Will NTL/UPC let me use my own router?

faigs

....and not pay the €49 for theirs when I sign up for the package?

Just wondering!

steveon

U need a router with an f connector on it for the input not a rj11 connection so doubt u would be able as they need to set it up for you and also test the signal to make sure u dont have problems afterwards

DingDong

faigs wrote: »

....and not pay the €49 for theirs when I sign up for the package?

Just wondering!

Yes you can use your own router as long as its suitable for cable BB. If you order the broadband express or ultra you will get a free router.

Guy:Incognito

You can use any (suitable cable BB) router with it.

Steveon, your thinking of the modem. The supply that to everyone, otherwise you couldnt get BB. The wireless router they supply is optional.

spartacus93

What router do you have? They will supply you with a cable modem free of charge (no wireless). You will need a router with an RJ45 (network cable) WAN port to share the connection over your wireless. A DSL router will not work. They have no problems with you using your own.

BostonB

Is there a combined modem/router you can get? All the cables and power leads is a pain.

watty

Only from UPC.

A cable modem has to be "provisioned". Unlike DSL where any modem will work, the cable modem needs a download from the Cable Operator to operate properly. The management system will only support certain models. Also each modem is uniquely coded to the system.

Result:
:: If you use a S/H Modem from a different cable company (Virgin, Permanet, Casey, Verizon etc from eBay) it won't connect.
:: If you use even the same model of modem, not supplied by UPC, it won't connect
:: If you use a different make of modem, possibly UPC can't make it work even if they wanted to.

(The cable modems unlike DSL modem/routers, thus always belong to the cable provider, S/H ones on ebay are effectively stolen. You'll find that you can only buy new cable modem, like a nice Arriss with 4 port switch, 2 phone ports and WiFi, if you are a cable operator).

I find the arrangement flexible. The Modem goes where the Coax is. Then you run CAT5 cable to a more suitable point for the Router/WiFi

You can put it all in ventilated box with a power strip.

The other issue is that because Cable Modems belong to the Cable company, the models with WiFi and router are very very basic compared with 3rd party ethernet router/Wifi.
Single 54Mbps 802.11g is a good as it gets. No Turbo MIMO a/b/g+ up to 125Mbps on multiple aerials. No 802.11n, no OpenWRT etc.

There are a very wide choice of WiFi / Router with ethernet WAN port for cable Modem or other ethernet (bridged DSL, Breeze, Ripwave etc). You can even get ones with USB also and setup fail-over to 3G USB dongle using OpenWRT.

DingDong

BostonB wrote: »

Is there a combined modem/router you can get? All the cables and power leads is a pain.

UPC are starting to use a all in one modem/wireless router.
Link

white_westie

Regarding UPC install options described by watty

My sister currently has digital tv from upc and is looking at getting an all in pkg - phone, bb + tv. Just trying to work out how all this hangs together. UPC site not great, but after reading through boards have come up with the following.

a) co-axial cable from tap into house is split with proper 2 way splitter using f connectors - 1 feeds the stb and the other feeds the cable modem
b) stb works as normal and can be located away from splitter using long length of quality coax cable.
c) same applies for cable modem?

Now for the bits I'm not sure of
d) the phone supplied is a dect phone so I assume the modem acts a base station?
can you have more that 1 phone? are you restricted to specific models.
e) the modem is not a network switch, so there is only 1 rj45 connection to provide a single network connection? Is it also the same for dhcp or nat? What type of ip address is assigned to the port - not your typical 192.168.1.x
f) I understand you can use your own wireless router/switch so could you use something like a Buffalo whr-hp-g54 airstation?

Basically main tv in is 1 room at front of house, desktop pc is in back room. and nephew has xbox 360 or ps3 which he wants to use wireless upstairs in house.
Was thinking if my assumptions where correct, I would run a cable from modem to a buffalo switch (wireless is good on buffalo hp-g54 model) and connect pc to it directly.
Xbox/PC can connect wireless.

I assume the Netgear wireless router is just okay, and that upc would not install extra cabling around house?
Any info to confirm or rubbish my assumptions would be useful.

WW

BostonB

When they installed mine they gave me the option to install the BB in a different room than the TV. The box on the wall is different for the BB, and the modem I have only works there. I assume theres some sort of resistence or filter for BB in that box only. If you get them installed in the same room I dunno what they do. The TV can be split no problem. I split one into the TV and the other into a analog HD recorder. So I can record one analog channel while watching the other.

The modem has a ata port. You can plug any phone into it. So you plug a normal DECT base station into it, and then because its DECT you can add as many phones as you want.

You plug a standard ethernet WiFi/Router into the modem.

I would put a wifi card in the PC. Why bother with running ethernet cable unless you are a hardcore gamer.

The modem runs DCHP, not a static IP. If you turn it off and back on, you get a different IP.

Its all quite simple, but theres a lot of cables which is a pain.

vibe666

white_westie wrote: »

Now for the bits I'm not sure of
d) the phone supplied is a dect phone so I assume the modem acts a base station?

can you have more that 1 phone? are you restricted to specific models.

they give you a 2 phone pack of dect phones, but they're pretty basic and IMHO, not that great.

I did have a nice 4 pack of Dect phones I got from Argos about 4 years ago which I had been using on my BT line for years, but because they are not compatible with the digitial line you get with NTL, they do not work (or so I've been told). you may want to check this if you have dect phones already depending on their age, but I've been told that pretty much any current dect phone should work as they should all be compatible with a digital line these days.

white_westie wrote: »

e) the modem is not a network switch, so there is only 1 rj45 connection to provide a single network connection? Is it also the same for dhcp or nat? What type of ip address is assigned to the port - not your typical 192.168.1.x

whatever you plug into the ethernet port on the modem will be given your public IP address so if you just set the WAN port on your router to DHCP the modem will give it your public IP address and the modem becomes pretty much transparent from then on.

white_westie

Guys
Thks for the info - it seems my sister cannot get upc broadband in her house, even though its in the estate and available in a house less than 100m away.
Shes waiting for a callback to see if 'the system is wrong...'

@bostonb regarding putting a wireless card in the pc, I know it should work, but I like to cable the primary pc if possible. My own experience is quite different - the partition wall in my study kills any signal no matter what wireless router I use - if I move it just outside the door I have no problems.

@vibe666 - thanks for clarrifiying that.

BostonB

I guess that rules out WiFi so.

Galway K9

watty wrote: »

Only from UPC.

A cable modem has to be "provisioned". Unlike DSL where any modem will work, the cable modem needs a download from the Cable Operator to operate properly. The management system will only support certain models. Also each modem is uniquely coded to the system.

Result:
:: If you use a S/H Modem from a different cable company (Virgin, Permanet, Casey, Verizon etc from eBay) it won't connect.
:: If you use even the same model of modem, not supplied by UPC, it won't connect
:: If you use a different make of modem, possibly UPC can't make it work even if they wanted to.

(The cable modems unlike DSL modem/routers, thus always belong to the cable provider, S/H ones on ebay are effectively stolen. You'll find that you can only buy new cable modem, like a nice Arriss with 4 port switch, 2 phone ports and WiFi, if you are a cable operator).

I find the arrangement flexible. The Modem goes where the Coax is. Then you run CAT5 cable to a more suitable point for the Router/WiFi

You can put it all in ventilated box with a power strip.

The other issue is that because Cable Modems belong to the Cable company, the models with WiFi and router are very very basic compared with 3rd party ethernet router/Wifi.
Single 54Mbps 802.11g is a good as it gets. No Turbo MIMO a/b/g+ up to 125Mbps on multiple aerials. No 802.11n, no OpenWRT etc.

There are a very wide choice of WiFi / Router with ethernet WAN port for cable Modem or other ethernet (bridged DSL, Breeze, Ripwave etc). You can even get ones with USB also and setup fail-over to 3G USB dongle using OpenWRT.

Hey Watty,

On that note, Would i be correct in assuming, theoretically, you can actually use any cable modem but, you must have a modem with sudo access / linux based system, change your modems mac address to a MAC that is permitted, and then the cable modem would be authorized to download the file, thus giving access to the network? Correct.

Apologies for reviving and old thread, but its a great thread.

Cabaal

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