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NTL/Virgin replacement Modems?
MkIndy7 - 8/7/07 at 10:18 PM

Arrghhh!

Does anybody know if there are replacement modem/routers for NTL/Virgin broadband?

I'm so confused by various sites saying their products are Cable modem/routers and then when you look deeper into it they only have LAN conections and not the COAX in from the Cable line, so can't be.

My connection is lightneing fast one minute and sooo slow the next.. usually a sign that its time for a 1/2 hr+ wait on the helpline and a week wait whilst they send an engineer out to replace their crappy modem!.

Would be willing to pay £50 for a descent modem that lasts longer than 6 months!

Avoneer - 8/7/07 at 10:33 PM

I've got a little blue NTL/Virgin one sat here kind of redundant if you want to have a go with it and see what happens.

But....I seem to recall that they are tied to accounts/postcodes.....maybe....

Pat... (Dewsbury)...

mark chandler - 8/7/07 at 10:35 PM

broadband modems all follow the same standards whoever the supplier is, and its usally BT but resold !

For £50 you will get a decent wired/wireless one, I have a Belkin one, 4 hard wired LAN ports and wireless, it will support up to 8meg and has been as good as gold.


Infact as its last years model you can Ebay them for less now.li nky thing, NTDWM
Regards Mark

MkIndy7 - 8/7/07 at 10:43 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Avoneer
I've got a little blue NTL/Virgin one sat here kind of redundant if you want to have a go with it and see what happens.

But....I seem to recall that they are tied to accounts/postcodes.....maybe....


Hmm the NTL guy that replaced the last modem to go faulty told me something similar, he admitted that they were useless and aparently the really old original ones are well sought after!

I'll bet its something to do with the MAC address on the lable on the bottom that identifies them.

Thankyou for the offer tho, if it gets much worse I might well take you up on the offer.. they replace them for free but is all the hassle involved!.

P.S (MC) Cable modems and internet are different from the ADSL BT style internet its provided through a COAX connector.

joneh - 9/7/07 at 11:09 AM

I believe NTL identify you on their network by the modems MAC address. It may work if you re-run the NTL setup CD though....

BenB - 9/7/07 at 01:46 PM

What modem is it?
I've had a Motorola Surfboard since signing up with Telewest and its been 100% reliable.....

MkIndy7 - 9/7/07 at 04:57 PM

The last 2 i've had have been the NTL 250 blue versions.

Before that I had 1 if not 2 Silver NTL 120 modems they seemed to last a bit longer than these ones have!.

It looks like there's chipped firmware NTL 250 modems on Ebay that get around the MAC address problem.. but there the same hardware so just as likely to go faulty

Looks like i'll have to struggle on and prepare myself for the dreaded On Hold messages!

Avoneer - 11/7/07 at 06:22 AM

I wonder if it's all that porn you keep looking at?

Pat...

MkIndy7 - 11/7/07 at 05:52 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Avoneer
I wonder if it's all that porn you keep looking at?

Pat...


Maybe (got the Glasses cos i've gone blind)

I blame it on my mums family history reasearch myself

Avoneer - 11/7/07 at 10:05 PM

This is why I went ADSL and got a BT line!

Pat...

stevebubs - 12/7/07 at 12:45 AM

quote:
Originally posted by mark chandler
broadband modems all follow the same standards whoever the supplier is, and its usally BT but resold !


Sorry. No. Not True. There are multiple standards out there. DSL Standards (that BT use) are VERY different to the DOCSIS standards used for cable equipment. DSL routers and cable routers are also different beasts.

First things first...modems and signalling...

DOCSIS modems/routers are normally uniquely identified and tied to a subscriber within the telco's systems. This is certainly the case in some (if not all) NTL areas.

If you're going fast then slow then fast then slow then there is certainly a problem and it may or may not be to do with the modem. Unfortunately I wouldn't guarantee that they'll send an engineer out that knows what to check for on the modem front. e.g. I know that of the engineers I've had out over the years only 1 has had an inkling about signal levels how adding attenuators can help.

On the other hand, your "local" web caches may be playing up - is anyone else in your area having similar problems?

Second....DSL Routers vs Cable Routers.

DSL Routers tend to incorporate a DSL modem that can do the line signalling. Cable Routers don't. They simply take the ethernet presentation from the cable modem and essentially pretend to be your PC plugged into the back of it. If your DSL modem supplied by your bb supplier supports ethernet presentation, you can normally plug a cable router into the back of it and it'll work quite happily

DSL and a BT line is one option but a bit radical. RTD on cable is typically much faster than ADSL. given the 2, I'd choose cable over DSL any day.

HTH

Stephen

stevebubs - 12/7/07 at 12:49 AM

quote:
Originally posted by MkIndy7

Hmm the NTL guy that replaced the last modem to go faulty told me something similar, he admitted that they were useless and aparently the really old original ones are well sought after!



Doesn't suprise me. Mine is about 7 years old and my dads' a little older than that. Most people I know who've had NTL modems in the last few years have had to have them replaced at some point.

[Edited on 12/7/07 by stevebubs]

stevebubs - 12/7/07 at 12:51 AM

quote:
Originally posted by joneh
I believe NTL identify you on their network by the modems MAC address. It may work if you re-run the NTL setup CD though....


Depends on the area. Some are by modem H/W address, some are by your PC's MAC. Some areas have a mixture of both depending on when you subscribed.

stevebubs - 12/7/07 at 01:00 AM

quote:
Originally posted by BenB
What modem is it?
I've had a Motorola Surfboard since signing up with Telewest and its been 100% reliable.....


Yup...that's what we've got. Took a while playing around with attenuators to get it 100% reliable but has been rock solid since.

MkIndy7 - 12/7/07 at 06:05 PM

Some very technical information, thank you.

Last time they came out they put a meter on the incoming cable and added an extra "forward path Attenuator"... it used to have just a 10db one but now i've got a 10db screwed in to a 6db in the back of the modem. (this is the first time they've ever checked or altered this).

Is it maybe worth removing the 6db one?, What are they there for?