PDA

View Full Version : Making a PC set up for BT ADSL work on NTL BB

Chris
08-11-2004, 16:10
Hi all - a friend who will be looking after our house when we move out next week is bringing his PC with him and wants to hook it up to our SACM. My subscription to NTL Broadband will remain active, so as far as the NTL network is concerned it's not a new subscriber, just a different PC. Thus far there's nothing complicated about that - I connect my work laptop to NTL when I'm at home without any trouble, but then my work laptop is already configured to run on an office LAN so it picks up an IP addy automatically, provided I reboot the SACM.

The complication is this: what does he need to do to get his PC to work on NTL Cable broadband when it is currently set up to work with BT ADSL? I have checked the K-Base for the article that describes how to get started without a Broadjump CD, but I'm not confident that the procedure it describes would be entirely relevant in this case.

Any help, particularly of the step 1, step 2, step 3, variety, that I could just print off and leave on the spare room desk for him to follow, would be very much appreciated! :)
Neil
08-11-2004, 16:12
Plug in the lead from the SACM to the NIC on the PC, & away he goes (remember to reboot modem 1st), & just make sure that if he has been using a USB modem for his DSL that Windows is set to 'never dial a connection'
JohnHorb
08-11-2004, 16:17
Not familiar with ADSL, but would suspect he needs to do nothing, as I would think ADSL is like NTL, i.e. set up to use DHCP. To check - (on xp at least), network connections, right-click on connection, select TCP/IP, then properties, and ensure 'Obtain IP address automatically' and 'Obtain DNS server address automatically' are checked.
Chris
08-11-2004, 16:18
Plug in the lead from the SACM to the NIC on the PC, & away he goes (remember to reboot modem 1st), & just make sure that if he has been using a USB modem for his DSL that Windows is set to 'never dial a connection'
aha ... it's that 'never dial' option that might prove critical ... I'm assuming he is on USB although I don't know for sure. So, to clarify, *if* he is on ethernet already, the PC will detect that the nature of that connection has changed and just deal with the NTL SACM without any bother, but if he uses USB (which I think more likely), then he switches everything off, plugs in his USB cable to modem and PC, powers up SACM, waits, powers up PC, then changes to 'Never Dial' ... final point from an out-of-depth Mac user: where is this 'Never Dial' setting to be found?
daxx
08-11-2004, 16:21
final point from an out-of-depth Mac user: where is this 'Never Dial' setting to be found?
on IE Tools/Internet Options/Connections 'radio buttons' bottom third of display window
Neil
08-11-2004, 16:23
aha ... it's that 'never dial' option that might prove critical ... I'm assuming he is on USB although I don't know for sure. So, to clarify, *if* he is on ethernet already, the PC will detect that the nature of that connection has changed and just deal with the NTL SACM without any bother, but if he uses USB (which I think more likely), then he switches everything off, plugs in his USB cable to modem and PC, powers up SACM, waits, powers up PC, then changes to 'Never Dial' ... final point from an out-of-depth Mac user: where is this 'Never Dial' setting to be found?

Tools>Internet Options>Connections.

[Edit]-Beaten to it by Daxx....:Peace:
zovat
08-11-2004, 16:25
I he is using USB, he may need to load the USB drivers for the SACM.

This will depend on the OS - but I would recommend leaving the driver disk for him ;)
Chris
08-11-2004, 16:28
on IE Tools/Internet Options/Connections 'radio buttons' bottom third of display windowAha ... in internet explorer. I'll never understand why Microsoft chose to hide network connection settings inside a web browser ... :p: (actually I have a good idea why).

Unsurprisingly, my work laptop is already set up that way. Presumably my friend's current set-up with BT ADSL is set to 'dial default connection', so that the ADSL modem dials up whenever he starts Internet Explorer?

Next question: Does he need drivers of any kind if he is connecting the PC to the SACM by USB? (and if so, where to get them without the Broadjump CD?)

EDIT

Zovat, you read my mind!! See my question above - anywhere to get the drivers without the CD? I've no idea where my CD is, I have never needed it.
JohnHorb
08-11-2004, 16:30
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/myron.s/BB-DeviceDrivers/ (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/myron.s/BB-DeviceDrivers/)
Neil
08-11-2004, 16:30
Aha ... in internet explorer. I'll never understand why Microsoft chose to hide network connection settings inside a web browser ... :p: (actually I have a good idea why).

Unsurprisingly, my work laptop is already set up that way. Presumably my friend's current set-up with BT ADSL is set to 'dial default connection', so that the ADSL modem dials up whenever he starts Internet Explorer?

Next question: Does he need drivers of any kind if he is connecting the PC to the SACM by USB? (and if so, where to get them without the Broadjump CD?)

EDIT

Zovat, you read my mind!! See my question above - anywhere to get the drivers without the CD? I've no idea where my CD is, I have never needed it.

Is he connecting via a modem or a router to his DSL service m8?
Russ
08-11-2004, 16:32
My machine is using Pipex ADSL and Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve often taken it down to my parentsââ‚à ‚¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ place for them to use when their system is borked. They have ntl BB and itââ‚ ¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s easy to have both as long as the drivers are all set up. The(obviously) main difference is connecting but funnily enough the machine knows what to do when getting online. Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve never had any problems and neither should you. :)
Chris
08-11-2004, 16:33
Is he connecting via a modem or a router to his DSL service m8?
He is of an utterly non-technical disposition, I can say with 99.99% certainty that he just plugs his PC directly into the BT ADSL modem they give away as part of the service.
zovat
08-11-2004, 16:37
Is he connecting via a modem or a router to his DSL service m8?
good point - if he is, then he'll need to replace it (unless it can be configured to bypass the DSL modem...
Chris
08-11-2004, 16:41
good point - if he is, then he'll need to replace it (unless it can be configured to bypass the DSL modem...
lol ... let's not scare him, I'm planning to print this thread off and leave it next to the NTL SACM for him to refer to. As I said above, I'm pretty certain that currently he connects his PC by USB to the free BT ADSL modem supplied with the service, and the modem goes via microfilter into the phone socket. No routers or other technical jiggerypokery involved.
Chris
08-11-2004, 22:19
/bump


Sorry to be a persistent pest :D but just to wrap this up: We've established that if we set 'never dial a connection' on my friend's PC, then when it is connected to the NTL SACM it should just get on with it ... provided that, if he is using USB to connect, he has the drivers installed.

I do not have an NTL CD. Anyone know where I can get those drivers without getting a CD? Is there somewhere I can download them from?
Tezcatlipoca
08-11-2004, 22:26
Yep, no need for the CD.

Have a read of this for a bit more on the settings:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d.h.walker/cmtips/basicset.html


Drivers here:

http://www.ntlworld.com/help/windows98/ntlhome100/

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/triage/drivers/


EDIT: lol, and here, as posted earlier in the thread -

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/myron.s/BB-DeviceDrivers/ (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/myron.s/BB-DeviceDrivers/)
slowcoach
09-11-2004, 03:11
Another convert in the offing or not as the case may be. :D
Chris
09-11-2004, 09:55
Yep, no need for the CD.

Have a read of this for a bit more on the settings:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d.h.walker/cmtips/basicset.html


Drivers here:

http://www.ntlworld.com/help/windows98/ntlhome100/

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/triage/drivers/


EDIT: lol, and here, as posted earlier in the thread -
Lovely .... now which of the drivers should we be using for an NTL Home 120 modem?
JohnHorb
09-11-2004, 10:10
Pretty sure it's an Ambit, but no doubt someone can confirm.
Tezcatlipoca
09-11-2004, 19:25
Yep, the ntl:home modems are Ambits.
Chris
29-11-2004, 14:47
I'm ba-aaack :D

Having emailed the Ambit.zip file linked to from this thread (also linked to from Chetnet, as it happens), we got a little stuck trying to get my friend's PC set up. The file appeared to contain only Win2k and WinXP drivers. He has a Win98 machine. I have just been looking directly at the Ambit website here: http://www.ambitbroadband.com/broadband/downloads.asp and have downloaded all four of the zip files for Data-only cable modems as I haven't a clue which is the right one. Can anybody advise which is which, or perhaps tell me where I can get my hands on something that will definitely work with Win98?
quadplay
29-11-2004, 16:13
All the ntlhome drivers are the same - despite being marked as Win2k/XP, the drivers linked to here should install and work on 98.
Chris
29-11-2004, 16:35
All the ntlhome drivers are the same - despite being marked as Win2k/XP, the drivers linked to here should install and work on 98.
Aahh ... right, forgive me if my descriptions of what happened are a little vague, but we were doing this over the phone. What happened was, he unzipped the ambit.zip file to his desktop, so that there was a folder containing all the contents found therein. Then he powered everything down,conneced everything up, powered up modem, waited, powered up PC, was asked for drivers, browsed for them, browsed through the Ambit folder on his desktop, found folders called Win2k and WinXP, and the PC apparently wouldn't let him select them, or gave a message saying 'unable to locate drivers' or somesuch ... I'm sorry, I know it's vague ....

Anyone dare to post what *should* happen at each step, so I can compare it with his experience when I phone him again tomorrow?
quadplay
29-11-2004, 16:40
Ahh, your friend needs to select the Ambit folder itself, rather than the 2kXP folder which is within. The files he's looking for are usbcm.inf, usbcm.cat and usbcm.sys.

Since he's tried installing once and it's failed, there might be bits hanging about, so with the USB cable unplugged, run the uninstall.exe program to remove any trace of the drivers, then reboot the PC. Plug the USB cable back in, and when you're going through the Found New Hardware wizard, use the automatic search option and tick Specify a Location. Click Browse, and find the Ambit folder - highlight it, and click OK - then finish the wizard.

Alternatively, buy him an Ethernet card :p:
Chris
29-11-2004, 16:46
Ahh, your friend needs to select the Ambit folder itself, rather than the 2kXP folder which is within. The files he's looking for are usbcm.inf, usbcm.cat and usbcm.sys.

Since he's tried installing once and it's failed, there might be bits hanging about, so with the USB cable unplugged, run the uninstall.exe program to remove any trace of the drivers, then reboot the PC. Plug the USB cable back in, and when you're going through the Found New Hardware wizard, use the automatic search option and tick Specify a Location. Click Browse, and find the Ambit folder - highlight it, and click OK - then finish the wizard.

Alternatively, buy him an Ethernet card :p:
Thank you :)

I'll give that a whirl tomorrow night and post back.

I would buy him an ethernet card, but then I'd have to talk him through installing it. :erm: