Re: Problem setting up broadband from Tiscali

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"pmj" <post@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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When we know that (& the Make & Model Number of the Modem), we can
come up with a way of sussing it out & getting the Modem Drivers
Installed OK (& with a bit of luck<g>) when we know the Model Number
of the Modem, we may find out that it's actually got an Ethernet
Connection (as well as a USB Connection) on it! In which case it
will all be *very* easy to sort out!
:-)

For what it's worth, may I add my experiences?

Yes, please do!
:-)

I went ADSL using a Speedtouch 536v6 modem/router in Spring '06

Is that this one?...
http://www.thomson-broadband.co.uk/codepages/content3.asp?c=7&ProductID=520

That seems to be an ADSL Modem (with a Router built-in), but with only
*one* Ethernet (& also a USB) Connection - like the BT Voyager 205.
Unlike many other Routers, those ones don't have several Ethernet
Sockets.

But they are fine - you can use them with more than one PC (because
they have a Router in them), just by using an Ethernet Switch, which
acts like a sort of "Splitter".

while running a W98SE machine. I had enormous problems getting
it connected using the USB connection, but eventually, after
spending hours with my ISP, I got it working. Last November I had
to format and reinstall, and again I had problems such that even my
ISP finally said they couldn't help me, since nobody there at that
time knew anything about W98SE. Again I fiddled about for hours
and eventually I "pushed the right button" but I couldn't remember
what I did.

Pity...
:-)

Cos it's going through that process (of the Installation etc,) that
often causes probs.

& having done it, that can help the next time, (if you do remember
what you did).

Thanks to all your help and advice last February I and spouse are
now the proud owners of two shiny new XP computers.

You never did tell us what sort you ended up getting, did you?
:-)

We (I) have decided to go for Ethernet rather than WiFi. Since
I have the modem/router on my desk, I'll have the USB connection,

I'm not sure if you can actually use *both* the USB & also the Ethernet
Connections on those sort of things, both at the same time?

Does it all work fine for you using Ethernet & USB both at the
same time?

Usually, with those sort of things, you're expected to use *either*
one (or the other) of the USB or Ethernet Connections.

& you usually have to ReBoot the Modem to get it to swap between them.

I'd be interested to hear if it works OK (using both the Ethernet
& the USB Connections) & how you get on with it.

because spouse at the other end of the house will have to use the
Ethernet connection using a Netgear XE102 wall plugged Ethernet
bridge, something like this (I hope it works).

http://www.broadbandstuff.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=602

Those "Ethernet over Mains Wiring" type things are quite useful,
if you don't want to Run Ethernet Cables all the way round the house
& if you don't want to use WiFi.

This necessitated getting the Speedtouch set up on each PC.
Again I started with the USB connection on my PC, and had big
trouble, lots of time on the phone to the ISP, couldn't get it
working. They suggested trying the Ethernet connection and it
worked the first time.

Yep.
Ethernet is always much easier, cos it doesn't need any Drivers or
anything complicated, like USB does.

But of course I was still left trying to get the USB connection
working.

The setup CD-ROM I had was a Speedtouch one that came with the modem,
and I tried following the instructions very carefully again, as they
weren't too clear. However they did say not to connect anything
until instructed.

Yep.
Most USB Modems do seem to say that.
& they say it in great big Red letters & with very dire sounding
warnings about how the world will cave in, if you Connect it up
before Running the Installation Routine on the CD...

But actually (in my experience) I have found that it's *not* necessary
to do it that way.

They say that, so that they know what sequence things are happening in.
& that way, it also makes sure that the Driver Files are there, ready
for the "Found New hardware" Wizard to pick up.

The SpeedTouch (& several other makes of USB ADSL Modem) will Install
perfectly OK, if you just Plug them into the USB Socket on a PC, which
starts off the "Found New Hardware" Wizard thingy, which then promptly
complains that it can't find any Drivers!!!


But then all you have to do is to tell it where to find the Drivers
(on the CD)

So I: 1) switched off the modem/router, 2) disconnected all modem
cabling from the PC, 3) inserted Speedtouch CD-ROM and let it
autorun, it said to turn on modem and wait for the lights to turn
green (Power, DSL, Internet). At this point I was asked for my ISP
username and password, which I gave it.

Yep - that's another thing that Running the CD Modem Installation
Routine does - it asks you for your ADSL UserName & passWord & then
it fills them in, in the right place in teh connection Properties.

But you can do that perfectly well yourself, if you Install the
Drivers manually.

I still did not plug in the USB cable to the PC. Then it said,
"Cannot make an internet connection" so I plugged in the USB cable
and prayed, and the USB green light came on, it said "Found new
hardware wizard, "this wizard helps install s'ware for USB device",
then searches for software, finds Thompson nDis Remote Service,
then says "this wizard has finished installing the s'ware for
Thomson ST Remote nDis device" "Found new hardware, installed
and ready to use". So that was it, the USB was up and running.

Yep.
That's the way it's usually *supposed* to all work...
But (as Boo's friend found out) sometimes it doesn't.

So in those cases (& also, if you just want top do it, to see what
happens!<g>), you *can* actually Install the Drivers for the USB Modem
*without* Running the CD.

You let the "Found New Hardware" Wizard thingy *try* & then when it
fails, you tell it where to look.

BTW - Doing it that way only works *provided* the Drivers are on the
CD already Unpacked (as .inf & .sys & .dll Files etc,) & aren't all
Packed up in a single .exe (Executable) Archive/Installer.

Then I tried installing the Ethernet connection, going through
the same process again.

You don't actually need to use the CD at all, if you're using the
Ethernet Connection!

You do all the configuration of it, through the Modem's own "Setup/
Admin" Pages, which you access using an ordinary Web Browser...

(or by using Telnet, if you like using "Command Line" type stuff
& ifyou want to get to some really detailed & interesting Settings!
:-)

But this time when I clicked "Configure your Speedtouch" it went
back to the main menu. However I clicked on "Set up my Speedtouch "
again, and it went to a website http://speedtouch.lan/

Exactly!!!

That is a Web Page that is *in the Modem*!!! - it's not actually
"out on the Web".

Yo ucan get to the Web Interface by using that HostName
(speedtouch.lan) or by using the IP Address of it (192.168.1.254)

http://192.168.1.254/

Try that - it should work OK, unless you have changed the IP Address
of the Router.

and I got connected.

Yep.
Using an Ethernet Connection is always *much* easier than all the
Faffing around with USB stuff.
But some people do want to use USB (for whatever reasons they might
have), so it's often good to know how it all works & how it's done,
I find.

Connecting the USB and Ethernet to the second computer, I followed
my previous instructions, and they both installed fine. It's
certainly true that it's easier to install an Ethernet connection
than a USB connection.

The problem seems to occur if you get the order wrong when you are
running the CD, switching on the modem/router, or connecting the USB
cable to the PC.

Yep.

I guess it's important to have the drivers installed BEFORE you
switch on the modem,

Yep, but (as mentioned above), with many USB Modems you *can*
actually do it without Installing the Drivers from the CD first -
but then you have to tell the System where to find the Drivers.

unlike just about every other peripheral I've ever had, where you
switch on or plug in first. I also had some problem with
"Access denied" at some point, where the "security certificate was not
good enough" and did I wish to continue.

That can happen when Installing some Drivers, if the Drivers aren't
"Signed" Drivers.

I think I changed some security setting or other and it worked.

Hope some of this helps.

I'm sure it will!
:-)

--
pmj


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