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Mouse
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So my mam ditches her ISP, Sky and telephone for NTL to look at saving money. The equipment is installed today.
However they haven't supplied a modem (is this the norm now?) instead it's a telephone style box that's hooked up to the receiver box (which is downstairs - PC upstairs) So she calls me to see if I will install the software and hook up the supplied cable to the PC.
Software installed cable hooked up (some reason they've gone down the USB route - WHY???) tried to establish a connection and it fails, so I call their customer support 10 minute wait (on a mobile phone I might add - as their telephone line takes 24hours to activate).
Get's through explained the problem and the error code, all she did was take details and explained that they would call back after 72 hours!!!
Isn't there something I can do myself to solve this and why does she have to wait 72 hours?
NTL users to reply only.
Thanks
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R.I.P. Jinxy 02/06/08
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greysts
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Did the engineer test the connections to Broadband and telephone before he left? Presumably not. Have any of the services been activated yet? Are you sure there isn't an ethernet connection on the set top box? NTL have been pushing ethernet over USB so it's a bit starnge if they haven't provided one.
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Do you know that we're all in line for succession to the throne? Really?
Well, if forty-eight million, two hundred thousand, seven hundred and one people died I'd be Queen.
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Mouse
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No the engineer did not test them, gave some excuse, I wasn't there when he came (was at work) The only service that hasn't been activated is the telephone line. It's an ethernet plugged into a USB cable. I was going to take this out, but my mam insisted that the engineer said that needed to be her set up. Which baffled me. Is it right for them to not supply a modem? I thought they did?
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R.I.P. Jinxy 02/06/08
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greysts
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NTL is supposed to supply the complete kit of parts. Have a look at this for help on setting up the set top box.
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Do you know that we're all in line for succession to the throne? Really?
Well, if forty-eight million, two hundred thousand, seven hundred and one people died I'd be Queen.
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Mouse
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Thanks
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R.I.P. Jinxy 02/06/08
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Toney_Ericsson
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Im an NTL customer - they should supply you with a modem, usb cable and ethernet cable (they recomend the ethernet cable, it is better than usb I found)
You also should get the set up cd (countless people have found it to lock up on installation) or not to work if you later want to for some reason use it again. By using the ethernet cable though it assigns you an ip so once installed theres never a need to reinstall it. I got them to send me another cd just in case though. Your need a pin number to set up the internet too - this the engineer should of left you. I was at work also when it was installed but the engineer never left a pin, I had to ring them later and get it. Good luck - by the way I hope they put up there speeds seeing as NTL and Telewest are one now. Telewest get 10MB broadband.
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Mouse
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The connection got activated 5 days after her installation date, she still has no modem, just the "telephone" style box fitted to the wall followed by the USB hookup. It seems slow compared to her previous ISP, I assume this is down to the USB hookup?
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R.I.P. Jinxy 02/06/08
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greysts
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Can you clarify what you mean by "telephone" style box? It should be an NTL Home 100 box with 4 sockets at the back - power, USB, ethernet and NTL cable. The connection to the PC should be either the USB or Ethernet but NTL themselves recommend ethernet not USB.
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Do you know that we're all in line for succession to the throne? Really?
Well, if forty-eight million, two hundred thousand, seven hundred and one people died I'd be Queen.
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Mouse
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The socket that you have on your wall that BT supply so that you plug in your telephone into that socket so that you can make and receive land line calls. Cable & Wireless/NTL used to do the same thing, but they'd install a seperate socket. Anyhow they have installed one of these sockets upstairs where my mam's PC is kept. A line is plugged into this socket which then has a USB converter to hook up the PC to the net.
This sockett that is installed links to the NTL TV box in the living room (according to the engineer).
I hope that makes sense, next time I visit, I will take some photos to explain it more clearly.
(I apologise for saying telephone box, I meant telephone socket)
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R.I.P. Jinxy 02/06/08
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greysts
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We are getting into deep water aren't we. You are talking about something I've never seen or heard of. I was under the impression that although all the services come down the same bit of NTL fibre optic cable in the street, once they were in your home you got different bits of kit to link up your stuff (set top box for TV, socket for phone and modem for BB). From your description that clearly isn't the case. Sounds as everything is going through the set top box.
Like you, I don't undertstand why they've gone down the USB route when their own website says they don't recommend USB any more. Much as I hate to say it I think your only choice now is to ask NTL if they can supply an ethernet connection for your mum's PC and see what they say.
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Do you know that we're all in line for succession to the throne? Really?
Well, if forty-eight million, two hundred thousand, seven hundred and one people died I'd be Queen.
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Mouse
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I will take some pictures to show you, I am visiting there next week for some reason or other  and I'll show you the lot, thinking back, it's been awhile since I visited, I'm sure it's an ethernet cable with a usb converter cable hooked up to the PC at the front of the tower.
Just to clear this up, she won't be getting the most from her connection will she?
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R.I.P. Jinxy 02/06/08
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greysts
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If the PC has USB 2.0 ports then speed shouldn't be an issue but it's not so reliable as ethernet. Is it possible that the box that NTL installed is actually an ethernet connection? They do look very similar to a t/p box. If it is it should be simply a case of removing the USB converter and replacing it with a Cat5 ethernet cable.
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Do you know that we're all in line for succession to the throne? Really?
Well, if forty-eight million, two hundred thousand, seven hundred and one people died I'd be Queen.
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Mouse
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Update.
Here's the images as I said. Excuse the lower quality as I forgot my Camera, so I took these on my K750i
^ That's the telephone style socket I was telling you about, that runs from her TV box downstairs.
That cable, I'm assuming is an ethernet, then is converted to USB cable, which is hooked up to the USB port on the fron of the PC.
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R.I.P. Jinxy 02/06/08
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greysts
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Mouse
I am almost certain that the box and cable are indeed Cat5 ethernet. It should be possible to remove the USB converter and plug the ethernet cable straight into the NIC in the back of the PC. UNLESS, of course Mum's PC hasn't actually got a NIC and that's why NTL put in the converter.
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Do you know that we're all in line for succession to the throne? Really?
Well, if forty-eight million, two hundred thousand, seven hundred and one people died I'd be Queen.
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Mouse
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I'm quite confident there's NIC.
Time is always an issue when I visit, so I don't get to spend as long as I'd like on her machine.
I will check next time I am down. Can you clear up the matter if this setup is the norm?
On another note they've still to put in a seperate line upstairs too.
She's already talking of moving back to BT
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R.I.P. Jinxy 02/06/08
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greysts
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I'm afraid I don't know if this is a normal setup. Would you like me to post a question on Chetnet?
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Do you know that we're all in line for succession to the throne? Really?
Well, if forty-eight million, two hundred thousand, seven hundred and one people died I'd be Queen.
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Mouse
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If you don't mind
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R.I.P. Jinxy 02/06/08
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greysts
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I've just had a reply on the Chetnet forum.
Quote:
Hi,
normally the installer will do what is asked, and if not will put "the connection" next to a PC / Router.
Taking the broadband from the STB is "normal" in the areas where its available and in that case the TV (therefore STB) is often in the wrong place for the PC / Router.
So from that I'd assume the installer must have had som guidance about where to terminate the cable.
It will be a cat5 / 5e cable and you can indeed remove the USB adapter.
Hope this helps!
Peter
I've gone back with a supplementary question - why USB when they recommend Ethernet and if the swap over is simply a case of switching off, removing the USB and inserting the ethernet and then switch on. I'll let you know.
--------------------
Do you know that we're all in line for succession to the throne? Really?
Well, if forty-eight million, two hundred thousand, seven hundred and one people died I'd be Queen.
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Mouse
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Reg'd: Thu
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Loc: Psst....over here
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Thank you very much. I'm grateful you've gone out of your way.
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R.I.P. Jinxy 02/06/08
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greysts
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There's more!
Quote:
No problem, we definitely prefer Ethernet to USB, but without seeing why etc. there may have been a good reason to leave the USB.
As an example one install visit I went on had two PCs one with Ethernet and USB, one USB only. Better to leave too much than too little I guess!
If its STB then there is an an association between the service entitlement and client side MAC address. In this case the USB MAC has been registered but now the EThernet needs to be.
Good news is that is easy - see the Chetnet Article "Changing connections to A Set Top Box" at this link. The latter half applies!
Let us know how it goes!
Peter
Clearly the man who wrote the reply at Chetnet was an installer himself so should know what he's talking about.
I too would like to know the result
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Do you know that we're all in line for succession to the throne? Really?
Well, if forty-eight million, two hundred thousand, seven hundred and one people died I'd be Queen.
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