Tivo 6 not connection to Virgin media service

[Nick757]

We have 2 Tivo 6 boxes - first one and the the other lost the capability of connecting to the Virgin Media service, so whilst we can receive tv channels, we cannot see the schedule or gain access to apps. Any advice?

[Nick757]

If I go to settings, connect to Virgin media, the connecting screen opens, preparing occurs ok, and then the connecting action fails, and shows the message 'failed whilst negotiating'. When I press for more info the screen shows a C217 error code, saying there is a problem with the connection, and the Tivo box can't communicate with the Virgin Media Service. 

[japitts]

Okies - "failed while negotiating" is often a connectivity issue - reading between the lines here, I rather suspect your V6 needs to be reconnected to your homehub. At the very least that's the next step and is exactly what I'd imagine any VM tech will do. It's also something you can do yourself with perhaps half an hour.

If you are able to connect your V6 via an Ethernet cable just to get the box back online temporarily, and receive all its missed updates, that's certainly a good idea - but I don't know your circumstances as to whether that's practical long-term.

Re the wireless - I'm going to assume you're using the VM Superhub in default router mode, and this is where I'll struggle to advise in detail because I use modem mode with my own router. Can you follow the appropriate (depending which model of hub you have) instructions on this page to change your hub's WiFi password to something else. If you can do this with an Ethernet connected device it will be a lot safer and less hassle.

This will knock any other connected devices off your network (so by all means make a note of your existing password before changing it), but we want to forcibly kick the V6 off, to encourage it to prompt for a reconnection. With the p/w changed, go into the Network Connections screen on your V6 and try connecting with this updated password. It should connect - and again, test some of your apps/streaming/OnDemand to prove this.

You then have the choice of changing the password on all of your other connected devices to the new one, or reverting to the original password - your other devices should automatically reconnect, and you just need to follow the same steps as above, with the V6.

Unfortunately the V6 doesn't have a way of "forgetting" a saved WiFi network as best I can recall, so this is a little more drawn out than is ideal.

[Nick757]

many thanks for your ideas. Our hub is upstairs, and the 2 Tivo boxes are downstairs. We don't have an ethernet cable long enough to reach from the hub down to the installed positions of the Tivo boxes - so in your suggestion below is it acceptable to disconnect each Tivo box from its installed position and take it upstairs in order to connect it by ethernet to the hub? The challenge then is that we won't be able to see any screen messaging instructions.....

[japitts]

Unless you have a working co-ax connection point (and not the one that your hub is using) where you're asking about, then no - that won't work. Swapping boxes around installed locations is fine, but they won't bootup without a working connection, so it sounds like the password change "crowbar" technique is the way to go.

If you're able to do the password change using an Ethernet connected laptop next to your hub, that's probably advisable. Only because Ethernet devices won't get kicked off when you change the wireless password, and having the "control" device hardwired is one less thing to faff with...

I also wouldn't bet against your issues being insufficient wireless signal wherever your V6 is - I've known boxes complain of insufficient WiFi once they drop much below 50%, but this process can't make that any worse than it might already be. And it might just solve the issue for now.

[Nick757]

Unfortunately I can't link up my laptop via an ethernet linkage - think I am gong to have to call out the engineer. Signal strength is showing at 65%. Many thanks for all of your efforts, much appreciated. 

[japitts]

Are you able to try the password change method that I've suggested? Doing it over a WiFi connection is certainly not as straightforward as doing it over Ethernet, because the laptop you're doing it on will also need to reconnect after the change.

But it's perfectly possible and should potentially have this resolved a lot quicker.

Edit: Something else that might just help is to connect an Ethernet cable to the plug on your V6, even if it's connected to thin-air at the opposite end. Connecting Ethernet will disable WiFi. Removing Ethernet will re-enable WiFi and might just kick it into life too - assuming the wireless password that the V6 has saved, is correct.

[Nick757]

thanks - tried the password change, unfortunately no difference. Engineer due to visit at the end of the week. Thanks for all of your efforts to help.