Why USB adaptor?

[freeair]

Over Christmas I lost internet connection and Interactive on Pace STB.

PC is connected to STB via CAT5 UTP cross-over cable and was working fine until this loss of Internet.

PC shows network cable disconnected.

Called tech support who arranged for an engineer to call.

Engineer called, changed Pace STB for another one (had hoped for the new Samsung one) and checked two cross-over cables (one in use and one spare), no problem found so he fitted a USB adaptor.

Both those cables will connect two PC's in my home network using the same network port.

Can someone advise why the cables don't seem to form a connection to the STB?

Quite some time ago NTL were offering free upgrade to 2Mb for existing 1Mb users but users with the 'old' Pace STBs would have to have them changed as they could not cope with 2Mb. If that is the case why would the engineer fit another Pace STB and the newer Samsung one?
TIA

[MovedGoalPosts]

This will be something to do with the hardware on your PC, rather than the ntl cable service. For some reason your ethernet port on the PC has expired. The USB adaptor fitted by the ntl tech, is simply an adaptor on the end of a standard (or crossover) ethernet cable.

You don't say what PC you have, and more importantly it's operating system. However the principles to check a few basics will be the same:

Open control panel and from there System Manager (if windows XP in category view select Performance & Maintenance). A "System Properties" Window should pop up, select Hardware, then Device Manager.

Look at the list and check the "Network Adapters". Are any marked with a "X" or "?". If so right click and delete. Now reboot the PC,

After your windows desktop appears you should see a "new hardware found message". It will want drivers. Have your dirver disks handy (as supplied with the PC or if the network card was added later, the disk will have been supplied with the card. Install, then power off the computer.

Power off the STB and unplug the USB adaptor, connect the ethernet plug to your network card, power on the STB, wait say 30 seconds then boot up the PC. Hopefully you now have internet, via ethernet.

If the above does not work, my vote would be to but a new network card (probably around £10.00 from a decent computer store.)

I'm not quite sure you mean by:

Both those cables will connect two PC's in my home network using the same network port.

If you mean internet connection sharing, i.e. STB > PC1 then second wire between PC1 & PC2, then you would be using two wires into PC1 which can be 2x ethernet or 1x ethernet & 1x USB.

If however you mean each PC has it's own direct wire to the STB, that cannot work. The STB can only speak to one PC at a time and you must power it off, swap the wiring connections, then power on again each time you want the to use a different PC. I can't recall now, its so long since I had a PACE STB, but only the ethernet port on the rear will support broadband, none of the other "computer type" connections are active.

Best advice though if you really want two PCs to use your broadband regularly is to get a router between the STB and PCs. Plenty of thread on here give advice on setup of those.

[jem]

Sounds like an odd problem. I used to have a Pace STB when I was on the 600Kb Internet. When they automatically upgraded it to 2Mb I got the Pace swopped out for a Samsung. I don't think there ever was an automatic 1Mb to 2Mb upgrade, I thought it was 300Kb to 1Mb and 600Kb to 2Mb but I'm not absolutely sure and am ready to be corrected. Anyway if you are on 1Mb internet then the Pace should be ok, anything more than that and you'll need a Samsung or stand alone modem which you'll only get if you upgrade your package.

When I had the Pace I connected like you via ethenet, I can't even remember if they had a USB port to connect via it but if that's how you are working now then I guess they must have.

Now in your case the fact that you lost interactive as well as internet access, sounds to me like a return path problem and nothing to do with your PC. Since replacing the STB seems to have fixed this, we can be reasonably sure that the box was at fault. So why doesn't it work for Internet connection via ethernet? It's possible that the ethernet port on your PC has failed but this seems most unlikely. I had one of the older Pace STBs which did need a X-over cable but I believe that the later models (4000 series) need straight-through cables, the Samsungs definately use straight through cables or they may be auto sensing. So I'd try a straight-through cable first and if luck could you borrow another PC or laptop and see if that connects OK? It's by no means impossible that the ethernet port on the replacement Pace box has failed which you can check if you can get hold of another PC and a few cables.

Good luck

[MovedGoalPosts]

The early PACE STBs definitely used a standard ethernet cable connection into the STB rear. To get USB it was simply an adaptor plugged into the end of the ehternet cable nearest the PC.

You only need a crossover ethernet cable if the STB rear is so labelled. Again that is simply acheived by ntl using a small plug on adapter to one end of the cable.

When I was first issued with boradband by ntl using a PACE STB, I was simply supplied with a kit consisting of a very long standard ethernet cable, a CD, and the USB and crossover adaptors.

As far as I am aware, 1Meg broadband was not supported on the earlier PACE STBS, (hence why mine got swapped to a Samsung) but may be OK for the 4000 series PACE boxes. Thus unless you have stated an intention to upgrade, the engineer could well have got away with using a PACE replacement.

[freeair]

There appears to be some confusion over my problem.

I have 2 PC's connected via a cross-over UTP cable. One PC has 2 network adaptors, one for the LAN and one for the STB. STB is connected to the PC with another cross-over UTP cable. This system has worked without any problems until loss of Intenet over Christmas.

There is nothing wrong with the network adaptor that connects to the STB because I can use that adaptor for the LAN connection. There is nothing wrong with the cable bacuse I can use that cable for the LAN connection.

I have no idea what model Pace STB the engineer fitted, it looks identical to the original one which was limited to 1Mb, I never got round to asking for the 2Mb upgrade even though I am paying £24.99/m.

I would have thought that the system would flag up that I am eligible for the 2Mb upgrade and that a replacement STB would allow me to access at that speed.

In fact doing a speed test it looks like I am now back to 750Kb or even 512Kb :(

I guess it's time to call Customer Service and formally request the upgrade. If I drop the TV package and ask for a cable modem instead of the STB will I get charged the £50 I see mentioned in the forum?

TIA

[MovedGoalPosts]

1) call CS and get your moneys worth. Ask to be upgraded to the 2meg service that you are paying for, or save money and dwongrade back to 1meg

2) to check the PACE STB model there will be a label on the rear or bottom

3) only if you drop the TV might ntl consider replacing the STB with a modem, for free

[hayesey]

I think the problem will be the network speed auto-negotiation of you network card in the PC.

Most modern ethernet cards can work at either 10Mbps or 100Mbps & automatically set the speed depending on what the port at the other end of the connection supports.

The Pace STB has a 10Mbps Ethernet port & it sounds like you network card is failing to select this speed. When you connect your two PCs together both cards will more than likely support 100Mbps & are sucessfully negotiating that speed.

If you go into the network card properties in the device manager in the control panel then you should be able to set the network speed to 10Mbps Half-Duplex rather than Auto Negotiation. You *may* find you can now use the network card instead of the USB adaptor to connect to the STB.

[freeair]

Thanks Hayesey, it could have been the connection speed although IIRC I had not changed anything in the card settings between it working and not working.

I'll try again when I get chance.

BTW Will the STB only connect at half-duplex and full-duplex?

Rgds

[hayesey]

perhaps a Windows auto update has altered something slightly? Hard to say how these things happen really.

[patrickp]

There is nothing wrong with the cable bacuse I can use that cable for the LAN connection.

If you can use the STB cable to connect your computers, that suggests it may also be a crossover cable, freeair. Some old Pace boxes may have used a crossover cable, but AFAIK current ones would require a straight through cable. Edit:I note you said earlier

PC is connected to STB via CAT5 UTP cross-over cable and was working fine until this loss of Internet.

and that jem and Rob C suggested using a straight through cable earlier. However, you don't mention having tried that.

I have no idea what model Pace STB the engineer fitted, it looks identical to the original one which was limited to 1Mb, I never got round to asking for the 2Mb upgrade even though I am paying £24.99/m.

I would have thought that the system would flag up that I am eligible for the 2Mb upgrade and that a replacement STB would allow me to access at that speed.

In fact doing a speed test it looks like I am now back to 750Kb or even 512Kb :(

I guess it's time to call Customer Service and formally request the upgrade. If I drop the TV package and ask for a cable modem instead of the STB will I get charged the £50 I see mentioned in the forum?

TIA

I would say to CS that they should either give you an STB capable of 2Mb (a Samsung box) or a cable modem to be used alongside your STB - this would be be best option, since it will enable you to make full use of the 10Mb upgrades when they come to all tiers. Otherwise, downgrade to the £17.99 1Mb tier - there's no point in paying (or for ntl to receive from you) more for what you can't use.