DirecTV Tivo & multiple phonelines

[Zaphod42]

I recently moved my DirecTV Tivo receiver to another part of the house. Today I got the message that it hadn't made a "daily call" in 21 days and to please set it up so it could do so. Based on other threads, I've learned that it will stop functioning after 30 days.

Yikes!

My dilemma is the nearest phoneline to the receiver is a different phonline/number than the one listed on our account, which is the one the main receiver is hooked to and the one this receiver was previously hooked to.

Will it matter if I connect the 2nd phoneline to my receiver? As in, does DirecTv have some sort of caller id to prevent illegal hookups?

I'd really love to avoid rewiring OR spending a couple hours calling DirecTV *sigh*

 

[ShadowEKU]

I recently moved my DirecTV Tivo receiver to another part of the house. Today I got the message that it hadn't made a "daily call" in 21 days and to please set it up so it could do so. Based on other threads, I've learned that it will stop functioning after 30 days.

Yikes!

My dilemma is the nearest phoneline to the receiver is a different phonline/number than the one listed on our account, which is the one the main receiver is hooked to and the one this receiver was previously hooked to.

Will it matter if I connect the 2nd phoneline to my receiver? As in, does DirecTv have some sort of caller id to prevent illegal hookups?

I'd really love to avoid rewiring OR spending a couple hours calling DirecTV *sigh*

That sounds both fishy and plausible at the same time. either way it will not stop functioning after 30 days...youll just get a nag message and wont get software updates.

If you hook taht line in and it does call D* and they notice that it called in from a different number be warned it is possible that they suspect your account of fraudulent activity and make you write them a letter

 

[shappyss]

just get a really long phone wire and hook it up once a month to get updated and so it wont bother you with that message all the time

 

[Zaphod42]

lol, it does sound fishy, doesn't it? We have 2 phonelines because this is a rural area and our only internet choice is dialup, can't afford satellite internet. The internet/2nd phone runs all through the house.

Anyway, I am glad to know I won't lose functionality if I don't fix the problem this week. I'll use the long phone cable idea until i get around to rewiring. Thanks for the replies

 

[dgordo]

D* could care less what number your tivo calls in from. We have my work number as the phone number for our account, which has a different area code, and we have never had a problem with the tivo calling in from our home phone number.

 

[ShadowEKU]

D* could care less what number your tivo calls in from. We have my work number as the phone number for our account, which has a different area code, and we have never had a problem with the tivo calling in from our home phone number.

but do all of your receiverrs call in from the same phone line?

Thats the point... they dont care what the number is on your account (case in point mine is my cell phone)
What they do care is thaqt all your receivers call in from the same number... if they dont D* will see that as receiver sin 2 places... which is a violation. if they catch it your in trouble.

 

[cr0mag]

Today I got the message that it hadn't made a "daily call" in 21 days and to please set it up so it could do so. Based on other threads, I've learned that it will stop functioning after 30 days.

Will it matter if I connect the 2nd phoneline to my receiver? As in, does DirecTv have some sort of caller id to prevent illegal hookups?

Hope this helps...
1) Your D*tivo won't stop working. It will just nag the crap out of you until you have it make a call.
2) Considering that I ran without a phone line for over 2 years, and I took the unit to my brother in law's house (who also had D)* to make phone calls every couple months, I dont think that D* is watching their caller IDs. Especially given the fact that he also has a D* tivo calling in on the same line.

I'd go ahead and use the 2nd phone line. If anyone cares to check, I'm sure that they will find that both lines are in the same residence.

 

[vurbano]

but do all of your receiverrs call in from the same phone line?

Thats the point... they dont care what the number is on your account (case in point mine is my cell phone)
What they do care is thaqt all your receivers call in from the same number... if they dont D* will see that as receiver sin 2 places... which is a violation. if they catch it your in trouble.

Its not necessarily in two different places. I can have VOIP with any area code I want in addition to landline service. I can have 2 VOIP lines with different numbers. I can have 2 landlines with different numbers as well. There are any number of scenarios he can tell them if they ask.

 

[descottzz]

Instead of re-wiring, you could buy a wireless jack

Instead of re-wiring, you could buy a wireless phone jack. Several eBay sellers offer them for about $30 including shipping. I paid $51 at our local Home Depot so I could return it if I didn't like it.

 

[ShadowEKU]

Its not necessarily in two different places. I can have VOIP with any area code I want in addition to landline service. I can have 2 VOIP lines with different numbers. I can have 2 landlines with different numbers as well. There are any number of scenarios he can tell them if they ask.

yes but you didnt invalidate my point... it can be used as an excuse and a simple audit will fix it... but from what we have heard if they suspect fraudulent activity they deactivate all your receivers and make you mail them a letter.

im trying to help him avoid waiting a month for sending a letter in.

 

[Zaphod42]

Really just trying to avoid the hassle of calling DirecTV. If they did audit it, a simple look at the phonebook or a call to Verizon shows both our #s at one address. Now that I think about it, why would they even *require* phoneline connections? These days there's a good amount of people who don't even have active landlines and just use cellphones. Just a naggy semi-security feature for them.

Thanks for clearing up the issue enough to not worry about it anyway