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TallChris
02-03-2008, 20:22
Hi All

I've checked on the search and not found an answer to the following although a few bordering on the subject.

CM is a Surfboard 4100 and works very well upstairs but wireless signal is crap down here.

I'm basically wanting to move the CM from a room upstairs to my dining room. Obviously both have a point already in place. I've tried moving the CM downstairs but i get the power light and just the Receive flashes. I've never had a device attached downstairs before (Previous houseowner presumably used it).

One thing i know is that from the presentation on the front of the house, the NTL cable runs the full length round the property and therefore i'm wondering if the signal is too low for the CM while an STB may not have been as picky..

I realise it's against the UAP to play about with the white boxes and therefore i'd rather not but at the same time if it's something simple that i can do then i would rather than paying £££'s for an engineer to spend 5 minutes doing something i can.

Your thoughts would be appreciated...

Chris.

techyguy4
02-03-2008, 23:05
I think relocation charges are 25 pounds. You just need to give a call to cmr care.

Joxer
02-03-2008, 23:10
When the modem is attached downstairs can you connect a pc to it and look at the config page (type 192.168.100.1 into a browser address bar)? That way you can check the signal levels - if they are way off or non existant then that connection may be dead or just no longer connected, if they are just a little bit off you could probably get a tech out to sort it because they aren't likely to know you haven't always had it connected there. If they disccover it's connected to an unnatached socket they might be a bit suspicious though. Have you tried an STB on that connection? You imply that you are presduming the last occupant did, rather than yourself.

Incidentally it is £75 to request a modem to be moved.

Other options are to leave the modem where it is and just move the router - all you need is a nice long ethernet cable and nobody who minds cables running around the house (Though why anyone does is beyond me if it's neatly done and the cable is discreet or matches the decor). You can also buy the coax cable and required fittings in B&Q apparently so you could move the modem that way - though again you have the cableing issue.

TallChris
02-03-2008, 23:21
Guys, thanks for the suggestions.

Joxer, i haven't tried connecting up a machine as yet although that's certainly an option... can just stick a laptop on the other end.

I am presuming that the dining room box did at some point work although i think your suggestion will tell me whether its disconnected or just low on signal.

I'm wondering when they fitted the one in the bedroom if they maybe just disconnected the old cable and connected the new thinking the dining room would never be used... If so can this be easily rectified? Is it a case of just popping the outside box and unscrewing and rescrewing the cable?

I'm really wanting the CM moving if i can although £75 is way too much for me so a CAT5 'run' would be the solution if absolutely necessary. As i said previously, i'm not wanting to do a botch but if it's a plug in 5 minute job then i'll give it a go.

Hom3r
02-03-2008, 23:26
you could look at "Homeplug" (I think its called that), it uses the ring main of the house

Sinth
02-03-2008, 23:30
Second the above. I don`t use them myself but a friend does without a hitch.

TallChris
02-03-2008, 23:36
Thanks for the alternative suggestions... i'd be looking to plug my Cable Modem into one and my Routers WAN port into the other downstairs. I'm presuming that'd work?

Joxer
02-03-2008, 23:42
If you do check the levels downstream power should be between -12 and 12 (or -5 to 15 for qam256 though nobody seemed fit to tell tech support this, they should send a tech if the recieve light is flashing anyway, half won't bother checking the levels, though they should, they'll just send a tech anyway).the signal to noise ratio above should be above 30 or that can cause problems too generally it will still connect but it just won't work.

piggy
02-03-2008, 23:44
have a look in the drop box outside you might only have 1 cable connected if so just swop them over

Joxer
02-03-2008, 23:47
Thanks for the alternative suggestions... i'd be looking to plug my Cable Modem into one and my Routers WAN port into the other downstairs. I'm presuming that'd work?

Umm, into one or other what? Normally you plug your router into the modem. Do you mean the homeplug adapters? If so it should work but some routers get a bit huffy if they get a local address and I'm not sure how the homeplug system works IP wise ie does it just pass the dhcp request through or does it use it's own dhcp server/client.

TallChris
02-03-2008, 23:50
Again, thanks for the info.. i'll give this all a go and let you know the outcome.

---------- Post added at 22:50 ---------- Previous post was at 22:48 ----------

Umm, into one or other what? Normally you plug your router into the modem. Do you mean the homeplug adapters? If so it should work but some routers get a bit huffy if they get a local address and I'm not sure how the homeplug system works IP wise ie does it just pass the dhcp request through or does it use it's own dhcp server/client.

Yeah sorry should have explained it a little better. If i went the Homeplug route, then i'd plug the CM to a Homeplug and then plug my router WAN port into another and plug both into the mains. If it works the way i think it does then the CM and Router shouldn't know that their connection is running over the 'leccy' lines and talk as normal and as i'll have 10Mb connect, the 85Mb limit on the Homeplug should more than suffice.

Joxer
03-03-2008, 00:07
I had a look and found this http://www.homeplug.org/products/whitepapers/HPAV-White-Paper_050818.pdf
but it's too late to be reading stuff like that... Maybe tomorrow at work.

There are three ways homeplug could work.

1. As a repeater and just pass on what it is given - effectivly being 'invisible' as you suggest. Should work ok.

2. As a hub. Sort of like a router but not as smart - this might work - but only with motorola modems and in a kind of quirky way, I'm not entirely sure but I thnk it involves putting the modem in standby in order to get you connected - there is certainly an option to do it in the config page but I have no documentation on how it works.

3. As a router but this doesn't appear to be the case judging from the website as it would involve 'client' and server versions of the plug and that does not appear to be the case from the albeit cursory glance I had, This should work too.

Maybe Sinth could ask his mate.

TallChris
04-03-2008, 23:22
Just a reply to close the thread and question. Having "investigated" my brown outside box, i may or may not have found the dining room feed unplugged and the bedroom feed plugged in. I then may or may not have then unplugged the bedroom and re-plugged the dining room cable and it now works fine.

Saved £75 and not caused anyone any grief with dodgy cabling etc.. a job well done as far as i'm concerned.

Thanks for the help everyone... much appreciated.

Chris.

kingabs
04-03-2008, 23:57
By any chance would VM replace the cable that runs down from my house to the cabinet as it is has been there since nynex came out and instaled it!Dont mind paying to get the work done?

Ben B
04-03-2008, 23:59
By any chance would VM replace the cable that runs down from my house to the cabinet as it is has been there since nynex came out and instaled it!Dont mind paying to get the work done?

Standard installation charge is £30 so I can't see it being much more than that. Ring 150 and see what they say.

Fred_Smith
05-03-2008, 13:48
Have you had a look at mains networking .... http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=98007&doy=5m3 You could use this instead of wireless....