Can you connect a Tivo directly to your computer and transfer saved programs without using a router?

Question

I have a RJ-45 to USB adapter for the back of my Series 2 Tivo and have been trying to connect to my computer through my router. Nothing I try seems to be working. I wonder if I get a second adapter, if I can just make a direct connection to the back of my computer if it will work that way?

Answer 1

You can try the direct connection. The TiVo and the PC will have to have IP addresses that are on the same subnet and not conflicting. If this sounds like gobbledygook. It may be. :^)

Check that you've correctly set up the TiVo to work on your network.
http://customersupport.tivo.com/knowbase/root/public/tv2009.htm?
http://customersupport.tivo.com/knowbase/root/public/tv2014.htm?
http://customersupport.tivo.com/knowbase/root/public/tv2055.htm

The other thing you'll need is TiVoToGo software to do the transfers.
http://www.tivo.com/4.9.4.1.asp

Answer 2

With the Series2 TiVo, you could just use the Tivo Desktop to transfer files from the TiVo to your computer. http://www.tivo.com/4.9.4.1-2.asp

As for your router, have you checked that maybe it's not firewall blocking the port that you need for the transfer?

Does your TiVo usually use your home network to download programming data and updates? If it hasn't been able to in the past, then there may be some other home networking issue that you need to resolve. TiVo networking support: http://customersupport.tivo.com/userWelcome.asp?path=2&faq_node=Network

For quite a while on my Series1 TiVo we used a video capture device to watch and save to disk saved videos. The Series1 didn't do the video transfer natively.