TP-LINK WR541G and Virgin Media Cable
 

Hello,

I am trying to configure a TP-LINK WR541G wireless router on a Virgin Media cable broadband.

Diagnostic:
1) When I connect the pc the the cable modem directly everything works perfectly.
2) When I connect the router to the modem and the pc to the router, the pc connects perfectly to the router setup menu but I cannot manage to get an internet connection. Using the Dynamic IP option, the router remains stuck on "obtaining network parameters..."

Does anyone have any experience with the above?

Thanks a lot.

Re: TP-LINK WR541G and Virgin Media Cable
 

Welcome to the forums.

I think you need to clone the MAC address of your PC to the router...

Re: TP-LINK WR541G and Virgin Media Cable
 

Excellent.

How do I do that?

Thanks for your help.

Re: TP-LINK WR541G and Virgin Media Cable
 

Access the web interface of your router by typing something like 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 in your browser. The exact IP address should be in the manual.

Under the Network menu there should be an entry for MAC Clone. Click the Clone MAC address button to copy the MAC address of your PC to the router...

Re: TP-LINK WR541G and Virgin Media Cable
 

Cloning the Mac of the PC to the router shouldn't be necessary. It used to assist with the older Set Top Box type broadband services, where the MAC of the connected device had to be "registered", but that process doesn't take place with modems.

You have rebooted (power cycled) the cable modem when swapping from direct modem <> PC ethernet, to the modem <> router <> PCs setup?

Re: TP-LINK WR541G and Virgin Media Cable
 

Haven't tried that. Will do as soon as possible.

What does the reboot do? I thought it would have been a router issue and not a modem issue. Does the modem "log in" differently depending on what is connected to it?

Re: TP-LINK WR541G and Virgin Media Cable
 

The modem just does not "see" that there is a differently connected device directly attached to it, without the reboot. It's just one of those silly little things that is there to trip up the cable broadband user :)

Re: TP-LINK WR541G and Virgin Media Cable
 

This worked.

Thanks a lot Rob.

Re: TP-LINK WR541G and Virgin Media Cable
 

Hi, rob

I have the same issue here, however i fail to fully understand your answer, please could you make it easier to understand?

Re: TP-LINK WR541G and Virgin Media Cable
 

Which part of 'power cycle' and 'reboot' is not clear?