General to Advanced Network and Wireless Troubleshooting Tips

1. Remove all extraordinary third-party devices (such as set up all the TiVo equipment on one router-- even if that entails changing the DVRs locations).

2. Attempt to reproduce the issue on the equipment.

3. If it recurs, troubleshoot the issue.

4. If the error does not recur, please contact the third-party manufacturer for assistance.

*Wireless connections based on 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, newer or similar technologies are not supported.

Requirements

General Troubleshooting

1. Check all your power plugs and all your cables. For new DVRs, power the TiVo DVR on first before putting the batteries on the remote. This will help ensure that the new remote is properly paired with the new DVR.

    

   1. Your modem and router should be plugged in with all the indicator lights on.

   2. After verifying your modem and router have power, verify that your Ethernet cable is securely plugged in between your modem and router.

   3. Ensure that all connections are securely plugged into the DVR, wireless adapter, and any additional equipment used to connect your DVR to the Internet.

   4. After verifying all your connections are secure, go to Step 2.
       

2. Check your network s physical setup.

    

   Make sure everything is hooked up correctly. See How to Connect a TiVo Device to Your Network.
    

3. You may need to reconfigure the network settings on your TiVo device. Have you done one of the following things recently?

    

   1. You have updated your wireless network name, password or IP address.

   2. You installed a new modem or router. To reconfigure the wireless or wired network settings, go to:

   3. Test if the issue is resolved. If not, proceed to step 4.
       

4. Power cycle everything (TiVo device, modem, and router).

    

   1. Unplug the modem and router then wait 10 seconds and plug them back in. A full restart can take 30-60 seconds.

   2. Unplug your TiVo device's power cord for 10 seconds, then tell to plug it back in.

   3. After the TiVo device, modem and router have restarted, test if the issue is resolved. If not, proceed to Step 5.
       

5. Test your Internet connection using another device.

    

   1. Using your home computer or any other device used to connect to the Internet, try to access a webpage or connect to an online service using your home network.

   2. If you cannot get on the internet with any device in your home, there may be an issue with your Internet service. Please call your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for assistance.

   3. If you can get online with your home computer or another device, go to Step 6.

   4. If you are able to connect, but your TiVo has streaming performance problems, it might be that you need a faster internet connection. Test your connection at fast.com or testmy.net. For best streaming quality, your network should be providing a sustained upload speed of 10 Mbps or greater than 25 Mbps if you are streaming 4K.
       

6. Check your wireless adapter signal strength. 

    

   1. To check signal strength for TiVo Experience 4 devices, from Home, go to Menu > Settings > Network Settings > Network Troubleshooting > Status > Wireless Network (Signal Strength).

   2. To check signal strength for TiVo Experience 3 devices, from TiVo Central, go to Settings & Messages > Network Settings > Network Troubleshooting > Network Status > Wireless Network (Signal Strength) or for Premieres, go to Settings & Messages > Settings > Network > View Network Status.
       

7. After completing the steps above, test the internet connection on the TiVo device. If the TiVo device does not connect to the network after restarting, go to Step 8.  

    

   1. To test the internet connection of a TiVo Experience 4 device, from Home, go to Menu > Settings > Network Settings > Network Troubleshooting > Internet Connection.

   2. To test the internet connection of a TiVo Experience 3 device, from TiVo Central, go to Settings & Messages > Network Settings > Network Troubleshooting > Internet Connection or for Premieres, go to Settings & Messages > Settings > Network > View network diagnostics > Test Internet connection.
       

8. Try different connection types (MoCA, Ethernet, and Wireless). To configure settings on the TiVo device, see How to Configure Network Settings on your TiVo Device.

9. Test the TiVo device in another location.

    

   • Once you have determined that your network is functional even if the TiVo device is still unable to connect, try it in another room. A room with another TiVo device is a good choice for this step.

   • After hooking up the TiVo device in the new location, navigate to the Test Internet Connection screen and follow the process in Step 7 to test the internet connection.

   • If the TiVo device displays an error message, see network error messages MoCA Network Errors: Troubleshooting and Wireless (WiFi) Networking Help.

   • If the general troubleshooting indicated above fails, proceed to Advanced Troubleshooting section.

    
   Good to Know Info about Wi-Fi connection:
   
    

   • Recommended signal strength is 80% or higher. However, any signal slightly below the 80% (example 75-79 %) recommended signal is still ok but may exhibit intermittent connectivity issues such as pixelation/macroblocking and no connectivity.

   • The closer your TiVo device is to the router, the better the wireless signal strength. Walls, floors, and other obstacles degrade the signal, as do electrical appliances and other sources of interference.

   • If your wireless signal needs a boost, consider purchasing a Wi-Fi range extender. Range extenders (also called wireless repeaters) simply take the signal from your wireless router and rebroadcast it, extending the usable range. You can find range extenders at any big box electronics retailer.

   • If several routers are using the same wireless channel (such as in densely populated areas), you can manually change the channel your router uses. See your router instructions for help.

   • Try 2.4 GHz connection versus the 5.0 GHz connection. A 2.4 GHz connection travels farther at lower speeds, while 5 GHz frequencies provide faster speeds at shorter range.

   • Mini Wi-Fi 5 USB adapter only supports 5.0 GHz connection.

Advanced Troubleshooting

1. Use the IP address of each TiVo device to verify they are all on the same network and subnet. To see the IP address of a TiVo device, go to the Network settings page:

    

   1. For TiVo Experience 4 devices, from Home, go to > Menu > Settings > Network Settings

   2. For TiVo Experience 3 devices, from TiVo Central, go to > Settings & Messages > Network Settings
      
      Reminder: The IP address is shown near the top of the screen. Use the menu path above to find the IP address on each of the TiVo devices. Write down each IP address so you can compare them. And then Confirm that the first three sets of numbers of each TiVo device IP address are the same as those of other devices you want to use in your Whole Home setup. For example, if your TiVo Mini's IP address starts with 192, then any TiVo device that you want to use with that Mini must also have an IP address that starts with 192.)
       

2. Are you using Sonos equipment?

    

   1. Sonos is a third-party home sound system equipment which uses a network of wireless speakers in the different parts of the house.

   2. Sonos devices use STP (Spanning Tree Protocol). When more than one Sonos device is connected to the Ethernet jack, STP protocol is activated and may cause problems. Only one Sonos unit can be connected to the network via Ethernet, or it will cause latency which will cause TiVo Mini devices to lose connection to the host.
       

3. View the TiVo MAC ID (for routers with MAC filtering enabled).

    

   1. By default, your router is configured to accept any device onto your home network by entering a security password. Some users will have manually configured your router to only accept devices that match a list of pre-selected device MAC ID's. This is commonly known as MAC filtering.

   2. The MAC ID is printed on the back of TiVo devices and network adapters. If you are familiar with your router's internal software, log into your router settings and add the TiVo device MAC ID to the filter settings. DO NOT access your router if you are not sure what to do consult your router manufacturer's instructions if necessary. The MAC ID will display in the Network menu once the TiVo device is successfully connected to your network.
       

4. Verify that the Domain Name System (DNS) server is functioning properly. Navigate to the Network Diagnostics screen to verify your DNS server:

    

   1. For TiVo Experience 4 devices, from Home, go to Menu > Settings > Network Settings > Network Troubleshooting > DNS Test

   2. For TiVo Experience 3 devices, from TiVo Central, go to Settings & Messages > Network Settings > Network Troubleshooting > DNS Test
       

5. Check your firewall settings. If you have a software-based firewall such as Black Ice, Norton Internet Security, or McAfee Personal Firewall installed on your computer, it may be necessary to adjust your settings to allow internet access to your TiVo device. To view network ports or IP address that need to be open, see  Which Network Ports and IP Addresses Need to be Open When Using my TiVo DVR?

6. Update the firmware on your modem or router. If you have an internet connection, visit the website for your equipment manufacturer to determine whether a firmware update is available.

7. Using your router, assign a static IP address to your TiVo device. Although you can change your network settings from the TiVo interface, some network setups work better if you assign IP addresses from the router interface itself.

    

   1. You will need to refer to your router's documentation for help in assigning static IP addresses from the router. If necessary, contact the manufacturer for assistance.

   2. When assigning a static IP address, remember to choose an address that is well outside of the range that is used by the DHCP server, to avoid conflicts with other devices in your network.
       

8. Placing the static IP address into the DMZ (demilitarized zone) will help isolate issues related to network traffic being blocked due to some router configurations. Please call your internet provider.

9. If you have followed all the steps above and the TiVo device will not connect to your network, chat with us!