Automatic PIN Reset

[bertie_B]

We have a V6 and a TiVo box,   overnight the PIN on the V6 box had reset back to the default.  The TiVo box had remained as it was. 

Although I thought it was an "account" wide PIN,  Im now assuming the PIN is hard coded to the device, can someone please confirm this (or not)

Also, and possibly more serious - can a V6 box be hacked and the PIN reset remotely ?  I dont and never have used TV on the Go,  but could this have been done ?  Is there a way/place I can see what devices are registered to use TV on the go on my account ?  I can find no info on this from google searches or on the VM website. 

thanks in advance 

[japitts]

My understanding is that the PIN is contained on the electronic smart-card that's embedded within the box. All of the TiVo/V6's connections are directly to VM's regional head-end servers, so PIN security is managed there.

[bertie_B]

thanks,   I understand that for the TiVo box is a "point to point" connection,  but the V6 is also connected to the WWW,  so "could" be accessed from outside of VM ?   Odd that it got reset "automatically"  - my immediate thought was "hack" and that someone could be trying to use TV on the Go ?  - buying movies/services etc ? 

[roy247]

If the V6 has reset back to the default 1234 you should be able to reset again to whatever you want.

If you download the TVGO app to a mobile or tablet and then go to Settings and then Device management you will be able to see any devices registered.

There is a change pin option in the Parental controls settings which I haven't used.

[bertie_B]

thanks,  Im not really asking "how do I do it"  its "why did it happen"   s and could someone have hacked/used TV on the go  by hacking ?  should I be "worried"  does TV on the go  require the PIN to access/buy stuff -  or  its actually not possible for "someone else"  to access your box

[roy247]

They would need to know your account sign in details, but if you download the app or sign in on-line then you can see if any devices are registered if you have never used the app there shouldn't be any.

It was probably a glitch with the box.

I would have thought if someone had hacked your box they would have changed the pin number to something you couldn't access the box again.

[japitts]

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@bertie_B wrote:

but the V6 is also connected to the WWW,

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It's not. As I mentioned in my previous post, all the V6's connections go via VM's regional head-ends. It has no direct external connection.

[bertie_B]

OK "WWW" was a wrong term (cos its not the web)  but it is electronically connected to the internet (its actually a pre-req anyway!!)  and does have IP address(es) it is connected to my router/hub - Im assuming (that word again) that its on a VPN tunnel then if its directly connected,   

anyway -  thanks for both your help  and  I agree with you both that its 

a) unlikely

b) if it was "hacked"  then they would've chosen a specific PIN to replace it with

I spent over 35 years in IT  Enterprise Management and security  - which is why Im always overly cautious with any connected device  -  I dont even use my phone for data

thanks again 🙂  (despite your rugby allegiance 😉 ) 

[Roger_Gooner]

You need to understand how cable TV works. The STB is connected to the hub (a combined cable modem and router) which in turn is connected to the hub site (for live TV) and thence to the regional headend (for VOD). All traffic is managed by DOCSIS, a set of standards developed by CableLab. All streamed content and software updates are delivered over IP on VM's closed network. No STB has a direct connection to the internet and VPN has no place in the network.