Welcome to the TivoHelp.com Knowledge Base
How-to Instructions for the most common hacks.
If you learn something that will improve TivoHelp, please come back and Contribute.
How-to Sections:
Windows Programs required to connect to and work with Tivo:
Instructions for using Windows-based programs such as telnet clients, ftp clients, text editors, and decompression / unzip tools to communicate with, transfer files to, edit, and decompress files for Tivo. This section lists Tivo-compatible programs.
Installing new programs on Tivo:
Instructions on how to install new programs on Tivo, how to run the programs, and how to have them start them everytime Tivo boots. Instructions are included for Telnet, FTP, TivoWeb, JOE text editor, tivo-bin command-line utilities, Elseed caller ID, Screen Saver. Also, how to autostart by editing the rc.sysinit file, how to install programs via telnet connections and hard drive removal.
Home Network/LAN Configuration (external to Tivo):
Information on how to setup a home network that is Tivo-friendly. Included is information on DHCP servers, Securely Accessing Tivoweb away from Home, Firewall Comparisons, Using a dial-up ISP with a Turbonet or Tivonet adapter, and setting up a Dynamic DNS account so that you can find tivoweb from where ever you are on the internet. Also includes info on remote access methods, including Apache, Orenosp, WinXP Remote Desktop, VNC Virtual Network Computing, and SSH connections
Back Door Codes:
A list of all of the "Backdoor Enable" codes for all software versions as well a complete listing of the backdoor codes themselves. The 30-seocnd skip is the most useful.
Tivo Hardware Upgrade Instructions:
Information on getting network cards installed and working on Tivo and information for those wanting to add additional Hard Drives to increase recording capacity.
Establish a Serial Cable Connection with Tivo:
Instructions for establishing a serial cable connection to Tivo, for those who do not want to purchase a network card. This section includes information on PPP networking instructions, serial cable specifications, and the diagnostic prompt.
Tivo Terminal Window Information:
Information on working with the bash command prompt through telnet. This section details commands that are available and gives instructions for editing the default start-up environment to simplify common tasks.
Monster Newbie How-to:
A very thorough how-to for newbies created by Steve Jenkins of the Tivo Underground.
Controlling a digital cable box via serial:
Information on controlling your Motorola/GI Cable box via the serial cable - to reliably change channels.
External Modem How-to:
Instructions on how to use an external modem attached to the serial port to make your daily call. This is useful if the internal modem fails.
MFS Info & TCL Programming:
Since no definitive source exists where one can learn about MFS objects and the db functions used to manipulate them, we would like to start one here.
About: Learn more about the TivoHelp Knowledge Base.
These pages are intended to be a supplement to the TivoCommunity Forum and the TivoHackFAQ. The intent is provide detailed "how-to" instructions for completing various upgrades. On the Tivo forum, various questions are asked in different threads, making it difficult to piece information together into single detailed "how to" instruction. Links to all of the existing Tivo upgrade websites are included throughout this site in addition to original content.
If you still have a question or problem after reading a topic, please post on the TivoCommunity forum in the Tivo Underground group.
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