Easy router/networking instructions..? (plus other waffle)

Hello, this is my first ever post on this here good website. I've got a query at the end but I fancied getting a bit of ntl: nonsense off my chest first...

I had an ntl: fella come round today and set up a new 250 cable modem. They'd been round about 9 months ago and installed a 200 modem, but nobody told me of any benefits in changing over, so I stuck to using the set-top box. If it ain't bust, don't muck around with it, so I thought.

Then I realised that I could have a cable modem without needing to have the phone phone line or STB. So as I hardly ever watch the cable channels I thought I'd save £20 a month by getting rid of the cable TV.

I also had a bit of annoyance on Monday with someone in broadband support. It sounded like he was in a call centre in India (a first experience for me re. ntl). The set-top box connection was down, so I thought I'd try setting up the old 200 modem myself using the CD, seeing that I was going to be switched over anyway on Wednesday. I went through all the steps and it wouldn't let me go beyond typing in my name and PIN details etc. I'd shut down the firewall as instructed, and I don't use anti-virus software, but this bloke with his very broad and very rapid Indian accent was saying "My computer cannot connect to your computer because you have a firewall and antivirus software running". I said, "I haven't. I've shut down ZoneAlarm completely, the Windows firewall is off, and I don't use antivirus software". He went on "Well Sir I am telling you that my computer cannot see or connect with your computer because you are running both firewall and antivirus software. You need to go to the vendor where you first bought the computer, or go to PC World, and tell them that your computer is working OK but that you need to ask them to disable the firewall and antivirus software that I am telling you that you are running". And he would not budge from this despite (or because of) my increasing exasperation. It was such a crazy conversation -- like I was saying "black is black", and he was saying "I am telling you that black is white, even if your eyes tell you otherwise". I ended the call rather impolitely: "Right right, OK, I'll speak to my 'vendor', whoever that's supposed to be. Bye." and then hung up. But I was glad that didn't get any more rude to him, maddening though it was.

The engineer who came round today was pretty funny. He said he was fed up with ntl: and that "for a communications company, nobody ever bothers communicating anything to anybody". I told him I got the strong impression that various departments don't talk to each other, and that I'd been given two conflicting instructions regarding the redundant STB. One person I spoke to said "Dispose of it. Throw it in the bin". At the end of the call I double-checked, asking "Are you definitely telling me to chuck the set-top box in the bin??" He said "Yeah mate, just chuck it. Use it as a door stop. Give it to your dog to chew on. Do what you like with it". Then some other customer service person I spoke to yesterday said "No, don't throw it away! We'll charge you if you do! They cost £150!" Bloody hell!

My main query here is whether someone can possibly point me in the direction of some simple instructions about setting up a router to connect two fixed PCs (i.e. not a wireless connection) to the internet via this cable modem. A recommendation of a router that works well with the 250 modem and with two PCs running WinXP (both using ethernet rather than USB connections) would be great. I've had a look around here but haven't found anything to that effect. The facility to plug in a third PC to the network would be useful at a later date as well.

With thanks in advance for any pointers/links anyone can provide (and apologies for my dull rant)!

Cheers!

[Raistlin]

First of all, to Cable forum.

Secondly, I know you said you didn't need wireless but for the difference in price it's worth buying one now and then you have the facility if you want to use wireless later. You can still use a wired connection to up to four PCs with the router below.

The Linksys range are good, and this one would certainly be compatible:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...586941-4057200

As for instructions:

1. Switch everything off (Modem, PCs etc)
2. Plug the router in (but leave it switched off) to your Modem and to the ethernet ports on your PCs
3. Turn the Modem back on and leave it for the lights to settle
4. Turn the router on and wait for the lights to settle
5. Turn the PCs on

Linksys routers come with DHCP enabled as standard (they automatically assign IP addressses to your PCs) so you don't need to worry about that initially. The only thing you will want to do in the first instance is go through the router's settings and make sure it is secure (changing passwords, restricting the wireless access etc).

Basically, follow the instructions that come with it on the quick start sheet and it should all work fine. You must turn everything off and back on as I've described above though or it just won't work.

If you get any problems just post back once you've got the router and I'm sure someone will talk you through the process.

[hairy_mick]

welcome to nthell gavin what i used before going wirless was a net gear web router this did all the setting up with the option to tweak the settings if you want should be able to pick one up foe 30quid or less mine had four ports that should be enough you will also need cat5 leads to both pc's

Thanks very much for the tips -- it's sounds a lot less confusing than I was expecting!

My housemate will be buying the router, and although it sounds daft, I don't want a wireless one because I don't like the idea of sleeping in a room with radio waves blasting out of a box where I sleep..! Housemate also agrees that a few less radio waves than necessary won't be a bad thing. Plus the two PCs never move, and I hope to have moved out of this house before the year is out -- if I'll have scraped together enough money to by a wireless laptop, I'll be able to afford to move!

[Raistlin]

In that case this one should do the trick (the top one on this page). Good price too.

My father has used this company but I haven't, he says they're very good though:

http://www.nickknows.com/index.html?...tml&lang=en-gb

One important point - DON'T get an ADSL modem/router - these won't work on cable.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Raistlin

In that case this one should do the trick (the top one on this page). Good price too.

My father has used this company but I haven't, he says they're very good though:

http://www.nickknows.com/index.html?...tml&lang=en-gb

I doubt you're linking to what you mean to be linking to.

To the OP: May I suggest the following router? This is a basic, but very popular wired router

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...846463-1550860

I have a linskys 4 port wireless router, I set it up in no time at all, my oldest has a machine in his bedroom so he can use my 3meg connection.

[Raistlin]

Originally Posted by danielf

I doubt you're linking to what you mean to be linking to.

You're right (bl**dy frames ), this is what I meant. Router at the top of this page:

http://www.nickknows.com/en-gb/dept_58.html

<Edit: Same one you linked to though, different prices. The NickKnows one looks cheaper but I don't know what the postage charges are like. With the Amazon one you will get free postage.>
__________________

Ok, the price on the NickKnows site is Ex Vat.

He also charges postage so it looks like it's cheaper from Amazon.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Raistlin

You're right (bl**dy frames ), this is what I meant. Router at the top of this page:

http://www.nickknows.com/en-gb/dept_58.html

<Edit: Same one you linked to though, different prices. The NickKnows one looks cheaper but I don't know what the postage charges are like. With the Amazon one you will get free postage.>
__________________

Ok, the price on the NickKnows site is Ex Vat.

He also charges postage so it looks like it's cheaper from Amazon.

I win then?

[Raistlin]

Originally Posted by danielf

I win then?

Suppose so.....

[Halcyon]

It is very easy to connect your computers to a wired router.
The cable modem plugs into the WAN port on your router and then all the computers plug into the routers other ports.
Most routers come with an easy set up configuartion page and if you wither go with linksys or netgear, you should find installation very easy.

Hmm... I printed out descriptions of the recommended routers, but said housemate has gone out and bought a straightforward "8-port Ethernet Switch", with eight ports labelled from TX1 to TX8. A bloke at some stall at a computer fair "who sounded like he knew what he was talking about" told him that would be simpler and less complicated than a router for a fixed network.

I'm not so sure though -- as I think I understood it, a router deals with all the IP address nonsense so that the network doesn't get confused and huffy about having two computers connected. So I'm not sure what the implications are going to be in connecting two PCs running WinXP to share the 3Mb internet connection through an ntl:250 cable modem using a straightforward ethernet switch. The PCs won't be sharing any files or printers or anything.

Could anyone help me with some advice here please, or point me to a link that explains it? Maybe we'll get around to trying to hook the thing up to see what happens once the weather returns to its more season March impersonations next week..!

Sorry, but your housemate's been conned. A switch will work fine for connecting the two PCs together, if you give them fixed IP addrsses, but then neither will be able to access t'Internet. If you don't give the PCs fixed IP addresses, one will get an IP fron NTL, and will be able to access the net, and the other will be left in limbo.

[nightdevil]

you will be able to network and have both pcs on the internet at the same time using the ethernet hub but one will be the 'main' computer controlling the connection while the other will be the 'guest' computer connecting through the main computer ..in order for the guest to be online the main computer has to be on at the same time... using a router resolves this problem as the router is connected to the cable modem rather than one of the computers and as long as the router is powered on then both computers will have an internet connection as and when they need it