(Ted Harding) wrote:
On 19-Feb-10 10:57:48, Steve Fosdick wrote:
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.
Yes, that's exactly how it was done. That was over 5 years ago, and I was a bit hazy about details when I first posted. However, I've now located the PDF for the router. You first have to register the router's MAC address with Virgin (once and for all), and then you can plug whatever you like into the LAN side.
The last time I did this, which was a while ago but within the last year, I stuck a new router in with no problems. I turned it all off for a few mins (inc. NTL cable modem), turned back on (modem first, wait a few mins, then router) and it renegotiated everything and just worked. AFAIK, it's been donkey's years since one had to go to a web page and register etc.
The info so far is spot on; in order to have multiple devices internally, one needs a router. Currently I'm using a netgear wireless router with 1 WAN port (to the NTL cable modem) and 4 LAN ports in addition to wireless (can't remember the model, sorry). Set router to use DHCP as client on the WAN, and to provide DHCP as server on the LAN.
NTL cable has been a good service here where I live for the 12 years I've been here, and it runs at 50meg now, which is top.
Cheers, Laurie.