfg file is in your var/hack/tivoweb-tcl directory on your Tivo. You can edit it by telnetting to your Tivo (eg Telnet 192.168.1.200 from Windows Start/Run) 

Ok, I've done that...

then typing cd /var/hack/tivoweb-tcl

and done that... but how do I open/edit it... and I don't understand the next bit

and then edit it with /var/hack/joe tivoweb.cfg


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

You should have an editor program as part of the Tivoweb setup called joe. This is a basic text editor similar to a Dos text editor used to edit text files on the Tivo.

More information on this kind of stuff at www.planetbuilders.org/tivo/tivo_upgrade_diary.html although he seems to use an editor called Elvis.

If you got your hard drive from Tivoheaven I would have thought it came with the Joe editor utility pre-installed?


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

It does, but I don't include lessons on how to use it despite what you regard as my outrageously high prices


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

No need to edit it, just view it to check the port number

# cd /var/hack/tivoweb-tcl

# cat tivoweb.cfg



> UserName =
> Password =
> Port = 80
> Prefix =
> ...


I take it "Server IP address" in your router settings is set to 192.168.1.200 ?


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

blindlemon said:


> It does, but I don't include lessons on how to use it despite what you regard as my outrageously high prices


What and there I was under the impression that your customers only paid these high prices for pre-configured hard drive upgrades precisely because they didn't have a clue about how to do any of this kind of stuff themselves. 

Suppose they decide to contact you by email or using the geographic phone number you have supplied them with asking how to do this kind of thing. Do you help them then? 

Surely you could at least provide them with a short manual on issues such as editing with Joe and tivoweb.cfg as clearly most beginners are bound to get stuck on these kinds of matters.

Do you even make the directory Joe is in part of the standard Path set up on your preconfigured drives? If you do then it should still be straightforward for our friend here to edit the tivoweb.cfg file.


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## JanSzafranski (May 6, 2007)

mikerr said:


> No need to edit it, just view it to check the port number
> 
> # cd /var/hack/tivoweb-tcl
> 
> ...


yes to both... 80 and 192.168.1.200


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Have you selected the HTTP internet access box as specified at:-

www.usr.com/support/9108a/9108a-ug/wui_internet.htm

You then need to set up a Static Route to your Tivo's internal IP address as detailed at:-

http://www.usr.com/support/9108a/9108a-ug/wui_lan.htm

I must say this US Robotics modem looks a real pig to configure and has set things out in a way that does not make things at all simple for most ordinary users.


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Pete77 said:


> What and there I was under the impression that your customers only paid these high prices for pre-configured hard drive upgrades precisely because they didn't have a clue about how to do any of this kind of stuff themselves.
> 
> Suppose they decide to contact you by email or using the geographic phone number you have supplied them with asking how to do this kind of thing. Do you help them then?
> 
> ...


Dear Pete77,

If you had _ever _ actually bought anything from me instead of just continually banging on about my 'high' prices, then you would know the answers to these questions. However, as you haven't I can only assume you're trying to wind me up by asking them in a public forum.

FYI, the answers are:-

1. People pay for an upgraded drive with support, not a lesson in how to use joe.

2. Of course, and I also help people who haven't bought anything from me (like you!)

3. See answer to 1

4. Yes I do, and I object to your use of the word 'even' in your question as it implies that I provide a poor quality half-baked product, whereas, in fact, if you had ever bought one of my drives - or even Hooch! - you would know that everything is set up ready to go, even down to providing a shell script to easily toggle the read-write status of the root partition.


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## JanSzafranski (May 6, 2007)

Hi all... am I stupid or what (please don't answer that 

I double-checked everything and it should be working so I had an idea... called by brother up at the other end of the country and asked him to log into my Tivo... and it Worked!

Thanks to all of you who've tried to help... very much appreciated, especially Blindlemon who recommended this site for help and who has been really helpful himself over my GSOD issues, etc.

Thanks to you all


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

blindlemon old chap I really do find you a little over defensive at what was clearly merely an attempt to pull your leg.

Everone knows you have lots of happy customers and their views are hardly likely to change as a result of a few mildly provocative comments from myself.

It seems you are very touchy about almost any form of criticism, even in jest, and are inclined to take the comments far too seriously.

But in all seriousness some users do struggle with the basics even when you have done nearly all the rest for them so perhaps you need to write up a special £30 idiots guide in how to do absolutely everything step by step for those particular customers?  

Or you could always set up a 50p per minute 09 number.


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## ColinYounger (Aug 9, 2006)

JanSzafranski said:


> called by brother up at the other end of the country and asked him to log into my Tivo... and it Worked!


<slaps forehead with hand> Of course!

You can't access your Tivo using the dyndns link from INSIDE your network. That will only work OUTSIDE your network (i.e. on t'internet).


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Pete77 said:



> blindlemon old chap I really do find you a little over defensive at what was clearly merely an attempt to pull your leg.


Well he's not the only one who didn't take it that way. Maybe that tells you more about your style of delivery that his interpretation.


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## RichardJH (Oct 7, 2002)

> Well he's not the only one who didn't take it that way


And I bet a lot more think the same.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

Shall we a convene a monthly meeting of the Tivocommunity blindlemon fan club at this point perhaps.


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Or the "we hate Pete77" club


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Pete77 said:


> blindlemon old chap I really do find you a little over defensive at what was clearly merely an attempt to pull your leg.


The problem with your 'jests' Pete is that they're normally delivered in the form of an attack.

And why would you think that a) continually saying my prices are too high and b) implying that I offer poor service _when you have no idea as you have never bought anything from me _would be likely to tickle my funny bone? 

You can put as many smileys after your attacks/jests/whatever you call them as you like, but that doesn't change the fact that not everybody likes having their 'leg pulled' for the amusement of others (or maybe just one other?) - and especially not in a public forum.

Can we stop argueing about this now please? I'm sure everybody else is bored with it.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

cwaring said:


> Or the "we hate Pete77" club


Dear Carl,

I didn't think you had the capability for such malice in you. I was naturally expecting such a suggestion to come forward from one of those far more well known for such points of view.

Surely there is nothing to be condemned in being a fan of blindlemon whereas a club that specifically hates a certain forum member raises all sorts of concerns.


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

blindlemon said:


> Can we stop argueing about this now please? I'm sure everybody else is bored with it.


Yes I suspect that would be the best approach but I can take it that you are not one of those who subscribes to the theory that "all publicity is good publicity"? 

Please accept my apologies for any genuine offence you feel I may have caused you as certainly no such offence was intended. If I was HealeyDave though I think I would be much more concerned that yours truly gives far fewer mentions of his service than your own. And when it comes to Hooch did I not recommend it to a forum member, who asked about the possible existence of such a product, in the Tivo image thread only the other day.

I still feel sure that by my regular mentions of the existence of your whole Tivo upgrading empire that I actually generate far more sales for it than I may perhaps occasionally impede?


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Don't get me wrong - I do appreciate your mentions, thanks. 

However, it's the strange mixture of recommendation/attack that I find hard to deal with. I know you probably always mean what you say as a joke, but sometimes it just seems a bit too close to spite or sour grapes to seem funny to me. Or maybe I just have a poor sense of humour....


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## Pete77 (Aug 1, 2006)

blindlemon said:


> However, it's the strange mixture of recommendation/attack that I find hard to deal with. I know you probably always mean what you say as a joke, but sometimes it just seems a bit too close to spite or sour grapes to seem funny to me. Or maybe I just have a poor sense of humour....


I think you just take such an intense pride in your whole TivoHeaven upgrading empire that you are perhaps a little over sensitive to anything that may seem like personal criticism.

But coming back to the points raised by the original enquirer if people are getting stuck on those issues and so have to come to the forum rather than getting the info from you surely that is a lost business opportunity? Can I not suggest the TivoHeaven customer support line offering customer assistance with any Tivo related matter involving their non comprehension of the subject but subject to say a maximum limit of perhaps no more than say 10 hours assistance per annum. And all for a mere £25 per customer per annum. Now clearly this only works if most customers then don't seek any or only require a couple of hours worth of support.


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

All my upgrade customers get unlimited free support anyway, so I doubt if many would want to pay an extra £25 per year for it 

However, the OP posted his question in this forum because I didn't know anything about his router and my answers via email on how to set up port-forwarding on it (based on reading the manual online) didn't seem to have helped. I therefore suggested that he should post a question here in the hope that somebody with the same router might be able to assist. 

As it turns out, it wasn't a problem with the router anyway, but by then we had been sidetracked into a discussion over whether I should provide instructions on how to use the joe editor as part of a drive upgrade package...

You're right about one thing though - I do take pride in the products and services I offer, and it does hurt when somebody (especially somebody who has never used them) takes it upon himself to 'pull my leg' about them.


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## cwaring (Feb 12, 2002)

Pete77 said:


> Dear Carl, I didn't think you had the capability for such malice in you.


No malice intended. As I simply made the same style of comment as you, why assume that I meant anything by it when you didn't? I assume you're one of those who can dish it out but can't take it?


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## ColinYounger (Aug 9, 2006)

Pete77 said:


> monthly meeting of the Tivocommunity blindlemon fan club


For 's sake. How many threads must be polluted with Pete's attacks on others? 

Lets turn this around. Why do you think lots of people jump to blindlemon's defense and are so ready to attack you, Pete? Hmm?


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Obviously Carl was just pulling your leg Pete. Surely you're not oversensitive about such things?


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