How do I stop the "phone home" messages on my SD DVR40?

[Scott in FL]

I have an older Hughes SD DVR40 receiver which is not connected to a phone line. It displays a daily message instructing me to connect it to a phone line, and I can't do anything until I go in and clear this message. Is there anyway to stop the message from appearing? Thanks.

[CCarncross]

Connect it to a phone line once a month or so, IIRC, its a Tivo and they required the phone connection...

[BattleZone]

Short of hacking the TiVo software, the only way is to actually connect it to a phone line.

[Scott in FL]

Thanks. Do you know of any reason why the older Tivo receiver won't work with Vonage? It dials the number OK, but won't connect.

Thanks again.

[BattleZone]

Thanks. Do you know of any reason why the older Tivo receiver won't work with Vonage? It dials the number OK, but won't connect.

Thanks again.

From the very beginning, TiVos have been very difficult to impossible to get working with any VOIP service. Unlike the lower-speed modem connections needed for standard DirecTV receivers, TiVo wants a high-speed connection as TiVos actually get software updates over the phone line, where DirecTV-branded receivers get it via sat. A few people have gotten it to work by forcing lower modem connect speeds, but the TiVo modem banks on the receiving side don't deal with VOIP problems well either.

Bottom line: learn to live with the message, or hack your TiVo (at your own risk) to disable the message.

[Scott in FL]

OK, thanks for your help.

[ThomasM]

Thanks. Do you know of any reason why the older Tivo receiver won't work with Vonage? It dials the number OK, but won't connect.

Thanks again.

Regular telephone modems often don't work with VOIP (voice over IP) phone systems like Vonage or the phone line you get from a cable TV company.

A friend of mine with a non-DirecTV TiVo encountered this dilemma and learned that a USB-to-ethernet adapter was available so she could hook her TiVo up to her broadband router instead of a phone line. Perhaps such a workaround is available for a DirecTiVo too. I'd give TiVo a call and ask.