Failure on daily dial-up

[Mike Sugar]

Despite my many attempts, my tivo has failed on its daily update dial-ups since Monday, 10th. August 2015.

Using the 0161 number, error messages include "failure to connect", "line busy", "line unavailable", etc.

This failure also occurred today when I attempted to use the 0845 number.

Is there a known on-going problem with these two dial-up numbers.

Thank you.

Mike Sugar.

[DX30]

The 0161 seems to be working normally based on http://www.altepg.com/serverStatistics.html The number of daily calls is fairly constant, albeit with a peak at weekends (presumably as some people have "free at the weekend" call plans).

The 08450800300 number has had problems for a long time and AFAIK has not been fixed.

I presume you have tried unplugging everything from the mains for a few minutes, checking all the phone connections etc ?

[Mike Sugar]

Yes, I have powered it up many times, and also run several different kickstarts. The only issue I can think of is that where I moved to a new build house at the end of May; had a landline installed on 13 July; BT only gave me broadband on Monday - when my problem started.

Where I have fitted new asdl filters, I cannot figure out what would be the coincidental connection.

[Mike Sugar]

Okay – I have now worked out what the problem is – but I need someone to explain why
and what I do to correct it.

Attempting many test calls tonight, it dawned upon me that as the tivo dialled up,
my homehub 4's broadband connection would drop out!!!

I then eventually switched off the homehub at the mains supply, and disconnected its
phone cable from the BT (master) socket.

The tivo is running in an adjacent room on a slave socket.

I then set up a test call – it worked!!!!

I then set up a daily call – it worked!!!

What is going on???

[DX30]

Good news, at least you have a workaround

My suspicion would be the ADSL filters, even though you did mention fitting new ones. Are they BT approved filters from a reputable source? There are some dodgy fakes out there.

In case it is a problem with the slave socket you could try connecting both the hub and TiVo to the master socket and seeing if that works.

[Mike Sugar]

Interestingly, having slept on the problem overnight, I have reached further conclusions.

I bought my new build property on 29 May. The BT master and slave had been hardwired together into
the house's fabric by the builder's electrician.

BT came out on 13 July to fit their junction boxes to the outside of my property,
connect my landline to these boxes, and make the final connection internally to their master
socket - this socket had had a blanking plate fitted over it..

I have my 'phone connected to the slave socket -,as is the Tivo - because this socket is in the living
room alongside the TV sockets.

After BT gave me a landline on 13 July, I now recall the Tivo would fail its update on random days.

After 13 July, where BT promised many dates on which they would give me my broadband connection, which
all failed to materialise, I did have my homehub 3 connected on random days in the
hope broadband would be connected - hence the producing the same fault as I have been experiencing
continually since Monday, 10 August.

It is nothing to do with the broadband signal, but in my opinion, all to do with the interconnection
hard wiring between the master and slave sockets - and whether I have a BT lead inserted in the
master socket, with whatever hub model switched on at the time Tivo dials up.

I cannot see that this is BT's problem - but mine. All I can do is check the internal
connections on the (2) sockets - and as you say, connect the Tivo to the master socket and see
what happens.

No, where the filters are new, they are not BT's.

[Mike Sugar]

Problem now resolved - the asdl filter in the slave socket connecting to the tivo proved faulty. Replacing it with
a new BT filter allowed the tivo make its daily call.