Query again.

My son is trying to connect his computer upstairs to mine - using my modem.

jamps...

<<<<<>>>

Thanks for all the help pmj.
He has done it!

pmj...

Great!!!
Nice one!
:-)

Solved the problem by changing a cross-over cable for a straight one.

pmj...

Ah yes...
Ethernet (RJ45) Cables are available (as you now know!) in 2 different
kinds - they look basically the same, with the same kind of Plugs.
It's only the Internal Wiring of them that is different.

To Connect a PC to another piece of Equipment, such as a Router,
or a Cable Modem (or to Connect a Cable Modem to a Router or a PC),
you definitely need a "Straight-Through" Ethernet Cable - the only
time (normally) that you use a "Cross-Over" Ethernet Cable is when
you are Connecting a PC to another PC, directly, rather than through
a Router.

*Some* Routers actually have what's called an "Auto-Sense" Ethernet
Socket & they can use either, but many (most?) don't, so you do need
to use the right sort of Ethernet Cable (a Straight-Through one)

First thing he did after connecting was install Anti-virus.

pmj...

Well - He should really have done that *before* Connecting the PC
to the Internet!

He has noticed that he is connecting to another network with a Wanadoo ISP.

pmj...

As BoyPete asked - do you mean actually *Connecting* to another
(nearby, local, neighbouring) WiFi Network?
Or just that it's *Visible* in the List of Networks?

jamps...

Visible - I think.

He hasn't been able to open it 'cos it is encrypted.

pmj...

Ah, so it's just "Visible" & not able to be actually Connected
to then?

That's as it should be. (Though he could (if he wanted to) Set his
WiFi Network not to "Broadcast" its SSID (Service Set IDentifier)

But that will only make it *seem* to be not Visible, it can actually
still be found, very easily, by plenty of different Utilities.

Get yourself a Copy of something like NetStumbler from...

or

& then you can use it to check that *your* WiFi Network is properly
Secure.

I wonder if he can be picked up by someone else?

BoyPete...

'Connecting' ? or can he just see the Wanadoo network? I can see my
neighbours, and I daresay, he sees mine, but my security prevents him
getting access.

pmj...

If he has it Encrypted, then only people who know the Key can
Connect to it.

BTW - If it's only using WEP Encryption (rather than WPA) the WEP Key
can be found, by using various Utilities.

WEP Encryption is better than nothing at all, but it's not actually
all that Secure.
WPA Encryption is *much* more Secure.

If all the (WiFi) things that you want to Connect to your WiFi
Network support WPA Encryption (some old Laptops & early USB WiFi
Dongles don't), then it's a *very* good idea to use WPA, rather
than WEP

jamps...

Thank you Pete & pmj.
I'll let him read all that 'cos it's double dutch to me! :-)

pmj...

Well, go to this URL in your Web Browser...

& you should get the Admin Login Page of your Belkin) Router come up.
That Page is actually *in* the Router itself (& not out on the Internet)
So only people actually Connected (by either Ethernet Cable or WiFi)
to your own Network can Access it (unless you have changed the Advanced
Security Settings of it, to allow Access to the ADmin Pages from
outside, which you shouldn't do unless you limit it to known, trusted
IP Addresses.

Where it asks for the UserName & PassWord, Enter "Admin" & Admin"
(on the later Belkin Routers), or just leave it Blank, (for the earlier
Belkin Routers) & then Click [Submit] (unless you have already changed
the PassWord to one of your own, which you should have done, in which
case Enter the PassWord you have Set)

Then you can look at the Admin (& Status) Pages & see all the various
different things that you can (& should!) Set, so as to make your WiFi
Connection Secure.

It has a fairly comprehensive (yet quite readable!) Help System
built in to it, so you can look at the Help Pages, to find out what
each Option does & what Settings you need to make sure are set right.

Also, make sure to look at the .PDF Manual that comes on the CD with
the Router (or you can DownLaod it from the Belkin Website)

At the very least, you should Set your own PassWord on the Router
Admin Login Page, so that *if* anybody else does manage to Connect
to your WiFi Network, they can't then a Access the Admin Pages & lock
you out of your own Network!

& also, make sure to Set (as a minimum) the WEP Encryption & preferably
use WPA Encryption, rather than WEP.

Most people also suggest changing the SSID of it to something other
than the "belkin54g" or "Belkin_G_Plus_MIMO" Default SSID but it's
also a good idea *not* to use anything that is readly Identifiable
(or associated with you), so as not to tell everybody in the
neighborhood that you have a WiFi Network, waiting to be Accessed.

Many people also suggest turning off the "Broadcast" of the SSID,
but in practice, that only hides it from the most basic things,
like the windoze (& Belkin) WiFi Configuration Utilities.

Anybody with any WiFi "Sniffer" Utility such as something like
NetStumbler will still see the SSID, even if it's not being Broadcast.

& (nearly) finally, possibly the most useful (& most often needed)
thing you can do (quite apart from Setting up the Security) is to
make sure that *you* know how to Access the Status Page in the Router,
whenever you need to, so that you can sort out any Connection probs -

Even if the Info on the Staus page doesn't make all that much sense
(at first) to you, you can Post up what the Status Page says & people
can then Help you get the probs sorted.

Also, make sure that *you* (& not just the other people using it!)
know how to ReSet the Router & what the various Pretty Flashing Colored
Lights on it mean!!!
:-)

They will really Help you whenever you have any probs.
Cos they show the state of the various Connections involved.

All of those things you do really need to make sure you can Access
& Set - cos you never know when you might have a prob with the Internet
Connection.

A Cable Modem Connection (like yours is) is *usually* far less prone
to Drop outs & poor Connections than a typical ADSL Connection, but
you will still be relying on both the Cable Modem & the Router for
your Internet Connection (& possibly the WiFi bit of it as well),
so you do need to be confident of Accessing the basic bits of the
Router Admin Pages - in other words make sure that you Set (& that
you know!) the Login PassWord for it.

If you don't, you may well find yourself Locked out of it & with no
Internet Connection.

None of the above is s'posed to scare you! - It's just to make you
aware of what needs to be known, when you are Opertaing a WiFi Network.

Cos even if you don't know, there are plenty of people around who
will be able to take advantage of it (& possibly Lock you out of your
own Network in the process, &/or use your Bandwidth if you don't make
it Secure.

He has gone out to buy a wireless router - I remember Belkin is recommended.
Does he need anything else?

What info does he need from my connection ie: IP number, ntl disc etc?

I will be out tomorrow when the attempt is made so need to leave him any

BoyPete...

You are on NTL??
He will need a 'cable router'
It will come with all the instructions he will need.

MCC...

Surely he'll only need a cable router if they are on cable. If they are on
NTL dial-up they won't.

Ali...

Cable routers, so called, are just routers, as opposed to ADSL
router/modems.

If they're on dial-up, Internet Connection Sharing, and no router would
probably be a better way to go.

pmj...

I dunno if you've got it all sussed out now, or not?...

jamps...

He has problems!

But anyway...

I seem to recall that you use an NTL *Cable* Internet Connection?
& not an ADSL (Phone Line) Internet Connection?
& not a Dial Up Modem Connection?

jamps...

Yes - NTL Cable connection.

If you're using a Cable Modem (as opposed to an ADSL (Broadband)
or Dial Up (ordinary) Connection), then all you need is a WiFi
*Router* (& not an ADSL Modem Router) - Remember many people in
here use an ADSL Connection, so won't necessarily be aware of
or know about how things are done with a Cable Modem.

jamps...

He has a Belkin Wireless G+MIMO Router.

& (as Ali mentioned) with a Cable Modem, all you need to do is to
Connect the (existing) Cable Modem to the Router, then the PCs
Connect to the Router, using either an Ethernet Cable or the WiFi.

Simple as that!
:-)

jamps...

I 'think' his initial problem is changing my modem from USB connection to
Ethernet connection. Before he left last night he muttered something like
"Dynamic- static -PPOE - which one?"

John the R-T...

Dynamic.

You can download an easy setup guide from

Is his computer a PC or laptop? NumOneSun had problems with a Belkin
router being to fast for his laptop. We cured it by reducing the
speed of the router.

jamps...

Thanks John. He has a PC & laptop but is attempting to connect his PC.

The Connection between the Cable Modem & the Router is made using an
*Ethernet* (RJ45) Cable - so that will only work if your Cable Modem
*does* actually have an Ethernet Socket! - Some of the NTL Cable Modems
use a USB Connection & that won't work with an most Routers.

So check what sort of NTL cable Modem you have.
What make & Model Number is it?

jamps...

My modem is TERAYON TJ210 (The box states it's a USB Cable modem)

You *can* (with a fair bit of Faffing around) use a USB Cable Modem,
with *some* Routers, or via your PC, but it's not usually worth the
trouble.

Just get (or make sure you have) a proper Cable Modem with an
*Ethernet* (RJ45) Connection & then just Connect that directly to
the Router.

Then the other PCs will Connect to the Router - either using an
Ethernet Cable or using WiFi, if they have a WiFi Adapter in them.

I think you have a Medion PC, which has a WiFi thingy in it, haven't
you? - If so, then that works fine with a WiFi Router - Or you can
just use an Ethernet Cable for it, cos it's go an Ethernet (RJ45)
Connection on it as well.

It really is, actually *very* easy to Connect it all up, with a Cable
Modem, (provided you have the right equipment & Ethernet Cables etc,)
there's no "Setting up" or Installing involved - you basically just
Plug it in & it "just works"!
:-)

jamps...

Thanks for your help pmj. I think the modem could be the problem!
He'll have another go tonight so I'll let you know the outcome.

You definitely *don't* need to do any "Installing" of any Software
from the NTL Disk or anything like that, on any of the PCs.

info he may need.

MCC...

Hello Jamps,

If your son is getting a router, it will replace your modem. One computer

Ali...

Not necessarily, especially if jamps is an ntl or telewest customer.

Router and modem are two entirely different functions sometimes combined in
one box for ADSL.

MCC...

What I meant was they won't be able to use both at the same time. Or have I

Ali...

Yes, the router connects to the modem by ethernet (replacing the existing
PC), both PCs connect to the router using ethernet or wi-fi.

This is possible with an ADSL modem, it is essential (AFAIK) with a cable
modem.

got that wrong?

will (normally) be connected to the the router by an ethernet cable, which
will come with the router and then the router will be connected to the
phone line. The other computer can be connected via another ethernet cable
or wirelessly if capable. Most laptops these days have built-in wireless
connectivity. If not he will need a gizmo to connect the second computer
wirelessly. Saves having wires trailing all over the place. Hopefully the
shop will keep him right.
I have a Belkin router, it has performed flawlessly, both for this PC and
for my laptop (wirelessly).
He will need the IP address for both machines. Go to Start>Run and type
'cmd' without the inverted commas. Then type 'ipconfig /all' - on mine the
IP address is shown as 'Physical Addresss'
There's no installation required with my router, so no disc necessary. It's
all done through the browser to web pages produced by the router.
Good luck!