Official PTVnet Discussion Thread

[Lou Jacob]

This information is a revised and reprinted version of the article published in the DVRplayground archives available here (http://www.dvrplayground.com/forum/thread/12068/Official-PTVnet-Software-CD-Instructions-and-Discussion-Thread/); originally posted in January, 2006.

Basic rules of this thread:

First, please read the PTVnet overview and installation instructions (http://www.dvrupgrade.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7) in the articles area of our forum. You may also want to read the general usage information (http://www.dvrupgrade.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20) which is designed to give you an overview of how to use the basic features of a PTVnet kit.

Please keep in mind that this thread is sorted in chronological order; some posts may be out of date, so its important to read through as much as possible to ensure you fully understand what you are reading.

Don't be rude. And remember, PTVnet is not an officially supported product; there is no guarantee that you will get a response to your inquiries and we encourage members of the community to try and help each other as much as possible, so please ask nicely and provide enough meaningful information if you expect to get a meaningful answer to your question.

Please spend a few minutes reviewing this thread before posting your questions and you'll see that there are very few problems encountered, and of the few, it is typically an error related to not reading the instructions, or not following the installation prompts.

[Lou Jacob]

PTVnet and PTVnetHD Hidden Options

As described, PTVnet/PTVnetHD are designed to be used on drives created using MFStools (ie not on ORIGINAL drives).

It is a confirmed FACT, that attempts to use PTVnet/PTVnetHD on "factory" drives that have been "untouched" by upgrade tools other than MFStools, or InstantCake (which uses MFStools) mostly fail with an error such as "unable to determine software version" and subsequently, a string of errors that result from the aforementioned failure.

It has also been reported that mfstools-created drives, that have been subsequently updated through a normal software update (ie. An MFStools or InstantCake created drive that has received a normal software update since its been deployed) may also experience this situation.

In an attempt to give people a little more control, and not for the intention of support folks in potentially endangering their ORIGINAL and UNMODIFIED drives, we've created a "parameter" you can use when running PTVnet that will potentially allow you to override these errors and "force" an install.

So, if you are receiving one of the aforementioned errors, here is something you can try:

Allow your PTVnet/PTVnetHD CD to boot normally and at the first prompt, type:


ctrl-c


which will interrupt and abort the normal PTVnet execution. Then type:


PTVnet force


This will "force" the installation of the drivers in spite of the fact that the software version is not recognized.

Please be VERY careful when using this feature. If you use the FORCE option on a drive that has the WRONG software on it, it will most likely just not work. But there is always the possibility that you will mess up your drive. You can't damage the hardware, but you could end up putting things in a state where you will need to be rebuilding your drive from scratch - and we do not want to encourage people to take unnecessary risks!

[Lou Jacob]

PTVnet supported USB 2.0 Ethernet Adapters
(updated 5/5/2007)
Standard Definition (SD) DirecTV Units
All versions of PTVnet for SD DirecTiVo units running 6.2 or 6.2a will work fine with the following adapters:
Netgear FA120
Hawking UF200
Linksys USB200M (v1 and v2)
Trendnet TU2-ET100 (available directly from DVRupgrade) (http://www.dvrupgrade.com/forums/../dvr/stores/1/product1.cfm?SID=1&Product_ID=341&Category_ID=4&page=prod&type=Model&ModelID=21)High Definition (HD) DirecTV Units (ie HR10-250, HD10-250)
All versions of PTVnet for HD DirecTiVo units running 6.3x (current release is 6.3d) or 3.1.5f will work fine with the following adapters:
Netgear FA120
Hawking UF200
Linksys USB200M (v1 and v2)
Trendnet TU2-ET100 (available directly from DVRupgrade) (http://www.dvrupgrade.com/forums/../dvr/stores/1/product1.cfm?SID=1&Product_ID=341&Category_ID=4&page=prod&type=Model&ModelID=21)Note: Versions of PTVnet distributed prior to 12/22/06 will not work with the Trendnet adapter or the Linksys USB200M v2 adapter. In cases of using the older version of the software, we recommend use of the Netgear FA120, as they are the easiest to find on eBay, albeit somewhat expensive.

Note: It should be no mystery that the TiVo Wireless G USB networking adapter is not supported by PTVnet. If you wish to use PTVnet for a wireless network, we recommend using a Wireless Bridge or Gaming Adapter such as the one we sell on our site (http://www.dvrupgrade.com/dvr/stores/1/accessory_nomodel.cfm?SID=1&Product_ID=342).

[Lou Jacob]

Reserved for future use.

[Khallyman]

I upgraded an HR10-250 with PTVnet. I am now able to "see" through a TIVOWEBPLUS (V1.3.1). Howvever, I have not ben able to transfer recorded content to my Windows PC. I downloaded and installed TiVo Desktop (V 2.5) but do not have the required "Media Access Key". TiVo desktop sees the HR10-250 through the network but does not read its content.
I will take any guidance you can provide.

[badger]

at least a year ago, maybe two, I purchased a 300 GB hard drive with the PTVnet package for my DirecTV HD DRVR. It has worked flawlessly and with the recommended USB ethernet dongle I am able to download recorded shows using TyTools. I have never attached a phone line so I still have very old software.
Several of my friends have converted over to the new DirecTV box and are getting more channels since the new box has MPEG 4.
I use an OTA antenna for my loac programming.
Questions:
can I upgrade my current software to the latest for my box without sacrificing the download capability ?

do you have, or intend to have, a similar solution for the new DirecTV box that will allow
me to downlad shows to me PC ?

[energy2spare]

I just upgraded my HR10-250 from 6.3c to 6.3e due to the random reboot issue. I installed PTVNET 6.x and then Instant Cake but my network adapter no longer works. Am I missing something or is there something different with 6.3e?

[Lou Jacob]

I just upgraded my HR10-250 from 6.3c to 6.3e due to the random reboot issue. I installed PTVNET 6.x and then Instant Cake but my network adapter no longer works. Am I missing something or is there something different with 6.3e?

InstantCake will install a fresh version of the 6.3e software on the drive, so if you installed PTVnet before InstantCake, you wiped it out. What you should do is boot with the PTVnet CD and supply InstantCake, when prompted. Watch the output while you are running the script because if it doesn't work, you will see errors or warnings...

[energy2spare]

Thanks for the quick reply Lou. I did run the PTVNetHD CD first which then prompted me for the InstantCake CD. I enabled FTP, TELNET and TivoWebPlus. Could it be that my Airlink USB Ethernet adapter is not supported in 6.3e?

[energy2spare]

I tried reloading PTVNet and then InstantCake. My Airlink Ethernet Adapters no longer work but my Netgear FA120 does. However, although the unit has an ip address and responds to PING, TELNET, FTP and TivoWebPlus do not work even though I set the flags to ON during installation. Any suggestions?

[Rick Travis]

I covered this problem in an earlier thread.
http://www.dvrupgrade.com/forums/showthread.php?p=782#post782 :)

[energy2spare]

I covered this problem in an earlier thread.
http://www.dvrupgrade.com/forums/showthread.php?p=782#post782 :)

Interesting. I ran PTVNet and 6.3e InstantCake on another HR10-250 and everything works fine. I've got Telnet, FTP and TivoWebPlus running.

[Rick Travis]

Sorry I was talking about SD series II did not know you were talking about High Density. My Mistake.:(

[spaldingclan]

if i rerun ptvnet but don't apply a new image will i lose any settings (i.e. season passes) or lose any recordings?

[Lou Jacob]

if i rerun ptvnet but don't apply a new image will i lose any settings (i.e. season passes) or lose any recordings?

No, you should not lose any settings or recording. PTVnet is designed to be run on a drive which has already been upgraded OR in combination with InstantCake which WILL overwrite the drive. So, if you are just installing PTVnet, it will not alter the existing content on the drive.

[spaldingclan]

how do you do the force ptvnet thing?

[Rick Travis]

how do you do the force ptvnet thing?after you have booted the CD at the first question do a <control>c then at the prompt type PTVnet force <enter> the script will resume and accept all defaults.

[Lou Jacob]

how do you do the force ptvnet thing?

Please see post #2 of this very thread (http://www.dvrupgrade.com/forums/showpost.php?p=31&postcount=2), for full details.

[linrey]

The main article says the Airlink is supported, but the list of supported USB adapters following it does not have it. Any particular reason for that?

Thanks,

linrey

[jeffraben]

anyone get the aub adapter trendnet tu-et100c working on ver 6.3d-01-2-357

my router gives me an ip address, lights are on, but I can't connect

thanks

[Rick Travis]

anyone get the aub adapter trendnet tu-et100c working on ver 6.3d-01-2-357

my router gives me an ip address, lights are on, but I can't connect

thanks
Please confirm your adapter is a Trendnet TU2-ET100 USB2 as recommended by DVRupgrade and not the TU-ET100C which is a USB1.1 adapter and 1/2 the data rate which will not work.

[Lou Jacob]

anyone get the aub adapter trendnet tu-et100c working on ver 6.3d-01-2-357

my router gives me an ip address, lights are on, but I can't connect

thanks

I would not expect that one to work; its not USB 2.0 ; please see here for the specs (http://www.trendware.com/products/TU-ET100C.htm).

[restino]

Is the one behind that specs link a 2.0 USB? Which spec says its USB 2.0?

On that same page I also see one that is listed as 2.0 USB: TU2-ET100 - http://www.trendware.com/products/TU2-ET100.htm

Will both work?

Also, I see that they have different version of the TU-ET100C. Looks like they are on version 3. Will all of the versions work? The reason I ask is becuase I see prices for that ranging from 10 to 25+ bucks and figure that it depends on what version they are selling, which is not clear on all those sbuy now sites.

Thanks

[Rick Travis]

Only the TU2-ET100 works the other Trendnet device is USB 1.1 not USB 2.0:)

[restino]

If that is the case then that previous post is an error and needs to be changed so it doesn't point to the wrong product.

[restino]

A - Can the PTVnetHD software be used to change the software on a HR10-250 original drive with original software? Or can it not change anything on that drive since it does not have upgraded software of some sort?

B - Also, if i upgrade the software, apply USB changes to it using PTVnetHD and later if i had the phoen line plugged in and the usb stops working then can i just apply the PTVnetHD changes again?

C - Do I loose my tivo recordings and settings or do they remain intact?

D - If a directv update does ruin the hacks in some fashion does that ruin the functionality of the tivo software or will that work fine after the updates?

Thanks

[Rick Travis]

If that is the case then that previous post is an error and needs to be changed so it doesn't point to the wrong product.They are pointing to the same product, one is html encoded:)

[Rick Travis]

A - Can the PTVnetHD software be used to change the software on a HR10-250 original drive with original software? Or can it not change anything on that drive since it does not have upgraded software of some sort?

B - Also, if i upgrade the software, apply USB changes to it using PTVnetHD and later if i had the phoen line plugged in and the usb stops working then can i just apply the PTVnetHD changes again?

C - Do I loose my tivo recordings and settings or do they remain intact?

D - If a directv update does ruin the hacks in some fashion does that ruin the functionality of the tivo software or will that work fine after the updates?

Thanks
A. part 1 yes part 2 no
b. yes
c. part 1 no, part 2.yes
d.part 1. yes, part 2.no

[restino]

Sorry, if you could spell it out I would appreciate it. That didn't clear it up for me. I guess I need more info if possible.

[Rick Travis]

A part 1 Can the PTVnetHD software be used to change the software on a HR10-250 original drive with original software? yes

A part 2 Or can it not change anything on that drive since it does not have upgraded software of some sort? no

B Also, if i upgrade the software, apply USB changes to it using PTVnetHD and later if i had the phone line plugged in and the usb stops working then can i just apply the PTVnetHD changes again? yes

C part 1 Do I loose my tivo recordings and settings? NO
C part 2 or do they remain intact? Yes

D part 1 If a directv update does ruin the hacks in some fashion does that ruin the functionality of the tivo software? Yes
D part 2 or will that work fine after the updates? No

:)

[restino]

thanks.

so i can take the old original tivo hard drive, install it to my pc and just use the PTVnet cd to add all of the hacks, correct? i was thinking that i had to start over with a new tivo image so the hacks could be applied.

you said that if the hacks get erased or ruined with updates somehow then the original tivo software wont function as it should. i mean the actual original tivo functions that run the dvr. im not talking about the hacked features. is this also what you meant?

[Lou Jacob]

thanks.

so i can take the old original tivo hard drive, install it to my pc and just use the PTVnet cd to add all of the hacks, correct? i was thinking that i had to start over with a new tivo image so the hacks could be applied.

you said that if the hacks get erased or ruined with updates somehow then the original tivo software wont function as it should. i mean the actual original tivo functions that run the dvr. im not talking about the hacked features. is this also what you meant?

Restino,

Please read POST #2 (http://www.dvrupgrade.com/forums/showpost.php?p=31&postcount=2) of this thread as it should give you some better perspective on the first part of your question.

I don't understand the second part of your question and having a hard time following exactly what it is your asking in a few of your posts here. Perhaps you can take a step back, collect your thoughts and create a new post explaining exactly what you are trying to do and why you'd prefer to go about things in a way other than what is recommended by the instructions?

I don't mean to be harsh, but I simply cannot follow your train of thought in these last few posts.

Lou

[restino]

1. Can I use the PTVnetHD functions to install hacks on an original tivo drive. Seems like its best not to, right?

2. If the phone line is connected and updates happen and the hacks gets messed up will my newly updated tivo software continue to work or will it also be messed up and not function?

[Lou Jacob]

1. Can I use the PTVnetHD functions to install hacks on an original tivo drive. Seems like its best not to, right?

2. If the phone line is connected and updates happen and the hacks gets messed up will my newly updated tivo software continue to work or will it also be messed up and not function?

1) YES, but please do not do this, we do not recommend it. Again, please read post #2 as it addresses the very specific question of whether you can (and how to). We recommend you not do this - if you screw your drive up, then you have NO drive. We want you to keep your original drive as a backup; that is why we make that recommendation.

2) If your unit updates, the changes you've made with our software will vanish and the new software you've downloaded, presumably will work. Unless there is a problem with it (which is what some people are experiencing with 6.3 on SD units).

[pkley]

Installed PTVnet and ran thru Instantcake - both were 6.2. Unit works, I can ping the Tivo IP address, but no telnet or browser access - can't open port 23 in telnet.
Any thoughts?

Edit - did a reboot via Tivo - Restart, works fine now!

[badger]

a few years back I purchased a brand new hr10-250 for $1k.
I was very happy with this box and purchased a new, larger hard drive
with ptv network installed. This has worked very well and I have used
the network to back up some HD movies to my PC (using buffalo wireless bridge).

During this time I have never attached the telephone for fear of an upgrade
overwriting my my system. A friend, who also has hr10-250 mentioned that the my
software is sluggish and that his latest upgrade is much more reponsive.

what is the easiest way for me to get the latest software without losing my
network capability ?

I realize that this seems so simple, but I have read many posts and I am still
at a loss.
Do I purchase a CD ISO image ?
Should I buy another hard drive with the latest installed ?
Do I get a discount since I already purchased the upgrade package ?

be kind..

[BruceS]

Connect to your box via Telnet and enter "echo mls /SwSystem | tivosh".

As long as you see something like 6.3e- etc., the slices that are needed to upgrade your box have already been downloaded from the satellite. If they are on your box you can purchase the Slicer and perform the upgrade yourself.

An article describing how to do this can be found at http://www.dvrplayground.com/article/13975/Update-Your-PTVnet-Networked-HR10-250-to-6.3b-Using-the-Slicer/.

Even though the article was written about upgrading to 6.3b, you can just change the name of the slices file to the new one and the upgrade will be performed.

Warning: The latest version (6.3e) of the DirecTV software no longer has the code needed to use MRV and I do not believe you would be able to transfer programs to your PC any longer either.

[badger]

thanks BruceS,

using the command you suggested,
I have determined that I do indeed have the 6.3e stuff on the disk.

I do know what MRV is , but I do not want to lose my ablility to
transfer shows from the unit to my PC.
I currently have 3.15e and it works fine, albeit slowly.

Is there a way to get a previous 6.x which has still has the ability
to transfer shows ?

[rickyble]

I have posted on the DIY thread but got no reply so far so I thought I would post here. I have instantcake and ptv for the 10-250. I used all the methods from force to booting with PTV and then running instant cake but I can not get my networking piece to work. I am using the trendnet Tu2-et100 and have checked on a laptop. It is working. I have used the instantcake and the superpatch on a dsr7000 and I am pretty familiar with linux and the command line and networking in general. When the 10-250 boots it does give me light indicating it the usb is "on" but no link light. I have searched the forums and have tried most everything. I can not however get the serial port to work at all so I cant get to the bash prompt to do any testing or config chances. Any help would be appreciated. I am using the 6.3e version for the 10-250. Thanks

[rickyble]

Never mind I figured it out on my own.

[presidentsdad]

I need some help. I've loaded my drives in my Series 2 DirecTivo with InstantCake and PTVNet as well as the superpatch, buffer hack, etc. I have successfully managed the TiVo and been able to extract video off of the TiVo for over two years. The network has had no issues...until this week. The network and Multi-room viewing is not available. I have verified that the cables, adapters and router/switch work fine, but I cannot network into either of my two tivos. I suspect the OS has just "forgotten" about my changes on the tivo drive. Is there something I can do to get the network connectivity back without losing my saved shows, season passes, etc (possible re-load of PTVNEt, superpatch, etc...)? Your help is GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks,
Marc

[Lou Jacob]

I need some help. I've loaded my drives in my Series 2 DirecTivo with InstantCake and PTVNet as well as the superpatch, buffer hack, etc. I have successfully managed the TiVo and been able to extract video off of the TiVo for over two years. The network has had no issues...until this week. The network and Multi-room viewing is not available. I have verified that the cables, adapters and router/switch work fine, but I cannot network into either of my two tivos. I suspect the OS has just "forgotten" about my changes on the tivo drive. Is there something I can do to get the network connectivity back without losing my saved shows, season passes, etc (possible re-load of PTVNEt, superpatch, etc...)? Your help is GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks,
Marc

Sounds like you have a lot of variables...

First thing you should do is verify the version of software on your unit (system information screen) and see if your unit received an update that would have overwritten any changes you've made).

If you need to re-install PTVnet, you won't lose any of your content. But if you need to downgrade your unit to 6.2a or an earlier version of the OS (you never mentioned what versions you were running when you set things up), then you would lose what is on your system.

Try to eliminate as many variables as possible, of course, - wireless networks, bad cables, etc before you jump to any conclusions and start taking apart your unit...

[presidentsdad]

Sounds like you have a lot of variables...

First thing you should do is verify the version of software on your unit (system information screen) and see if your unit received an update that would have overwritten any changes you've made).

If you need to re-install PTVnet, you won't lose any of your content. But if you need to downgrade your unit to 6.2a or an earlier version of the OS (you never mentioned what versions you were running when you set things up), then you would lose what is on your system.

Try to eliminate as many variables as possible, of course, - wireless networks, bad cables, etc before you jump to any conclusions and start taking apart your unit...


This machine has never been connected to a phone line so....it shouldn't have received any sort of software update, right? The software should still be at the level that Instant Cake lays down (which I believe is 6.2).

[presidentsdad]

This machine has never been connected to a phone line so....it shouldn't have received any sort of software update, right? The software should still be at the level that Instant Cake lays down (which I believe is 6.2).

S/w version from my unit is 6.2-01-2-381

[Lou Jacob]

I am noticing some subtle differences with 6.3f from 6.3e, namely the lack of /sbin/dhclient and /etc/dhclient-script in the standard distro -- this affects the normal PTVnet (http://www.dvrupgrade.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1516&posted=1#post1516) 6.3X installation and we are working on a newer version of PTVnet which will work with both 6.3f and 6.3e.

In other words, don't try to use the current version of PTVnet for 6.3 on anything later than 6.3e of the TiVo OS. If you are taking an update from 6.3e to 6.3f with the plan of re-installing PTVnet, I'd hold off for now.

When we releasen an update for PTVnet 6.X which will work on 6.3f, it will be free for those who have purchased within 90-days of the last release and still have downloads left in their account.

[BruceS]

Lou,

I am not familiar with the newer versions of PTVNet, since I got mine in 2005 when I was still running 3.1.5f.

However I received the slices today and used the slicer to perform the upgrade.

Everything seems to work fine so far. I can connect to my box with telnet, ftp and tivowebplus.

However, the items you mentioned seem to be related to DHCP. I am using a STATIC address, since this was recommended when I upgraded to 6.3c from 3.1.5f.

You just might want to warn everyone to use STATIC under 6.3f until you get your new version developed.

If there is any command that I can enter to figure out what specific version of PTVNet I have and you think it might be helpful for you, let me know.

I worked long enough as a computer programmer to learn never to delete the old version of code when a new one was being released. There were many times when I needed to retrieve something from the older version when something was changed on the newer one.

[Lou Jacob]

Bruce,

Thanks for your post. Everything you said makes sense. It sounds like you used the slicer to get from 3.1.5f ---> 6.3c; as I recall, the slicer does prompt you for static IP information and if so, that would explain why things are working. Note that in the slicer thread, early successes are being reported, as well. That is something I'll be testing and documenting, as well.

As for the code and versions... We have all the old versions. There really is no way to tell by running commands on the unit, though - mainly because its all the same stuff that is installed on the units (for the most part); the versions differ on the PC as the scripts that do the installations change. Although the versions of PTVnet for 3.1.5f and 6.3 are fundamentally different (and we've frozen development of PTVnet for 3.1.5f because its hardly in use at all at this point), we try to evolve things for 6.3 and ensure that they are backwards compatible, for obvious reasons...

Will keep you posted and thanks again!

Lou

[presidentsdad]

Sounds like you have a lot of variables...

First thing you should do is verify the version of software on your unit (system information screen) and see if your unit received an update that would have overwritten any changes you've made).

If you need to re-install PTVnet, you won't lose any of your content. But if you need to downgrade your unit to 6.2a or an earlier version of the OS (you never mentioned what versions you were running when you set things up), then you would lose what is on your system.

Try to eliminate as many variables as possible, of course, - wireless networks, bad cables, etc before you jump to any conclusions and start taking apart your unit...

I have version 6.2 as my unit is never connected to a phone line. I have verified that all of the cables, usb 2.0 network adapters, etc. work properly. So...can I just reload PTVNet, superpatch, etc....to get my network back up and running? If so are there directions somewhere for just the PTVNet install as I did it as part of the instantcake thing last time? Thanks for the help Lou!!

[Lou Jacob]

I have version 6.2 as my unit is never connected to a phone line. I have verified that all of the cables, usb 2.0 network adapters, etc. work properly. So...can I just reload PTVNet, superpatch, etc....to get my network back up and running? If so are there directions somewhere for just the PTVNet install as I did it as part of the instantcake thing last time? Thanks for the help Lou!!

Please see my previous response to you on this issue; others may chime-in as well. Thx.

[Lou Jacob]

A few things to note:

1) The version of PTVnet 6.3x distributed up until about 8:00pm CST will NOT work with version 6.3f of the DirecTV/TiVo software that was recently released. This is due to some minor changes, namely the removal of DHCP-related software from the distribution.

2) With #1 in mind, we've just released a new version of PTVnet 6.3x which contains the fixes for this and which is designed to work with ALL versions of 6.3 for the HR10-250. Obviously, we can't make any guarantees related to FUTURE versions of the software, but we think the fix will hold for 6.3f, if there is one, and hopefully, beyond. Anything outside of the 6.3 world, I cannot speak to...

3) The version of PTVnet for 6.3 systems contains version 2.0.0 of TiVoWebPlus. We've not made ANY modifications to it, so you should be able to follow any standard guides, install additional utilities, etc without it getting in the way of any changes we've made. The software is installed in the /ptvupgrade directory in the root partition. One note of caution: Be careful when editing any IP based settings within TiVoWebPlus; making changes to IP address, wireless settings, etc into MFS can disrupt networking functionality. We've tried to be careful with our DHCP implementation and suggest you tread very lightly when reconfiguring IP address. IE, Please use a serial cable in case you lose network connectivity.

4) We've also released an updated version of InstantCake for the HR10-250, as well, utilizing 6.3f of the software.

Also note that:

1) Any orders in our cart have been updated so that folks who've previously purchased PTVnet or InstantCake of the 6.3 variety, now have access to the current versions. If you have purchased within the past 90-days AND have not used all of your download links, you will have access. If you've purchased outside of the past 90-days OR have used all of your download links, I'm sorry, you'll have to repurchase to gain the latest version. But remember, if you upgraded a unit with a previous version of InstantCake, it can 'organically' update to the latest version over time, so there is no need to repurchase or reinstall anything unless you want to.

2) We've also done some work on The Slicer this weekend and confirmed that until late today, any attempt to use The Slicer on a 6.3x to 6.3f migration, if you were using the default DHCP PTVnet configuration, would have caused problems (for the same reasons as described above). Late this afternoon, we put a fix in place (The Slicer downloads a patch from our server during the installation process) to allow migrations to work. SO, if you are sitting with 6.3e or earlier, and a PTVnet installation, and are considering the use of The Slicer, it does work fine. But use a serial cable, just in case, because if you don't, you are on your own.

I think that is it for now... It has been a long weekend. Or a short one, depending on how you look at it.

[presidentsdad]

Lou,
I have verified that the D-Link DUB E-100 and the ethernet cable to which it is attached is working properly. I have re-installed PTVNet (version 6.2 as stated in previous posts v6.2-01-2-381) Using Look@LAN, I cannot determine if the box is on the network. As I said before these boxes are never connected to a phone line so the original Instantcake software should be on in tact. Both of my Samsung SIR-S4040Rs have worked with PTVNet, MRV, TyTools, etc for almost two years now and then just suddenly stopped. Can you help me out here?

[Lou Jacob]

Lou,
I have verified that the D-Link DUB E-100 and the ethernet cable to which it is attached is working properly. I have re-installed PTVNet (version 6.2 as stated in previous posts v6.2-01-2-381) Using Look@LAN, I cannot determine if the box is on the network. As I said before these boxes are never connected to a phone line so the original Instantcake software should be on in tact. Both of my Samsung SIR-S4040Rs have worked with PTVNet, MRV, TyTools, etc for almost two years now and then just suddenly stopped. Can you help me out here?

There is really nothing that I personally can do for you here unless you are interested in sending your units to us for service. We don't offer any home network troubleshooting services if that is what you mean. As I said before, the key to diagnosing problems like this is eliminating every variable possible. Specifically, make no assumptions about anything, and you will likely find the culprit. If you think nothing has changed in your environment that could have contributed to the problem, think again, it could be anything from a change you made (that you forgot about) to a defective router, to a mouse in your wall chewing on cables....

[MeThisGuy]

Any ideas on supporting gigabit ethernet adapters, either USB or the new wireless-N? Just bought me a WRT600N and so far it's pretty sweet. Linksys as of this moment has two gigabit options for USB: the USB1000 which is usb to ethernet and the WUSB600N which is USB to wireless-N (dual-band, so you could dedicate your wireless TiVo network data to one band and your gaming and other router traffic through the other, pretty neat).

On a sidenote...is there much difference (maybe in speed) between the v1 and v2 of the USB200M?

[rich47]

I installed ptvnet, and everything seemed to be working fine. My hdvr2 showed up on my network, and I was able to ftp and telnet. Now, it no longer shows up on my network. I rebooted my router and the tivo a couple times, but that didn't seem to help.

I'm wondering if my attempt to install mfs_ftp affected something. I transferred files, but didn't do much else beyond that.

What can I do? Do I need to reinstall ptvnet?

[presidentsdad]

There is really nothing that I personally can do for you here unless you are interested in sending your units to us for service. We don't offer any home network troubleshooting services if that is what you mean. As I said before, the key to diagnosing problems like this is eliminating every variable possible. Specifically, make no assumptions about anything, and you will likely find the culprit. If you think nothing has changed in your environment that could have contributed to the problem, think again, it could be anything from a change you made (that you forgot about) to a defective router, to a mouse in your wall chewing on cables....

What's involved in sending themin for service and how much does it cost?

[Lou Jacob]

What's involved in sending themin for service and how much does it cost?

The recertification service ($75) can be ordered from here (http://www.dvrupgrade.com/dvr/stores/1/special_services_nomodel.cfm). Send the unit and drives and we'll test the drives out and ensure the software is properly installed and we'll test everything on your network.

From your description of the problem, though, this is not something I'd recommend - you had it working and you also indicated that you reinstalled your software. Unless you made a mistake doing that portion of things, I'd guess the problem to be somewhere other than with the unit; ie - somewhere else in your environment...

[presidentsdad]

The recertification service ($75) can be ordered from here (http://www.dvrupgrade.com/dvr/stores/1/special_services_nomodel.cfm). Send the unit and drives and we'll test the drives out and ensure the software is properly installed and we'll test everything on your network.

From your description of the problem, though, this is not something I'd recommend - you had it working and you also indicated that you reinstalled your software. Unless you made a mistake doing that portion of things, I'd guess the problem to be somewhere other than with the unit; ie - somewhere else in your environment...

I have eliminated everything I can think of. My router allows my computer out to the internet and provides reliable DHCP addresses. I have even reset the router to the defaults and systematically set everything back tothe way it was and no dice.

One curious thing though...After instantcaking and ptvnetting and telling it to disable the need for a daily call, I still get the message that warns me to make a daily call soon. Is that part of my problem?

What other things could I do to toubleshoot?

I appreciate you working with me. I'm willing to do what ever, but I'd like my Tivos to be working again.

[jeepbob]

I purchsed InstantCake and PTV and installed PTV first, then InstantCake when prompted. My unit is a DSR708. After fresh install using PTV and InstantCake, version on sys info is 6.2a

A) System information screen shows model as DSR7000/17 and not DSR708. Is this normal?

B) Settings menu only shows "Phone" and not "Phone and Network"

B.1) I have not added a network adaptor yet, as I did not want to buy one until I can prove that I was able to turn on the USB ports. I guess I am asking that shouldn't the menu show Phone and Networking even without the network adaptor plugged into the USB?

C) Or, will that menu show up automatically?

[Lou Jacob]

I purchsed InstantCake and PTV and installed PTV first, then InstantCake when prompted. My unit is a DSR708. After fresh install using PTV and InstantCake, version on sys info is 6.2a

A) System information screen shows model as DSR7000/17 and not DSR708. Is this normal?

B) Settings menu only shows "Phone" and not "Phone and Network"

B.1) I have not added a network adaptor yet, as I did not want to buy one until I can prove that I was able to turn on the USB ports. I guess I am asking that shouldn't the menu show Phone and Networking even without the network adaptor plugged into the USB?

C) Or, will that menu show up automatically?

Completely normal and exactly what should be expected. Please review the instructions and release notes for InstantCake, as well as the General Support Information for PTVnet for full details.

[happypup6969]

Hi Lou,
I purchased and used PTVnet about a year or so ago for a HR10-250 that I think was running 6.3c at the time. Everything worked fine, and I've had no problems with that system. I recently purchased another (unhacked) HR10-250 running 6.3e. I've tried to use PTVnet to install the networking software but the software seems to be failing. The only error I see when running the PTVnet script is when it tries to "touch" the various networking/status flags in /init/ptv_flags (it says no such directory). I stopped the script, made the necessary directories, and PTVnet was able to create the flags, but that's the only thing I can see that it actually ends up doing. There are no new directories in the root filesystem (specifically ptvupgrade, or any of the ptv_ directories in /init), it doesn't seem to be able to write to the disk. I'm doing everything exactly the same as before. Tivo disk is at Primary Slave position (/dev/hdb), and I can create files and directories at will on the mounted file system on my own. I saw in earlier posts that the version of PTVnet that I have won't work on 6.3f, but it was unclear to me if that also included 6.3e, or if the problem with the older version was even related to the problem I'm having.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Mike B

[ontheridge]

I just applied PTVnet ( ptvnet62-1.10.iso) to an HDVR2 6.3f system, which now goes into a continuous reboot cycle. In re-reading ealier posts, I now see that PTVnet 6.3 is only intended for the HR10-250... I missed that when I read the post about 6.3f support before downloading it the other night...
What's the best way out of this? Can I "un-install" PTVnet, or must I go back to my backup (this disk was created via an expansion from a factory 40Mb drive to a 160Mb, so I can re-do that copy).

* The unit ran fine for a couple days after the drive copy/expansion (using mfslive-1.3b)
* I also ran hdparm -M 128 (from the mfslive disk) after installing PTVnet (using "force")
* I'm fairly linux-savvy and have access to a system running FC8 if needed for this drive.
* the reboot happens about 32-35 seconds into the "Almost there" screen (dvrupgrade version)

Thanks,
-tom

[Lou Jacob]

I just applied PTVnet ( ptvnet62-1.10.iso) to an HDVR2 6.3f system, which now goes into a continuous reboot cycle. In re-reading ealier posts, I now see that PTVnet 6.3 is only intended for the HR10-250... I missed that when I read the post about 6.3f support before downloading it the other night...
What's the best way out of this? Can I "un-install" PTVnet, or must I go back to my backup (this disk was created via an expansion from a factory 40Mb drive to a 160Mb, so I can re-do that copy).

* The unit ran fine for a couple days after the drive copy/expansion (using mfslive-1.3b)
* I also ran hdparm -M 128 (from the mfslive disk) after installing PTVnet (using "force")
* I'm fairly linux-savvy and have access to a system running FC8 if needed for this drive.
* the reboot happens about 32-35 seconds into the "Almost there" screen (dvrupgrade version)

Thanks,
-tom

Not sure why forcing the install of the SD version of PTVnet onto a 6.3f OS would cause it to go into a reboot loop (its shouldn't work, but it also shouldn't break anything), but unfortunately, if you are in a reboot loop, the best/easiest thing to do would be to restore from your backup.

[ontheridge]

Thanks Lou. I'm reading from your answer then that I'd have to go back to an earlier version in order to use PTVnet on this unit. Is that correct? If not, anything you'd suggest trying after restoring the backup?

[happypup6969]

Hi Lou,
I purchased and used PTVnet about a year or so ago for a HR10-250 that I think was running 6.3c at the time. Everything worked fine, and I've had no problems with that system. I recently purchased another (unhacked) HR10-250 running 6.3e. I've tried to use PTVnet to install the networking software but the software seems to be failing. The only error I see when running the PTVnet script is when it tries to "touch" the various networking/status flags in /init/ptv_flags (it says no such directory). I stopped the script, made the necessary directories, and PTVnet was able to create the flags, but that's the only thing I can see that it actually ends up doing. There are no new directories in the root filesystem (specifically ptvupgrade, or any of the ptv_ directories in /init), it doesn't seem to be able to write to the disk. I'm doing everything exactly the same as before. Tivo disk is at Primary Slave position (/dev/hdb), and I can create files and directories at will on the mounted file system on my own. I saw in earlier posts that the version of PTVnet that I have won't work on 6.3f, but it was unclear to me if that also included 6.3e, or if the problem with the older version was even related to the problem I'm having.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Mike B


Bump... Anyone have any ideas?


EDIT -
Dug deeper into the forums and saw a couple things, while not identical to my problem, gave me some ideas to try. Purchased and downloaded PTVnet 2.0 and that worked fine (at least software and flags are visible on the drive). Will test out, but I'm assuming I'm good to go.

Thanks,

[scifiguy]

A few things to note:

1) The version of PTVnet 6.3x distributed up until about 8:00pm CST will NOT work with version 6.3f of the DirecTV/TiVo software that was recently released. This is due to some minor changes, namely the removal of DHCP-related software from the distribution.

2) With #1 in mind, we've just released a new version of PTVnet 6.3x which contains the fixes for this and which is designed to work with ALL versions of 6.3 for the HR10-250. Obviously, we can't make any guarantees related to FUTURE versions of the software, but we think the fix will hold for 6.3f, if there is one, and hopefully, beyond. Anything outside of the 6.3 world, I cannot speak to...

3) The version of PTVnet for 6.3 systems contains version 2.0.0 of TiVoWebPlus. We've not made ANY modifications to it, so you should be able to follow any standard guides, install additional utilities, etc without it getting in the way of any changes we've made. The software is installed in the /ptvupgrade directory in the root partition. One note of caution: Be careful when editing any IP based settings within TiVoWebPlus; making changes to IP address, wireless settings, etc into MFS can disrupt networking functionality. We've tried to be careful with our DHCP implementation and suggest you tread very lightly when reconfiguring IP address. IE, Please use a serial cable in case you lose network connectivity.

4) We've also released an updated version of InstantCake for the HR10-250, as well, utilizing 6.3f of the software.

Also note that:

1) Any orders in our cart have been updated so that folks who've previously purchased PTVnet or InstantCake of the 6.3 variety, now have access to the current versions. If you have purchased within the past 90-days AND have not used all of your download links, you will have access. If you've purchased outside of the past 90-days OR have used all of your download links, I'm sorry, you'll have to repurchase to gain the latest version. But remember, if you upgraded a unit with a previous version of InstantCake, it can 'organically' update to the latest version over time, so there is no need to repurchase or reinstall anything unless you want to.

2) We've also done some work on The Slicer this weekend and confirmed that until late today, any attempt to use The Slicer on a 6.3x to 6.3f migration, if you were using the default DHCP PTVnet configuration, would have caused problems (for the same reasons as described above). Late this afternoon, we put a fix in place (The Slicer downloads a patch from our server during the installation process) to allow migrations to work. SO, if you are sitting with 6.3e or earlier, and a PTVnet installation, and are considering the use of The Slicer, it does work fine. But use a serial cable, just in case, because if you don't, you are on your own.

I think that is it for now... It has been a long weekend. Or a short one, depending on how you look at it.


Does this new version only apply to the HR10-250? I have a Phillips DSR-704 that I upgraded with InstantCake, PTVNet and a 500Gb drive back in October. I had trouble with the networking, and before I got it straightened out, my machine updated to 6.3f. In the meantime, I have a lot of recordings. So I want to make a copy of the drive (for a backup) then apply PTVNet (no InstantCake) to try to get the network going. If I repurchase PTVNet for the DSR-704, will I get the new version that works with 6.3f, or will I get the version I already have (ptvnet62-1.10)?

[Lou Jacob]

Does this new version only apply to the HR10-250? I have a Phillips DSR-704 that I upgraded with InstantCake, PTVNet and a 500Gb drive back in October. I had trouble with the networking, and before I got it straightened out, my machine updated to 6.3f. In the meantime, I have a lot of recordings. So I want to make a copy of the drive (for a backup) then apply PTVNet (no InstantCake) to try to get the network going. If I repurchase PTVNet for the DSR-704, will I get the new version that works with 6.3f, or will I get the version I already have (ptvnet62-1.10)?

Not sure where you pulled that quote from but the entire passage is in reference only to 6.3 running on the HR10-250.

[scifiguy]

Not sure where you pulled that quote from but the entire passage is in reference only to 6.3 running on the HR10-250.

It was from page 5 of this thread.

I guess I was confusing 6.3 of PTVNet and 6.3x of TiVo OS. But that just makes my question, can I use ptvnet62-1.10 on a DSR-704 running 6.3f?

[Lou Jacob]

It was from page 5 of this thread.

I guess I was confusing 6.3 of PTVNet and 6.3x of TiVo OS. But that just makes my question, can I use ptvnet62-1.10 on a DSR-704 running 6.3f?

No, I think you are confusing the version of PTVnet designed for the HR10-250 and the one for SD units, like your DSR704.

If this is the post (http://www.dvrupgrade.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1528&postcount=50) you are talking about; take a look at the subject (HR10-250 units ONLY).

The version of PTVnet available for the SD units, like your DSR704, is for 6.2 systems ONLY.

Please see here (http://tinyurl.com/6ndvjs) for more details.

[dgeist]

Since there's a download available for the hr10-250 running the newly-released 6.4a OS, can we get an update on known issues/problems with that version? I've tried using PTVNet 2.0 versioned for both 6.3x and 6.4x with a tu2-et100 within the past 60 days. Both APPEAR to work, but both have a common problem of apparently never sending a DHCP request. Could this be the lack of the DHCP client in the newer 6.3 and 6.4 OSes?

Dan

[Lou Jacob]

Since there's a download available for the hr10-250 running the newly-released 6.4a OS, can we get an update on known issues/problems with that version? I've tried using PTVNet 2.0 versioned for both 6.3x and 6.4x with a tu2-et100 within the past 60 days. Both APPEAR to work, but both have a common problem of apparently never sending a DHCP request. Could this be the lack of the DHCP client in the newer 6.3 and 6.4 OSes?

Dan

I'm not aware of any problems with the 6.4a release of PTVnet for the HR10-250; worked fine on our units (drives built with MFStools as well as tested in conjunction with InstantCake) using the Trendnet adapter on a DHCP network (D-link router and a Linksys Router)...

Lj

[Rick Travis]

Dgeist:
What are you using as a dhcp server?

[poppagene]

Does the 6.4a version of PTVnet for the HR10-250 install the files needed for dhcp namely /sbin/dhclient and /etc/dhclient-script?

[dgeist]

Dgeist:
What are you using as a dhcp server?

dhcp-3.0.1-59.EL4 (RHEL 4.0 DHCP server). The home network is kinda elaborate, so I have a split-horizon DNS, multiple dhcp subnets (combination pool and static), etc.

Does the 6.4a version of PTVnet for the HR10-250 install the files needed for dhcp namely /sbin/dhclient and /etc/dhclient-script?

I don't know if PTVNet put them there or not, but it definitely didn't put them in the right directory. After fumbling around with the USB interfaces and tools, I finally just put a console cable on it and started fixing scripts. I copied the dhcp setup and executables where they were supposed to be. I got rid of some junk that was enabled by default and I wasn't using. I also switched from static-hardcoded to static-DHCP configuration because as long as I used the former, I was getting 50% packet loss... odd.

Regardless, now my only issue is that my DVDs look jittery at the edges after ripping them with ffmpeg and encoding with ty+2tmf.pl. I'm happy to be at that point.

[Tom899]

PTVnet Version Upgrade Question

Ok, here goes….RCA DVR40 direct tv boxes

Box 1 – Purchased several years ago and upgraded using instantcake-dsr704-6[1].2-01-2-301.iso and ptvnet62-1[1].02.iso. Appropriate version of super patch installed and I had bash, FTP, TELNET, tivoweb, extraction working fine for a couple of years. Network connectivity provided via netgear fa120 to my LAN. All was well and happy, then the fa120 died. (I know the fa120 is dead and that the LAN cable and connection is good through component swapping) These fa120 adapters are becoming hard to find (even on ebay). Box 1 has not been touched since the original upgrade back in 2006. I purchased a new linksys usb200m ver 2.1 hoping to replace the dead fa120 by using the updated version of ptvnet ptvnetSD-6.x-2.0.0.iso.zip.

Box 2 – Comes on the scene (recently purchased used on ebay) as a test box. This tivo was upgraded using the above image files (installation order: old version of ptvnet – instant cake – new version of ptvnet) to make sure that the new ptvnet version will work ok. I am getting errors when installing the new version of ptvnet

Touch: /mnt/tivo/init/ptv_flags/STATIC_OFF: No such file or directory
Touch: /mnt/tivo/init/ptv_flags/DHCP_ON: No such file or directory

I tried using the ptvnet force installation option, but that did not work either and gave the same error messages. I have also lost bash access after installing the new ptvnet version, so I can’t manually create these directories. Watching the data scroll by in the serial port window, the usb200m has not been claimed by an active driver so something is clearly not right.

Is it possible to install the latest version of ptvnet without upgrading the instant cake version as well?

The goals here are to:
1- Restore LAN connectivity to the tivos (file extraction, MRV, etc) using the usb200m ver 2.1
2- Not have to wipe the recordings from box 1. I don’t care if I have to wipe the recordings from box 2.
3- Restore bash to box 2

Thanks

[Lou Jacob]

You should be able to install the newer versions of PTVnet on box 1 without having to erase anything; just make sure the version of PTVnet you use corresponds with the OS version on the unit.

As for box 2, the error is what is... ie what it is telling you is that it can't find the directories it is looking for, and that means the drive is not mounted properly. Double check your connections and drive assignments and be sure to boot with the PTVnet CD before supplying the InstantCake CD, when installing, and you should be fine...

[Tom899]

I can’t get the new version of PTVNet to install over the previous version. Here are the particulars.

Clean install with two drives in a RCA DVR40 as a test before messing with my primary tivo.

1 – Installed ptvnet62-1[1].02.iso and then instantcake-dsr704-6[1].2-01-2-301.iso. This duplicates the state of my primary tivo. Put the drive pair into the tivo and booted the tivo. The tivo booted normally and I had bash on the serial port.

2 – Back to the PC to install the latest ptvnet ptvnetSD-6.x-2.0.0.iso. Did not change anything on the ribbon cable or jumper settings. Primary tivo drive was hdc and secondary was hdd. This was the exact same setup as the install in step 1 above.

3 – Booted from the ptvnet ptvnetSD-6.x-2.0.0.iso cd and ran the installation program using the drive settings as given in 2 above. Got the same error messages as I got yesterday.

Touch: /mnt/tivo/init/ptv_flags/STATIC_OFF: No such file or directory
Etc…

4 – Installed the drive set back in the tivo and booted (attached is the logfile from the serial port. The tivo booted – No bash on serial, the usb200m is not claimed by an active driver, etc….

Questions
Is there something that I am missing?

Can I manually extract the new usb drivers from the CD and then copy them onto the tivo over serial?

Not sure what to do next…….

[Lou Jacob]

I can’t get the new version of PTVNet to install over the previous version. Here are the particulars.

Clean install with two drives in a RCA DVR40 as a test before messing with my primary tivo.

1 – Installed ptvnet62-1[1].02.iso and then instantcake-dsr704-6[1].2-01-2-301.iso. This duplicates the state of my primary tivo. Put the drive pair into the tivo and booted the tivo. The tivo booted normally and I had bash on the serial port.

2 – Back to the PC to install the latest ptvnet ptvnetSD-6.x-2.0.0.iso. Did not change anything on the ribbon cable or jumper settings. Primary tivo drive was hdc and secondary was hdd. This was the exact same setup as the install in step 1 above.

3 – Booted from the ptvnet ptvnetSD-6.x-2.0.0.iso cd and ran the installation program using the drive settings as given in 2 above. Got the same error messages as I got yesterday.

Touch: /mnt/tivo/init/ptv_flags/STATIC_OFF: No such file or directory
Etc…

4 – Installed the drive set back in the tivo and booted (attached is the logfile from the serial port. The tivo booted – No bash on serial, the usb200m is not claimed by an active driver, etc….

Questions
Is there something that I am missing?

Can I manually extract the new usb drivers from the CD and then copy them onto the tivo over serial?

Not sure what to do next…….

You might try using the "force" option when running that second installation of PTVnet.

Not clear why you are not just using the new version of PTVnet with your InstantCake, vs trying to install one, and then the other.

[Tom899]

The reason for trying to install the latest version of PTVnet over the older version is that I need the new USB drivers since my FA120 has died and I don't want to trash the existing recordings on box 1 (see previous posts). I am playing with a spare tivo (box 2) first to make sure that this works. Is there a way to extract the new usb drivers from a fresh install and then move them to box 1 (that has the older ptvnet) via serial port?

Tom

[Lou Jacob]

The reason for trying to install the latest version of PTVnet over the older version is that I need the new USB drivers since my FA120 has died and I don't want to trash the existing recordings on box 1 (see previous posts). I am playing with a spare tivo (box 2) first to make sure that this works. Is there a way to extract the new usb drivers from a fresh install and then move them to box 1 (that has the older ptvnet) via serial port?

Tom

Sorry, but in your previous post you indicated in step (1) that you used the older version of PTVnet in combination with InstantCake, and then after booting it up in your TiVo, attempted to use the newer version of PTVnet.

It should still work, though - the error you are getting is an indication that the drive isn't mounting properly or that the software isn't installing properly prior to the PTVnet script attempted to locate those directories and set some flags.

So... you need to make sure the drive is configured as you think it is (as far as the master/slave primary/secondary issue) and also consider using the "force" option because for some reason the newer version of the software may not be detecting the TiVo software version correctly.

[Tom899]

OK - The test configuration is this

CD drive set as primary slave on cable and jumpers, boot screen says it is assigned as hdb

Tivo drive set as secondary master on cable and jumpers, boot screen says it is assigned as hdc

installation sequence is ptvnet62-1[1].02.iso and then instantcake-dsr704-6[1].2-01-2-301.iso. Rebot the drive in the tivo, then go back to the pc and then install the new version of ptvnet using the exact same cable and jumper set up. Again the reason for this sequence is to duplicate making this change to the configuration of my primary tivo.

It does not seem to matter how I configure the drives (master/slave, etc), I have tried several different configurations with the same results. There seems to be some difference in the mapping that is used in the instal scripts that is causing confusion.

Tom

[efpetro]

I just tried to install PTVNet version 2.0.0 on a HR10-250 running version 6.4a. I also purchased a new linksys USB200M but not sure if its 2.0 or 2.1. The problem is i can't see the Tivo on the network. My dhcp server is Win2003 and i do not believe this is the problem. I install the USB200M in a laptop and it worked fine and i could see the device on the network. There is activity on the USB200M's leds. It appears to me the unit is not putting out a dhcp request as speculated previously in this thread. The unit was previously expanded to 2 drive but not with instantcake.

Any ideas for a linux neophyte?

[Lou Jacob]

I just tried to install PTVNet version 2.0.0 on a HR10-250 running version 6.4a. I also purchased a new linksys USB200M but not sure if its 2.0 or 2.1. The problem is i can't see the Tivo on the network. My dhcp server is Win2003 and i do not believe this is the problem. I install the USB200M in a laptop and it worked fine and i could see the device on the network. There is activity on the USB200M's leds. It appears to me the unit is not putting out a dhcp request as speculated previously in this thread. The unit was previously expanded to 2 drive but not with instantcake.

Any ideas for a linux neophyte?

That adapter should work fine. If the unit is not putting out a DHCP request, then the software may not have installed properly. Any errors/warnings during the install process?

As I recommended to the previous poster, try the "force" option.

You can also try the "debug" option for a more verbose listing during the installation process.

[efpetro]

That adapter should work fine. If the unit is not putting out a DHCP request, then the software may not have installed properly. Any errors/warnings during the install process?

As I recommended to the previous poster, try the "force" option.

You can also try the "debug" option for a more verbose listing during the installation process.

No errors during the install process and i did it twice. I'll try the "force" and "debug" options this weekend.

[efpetro]

No errors during the install process and i did it twice. I'll try the "force" and "debug" options this weekend.

Tried both the "force" and "debug" option with the same result; no dhcp request. The "option" gave me some messages like "\PTVNet\bin [: =: unary operator expected" but no explicit errors. The "force" option required me to uninstall then reinstall some software but no errors reported.

Any other thoughts? i don't care about the recordings.

[deathmachine]

lots of people have had issues with dhcp and the newer tivo versions (posts on all the major forums) (me included I couldnt get my linksys which worked great on 6.2 to pull a address from my w2k3 server on 6.4a)
if you have serial and bash use the ifconfig command at bash to manually set and ip, if that works then edit your .author file with the ifconfig command and volia, thats how i fixed mine. If not then you most likely have a driver problem.

[efpetro]

lots of people have had issues with dhcp and the newer tivo versions (posts on all the major forums) (me included I couldnt get my linksys which worked great on 6.2 to pull a address from my w2k3 server on 6.4a)
if you have serial and bash use the ifconfig command at bash to manually set and ip, if that works then edit your .author file with the ifconfig command and volia, thats how i fixed mine. If not then you most likely have a driver problem.

Thanks, this worked for me.

[04turbomiata]

Troubles accessing my tivos. I have 2 Philips DSR7000 models which were Instacaked with version 6.x. I just ran the PTVnet process and am using a USB200M v 2.1. They seem to get a DHCP address but telnet, nor TivoWebplus work. I can't even ping the things and get a response. nor HTTP, NO TELNET....argh. Any ideas what could be the problem. I enabled all these features when I ran the PTVnet boot disk.

[deathmachine]

if it wont ping and you cant telnet or http how do you know it has a ip?

[04turbomiata]

I know it has an ip because I can see that the DHCP server assigned it one. I logged into my router and looked at the DHCP client list.

[Lou Jacob]

If you are unable to get a response from "ping" than it is possible that your PC is somehow blocking traffic (perhaps Windows firewall) from it. Its also possible that when the unit booted, it was assigned an IP address, but it then lost connectivity at a later point, so it is now unreachable.

You might want to reset your router, then reboot the TiVo to see if it grabs a new IP address and go from there.

Also, check the obvious things, like ensuring that the USB Ethernet adapter is securely plugged in, that you are getting a link lights and an activity light after things are booted.

Lastly, just because you are getting an IP address doesn't mean that PTVnet was installed correctly. We've seen other situations where people have installed PTVnet on their drives and the install is not successful because it incorrectly identifies the software version on the hard drive. A good indication of an unsuccessful installation is a series of warnings and directory not found messages in the final steps of the PTVnet installation process - if you saw that, then that may be your problem as well (go back to the beginning of this thread to see how to use the "force" option as a workaround to that problem).

Also, consider that when using PTVnet in combination with InstantCake, the recommended way of doing it is to boot with the PTVnet CD and then supply the InstantCake CD when prompted. We've tested it the other way around as we know that some folks with InstantCake prepared drives want to use PTVnet at a later date without losing their stuff, but for whatever reason, software updates from DIRECTV followed by an attempt to use PTVnet seem to end up with situations like this due to the aforementioned bug. So with all that in mind - if you have the option of starting over (for whatever reason) then do start with the PTVnet CD first, and see if that solves your problem...

Lou

[04turbomiata]

I removed the pigtail usb extension from the usb200m and plugged straight in and now can ping and set static ip. ftp but tivoweb http server won't respond. How can I start it from the bash prompt?
Rick

[geohall]

When I boot from the CD I don't get a screen that asks me if I want to use Instantcake to build a drive. (Much less am I ready to have some fun) It goes right into Instantcake. I don't want to clear this drive. Is it possible to install PVTnet's software utilities without erasing the drive? Can I do it with this CD and how?

[Tom899]

use

./ptvupgrade/tivowebplus/tivoweb

Also make sure that theflag is set for tivoweb

./init/ptv_flags:
drwxr-xr-x 2 500 200 1024 Oct 18 18:46 .
drwxr-xr-x 5 500 200 1024 Nov 15 22:44 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Oct 18 11:26 CALL_OFF
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Oct 18 11:26 FTP_ON
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Oct 18 11:26 NETWORK_CALL_OFF
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Oct 18 11:26 STATIC_ON
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Oct 18 11:26 TELNET_ON
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Oct 18 11:26 TIVOWEB_ON
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 Oct 18 11:26 USB20_ON

[Lou Jacob]

When I boot from the CD I don't get a screen that asks me if I want to use Instantcake to build a drive. (Much less am I ready to have some fun) It goes right into Instantcake. I don't want to clear this drive. Is it possible to install PVTnet's software utilities without erasing the drive? Can I do it with this CD and how?

PTVnet does not require that you use InstantCake and assuming you don't select the option to use InstantCake, it will not erase what is on the drive you are using.

[bobatkins]

I have been researching the PTVnet upgrades and I haven't been able to determine if the the PTVnet upgrade process will cause the loss of the existing Tivo settings, Season passes and recordings.

I have just recently upgraded my Directv Hughes HDVR2 unit running v6.4a (01-2-151) from a single 120G to a single 320G drive using the WinMFS tool. My initial attempts to upgrade using the Weaknees CD/MFStools failed with the common 'Target drive isn't large enough' problem that was caused by the previous upgrade.

Suffice it to say the the WinMFS upgrade went very smoothly and I now have about 280 hours of recording time. I also backed up the original drive which is still operationally in good condition.

Now I am interested in the PTVnet upgrades but I don't want to blow away the settings, season passes, and recording on the 320G drive. From what I have read it appears that the PTVnet upgrades are designed to be performed on a recently upgraded drive.

Can anyone clarify whether or not the PTVnet upgrade will have any effect on the existing settings, season passes and recordings?

Also, are there any hacks to give the Directv Tivo the ability to play music, show photos, etc?


Thanks,
Bob

[schampio]

I recently got a friends 6.4a 2x300gb HDVR2 back up with an old image backup to 6.2 and bought the "SW-PTVNET-DL-151 PTVnet SD 6.x for select DirecTV TiVo DVR" download to add in the network functionality and hopefully let him MRV. I didn't see any 6.2 versioned PTVNet SD to purchase and assumed the 6.x iso image would contain backward compatible editions. When I booted the PTVNetSD6.x iso it showed a version of 6.4a and the installation packages on it are for 6.4a as well. A lot of this thread mentions the importance of using the correct Tivo sw versioned PTVNet and I've got to ask if the 6.x I paid for will handle it before I trash his drive.

I've also seen references to the PTVNetHD dl Iso's with both 6.4x and 6.3x available for the HR10-250's (I've 3 I'd like to network enable). Several posts speak to the 6.3x version working on a 6.4a environment but I'd rather be safe. Was MRV ever implemented in 6.3f HR10-250?

I've been avoiding doing this for years as it was difficult to make out whether I could preserve my recordings on my previously expanded HR10-250s and HDVR2s. Still a bit nervous about post 2's assertion DTV upgraded units won't PTVnet properly and was planning to WinMFS them to new 2x1TB drive setups. Hopefully PTVNet SD/HD will install against WinMFS mfscopy'd drive sets.

[Lou Jacob]

I recently got a friends 6.4a 2x300gb HDVR2 back up with an old image backup to 6.2 and bought the "SW-PTVNET-DL-151 PTVnet SD 6.x for select DirecTV TiVo DVR" download to add in the network functionality and hopefully let him MRV. I didn't see any 6.2 versioned PTVNet SD to purchase and assumed the 6.x iso image would contain backward compatible editions. When I booted the PTVNetSD6.x iso it showed a version of 6.4a and the installation packages on it are for 6.4a as well. A lot of this thread mentions the importance of using the correct Tivo sw versioned PTVNet and I've got to ask if the 6.x I paid for will handle it before I trash his drive.


The 6.X version of PTVnet for SD units should work on any drive created with MFStools that contains a version of 6.X of the software. The "X" is intended to mean any version such as 6.2, 6.2a, etc. I don't recall testing it on 6.2 but I know its been tested on 6.2a.

See some of the earlier posts regarding the "force" option if things don't work 'out of the box.' Either way, it should not trash your drive, but you should make sure you have a backup before proceeding, just in case.


I've also seen references to the PTVNetHD dl Iso's with both 6.4x and 6.3x available for the HR10-250's (I've 3 I'd like to network enable). Several posts speak to the 6.3x version working on a 6.4a environment but I'd rather be safe. Was MRV ever implemented in 6.3f HR10-250?


No, there was never any MRV code available in any version of the software on the HR10-250, as far as I know.


I've been avoiding doing this for years as it was difficult to make out whether I could preserve my recordings on my previously expanded HR10-250s and HDVR2s. Still a bit nervous about post 2's assertion DTV upgraded units won't PTVnet properly and was planning to WinMFS them to new 2x1TB drive setups. Hopefully PTVNet SD/HD will install against WinMFS mfscopy'd drive sets.

Not sure whether they will or not. The problem is a bug in the way DIRECTV handles software updates. The install tool that is used by PTVnet checks the MFS database to confirm the correct version of the software is on the drive so that folks can't accidentally install the wrong software on the wrong type of unit. We noticed, awhile back, that drives which updated organically from DIRECTV lost that info in the MFS database and the install scripts could not correctly identify the version of the software before installing. That was the impetus behind creating the force option discussed earlier in this thread. Force overrides the query for the software information, so you just have to be certain you know what you are doing.

Whether MFSlive preserves that information or not, I do not know, however I do know that if you use MFStools to restore a drive, then the information should be intact.

Lou

[schampio]

I went ahead last night and ran it against a backed up 6.2 image before your reply arrived and it failed with the missing /mnt/Tivo/init/Statusxxxx directory path. I interrupted the script to look it over and found a few disturbing things. I does successfully mount the /mnt/Tivo proper root partition from hda7 but never gets around to creating the /mnt/Tivo/init or ptvupgrade directories on it. Also, its hard coded to always use version 6.4a irregardless of what it reads from the MFS database. Even more disturbing is it force installs a new kernel before its even started asking about the status messages. Most disturbing of all is its insistence that the hardware is "121" instead of the "151" that the iso is titled with.

As to the image, I used mfslive cd to back it up and restore it and then did a clear and delete everything on it followed by yet another compressed backup to be safe.

I haven't tried dissecting the package file yet and am wondering how much of these hard coded values are overriden within it. Its also strange that your script would accept Tivo A and B drive location prompts for hda-d but require the drives to be located in a fixed location of hdc and d.

I'm increasingly worried that I'm not going to be able to preserve the years of recordings on my previously expanded hr10-250s when/if I purchase the the PTVnetHD for them.

How much of the "zipper's" patches are implemented by the PTVNet install disk?

[Lou Jacob]

I went ahead last night and ran it against a backed up 6.2 image before your reply arrived and it failed with the missing /mnt/Tivo/init/Statusxxxx directory path. I interrupted the script to look it over and found a few disturbing things. I does successfully mount the /mnt/Tivo proper root partition from hda7 but never gets around to creating the /mnt/Tivo/init or ptvupgrade directories on it. Also, its hard coded to always use version 6.4a irregardless of what it reads from the MFS database. Even more disturbing is it force installs a new kernel before its even started asking about the status messages. Most disturbing of all is its insistence that the hardware is "121" instead of the "151" that the iso is titled with.


No reason to be disturbed by that, although I think you may be misunderstanding the code. Its been awhile since I've looked at the scripts but I believe what you are looking at is the conditional associated with what happens when the 'force' option is selected OR when you are attempting to install on a two drive system (because the call to mfsinfo doesn't work on dual drive systems). Either way, its not a big deal, that information is related to the tpm scripting that is used and has no bearing on what is installed on the drive. There is just nothing to be disturbed about there...



I'm increasingly worried that I'm not going to be able to preserve the years of recordings on my previously expanded hr10-250s when/if I purchase the the PTVnetHD for them.


No reason to believe that the recordings will be affected one way or the other, but again, you should have a backup before you attempt to use the product.


How much of the "zipper's" patches are implemented by the PTVNet install disk?

PTVnet has been around long before the zipper was ever developed. We don't borrow or use anything from it (I really know very little about the zipper) but we did install tweak.sh into the /ptvupgrade/bin directory for folks who are using PTVnet and want to play around with what Russ has developed.

[schampio]

After looking through the script some more I found that it will always use a version string of "6.4", not "6.4a" which is NOT one of the conditioned versions that install package will accept so it never installs the package. I had to comment off the numerous clears to see this happening. So you'll never end up with a properly setup /init subdirectory as required by the rest of the script to pass in its DHCP and Static flags.

I was pretty frustrated so I succumbed an purchased the Instantcake 6.2A iso and started over. It ran through instantcake properly and loaded the partitions properly (using hdc4 this time instead of the hdc7 I was on). Then it attempted to apply PTVnet (yes I installed Instantcake after first booting the PTVnet CD) and it again failed with the same issue of the forced script supplied 6.4 value not being an accepted parameter to the 6.4a installer package. I hand edited the script to use a force value of 6.4a and reran it and the pkg script accepted it and ran. I popped the drive into the hdvr2 and it came up with link lights and a dhcp selected ip. But no telnet, tivoweb or ftp running. Tried to get a bash prompt out the serial port and that wasn't working either. It worked fine as an unmodified tivo but that was the extent of it.

Pulled the drive yet again and there's no evidence of the /init or ptvupgrade subdirectories on the tivo's root anymore. I sent a private email about the internal bug with the scripts supplied forced versions not matching the pkg install required parameter values to avoid airing it on the forum received an email back telling me to seek support in the forum.

So what now? Do you have a working copy of the PTVnet iso that will run with a 6.2A image supplied by Instantcake?

[dariushd]

I have a Hughes HR10-250 with 6.3e software. I downloaded and installed PTVnet (for 6.3x) and I have a Netgear FA120 installed. I can ping the machine and it does show an IP address with a serial number as the hostname. AngryIPScanner as well as my router both pick up the IP, so no problem there.
However I cannot get into the machine with either Telnet or web browser. I did this whole thing with my DSR-708 a while back and got it working great with HMO and everything, but need to do the same with this unit since the DSR708 is dying.
I tried plugging the Netgear into both the USB ports on the Tivo, tried 2 different usb and ethernet cables, rebooted my router and my host machine, reset the tivo a few times. Does anything in the system info for the Tivo show anything to show that it's been hacked? I seem to remember my DSR708 showed something in system info like "backdoors enabled" or something at the top of that screen.

Do I need to redo the PTVNet process on the same drive again? Do I need to InstantCake it back to original to flush anything out and then do it all again? Should I upgrade to 6.4 first? Please, any help will be very appreciated. Thanks!

[schampio]

Sorry to say it but I got precious little support from installing PTVnet against an existing 6.4a HDVR2 or the hr10-250 version against either instantcake or dtv versions. They broke the scripts in the installer and you'll have to hack them yourself to get things working. I pulled it off with the HDVR2 but haven't with the hr10-250 yet. I've migrated back to comcast in the interim since there's really no HD on SAT-C in San Jose for my 3 HR10-250's to receive. Kind of depressing that they broke them and won't repair them but are still happy to charge us non-refundable dl fee's. Back to DDB and reading thousands of posts to make something work.

[Lou Jacob]

I have a Hughes HR10-250 with 6.3e software. I downloaded and installed PTVnet (for 6.3x) and I have a Netgear FA120 installed. I can ping the machine and it does show an IP address with a serial number as the hostname. AngryIPScanner as well as my router both pick up the IP, so no problem there.
However I cannot get into the machine with either Telnet or web browser. I did this whole thing with my DSR-708 a while back and got it working great with HMO and everything, but need to do the same with this unit since the DSR708 is dying.
I tried plugging the Netgear into both the USB ports on the Tivo, tried 2 different usb and ethernet cables, rebooted my router and my host machine, reset the tivo a few times. Does anything in the system info for the Tivo show anything to show that it's been hacked? I seem to remember my DSR708 showed something in system info like "backdoors enabled" or something at the top of that screen.

Do I need to redo the PTVNet process on the same drive again? Do I need to InstantCake it back to original to flush anything out and then do it all again? Should I upgrade to 6.4 first? Please, any help will be very appreciated. Thanks!

It sounds like the installation did not work; you may want to try again and look for warning or error messages. Also, try using the debug command discussed on the first page or two of this thread and you may get some better insights into what is going on...

Lou

[dariushd]

That's intertesting. I read:

It is a confirmed FACT, that attempts to use PTVnet/PTVnetHD on "factory" drives that have been "untouched" by upgrade tools other than MFStools, or InstantCake (which uses MFStools) mostly fail with an error such as "unable to determine software version" and subsequently, a string of errors that result from the aforementioned failure.

which seems interesting to note. I experienced ZERO errors during the PTVNet'ing. This was a factory drive that I used MFStools on, so perhaps therein lies an issue as well where the MFS'ing didn't take? The drive is working normally otherwise, so no harm was done, but perhaps an InstantCaking is in order here?

[Lou Jacob]

That's intertesting. I read:

It is a confirmed FACT, that attempts to use PTVnet/PTVnetHD on "factory" drives that have been "untouched" by upgrade tools other than MFStools, or InstantCake (which uses MFStools) mostly fail with an error such as "unable to determine software version" and subsequently, a string of errors that result from the aforementioned failure.

which seems interesting to note. I experienced ZERO errors during the PTVNet'ing. This was a factory drive that I used MFStools on, so perhaps therein lies an issue as well where the MFS'ing didn't take? The drive is working normally otherwise, so no harm was done, but perhaps an InstantCaking is in order here?

PTVnet is designed to be used on drives upgraded with MFStools (either directly, or with InstantCake). so, it should work. BUT, if your drive was upgraded with MFStools and then the OS subsequently updated to a later version, it may still cause problems. This is due to a bug in the software update process by DIRECTV/TiVo - the information that stores the software version in the MFS database gets munged as part of their update process. MFStools restores keep it intact.

Try using the debug option and see what turns up. Ultimately, if you can tolerate building a new drive from scratch and have InstantCake, then the two should work fine together, but I'd save that as a last resort.

[dariushd]

Ok, I would definitely rather not spend the extra $20 on InstantCake if I don't need to. However, I did some searching and I could not find anything on "debug" on the first 8 pages of the forum thread here, so I'm not entirely sure what I should be looking for. Would you terribly mind linking me to that perhaps? There definitely was no update done between MSFtools and the PTVnet, so that's not it. Perhaps I did not MFStools properly? Will the debug find out and let me know what to do to redo it? Thanks for the help, it's really cool of you. I remember wanting to shoot myself the first time I did it a year or two ago with my DSR708. Luckily, it seems easier this time around, at least not as panicked. ;-)

[Lou Jacob]

Ok, I would definitely rather not spend the extra $20 on InstantCake if I don't need to. However, I did some searching and I could not find anything on "debug" on the first 8 pages of the forum thread here, so I'm not entirely sure what I should be looking for. Would you terribly mind linking me to that perhaps? There definitely was no update done between MSFtools and the PTVnet, so that's not it. Perhaps I did not MFStools properly? Will the debug find out and let me know what to do to redo it? Thanks for the help, it's really cool of you. I remember wanting to shoot myself the first time I did it a year or two ago with my DSR708. Luckily, it seems easier this time around, at least not as panicked. ;-)

Just follow the steps listed in the 2nd post, but type


PTVnet debug


instead of using the "force" command (which you can also try, btw).

As an alternative to InstantCake, if you are comfortable with MFStools you can backup your drive and restore to a new one in combination with PTVnet (follow the nomenclature of supplying your own MFS backup image with PTVnet), as well.

[dariushd]

Ok, $20 was worth my time, so I got InstantCake and redid the install on a fresh hdd. It now works, and finally got to successfully extracting with tySuiteJ, though for some reason TyTools does not work whereas on my hacked DSR-708 it worked great. Whatever, I'm happy now.
Though I did notice that my Tivo HDD is almost under constant access, I hear it clicking away a lot, even when it's not recording. Is that normal? I think my hacked DSR-708 did that a lot, though it had a different more quiet drive so I did not pay to much heed. Any thoughts?