AltEPG

This is my Otclient log file. The automatic call started at 09:09 today and after over 1 hour, I noticed that the modem light was still on. The only option left for me was to reboot and make a manual call, which went through quite quickly and downloaded the latest slice.

My question is (a) what could have caused tivo to lock-up and (b), is it possible to create a script which can limit the length of an automatic call to, say 45 minutes (My phone provider charges me for anything beyond this time)

Code: Select all

[code]07/08:08:09:23: /tvbin/TClient:  inside TClient
07/08:08:09:23: /tvbin/TClient:  No previously downloaded files remain in /var/packages
07/08:08:09:23: /tvbin/TClient:  TClient: invoking init w/argv=-backup -auto
07/08:08:09:23: /tvbin/TClient:  writing In Progress to LastCallStatus
07/08:08:09:24: /tvbin/TClient:  TClient init: 0
07/08:08:09:24: /tvbin/TClient:  dial config code: (127) found
07/08:08:09:24: /tvbin/TClient:  matched 127, returning value = :127.0.0.1:8000::
07/08:08:09:24: /tvbin/TClient:  updateStatus: In Progress EX| 29 48
07/08:08:09:24: /tvbin/TClient:  writing In Progress to LastCallStatus
07/08:08:09:24: /tvbin/TClient:  SendDialupEvent 30 9 EX|29
07/08:08:09:24: /tvbin/TClient:  curPhNum is (), tollFreeAuth is (3)
07/08:08:09:24: /tvbin/TClient:  allowing Def TFN use based on TFA
07/08:08:09:24: /tvbin/TClient:  Host = 127.0.0.1
07/08:08:09:24: /tvbin/TClient:  Port = 8000
07/08:08:09:24: /tvbin/TClient:  Phone = 08081050005
07/08:08:09:24: /tvbin/TClient:  updateStatus: In Progress EX| 29 8
07/08:08:09:24: /tvbin/TClient:  SendDialupEvent 30 9 EX|29
07/08:08:09:24: /tvbin/TClient:  DataSets may not be enabled, could not find ShowcaseVersion: DataSet ShowcaseVersion does not exist.
07/08:08:09:25: /tvbin/TClient:  mrsigtype=3 mrconnector=7...
07/08:08:09:25: /tvbin/TClient:  mrsigtype=1 mrconnector=1...
retrying after errTmBackgroundHoldoff ...
07/08:08:09:34: /tvbin/TClient:  Using error search string: [Ee]xception([^/]| [^P]| P[^O]| PO[^S]| POS[^T])|[Aa]ssert|[B]acktrace|[Ss]egmentation|[K]ernel panic|[D]riveStatusError|[e]rrDbNoMemory
07/08:08:10:21: /tvbin/TClient:  encryptLog called with infile = /var/persist/thumbslog.log.gz outfile = /var/persist/thumbslog.log.gz.bfg keyname = BACKHAUL_THUMB[/code]

We have seen the odd peculiarity on the dial-up lines.

I guess we all remember how modems used to be in the good ol' days, its possible these things happened on the official service too, but we never really monitored it nor did we care when the calls were in the early hours and free.

I also see this but only on the 0161 number, the 0845 0800 300 number is fine, which seems rather strange as I assume the data is the same.

Yes, I seem to be having the same problem too with my Mum's Tivo, though I haven't checked the logs. seems it's done it for the past two weekends, her phone company called her to say her phone usage (and bill) was abnormally high and quoted the 0161 number - which I had previously added to the call plan - saying it had been on for hours.

I'll switch it to the 0845 number later, which will hopefully fix it, but a script to limit the connection time would be a useful addition to the wish-list..

Graham

the 0161 shuold now timeout at 2hours as a maximum

Is there no way that the user can alter the two hour cut-off to, say 45 minutes ?

thanks !

a 2 hour limit will definitely help, any idea how long it should take though ? I always thought it was just a few minutes - not that I've seen it at home for years as mine are all networked.

Graham

it depends on the connection speed that your modem makes which I have seen range from 10 to 33k.

Slower connection therefore takes longer.

The stats from the 01274 which are the easiest for me to comment on can have calls of upto two hours.

But shouldn't the black and white disk continue to spin even on a slow connection?

In my case it always stops spinning and just hangs there.

When I used the 0845 0800 300 number at no point does it stop spinning.

I was late signing up for the new AltEPG because of a holiday, I thought it better to wait until after I returned, and I would like to say a big thank you to all concerned who made it possible.

Everything seems to be working OK, but I must echo bri_tal's request for, perhaps a 45 minute cut-off on the phone call, or even anything under 1 hour. Twice now when switching on I have found that my Tivo has locked up completely, the only way round this is to reboot it, but each time I have found that the call has failed for some reason and has cut off at the 2 hour time limit which is currently set. Although I have an anytime call package, this only allows free calls up to 1 hour, the 2 hour calls are each costing me £3.87.

Can anyone suggest what might be causing this, bearing in mind that my technical knowledge of these things is almost non-existant. Otherwise, if this happens too often, it would seem that my only option would be to ditch the Tivo, which I really don't want to do.

Thanks for any help
Keith Harris

As a last resort, you could use the 0845 umber, and only connect the phone line once per week,
as there have been no reports of freezing on that number, it's just the 0161


A cachecard will obviously bypass the phone line altogether, with dialy updates going over the internet instead....

Thanks for the suggestion mikerr, but surely a cutoff just before 1 hour would be even better. I'll bear your suggestion in mind, meanwhile I'll just have to keep an eye on it every day, and perhaps unplug the phone line if I go on holiday again.

Regards
Keith

keef777 wrote:Thanks for the suggestion mikerr, but surely a cutoff just before 1 hour would be even better.

Actually no! That's only for Daily Calls. Eg for a Guided Setup of a dual lineup, if the modem can't negotiate a decent 56k connection, the call can easily go way over an hour. We have to cater for the TiVo that tivomas referred to above, which could only manage a 10k connection, downloading the biggest possible lineup.

So the cutoff has to be set at the maximum length and then some. If it isn't, people's Guided Setup will fail and they can get stuck in a Guided Setup loop which is impossible to get out of (because they get cut off every time before it finishes). The AltEPG image has a "get out of Guided Setup" emergency kickstart code, but many people's TiVos do not. A hosed TiVo in a relative's house on the other side of the country is a more serious problem than a slightly big phone bill

Sorry, I hadn't realised that anyone's connection was as slow as that. My broadband rarely reaches 1 meg, despite supposedly being 'up to 8 meg', and my daily call normally lasts around 6 minutes, so I assumed that most people's daily call would be less than mine. In that case I'll just have to live with it and, as I said above, watch it daily. In fact it locked up again on today's call so I had to reboot it to clear it, I then did a manual daily call and it worked fine.

Regards
Keith

@MrTickle - But would it not be possible for individual users to insert a script to terminate/reboot after, say 45 minutes ??