[doug]

I have had the exactly the same experience: requested a cable model upgrade and let them know that I currently had a Samsung integrated set-top box/modem (why did I need to supply that information - isn't it on file, or can't they interrogate it remotely?). Anyway, I got sent a separate cable modem, but no splitter or extra cables. Now, I don't actually need my set-top box, since I have given up subsidising Mr Murdoch and have a cheap freeview decoder with twin-channel hard disk recording, so I decided to go ahead with the installation. The saga starts here.

I followed the instructions that came with the modem. Unscrew the cable(s) from the old modem and connect the new modem and "simply" dial 151 and choose option 3 fault, option 2 help and option 1 broadband. Of course these options aren't actually the ones that are offered, but eventually - after about 3 transfers - I got through to somebody in Wales who brought up my details and eventually decided that he couldn't deal with it because I was a Virgin .net (I think that is what he said) customer (no idea what that is or whether I am or not: I have migrated from Cable and Wireless to Ntl to Virgin). He told me to phone 0845 454 2222. I did ask him about the absence of a splitter and whether or not I needed to inlcude the 10db attenuator that is currently between the cable feed and the previous set-top box. He said there was no problem but didn't understand! I dialled the 0845 number and spent 15 expensive minutes talking to somebody (India?) who seemed helpful, asked for the MAC address of the modem - but who queried whether I had said F0 or S0 in the address!!! Eventually he said he could not get the MAC address into the system because "the server was too busy" and told me to phone 0845 454 1111 in an hour if the modem had not been authenticated. BTW, the help screen you get on the web interface that tells you that the modem has not been authenticated tells you to dial 151, but gives a different set of options to select.
Anway, after an hour I declined to use the expensive 0845 number but dialled 151 and using eventually (why do I have to enter my telephone number - don't they know it?) got through to somebody who told me that the modem was authenticated and that it should be working. After various attempts, reboots etc, he confessed to being puzzled and said it would be referred to the IT department and they would get in touch within 48 hours!. Unfortunately, I forgot to mention that there was no splitter - I had been on the phone for 2 hours and the battery was getting low, so at this point I insisted that my old set-top box be re-authenticated and this appeared to work;. He did promise to phone back to check that old box was online, but didn't and of course I have not yet heard anything from anybody at "the IT department".

Anyway enough of this rant - I thought the one thing that Virgin promised over NTL was an improved customer service. Do I actually need a splitter if I don't care about the cable TV or is this the absence of the splitter the reason that the modem is not recognised? How do I proceed from here?