Hi, we’ll be without an ISP for a couple of months. It’s possible that we may have a cell phone hot spot. Basically, will we be able too record and watch shows without Internet connectivity? Does ET need to phone home for it to work? We won’t need remote viewing, we just have the one TV.
Maybe. It may depend on what app you use, and if you can have a solution to IP address allocation (DHCP server) and NTP.
Here is one of the last go arounds. But a couple of months is a long time.
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Thank you for that. I follow what you’re saying. It will record, but it’s the viewing that’s in question.
You may wish to review this blog post. Using a hot spot will provide internet, but often won’t allow the device-to-device communication that Tablo needs:
https://www.tablotv.com/blog/tablo-faqs-do-i-need-internet-use-tablo-ota-dvr/
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There are some possibilities… depending or your network configuration and how much you know about “things”.
There’s a forum section titled * Tablo Apps * Third Party Apps (Plex, Rippers etc.) which may have something useful for you. I’m not familiar with many of these but I understand some/one of these are user friendly and might help.
I think I’ve seen it stated on here by various posters a number of times that Tablo won’t work with Fire TV to play your recording when offline because Five TV has to have external internet to work. I don’t think that is entirely true. When you launch Fire TV without access to external internet, it will give you the error “no internet available…” or something like that, but it will allow you to go to settings–>Applications–>Manage installed aps, where you can launch Tablo. Tablo will work over your LAN for awhile. Then it seems like it is the Tablo, not the Fire TV that eventually fails and gives a player error, I guess because it tries to access the time and TV schedules etc. At least that’s what is seems to me is happening. Maybe I’m misinterpreting it?
That was my first post and I’m not sure my reply is all that relevant to this thread. Should I start a new one?
You don’t need to repost elsewhere, this is just fine. It’s a Sunday (and early), but you’ll get some excellent insight on this, throughout the day.
your choice… it’s optional as far as I know
I don’t think so… most, many other things operate over local networks without need for internet access - except tablo (well, not just tablo, but that’s what the discussion is about)
Someday you will figure out what devices and configurations will work.
There is always hope.
I have my tablos and Rokus connected via powerline. Next to my internet router was an old linksys router with dd-wrt for LAN only configuration.
Just for fun I would take the rj45 connector from the internet router, plug it into the linksys and run for a few days - LAN only.
Nothing requires you to have or buy a subscription. If your tablo software is running properly why do you need firmware or app updates. Some of these actually introduce problems. Roku lets you set it’s time manually. tablo use to set it’s time based on the time in the app at connection. So NTP really wasn’t needed. Tablo device discovery is a LAN only protocol.
Of course if you have a really unstable power situation more issues arise. But I go years without a power outage.
DUDE! that is soo cool! 
Never thought about it for fun. I do have old (linksys) routers, I’d daisy-chain them for trouble shooting… I just might have some fun instead.
Really, I don’t have time for all that excitement. I’m hoping with time off around Christmas to find the time to try different firmware on my router and swap motherboards into another computer case.
disclaimer
please to understand, I’m just a smart-ass trying to have a bit of fun…
I run multiple tablos(3) and Roku into a switch in an old entertainment cabinet in the bedroom. once you switch the rj45 you have to force the devices to re-discover via DHCP protocol an IP address.
Reboot was not required. I just unplugged/replugged the rj45 link into the switch. Losing a link is suppose to cause the device to re-obtain or renew the IP lease.
I also have a router-behind-router that provides WiFi in the rec room. Thus the Roku on my main TV uses 5G Wifi since the house/ISP router is in the rec room. Luckily this router has a buttom to turn the WiFi radios on/off.
So I use to make the LinkSys WiFi SSID the same as the main router SSID. Being rather lazy all I use to have to do is turn one radio off and the other on.
But as I started using more OTT products, it all became more work then it was worth.
Is this about trying to get things to work the way you want them to (or how they are allegedly supposed to) instead of the bloated user-friendly way things marketed? In the end, we take what we get and make due.
Three tablos!? If you get that many channels, to need that much recording capabilities, how much more do you get from the roku? Actually, with all your time as a network admin, where do you find time to even watch tv? 