# Tivo won't update listings - "Phone is busy"



## TrevorCotterell (Sep 20, 2004)

Hi everyone,

My (second) Tivo made its last successful call 2 weeks ago - I discovered this today when today's expected recordings didn't appear (although the first 20 laps at Magny Cour probably weren't that excitiong anyway!).

It has beenm running successfully for years and I haven't knowingly changed anything in Tivo or on my phone line in the last 2 weeks since it last worked. I've tried various things:

(1) manual phone call initiation (about 15 times today)
(2) using the test phone call option
(3) replacing the modem cable and microfilter
(4) disconnecting all other phone apparatus from the line.
(5) powering Tivo off and back on again, leaving it a few minutes in between (a few times)
(6) Calling the Tivo customer service line (who just said "keep trying and it will go away".) Perhaps it might but it hasn't yet, so I thought I'd seek more advice!

If I initiate a call manually I get, in this order:

a) Starting up - phone not in use
b) Preparing to call - phone not in use
c) Housekeeping - phone not in use
d) Housekeeping - phone in use
e) Dialling - phone in use
f) Dailling - phone not in use
g) Failed - Phone is busy (or occasionally but not always "Line Unavailable" before this, once correctly because I was phoning Tivo Support, but other times phone wasn't in use).

My phone line is working fine. 

Any ideas please? What might the fault be and how can I prove it, or what else can I test?

Cheers...


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## 10203 (Nov 11, 2001)

What happens if you dial the number yourself from a phone? (My TiVo tries to dial 08081050005) Does it sound like a modem at the other end?


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## 10203 (Nov 11, 2001)

Another thought - has something like call waiting or anaother service been enabled recently meaning that the dial tone has changed? Maybe one TiVo is set to check the line before dialling and the other isn't?


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## TrevorCotterell (Sep 20, 2004)

Thanks for thoughts... in answer:

(1) Tried phoning the number you suggested and got lots of odd beepy noises that sound modem-like.

(2) Sorry, I probably misled you. Although this was my second Tivo, I've only got one connected. The first one fried itself a couple of years ago. The fan (I think) packed up and took about six chips with it. After having tried replacing the psu, HDD etc first I got a £260 estimated repair bill so gave up and replaced it. So I don't think this suggestion applies. Nothing has been changed on the phone line to my knowledge (I don't have call waiting).

Cheers for responding though.


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## TrevorCotterell (Sep 20, 2004)

A bit more info...

I have connected a different Tivo to my phone line. Although this other Tivo does not have an active account, it has nevertheless successfully reached the point of downloading schedule information and is attempting to complete that activity at the moment. As there is no account, I don't know how far that will get.

So this suggests there is nothing wrong with my phone line and its ability to connect to the Tivo centre from whence it gets its data - assuming both Tivos I've tried have dialled the same number.

Which leaves me feeling suspicious of the modem in the Tivo that doesn't work, although that's a guess...

Again, anyone got any thoughts?

Secondly, as an entirely separate question, why did this other Tivo work without an account - it's already well past it's initial grace period?

Cheers!


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## TrevorCotterell (Sep 20, 2004)

One more thought:

The last day it successfuly downloaded was also the day we had big thunderstorms. So possibly there was a lightning strike that took out the modem (but nothing else as far as I can see).


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## blindlemon (May 12, 2002)

Sounds like a modem problem, as you've already figured. 

If you are doing a Guided Setup on the unsubbed TiVo it will download the basic data (required to give you your channel selections etc.) without a sub but will then prompt you to call TiVo to set one up before you can do anything that requires EPG data.


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## TrevorCotterell (Sep 20, 2004)

For completeness, here's what I've done...

I've installed a cachecard, meaning I can bypass the need for the modem, and the Tivo now works. On that basis it looks like the modem was the problem, probably blown up in the storms 3 weeks ago. 

Incidentally having now got it working I'm finding that I can't tune any analogue signals - which I use occasionally as some digital signals (C5, C4) are sometimes not too good here. Can't be sure when I last used an analogue input - perhaps not since the same date 3 weeks ago, which may suggest again it was a lightning strike that also knocked out my analgue tuner in the Tivo... 

I'll have to keep trying to see if I can get it back, otherwise I'm on digital only from now on.

And as I type there's thunder overhead - again!


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## frogster (Jan 4, 2006)

TrevorCotterell said:


> And as I type there's thunder overhead - again!


Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only person on the planet who systematically unplugs all phone connections (modems, faxes, phones, STBs) when they hear thunder, or when it is forecast. I've been doing it for over 20 years.
I'm certainly the only person I know who has never lost *any * equipment to power surges on the phone line.


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## 10203 (Nov 11, 2001)

That works if you're at home when there's thunder...

Surely someone can invent a surge supressor that works  I guess someone has and it's a cost trade off with the likelihood of getting zapped. BT Master sockets used to have surge supressors in them - are they not up to the job?


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

frogster said:


> Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only person on the planet who systematically unplugs all phone connections (modems, faxes, phones, STBs) when they hear thunder, or when it is forecast. I've been doing it for over 20 years.
> I'm certainly the only person I know who has never lost *any * equipment to power surges on the phone line.


I unplug TiVo and Sky phone leads - and power down when thunder is near.


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## frogster (Jan 4, 2006)

ozsat said:


> I unplug TiVo and Sky phone leads .


So I'm not alone. :up: (By the way, you can permanently remove the Sky phone connection if you don't have multiroom.)



> - and power down when thunder is near.


I have two UPS units: one for my PC equipment and one for all my AV so I don't need to unplug. It does a good job of smoothing out mains spikes for my digital amp also.


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## OzSat (Feb 15, 2001)

If you've had the box more than 12 months and its not a multiroom - then yes.


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## frogster (Jan 4, 2006)

ozsat said:


> If you've had the box more than 12 months and its not a multiroom - then yes.


I've never heard of anyone being contacted about the phone connection for a non-multiroom box. If anyone is bothered about this they can just connect the phone lead overnight once or twice each month for the first year. (Don't choose a stormy night, of course.)


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## chimaera (Nov 13, 2000)

frogster said:


> Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only person on the planet who systematically unplugs all phone connections (modems, faxes, phones, STBs) when they hear thunder, or when it is forecast. I've been doing it for over 20 years.
> I'm certainly the only person I know who has never lost *any * equipment to power surges on the phone line.


I've never lost anything either. But I never unplug anything at all. All the important stuff is on surge protectors, including the phone, DSL and aerial connections.


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