Question About VM Modem

[andygrif]

The £10 a month offer for the M broadband from VM looks good for my other half's sister, as she can't afford a phone line and the internet - and we've just bought her a wireless laptop so we are looking at setting her up online too.

I phoned Virgin last night, but I'm not too happy with the answer - all I wanted to know was do the current BB modems have network connections or are they USB only.

The answer came back that they are USB only, so I clarified that I wanted to plug into a wireless router...the chap said, "oh yes you just need to buy one that's marked for a DSL connection".

I said that this was for a cable connection, not a phone line connection..."no that's ADSL, you need a DSL modem for cable connections". Then he said it's got a network connection at the back.

Am I losing the plot? When I had my connection with NTL, I had the old Motorola Surfboard, it had the RJ45 at the back and I plugged it into my wireless router.

So could someone please clarify for me? Do the modems for cable connection have RJ45's on, and do I still just need to plug it into a wireless router? IE I don't need to buy a new modem right?

TIA

[evilmonkey]

The £10 a month offer for the M broadband from VM looks good for my other half's sister, as she can't afford a phone line and the internet - and we've just bought her a wireless laptop so we are looking at setting her up online too.

I phoned Virgin last night, but I'm not too happy with the answer - all I wanted to know was do the current BB modems have network connections or are they USB only.

The answer came back that they are USB only, so I clarified that I wanted to plug into a wireless router...the chap said, "oh yes you just need to buy one that's marked for a DSL connection".

I said that this was for a cable connection, not a phone line connection..."no that's ADSL, you need a DSL modem for cable connections". Then he said it's got a network connection at the back.

Am I losing the plot? When I had my connection with NTL, I had the old Motorola Surfboard, it had the RJ45 at the back and I plugged it into my wireless router.

So could someone please clarify for me? Do the modems for cable connection have RJ45's on, and do I still just need to plug it into a wireless router? IE I don't need to buy a new modem right?

TIA

You do not need to buy a new modem. If it has an ethernet connection (RJ45) then you can just connect it to any router.

[Halcyon]

Sounds like the guy talking to you was not very good at putting things into context and didnt know that a network socket and ethernet socket are in the 99% of cases the same thing.
So, as far as I know all modems will have an ethernet network port on the back so you can connect it straight to your wireless router via ethernet cable.

You shouldnt buy a modem as you can only use VirginMedia supplied modems on your connection.

[King Of Fools]

AFAIK, All VM modems have an ethernet connection and I thought that the new ones did not have USB any more.

[andygrif]

Thanks guys....it's not the end of the world if it doesn't....just like to find out for sure.

[wafer_style]

Thanks guys....it's not the end of the world if it doesn't....just like to find out for sure.

OK ....can you provide the following data :

>Cable modem MAC ADDRESS : ( you will find that on the flip side of the cable modem saying "NTL250MAC " followed by some barcodes or something like that )

>MODEL number of your WiFi router ...
:cool:

[Chris]

The £10 a month offer for the M broadband from VM looks good for my other half's sister, as she can't afford a phone line and the internet - and we've just bought her a wireless laptop so we are looking at setting her up online too.

I phoned Virgin last night, but I'm not too happy with the answer - all I wanted to know was do the current BB modems have network connections or are they USB only.

The answer came back that they are USB only, so I clarified that I wanted to plug into a wireless router...the chap said, "oh yes you just need to buy one that's marked for a DSL connection".

I said that this was for a cable connection, not a phone line connection..."no that's ADSL, you need a DSL modem for cable connections". Then he said it's got a network connection at the back.

Am I losing the plot? When I had my connection with NTL, I had the old Motorola Surfboard, it had the RJ45 at the back and I plugged it into my wireless router.

So could someone please clarify for me? Do the modems for cable connection have RJ45's on, and do I still just need to plug it into a wireless router? IE I don't need to buy a new modem right?

TIA

This is good old fashioned BS of the kind that used to be the bread and butter of this site in our ranting 'hell' days. :D How nostalgic it is to see that there are still CSRs in the company who not only have abandoned the script, they have enrolled in creative writing classes at night school and are desperate to try out their latest works of fiction on unsuspecting members of the pubic.

The Virgin Media 255 modem, which is what your other half's sister would be supplied if she subscribed to the service, is an ethernet-only device that you can connect to any router.

No MAC addresses or model numbers are needed to establish that fact.

[andygrif]

Thanks Chris....you old-timer you! ;)

In the good old days I would have sat there and argued with the CSR, but I have my blood pressure nicely under control again since leaving NTL, so couldn't bothered questioning him!