Router advice!

dazftw

Ok so I have ntl broadband and my bro is getting a laptop for christmas so I need a router so we can both have internet in the house!

Heres the thing I dont really have a clue tbh when it comes to picking a router thats actually good/will work with my broadband!

So any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

gismoman

I have linskys 2.4ghz router which cost about €100 The main thing is that it has enough power to work around the house so make shure of that before you buy. mine was supplied by my provider we live in an old house and it works all over

parliament

Firstly you need to make sure you get a router with a cable modem and not a ADSL modem

joe_chicken

parliament wrote:

Firstly you need to make sure you get a router with a cable modem and not a ADSL modem

Could you not just connect whatever wireless router to the current router (and switch the old one to bridge mode)...

Not too sure about the router you get from NTL, but I'm sure it's possible

Foxwood

joe_chicken wrote:

Could you not just connect whatever wireless router to the current router (and switch the old one to bridge mode)...

Not too sure about the router you get from NTL, but I'm sure it's possible

You don't bridge a cable modem - "bridging" a DSL router essentially stops it acting as a router and it becomes "just a modem".

A DSL router doesn't have an ethernet WAN port, so you can't connect the WAN port to a cable modem. You can connect the LAN port to a cable modem, and just use the "router" as a simple LAN switch, but it won't work as a router that way.

joe_chicken

Foxwood wrote:

You don't bridge a cable modem - "bridging" a DSL router essentially stops it acting as a router and it becomes "just a modem".

Wasn't sure whether it was a router or a modem they got with cable... my bad

watty

parliament wrote:

Firstly you need to make sure you get a router with a cable modem and not a ADSL modem

No. You can't connect your own cable modem, not like DSL.

You need a router with an ethernet WAN port (an NO internal modem at all) and connect that port to the existing cable modem (which does not do routing). There ARE combined cable modems with built in routers and optionally WiFi, but I don't know of any irish company using DOCSIS/Cable installing them.

Such a router can be used with DSL by indeed switching the DSL router/modem to bridge, or with ANY wireless service that uses an ethernet port on customer equipment.

Mostly in Ireland only DSL service providers supply modems with built in Routers.


What Foxwood says is absolutely true. Also some cable providers will ONLY "hand out" one IP address via DHCP, so directly connecting a hub or swtich isn't a good idea. Also an ADSL router has a built in DHCP server, so you would have the DHCP on the cable modem and the DHCP of the DSL router on the same LAN = trouble.

So the ONLY solution is a router with a separate WAN ethernet port (usually slightly separate from the other ethernet ports and labelled "WAN"). A DSL "wan" port can only connect to a phone line. An ISDN router looks like a WAN ethernet router, but the rJ45 is not ethernet, but a ISDN s-Bus connecting ONLY to and ISDN Terminal Adaptor. It musn't connect direct to the line.

parliament

watty wrote:

No. You can't connect your own cable modem, not like DSL.

... but I don't know of any irish company using DOCSIS/Cable installing them.

Such a router can be used with DSL by indeed switching the DSL router/modem to bridge, or with ANY wireless service that uses an ethernet port on customer equipment.

Mostly in Ireland only DSL service providers supply modems with built in Routers.

'No.' is a pretty definitive maybe IMHO would have been better. You can connect you own cable modem (modem term used loosely here as this is the manufacturers terms for these products even though no actual modem exists)
just because Irish companies don't issue them does not mean they can't be used. If that was the case we would all be using standard issued routers etc and not upgrading. I'm sure I have seen mentioned on the boards cases where people have bought all in one NTL modem (WAN port)/routers

watty

A cable modem has to be provisioned. Perhaps people bought them off NTL?

You can stick a DSL modem on yourself, it only needs the username & Password etc. There is no username/password. The Cable provider needs the cable MAC and also perhaps model if it has extra features. The Cable ISP then makes it connect.

Most people with Cable or Cable type protocol broadband use a WAN ethernet router (optionally with WiFi) they buy themselves. Most of those are superior to any WiFi+Router with cable modem built in.

I'd hate to be limited to the router products with a cable modem built in. You won't find them for sale any regular retailer either like PC World, maplin, Komplett etc, you buy a ethernet WAN router/Wifi and connect to the existing cable modem.

I bought about 10 different cable modems for tests. None had routers or wifi. I had to get them in North America or via eBay. Then each one had to be enabled by special arrangement with the ISP.

Linksys, Netgear, Dlink, Belkin, ZyXel all make easy to buy & source router/NAT/WiFi with no modem built in which will work with ANY ethernet cable modem, ethernet Wireless link modem or an ADSL modem or ADSL router in Bridge mode.


Re Cable Modem:
What do you call something that has a upstream transmitter (5.. 65MHz), modulator (1Mhz BW, typically 128kbps to 1Mbps), downstream tuner (108 .. 860MHz), demodulator (6MHz BW, typically 1Mpbs to 15Mbps), control logic and ethernet conection?

Hint in bold.