How do you connect NTL250 to a wireless router ?

itworks · 28-09-2005, 22:31

As I know a bit about IT, a friend asked if I could supply a router. She told me that she'd had broadband installed today by NTL. The engineer installed it to the tv in the corner of the downstairs lounge and supplied an NTL 250 modem along with a USB lead and a short 1m ethernet lead. As my friend's computer is upstairs in the opposite corner of the house it wasn't practical to have a cable laid.

The engineer said it would be easy to have a wireless router instead and said she should go out and buy one - nothing more was explained - apart from it was easy and would only take a few minutes !

I tried connecting the ethernet cable he supplied to the NTL250 modem and my laptop but it didn't register anything on the laptop's network IP address. -Am I meant to use a cross-over lead between these two or am I going about this the wrong way entirely ?

What's the drill for a new setup please ?

nffc · 28-09-2005, 22:35

It won't register until you connect the Enet cable then direct the browser to https://autoreg.autoregister.net ON THE PC THAT WILL USE THE SERVICE. More info here. http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/article.php?a=13

As for routers you need one that does NOT include an ADSL modem as these have an RJ11 socket for a phone not the larger RJ45 Ethernet port. As far as cabling goes Patch is recommended but some modems can use crossover, I do.

Belkin, Linksys and Netgear's 54g/802.11g "Cable Gateway Routers" are the recommended ones. I have a Belkin which is fine and the Linksys/Netgear get decent commendations from other members too.

They come with setup guides so it's a case of following them, from personal experience the Belkin is extremely facile but
DON'T FORGET TO SECURE IT!

marky · 28-09-2005, 22:37

Hi and

forget the router for now you have to wire the pc to the modem first to get the whole thing working, and then wire the pc to the router before it can go wireless, but i'm sure a person will be along soon with more detailed instructions

itworks · 28-09-2005, 23:02

Thanks for replies - if I've understood you correctly, I understand that I should first connect the supplied NTL250 modem and the upstairs pc by a long temporary ethernet cable ? Does this have to be a crossover cable ?
I noticed a CD was lying nearby although the engineer didn't refer to it - does that have an install on it ?
Once connected between these two, you're saying I can then think about linking the NTL250 modem to a wireless router.
I had been thinking about using a Belkin ADSL wireless one but you're saying that I need a cable DSL one ?

nffc · 28-09-2005, 23:05

- No, don't use the crossover, use the one from ntl.
- DO NOT USE THE CD IT IS HOPELESS. Use the link I gave.

- That ADSL one won't work.

As marky and myself have said, set up the PC on the ntl first then sort the router.

itworks · 28-09-2005, 23:11

Thanks NFFC - I've re-read your links and understand about registering without using the CD.

One other question, assuming I link the NTL250 modem and register the outlying PC, do I dispense with the NTL250 modem and replace it with the cable dsl modem ?

marky · 28-09-2005, 23:16

You have to use the 250 modem no other unless supplied by ntl will work

BarFly · 29-09-2005, 01:37

you can register the modem using any pc, not just the one its going to be used on, so if you have a laptop register with that down stairs then set up the router...

Basically turn everything off, Cm & laptop.....leave for at least 30 seconds

plug in enet cable to both CM & laptop, Boot Cm first, wait for synch & rdy to go solid, then boot laptop....

go to start > run > type " iexplore 80.5.178.26 " follow the on screen instructions....you will require your pin no.

hopefully should be that simple.......

Barfly

29-09-2005, 06:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by itworks

One other question, assuming I link the NTL250 modem and register the outlying PC, do I dispense with the NTL250 modem and replace it with the cable dsl modem ?

Just in case it is not clear from the other posts, the difference between cable and ADSL is that ADSL routers normally have a modem built in, so you don't need a separate modem. With cable, you MUST use the modem supplied, and you can then use a standard (NOT ADSL) router, which does NOT have a built-in modem. You connect the WAN port on the router to the NTL modem. You can then connect your PC(s) either wirelessly, or to the LAN ports on the router.

kfridge · 29-09-2005, 10:08

this is the kind of thing you want.

As has been mentioned earlier...first setup the internet connection, once that is working just use a standard CAT5 patch lead to connect the cable modem and router together.

itworks · 07-10-2005, 18:08

Thank you for all the foregoing excellents posts. This is how I got on:

1) I connected the cable modem to my laptop via a standard ethernet cable.
2) I powered on my laptop, opened internet explorer, put in the address bar: 80.5.178.26 and was immediately logged into http://autoreg.autoregister.net/
3) I followed the NTL prompts using the previously supplied customer details, pin number etc
4) I decided to go for the NTL approved Actiontec Cable Router & USB wireless adapter bundle - currently Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£99.99 inc. vat & next-day delivery. The reason I chose this rather than the excellent idea of "kfridge" (previous post) was that a USB adapter has greater signal pickup over a PCI internal ethernet card.
5) I went to the outlying PC and plugged in the USB wireless modem and XP picked it up automatically.
6) I used XP's own software for Wireless networks rather than Actiontec and connected without trouble - given the location of the cable modem downstairs in one corner of the house and the PC in the upstairs opposite corner - the signal strength was "very good"
7) On the PC, I accessed the Actiontec Router by putting into Internet Explorer its IP address 192.168.0.1. There I setup 64bit WEP making up my own Hex code - there's an example showing in the Actiontec CD manual. The Router was rebooted and the connection was lost.
8) When the Router came nback online, the PC flashed in the lower right-hand corner, that there was a wireless network available. I put in the Hex code and "Bob's your Uncle"

The above steps might seem off-putting to some, but they are really quite easy as it's mostly intuitive - thanks to you guys for getting me on the right start.

Cheers all.

kfridge · 30-01-2007, 17:05

no trouble...glad it all worked out in the end - as you suggets, there isn't that much mystery to wireless networking as long as people are prepared to put in a little time for research beforehand!

EssDee · 30-01-2007, 23:24

That's a BIG gap in posts!