Wireless trials and tribulations at home

[elsiegee40]

I just wish I understood more about this sort of stuff. My ISP changed today from BT to Sky.

 

New router supplied (netgear of some sort), which is inferior to the one I already own (netgear dgn2000), but it's pre-set up and just to get things going...

 

Plugged in and connected with wire seamlessly Line speed 3.5Mb ... very excited about this as it's been a constant 0.73Mb since last summer. Next for the laptop, that connected fine too and it's talking to the desktop properly (mild surprise here!)

 

iPod touches... now these caused problems before so were given fixed IP addresses comfortably out of the range that was automatically allocated. Hmmm! iPod touch says 192.168.0.10 and router admin panel says it's got 192.168.0.4 Switch on other iPod touch give it the 0.11 address and router says that's got 0.4 as well :confused:

 

Switch everything off and back on again, still not getting correct story.

 

Decide to switch off iPods and try xBox and Wii. xBox reluctant to connect, but does eventually. Wii does so quicker. Switch on iPods.

 

Desktp has 0.2, Laptop 0.3, 2 iPods both have 0.4 and we appear to have 2 Wiis both with 0.6

 

Switch everything off and back on again. xBox finally connected back up and son playing Fifa 10, laptop and PC connected.

 

I daren't switch anthing else back on just in case.

 

Where do I go next? Sky don't give me the settings to use with my old router. Can I get what i need off the admin panel for the new one? (I do know the passwords) or should I be looking at some sort of update to the new router?

 

All help and advice gratefully received.

[Edu-IT]

Is there any reason why you can't try the iPod's with DHCP addresses? Also check the router admin to make sure there's not a limit on the amount of DHCP address it'll assign and that the range is set to cover all your devices.

[elsiegee40]

I tried the iPods with DHCP first and then switched to static when they had problems. However, I didn't think twice about doing this as the iPods (and only the iPods) used to do this before.

 

I cannot see any limit to the number of devices specified, but will carry on searching.

 

As for updating the router, the documentation claims it looks for updates and updates itself automatically. I can't find a way of forcing it to search for updates.

[Dos_Box]

I'm spooked now. Are you my dad? I've just been there to connect his new Sky broadband connection and router. He's just moved from BT who gave a truley appauling service and line speed. His laptop ad P|C are now happily conected at a vastly superior speed to that BT managed to achieve.

[rush_tech]

I don't know that router, what about turning the MAC filter on and give it the mac addresses of everything that you connect see if that helps

[elsiegee40]

I'm spooked now. Are you my dad? I've just been there to connect his new Sky broadband connection and router. He's just moved from BT who gave a truley appauling service and line speed. His laptop ad P|C are now happily conected at a vastly superior speed to that BT managed to achieve.

 

Wish you were my son; I'd be happy to let you try and sort this thing out!

 

I don't know that router, what about turning the MAC filter on and give it the mac addresses of everything that you connect see if that helps

 

I might have to try that... I have to leave the router switched on for 10 days according to the instructions, so I might have to 'wait and see' if it updates itself and things improve

[elsiegee40]

G!ts.

 

It seems Sky hide the username and password that you use to connect and so far the ways of finding it out that I've tried from the internet don't work

[EduTech]

I am guessing you mean your ISP Username and Password, What Router do you have? i remember back a few years ago when i was with sky and wanted to change the router i had to do the same

 

I have the website i used somewhere, i'll dig the link out for you now...

 

James.

 

 

Right it appears it has been a while since i had to do it and the link in my favorites dont go anywhere so hopefully these will help

 

https://www.cm9.net/skypass/

 

http://www.asininemonkey.com/netgear-dg834gt-hacking.html < IF you scroll down "Router Settings" will show you how too get the settings i.e. username and password.

 

Hope that helps, it is rather annoying them doing this just to force you to use there routers.

Edited February 18, 2010 by EduTech

[synaesthesia]

Plenty of ways to get those details. If you do use another router, and the one Sky provides is a Netgear DG834GT lob it on ebay - they'll easily get snapped up by people wanting a decent router for O2/Be (they're actually very good once you get rid of the pants Sky firmware)

People also retain the same router and flash it with the standard Netgear or modified DGTeam firmware to get more tweaks and options, once you've gotten your username/pass from those above sites

[Halfmad]

have to leave the router switched on for 10 days according to the instructions, so I might have to 'wait and see' if it updates itself and things improve

 

That's so you're line's IP profile is given time to update properly, otherwise you're line can be artificially set lower than it should be if the router is turned off or restarted a lot within a short period. Oddly BT lines will downgrade a line quickly, but take up to 10 days to put it back up to maximum speed.

 

If you're not happy with the speed you get after 10 days ask them to reset you're IP profile and try again, if it's the same story and you're reasonably close to an exchange I'd be looking at internal cabling. I had that problem a few months ago thanks to poorly fitted laminate flooring! Gone from 2meg to 14meg since.

[elsiegee40]

We're ditching Bt completely. The package we have means that we will be paying Sky to take on our landline as well as our Broadband. The cost is significantly cheaper than BT and if the line speed still ends up as pants, then we won't feel quite so bad as we aren't paying so much.

 

It's taken forever to have an alternative ISP to move to here.

[pete]

Do you have the option to backup the router config? OIder netgears (DG834 in my case) will dump the config in plain text.

 

You could just phone them and ask for the info. An off-script question will confuse and disturb first line, but I've never had an ISP refuse to give me the credentials I need to use the service I'm paying for. It's a great way to lose customers otherwise.

[CSNM-Carl]

G!ts.

 

It seems Sky hide the username and password that you use to connect and so far the ways of finding it out that I've tried from the internet don't work

 

There should have been a little card with the router (business card size) with the details printed on?

[mossj]

There should have been a little card with the router (business card size) with the details printed on?

 

I don't think she means that, sky hide some settings to stop you switching there (sh*te) router for a better one.

 

There are naughty ways around it... but I never saw the point. MAC address security/ip setting was the best bet, and worked with 2 PS3's, 1 XBOX, 4 Laptop's, 3 PC's, 2 DS lights.

[RabbieBurns]

Do you have the option to backup the router config? OIder netgears (DG834 in my case) will dump the config in plain text.

 

You could just phone them and ask for the info. An off-script question will confuse and disturb first line, but I've never had an ISP refuse to give me the credentials I need to use the service I'm paying for. It's a great way to lose customers otherwise.

 

Was about to post the same..

 

I actually really like the dg834gt routers and will gladly take it off your hands if your looking to get rid of it.

 

The crappy speedtouch thing my isp here gave me is rotton to the core!

[elsiegee40]

The router is behaving a little better this morning and, so far, everything has been given a unique IP address. Line speed dropped off a little this morning - 3 Mb, but still 4 times faster than it was with BT.

 

The "little card" contains the password for the wireless connection - which is also printed on the bottom of the router and has been changed by me anyway!

 

It's the credentials for the router to connect to Broadband that are hidden. As far as I can gather, it's mac address @skydsl.com, but the password is the problem. With BT, the router needed firstname.lastname @btbroadband.com with a pasword of BT (though an enginerr once told me that the password was irrelevant and you could have put iamamassmurderer and it would have accepted it!)

[Edu-IT]

If you're still having trouble drop me a PM with the problems you're having and I can have my mate (who works in tech support @ Sky) advise or contact you if he can.

 

Edit: I think I understand what you're after. You want the connection details to connect to SkyBB which are usually provided in a letter or email by most other ISPs. I've sent him a text to ask, even if you don't need them anymore, would be good to know.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Edu-IT

[Edu-IT]

The details are hidden within the router and there's not a known way to get to them. Sky know the details but will not provide them, even on request. It's part of the contract you sign. It's to prevent you using your own router.