On Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:36:29 +0000 Mark Rogers mark@quarella.co.uk wrote:
If memory serves, after the cable modem is turned on, for about a minute or so (maybe more?), it goes into a mode that allows any unregistered MAC address to be given a DHCP address. The official instructions always used to be turn off the computer and the modem, turn the modem on, then turn the PC on, although I always just forced the PC to perform a DHCP request; unplugging the network cable and plugging it back in ought to do that on any modern distro, and if the cable is directly from the PC to the modem it'll probably happen just from turning off the modem.
Once the network is up, you try to access the internet from a browser, which proxies your connection to an NTL login page, where you log in, fill in a couple of details, and it sets up your account to accept your new MAC address (I think you could have 5 registered so the old Windows one should still work). Then reboot the modem and restart the PC's networking again, and you should be online.
So referring to Ted's post, if you put a router between the PC and the NTL cable modem and have that router set up in such as way as it will request the address for the cable side with DHCP but run it's own DHCP server (rather than proxying) for the LAN side the effect will be to register the MAC address of the router with Virgin Media and then anything sitting behind that router will work.
The same would not work with a switch or bridge.
Steve.