Tivo without a phone line

randomousity · Post by **randomousity** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:10 am

I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to let my Tivo (DirecTV DVR R10) dial up if I don't have a landline available. There are two USB jacks on the back, as well as an RJ-11. I don't have access to a store to buy a USB ethernet adapter, either. I was thinking, maybe I can connect the Tivo to my laptop via USB, and then get the updates via LAN? Or, perhaps, I can connect the Tivo to my laptop via a phone cord, to my laptop modem, and do it that way? Maybe using Skype, or something else? Does anyone have any ideas?

If there's anyone here who does or has worked with the State Department, I have a work extension at the house, so I have access to an IVG line as well.

I don't want to have to resort to flying the Tivo back to the US and dialing in from there, as I'm not going back for a few more weeks.

morbidpete · Post by **morbidpete** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:18 am

http://forumz.tomshardware.com/ce/Final ... 26663.html

thats to activate without a phone

and use a standard wireless access point to get updates over the net

randomousity · Post by **randomousity** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:23 pm

Ok, after some digging around, I found out that I don't have any USB cables with male A connectors at both ends, which is what it would take to hook up to my laptop via USB. So, is there any way to have the Tivo "dial in" to my laptop's modem, and then bridge the connection between my laptop's modem and LAN, or have the Tivo use Skype do dial up?

randomousity · Post by **randomousity** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:21 pm

Does anyone here have any help to offer? I've looked all over online, but all the ideas I've come across involve putting ,#401 as the dialing prefix, and then using a USB ethernet adapter to hook the Tivo up to the network. I'm not in the US, and can't just run off to Best Buy or Radio Shack to get parts that I don't have, and ordering them in the mail would take as long as just carrying the Tivo back to the US in my suitcase will.

morbidpete · Post by **morbidpete** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:42 pm

thats your only option, try checking tivo news groups or something.

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:45 pm

I dont understand what you are trying to do? why do you need to hook up to a phone line? I never hookup my pvr or sat recievers to the ph

randomousity · Post by **randomousity** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:52 pm

So that the Tivo can download the show schedules, etc. I don't really know why it's necessary, but it won't work until it's been done.

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 2:17 pm

randomousity wrote:So that the Tivo can download the show schedules, etc. I don't really know why it's necessary, but it won't work until it's been done.

it should download show schedules from the satelite not the phone line. to my knowledge the phone line is only used for ppv ordering have you hooked it all up and go a signal?/ download updates

randomousity · Post by **randomousity** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 2:42 pm

No, the DirecTv works fine, with the exception of PPV, which I don't care about, but the only thing that I can use the Tivo for is pausing and rewinding up to 30 minutes, not for scheduling shows to be recorded, which is what I want to be able to do.

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 3:43 pm

oh i understand now... maybe use your cell phone as a modem? or pu a male to male usb cord

randomousity · Post by **randomousity** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:05 pm

I have no way of connecting my cell phone to the Tivo unit, and even if I could, calling the US from Cuba would be prohibitively expensive. I thought of the USB male/male cable, but I don't have one, as that's really only used to transferring data from PC to PC, not for hooking a USB device up to a PC.

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Tivo without a phone line

Tivo without a phone line

Any ideas?