RP614 and NTL cable broadband

howard.bates · 06-09-2006, 13:34

I was asked by a friend to help install a router on a NTL cable broadband setup which connects via a Samsung 2100C set-top box.

I bought a Netgear RP614 router. The router and STB are both known and tested good, but they will not work together. When the router starts up, it does not receive the WAN IP from the STB - the status page shows an IP address of 0. I experience exactly the same problem if I connect the router to my 3M cable modem.

My very expensive Draytek router works perfectly with both NTL devices (STB and cable modem).

I CAN make the RP614 work :- use the Draytek to establish a connection, configure the RP614 to use the IP for that connection as a fixed WAN IP, and to have the same MAC address as the Draytek, then move the modem cable from the Draytek to the Netgear. This works until I switch off the cable modem or it renews its IP address.

So, the RP614 and both NTL devices work correctly, but they clearly don't like each other. I don't want to buy another router unless I really have to. Has anyone solved the problem I describe ?

Aragorn · 06-09-2006, 14:35

With an STB, each device has to be registered the first time it is connected.
Plug the new router into the STB, and a PC into the router. Powercycle the STB and router, then browse to start.ntl. (Put start.ntl in the browser URL address) This will start the registration of that device. Should work OK after that.

howard.bates · 07-09-2006, 19:28

Thanks for the reply,and for the suggestion. I registered the three PCs I used during the testing, but my notes don't mention registering the router, so I may well have missed that step.

I didn't have time to try changing the MAC address of the router - I presume the STB identifies devices by their MAC address, so would that work ?

MovedGoalPosts · 07-09-2006, 20:08

You can clone the MAC of a known PC into the router, and normally that will work, as the ntl server will beleive it's the computer not a router connected. Remember to power cycle the STB once you've change the MAC addy.

howard.bates · 11-09-2006, 19:06

I have retested everything and am now completely certain that my results are correct. The RP614v4 and NTL cable broadband do NOT work together. By contrast, the device I bought as a replacement (Linksys BEFSR41) worked straight out of the box.

May I ask the moderators to update the router recommendations sticky-thing so as to warn readers to avoid using the RP614v4 on an NTL cable broadband installation ?

I have raised this issue with Netgear tech. support ...

howard.bates · 12-09-2006, 03:10

I don't know whether to laugh or scream. Please ignore previous post, here is how to make an RP614 work.
Start with everything switched off. Power on the RP614 FIRST; wait until it settles, should be about 40 seconds. Power on the cable modem; wait until it settles, should be about 40 seconds. At this point the WAN light should be glowing orange (=no connection). Wait about a further 40 seconds, the WAN light should turn green as something talks to something else.
With a STB, which normally supplies power to its network circuits even when in standby mode, you can either follow the procedure above, or you can disconnect the Ethernet cable from the router before you power it up and connect it only when both devices have settled - this latter technique does not work very reliably.