All 6 of my DirecTV Tivo THR22 units have stopped communicating with the mothership.

What do you mean not communicating with the "mothership"? Best to describe the actual issue in detail.

The THR22s were the very last attempt with TiVO before they went their permanent separate ways. Though some like TiVO so much they are willing to pay extra for the service, it doesn't work with all DirecTV services.

The THR22s are incompatible with Whole Home DVR (as is proprietary for DirecTV's branded boxes) and are known for having issues with On Demand (what I suspect you mean by "mothership").

Units are many years old. DirecTV moved to new software starting with the HR44 which is years old itself. Old boxes don't get the new software, nevermind if TiVO or not. Might not be related to your issue, but it is a clarification just in case.

Telephone jack is not an option. It was only for software updates before they came from the satellite and to order PPVs before internet connected was normal. Caller ID on TV was only to encourage people to be phone line connected, but that hasn't been supported in years (just left to run in the old software). Starting with the HR44 the option is removed, and starting with the HR54 there are no more phone jacks because those options aren't used anymore.

Channel updates come from the satellite.

On Demand comes from internet.

From the settings menu, I went to "Networks" > "Testing Connection", "Preparing" was successful, "Connecting" failed. This is happening on various units that get their ethernet from different methods. I have verified that ALL my ethernet cables have live Internet on the end of it by plugging in a MacBook with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned off. If I unplug the ethernet cable from the MacBook, the Internet goes away. The MacBook successfully got Internet access through the only way possible the ethernet cable.

There's a network diagnostics that tells me that the DIRECTV receiver has Internet.

My speculation is that DIRECTV is no longer recognizing this receiver.

Hi @TVfromOuterSpace thanks for bringing this to our attention. We're sorry for the inconvenience of having your DIRECTV THR22 unit not connected with your main receiver. DIRECTV continues to support Legacy TiVo receivers for customers who have them and TiVo service is required for all TiVo customers except those who paid for Lifetime Service. We'll send you a DM to take a closer look into this.

Right, no THR22s can connect to the internet anymore. Don't know if it was TiVO's or DTV's side that removed whatever they connected to.  TiVo no longer uses the phone line.

I am NOT disputing what you are saying. What makes you think this?

I don't know if the lack of connection will someday prevent these units from working. I like them so much that I purchased 3 spares.

My extras were always easy to activate when dealing directly with DIRECTV. Since AT&T got involved, they won't activate them anymore (2020 was the last time I tried). I am talking about brand new, never activated, NEVER used, still in the box THR22 units.

My THR22 is doing the same thing.   If DTV ever updates the software it will be downloaded from the sats like all DTV receivers.   It is DTV's new RC1 account system that will not active them plus it could be that they where supposed to be activated within 30 days.  AT&T sold off 30% of DTV  few years ago so the new partner may change that.

Thanks for your input @shannon02  New TiVo receivers are no longer available. However, DIRECTV continues to support Legacy TiVo receivers for customers who have them, and it requires TiVo service for all TiVo customers except those who paid for Lifetime Service. Thanks for choosing DIRECTV.

Carryl, DIRECTV Community Specialist

You couldn't get the THR22 with Life Time service as it is a modified HR22 to run TIVO software , Tivo still gets the $5 service fee that DTV charges on my bill.  

"AT&T sold off 30% of DTV  few years ago so the new partner may change that."

I certainly hope so. My DIRECTV story is a little interesting.

In 1998, I went to Fry's electronics and bought all the equipment. I did all the wiring installed everything myself for 10 televisions and even aimed the dish. Over the many years I've upgraded the equipment a number of times. Always BUYING, never leasing my equipment. DIRECTV has NEVER been to my house. My DIRECTV Satellite bill is over $200 per month. In other words, I'm best possible customer DIRECTV TV could possibly have. But because of the fact, they will not activate my NEW units. When my current equipment finally dies or I am forced to upgrade I will take a serious look at Dish.

I have fast fiber optic Internet at my home. However, I like getting the television from space. About three years ago there was a serious problem in our area and we had no Internet for three months. At least I could still watch television with my satellite system.

For whatever reason DTV went to lease only in 2006.  DTV had a problem with their 99 sat a few months ago so it happens.

DirecTV no longer activates used, extra boxes, etc. You order from them, you activate upon receipt not let them sit somewhere.

Boxes are leased so get returned when no longer in use. Though to my understanding all boxes before the 3rd generation Genie (HR54) are not required to be sent back anymore.

As long as your THR22s are getting satellite service, then you get exactly what you pay for. Going forward internet connected is apparently no longer an option for them.

Bottom line, because both of age of model and that it is TiVO based, those are legacy boxes. They didn't even have full support when they were new.

Be aware purchase to own options went away years ago. (Genie HR34 was the 1st lease-only box, and shortly after its launch they discontinued purchase to own for all older boxes) When you do the work yourself, the boxes still belong to DirecTV. You just pay the one-time lease cost instead of getting a free upgrade, and still get the 24 month service agreement. The only benefit from paying all that money was not to have a tech out. Even back in the purchase to own days you got a 1 year warranty. So the 'lease' option is practically always better.

So use service as-is, upgrade boxes, or swap to another provider which will work similar. A lot of the options you want are sadly in the past.

"DirecTV no longer activates used, extra boxes, etc. You order from them, you activate upon receipt not let them sit somewhere."

Yes, I understand all of this. It's a policy that is anti-consumer and damages the environment.  I tried to have a couple of my brand new, (NOT used) receivers activated, and AT&T refused. Prior to the AT&T merger, it was never a problem. So I purchased more units from AT&T, and got them activated. The brand new units that I already had, (identical to the ones that AT&T sold me) that I had purchased from an authorized dealer went into a landfill because of the AT&T policy.

"They didn't even have full support when they were new."

I never needed any support, I just wanted them activated and have AT&T take my money which they refused to do.

"Be aware purchase to own options went away years ago."

As of about three years ago, AT&T sold equipment to me.  As I've upgraded my equipment over the years, I would telephone DIRECTV/AT&T and ask them about returning the equipment that I wasn't using anymore. EVERY time they told me, they did NOT want the equipment back, only the activation card.

I understand that these are first world problems. And not big problems at that. What troubles me the most is I own a LOT of AT&T stock. And I just don't like to see customers being treated like this by a company I have ownership in. As you've read, the satellite companies are bleeding customers as people switch from cable/satellite to various streaming services. You'd think they would be more consumer friendly considering the massive customer losses they're experiencing.

Right, DTV is only taking the HR54 though not much longer and the HS17 receivers and C51/61 minis since that is all they are installing now.  AT&T sold you nothing anything you payed was the upfront lease fee if there wasn't a free upgrade coming.  You could have sent them to an E Waste center.

Boxes get returned to DirecTV to be refurbished into like new condition. If too old a model, so not supporting current features or have aging internal components, they get recycled instead. Either way should have avoided going to the landfill.

Even before AT&T it was never intended for people to buy boxes, be it purchase to own ($499 HDDVR) or one-time lease cost ($199), and just sit collecting dust. They were expected to be used.

When I said they didn't have full support when new, I meant they did not support Whole Home DVR and had some issues with On Demand since launch. DirecTV and TiVO just couldn't get a full compatibility with each other, for whatever reason.

Any upgrades in the last 3 years were one-time lease cost with 24 month service agreement as purchase to own was removed approximately a decade ago, shortly after the Genie (HR34) launch. Doesn't matter if you got through DirecTV or an Authorized Retailer.

Though boxes are technically owned by DirecTV, it is only the current generation of equipment they want back. Never mind the limited availability of TiVO, but they have moved forward with the Genie-2 (HS17) which is a Client based setup using the newest software. So models as old as a THR22 even if brand new they don't want back as they are legacy models. They have no reason to accept return of something they no longer support (parted ways with TiVO years ago) and have jumped ahead with an overhaul of software and using SWM-only instead of models that could use SWM and the older multiswitch.

Not so much first world problems as equipment is not supported forever. Just like floppy disks, VCRs, and even to an extent CDs, tech moves forward. Some faster than others for sure. You can't expect to use the same equipment, and have the exact same experience forever.

AT&T found out it bit off more than it could chew with DirecTV. So they sold off 30% to a new co-owner who is now managing operations. Though long term changes are yet to be seen, it is doubtful they will return to a purchase to own model (was more expensive and less beneficial to the customer. Pay more up front and only have a 1 year warranty). And regardless they are not going to increase support for models built a decade or more ago, no matter how 'new' they are. I would be very surprised if they tried again with TiVO.