A wireless Router... from Heaven ?

ArraMusha

Hello, I'm in Galway and have broadband from NTL. I needed a wireless router buy bought an ADSL by mistake...and NTL dont allow that..?

Can ya recommend a wireless router (Make and model please) that I should get or an ebay shop thats selling them, thanks.

jozi

Can't you connect the router to your ntl modem vie lan cable? So they are bridged

watty

You need a router (with or without wifi) that has an ethernet WAN port. An ADSL router doens't have one as it has the router port internally on the ADSL modem.

Bridging a Modem/Router simply disables the router and makes it be a Modem. So A "Bridged" ADSL modem/router is no use at all for other than ADSL phone line. ADSL Modems only connect to real copper pair phone lines. Cable is a different system.

Argos, Komplett.ie dabs.ie and sometimes PC world have them. Often called Cable Routers though not cable specific.

If it has a phone type jack for ADSL and no 5th ethernet port it won't work.

ArraMusha

Thanks Watty, I'll try pc world for a cable modem. I rang the guy I bought the ADSL router from and he said NTL dont support adsl on the cable system (makes sense and confirms what you said above). I'll read the details before I buy again!

crawler

ArraMushaAgraeen

My own preference, in order, for low cost consumer stuff would be :-

Linksys (good)
Zyxel (Alright)
Netgear (bearable)
D-link (nasty)

As watty points out you need a "cable router" - not one with an ADSL port....

If in doubt, ask here before you buy....loads of people willing to help

EKRIUQ

crawler wrote: »

Linksys (good)
Zyxel (Alright)
Netgear (bearable)
D-link (nasty)

That could be controversial:)

But even Argos have a good selection of cable and Adsl routers

crawler

Namesco wrote: »

That could be controversial:)

But even Argos have a good selection of cable and Adsl routers

Probably but sure ya have to have a bit of fun

Only my own personal opinion......that said, I wouldn't use the Linksys firmware itself - much better stuff out there that really makes it a useful "proper" router... www.dd-wrt.com and the likes

bush

Buffalo with dd wrt firmware, cheap and a good strong signal.

Zirconia

ArraMusha wrote: »

Thanks Watty, I'll try pc world for a cable modem. I rang the guy I bought the ADSL router from and he said NTL dont support adsl on the cable system (makes sense and confirms what you said above). I'll read the details before I buy again!

Just to clarify, as you seem to be unsure; you do not need a cable modem, as you seem to think in your post above. NTL will have terminated the connection with their own cable modem (TV coax cable in, Ethernet port out). As Watty said, you need a router with a separate Ethernet WAN port, along with the normal LAN ports.

You connect the NTL cable modem's Ethernet port to your router's Ethernet WAN port, and your PC(s) to the LAN ports.

lucernarian

Contrary to what some people have said here, you do not need a router with a WAN port necessarily, especially if you have a cable modem that has DCHP and acts as a gateway for the internet. What Jozi implied is basically correct.

For example I used a netopia wireless router designed for use with eircom broadband on a Digiweb FWA connection by simply plugging in a cable from the existing wired router to one of the LAN ports on the Netopia. I then turned of the DHCP on the Netopia, and I think that's all I needed to do! I used that for over a year successfully.

Check the huge thread in the Bargain Alerts forum about the netopia routers for more details.

While I'm not sure about other routers, it's definetely worth a try to do what I did, to avoid the cost of a new router. So don't splash out just yet:)

Btw, I had a very poor experience with Linksys. The version of the WRT54-G that we used had woeful wireless range and in side-by-side comparisons in a range of test scenarios, the bog standard Netopia 2247 came up trumps by around 10 dB in received signal strength. It was the main reason why we hooked up the netopia to the linksys too:cool:

watty

All cable modems do DHCP.

However they usually only "hand out" one IP address, except in some areas that the UPC Modem may offer up to four.

A Router is cheap and acts a firewall. Over 90% of exploits fail if you have a firewall. It's likely that UPC will in future issue only one IP per modem.

The Linksys & Netopias that do DSL and ethernet only WAN router in some case done't even use the same chipset despite similar styling and model name. A particular Texas chip used on various (DSL ONLY) Models was a problem.

To summarise:
You DON'T need a Modem (you can't install your own on Cable)
You DO need a Router (with no modem built in).

Crawler's list is good. Sitecom seem to work too (Maplin).
Anything else is a stunningly bad idea and marginal saving. Decent WiFi Routers for ethernet are from €65.

Without an ethernet WAN port it's not a Router at all, if you have Cable or Wireless. Only phone lines can use Routers bought by customer with a built in DSL Modem.

Integrated Cable Modem/Routers do exist, but only your cable provider can supply one, so best solution is as I already said, ethernet WAN router/Firewall.

jozi

Isn't it really just a hub thats needed which also should have wireless?

lucernarian

Watty are you talking about WAN DHCP as given from the cable company, or a DHCP server built into the cable modem? If the modem had its own DHCP server, then there is no issue. If it was the former, then the most cost effective way around it would be to pony up the €60 odd for a new ethernet router as watty says.

If the cable modem only assigns IP addresses given to it by UPC, and it doesn't have NAT or any such security feautre, then an ethernet-based router will be necessary:( but if the modem or whatever UPC gives these days has DHCP and NAT built into it, then a new wireless router would not be necessary and the ADSL one can be used alongside it. Like I said, ADSL routers are not necessarily useless for non-ADSL connections, and can be used as a wireless access point if there's a router already on the network.

watty

Any Cable modems with NAT/Firewall have WiFI too. Most cable modems are just modems. No NAT, no firewall. UPC has supplied some Modem/Routers, but AFAIK they all have WiFi.

If it has one ethernet socket (possibly a USB too), no matter if it has phone ports, then the Cable modem is just a Modem.

PogMoThoin

Bet they'll try & sell you a Belkin in pc world, avoid at all costs, Belkin would probably be no. 50 in crawlers extended list

I agree with Crawlers list but would class D-link slightly better than Netgear, although I've had issues with both including one today where a Netgear router didn't like me changing the Lan ip. Linksys seem to just work without any issues.

watty

It depends on the Model. Most Linksys, Netgear some Dlink are very good. Some models are terrible. I have one Netgear that only does TKIP and not AES mode but the Dlink I have does the superior AES. I have various models from Sitecom, Dlink, Netgear and Linksys.

I'm not a Belkin fan. I have some USB WiFi with same model number and three different insides! One works on Linux and the others don't as all need different drivers.

They'll try and sell you an ADSL Modem/Router in PC World. And "Warrenty".

Aquos76

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1175244179609&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper&lid=7960933028B01

This is a great router and so simple to set up. It seems to work perfect with UPC also. The netgear which they supply is nothing but trouble if you ask me. PC World sell the linksys for €40