,#401 theory (TurboNet)

[JohnFrancis]

I installed new TurboNet cards in my two Sony Series 1 Tivo's (SVR 2000's) and one of them downloads perfectly from the net (T1), but the other one still wants to use the phone (T2).

The only difference between them is that T1's modem broke and all the schedule info ran out before I installed the TurboNet.

They both have the same Tivo software 3.00.11.010 and they've both been set up with the same prefix ,#401.

The second Tivo (T2) doesn't recognize ,#401 and wants to use the phone - I've tried all the usual reboots etc... Note that I haven't hacked and installed any software because V3 is supposed to work and in fact does work on my T1.

Quite a few people have had this problem of their Tivo's not recognizing the ,#401 prefix and so my theory is that when the Tivo get low on schedule info it somehow refreshes the drivers and looks for alternative methods of getting the data i.e. TurboNet...

So, I'm thinking I'll disconnect the phone line; let the data run out and then it'll probably start trying to use the TurboNet ...

Anyone think or confirm that I'm on the right/wrong track?

[Martlet]

I don't know for sure, since I broke down around day 22 and let it make a call over the landline.

But it sounds like wishful thinking, since my logs say:

Apr 17 16:52:15 (none) comm[141]: Backdoor code 4, enable calls via broadband

Right before it tried to dial the modem, so it's recognizing the ,#401... it's just ignoring it for some reason.


Have you noticed anything different, between your two sets of logs?

[JohnFrancis]

I haven't compared the logs since I've only just got into this and I didn't intend to do too much hacking... but I've had an idea - if I was to copy the HD from the working Tivo to the drive in the non-working unit then maybe it might fix the problem - ??

What do you think?

[JohnFrancis]

The non-responsive ,#401 was due to an unseated TurboNet board. I opened up the box and the board came away in my hand without me even pushing it off. I think the cable got tugged when I put the lid back on. Anyway, I re-seated the board and it worked perfectly - nice!!!

[Martlet]

Doesn't sound like my problem...

I can telnet, ftp, ping, extract from, etc... just not get it to dial out.

Unless, of course, you're saying all networking functions except broadband dialing worked with the unseated board?

[JohnFrancis]

I'd strongly recommend opening up the box and re-seating the board. For all we know it might only be one bad pin connection that makes Tivo think it has a phone modem - evidently, if you have the ,#401 prefix and "no" TurboNet board - it just uses the phone modem...

Also, wipe off the contacts to make sure they are clean as possible. Another thing - I used a credit card as a pad/protection while pushing the board into place because the pointed soldered pins are kinda painful on the fingers - so the credit card lets you use more force to get a snug fit.

That's my 10 cents...

[danderson54]

Question: after installing Turbo Net and using it with a broadband access point, can you (in the future) go back to using modem with dial tone instead?

[danderson54]

Question: after installing Turbo Net and using it with a broadband access point, can you (in the future) go back to using modem with dial tone instead?

I might have to do this if I get an extended cable modem outage, or if I end up using my Tivo where there is no broadband....

thanks in advance.

[JohnFrancis]

Yes, you can go back to using phone updates simply by clearing out the ,#401 dialing prefix. You don't even have to take out the TurboNet card. Also, when installing TurboNet - you don't have to physically disable the phone modem at all.
TurboNet and the internal modem can co-exist and they are not mutually exclusive.

[danderson54]

thanks John, I appreciate the advice.

[erk48188]

I've got a DTV with TurboNet and software version 2.5.2 something. I've hit the 30 day "didn't make a successful daily call so you can't record" threshould.

Basically, I'm getting a timeout while doing a http_get. I'd like to force Tivo to use the phone line. I don't have ,#401 in my dialing prefix.

Is there a way of doing this?

thanks

Originally posted by JohnFrancis
Yes, you can go back to using phone updates simply by clearing out the ,#401 dialing prefix. You don't even have to take out the TurboNet card. Also, when installing TurboNet - you don't have to physically disable the phone modem at all.
TurboNet and the internal modem can co-exist and they are not mutually exclusive.

[Martlet]

Heh.. trade ya.

I got ,#401 in the prefix, and yet it still uses the modem.

And yes, Turbonet is in and working fine for everything else.

[Otto]

I admit I've not investigated this fully, but my understanding is that ,#401 just tells the new dialup routine to use the /dev/eth0 if it exists. Obviously, if that fails, it falls back to the modem routine. I know for a fact that you can setup an always on ppp connection and change one of the environment variables to ppp0, and then ,#401 will force it to try to use that ppp0 connection for it's connection procedure. This is how the always on ppp people do it.

In other words, all ,#401 really does is to tell the dialer to try connecting to that env variable first before it tries to dial. So, really, if that's failing, then the stuff that creates the eth0 connection isn't working, whether it be due to an unseated card or what have you.

[JohnFrancis]

>>>
I've got a DTV with TurboNet and software version 2.5.2 something.
<<<

I know ,#401 works with Tivo V3.0xx software but I've got no clue if V2.5.2 has the necessary functionality.

[mcukier]

No, the ,#401 prefix was implemented with 3.0. Actually, browsing through the .TCL that used to have to be modifed (pre 3.0) to enable ethernet is pretty funny-- 3.0+ versions this file are just text, and it's the guys at TiVo explaining that this script is now a c++ library, etc... and they explain about the "unsupported features"-- eg, dial in over ethernet/PPP-- and how to enable them w/ dial-in prefixes. Gotta love TiVo.

Regardless, I'm having the same problem... my ,#401 prefix just isn't working. Though it DID stop working after I took my HD out... so maybe I unseated the card. I'd tend to doubt that, though, as both the green LEDs are a shinin'...

If I can't get it to work soon, I guess I'm going to have to restore my drive from an image... and I've got the whole damned season of 24 on there! GRAGH!

Any suggestions out there....?

[mcukier]

BTW,

My modem is totally fried, so dialing in over the phonelines is not an option for me...

I say again: GRAGH! :(

[JohnFrancis]

Logically, either the new drive doesn't have V3.0 installed or the TurboNet board became slightly unseated. Or, maybe you should check the prefeix again not forgetting the comma ,#401

Or it could simply be unplugging and rebooting the Tivo to re-establish a connection to your network/internet.

p.s. I found that I always needed to disconnect the TV cable feed for safety to make sure the hard disk to stop writing before I unplug the power. I noticed that just switching "off" the Tivo doesn't really turn it off (the HD still keeps working).

[mcukier]

The new drive is the same one! Definitely has 3.0 installed. I guess re-seating the card is the next thing to try... but I have my doubts about that.

Actually, when I took my harddrive out, I accidentally ran the "Setup TivoNet script" on it-- I was thinking that might have something to do with it.

BUT, I undid everything the script did in both partitions (eg, renaming route, adding lines to rc.sysinit, I deleted the libraries from the /lib/modules directory, etc)-- so I don't see how that could be affecting it.

mc

[mcukier]

I've already re-checked the prefix!

mc

[jjsmd]

after sucessfully installing turbonet and getting daily call done through the internet, I am unable to get PPV since DirectTV says my unit has ot called in to download the access card.

Do I have to have BOTH turbonet and a landline plugged in?

Joe
jjsmd@yahoo.com