Cable Modem to Wireless

[updater]

My nephew has just got Virginmedia to wire up an AOL HFM06 cable modem between his desktop PC and his STB. I'm told that the installation was a nightmare.
This was because he had AOL from a previous address, an incompatible phone line and no willingness to upgrade to Virgin internet.
From what I can gather he has an ethernet / RJ45 between the PC and the Cable Modem and a white coax cable with screw onconnectors between the cable modem and the STB.
He now has a wireless enable laptop he wants to fit in the circuit.

Am I right in thinking that putting a wireless router in between the PC and the cable modem is All I need to do?

I have searched this forum and it seems that PC->RJ45->wireless router->RJ45->Cable Modem->STB is the answer.

Should I have such a router do a MAC address spoof, or doesn't it matter due to the cable modem doing the dialup?

Rik

[Halcyon]

Why is he connecting the modem to his set top box ?
If he has amodem he doesnt need to use the set top box for Internet access and only needs that for his TV.

You should have one coax from the wall box going into the set top box and then the set top box connecting to his TV.
Then you should have a seperate coax cable coming from the wall box going into the modem. Why he didnt get a viginmedia modem I have no idea as he sould have either been connected straight to the set top box or as most people now a days to a seperate cable modem issued to you.

Ethernet cable from Virginmedia modem goes from modem to wireless router.
You will probably have to connect the laptop to the router by ethenret cable at first to set things up before it becomes wireless.

Could you clarify something?

You said VM wired up an "AOL HFM06" Cable Modem - I thought VM only allowed their own cable modems? (see list).

I have never heard of a AOL HFM06, so am curious about this model/make - is he on Cable or ADSL with VM?

[Marge]

VM do installations on behalf on AOL which do run on the VM network however I've never heard of this model number for an AOL modem...... for all your nephews intentions not to upgrade to VM internet, in fact this is really what he is getting with just an AOL branded modem instead of a VM one....

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by updater

Am I right in thinking that putting a wireless router in between the PC and the cable modem is All I need to do?

I can't say anything about set top boxes, but the setup I have is:

Coax from wall > Modem > Rj45 > Wireless router > RJ45 > 4 computers

And the wireless works fine when I enable it. Unless your STB interferes somehow (?) it should work just fine. The only issues I had were to do with the router settings, not the actual setup.

Hope that helps.

[danielf]

I think this is a VM ADSL install guys.

[Tezcatlipoca]

I don't think so.

updater said the modem uses white coax cable with screw on (F) connectors to connect to the STB. An ADSL modem wouldn't be using coax & F plugs. I assume the modem is actually connecting to a splitter by the STB, rather than the STB itself?


As Marge said, VM do do installs for AOL, as AOL provide cable broadband using the VM cable network, as well as AOL ADSL.


Oh, &... Moved to Networking

---------- Post added at 01:34 ---------- Previous post was at 01:21 ----------

Oh, & the actual question...


Yes, if it's a cable modem, then you would normally simply need a standard wireless cable/DSL router (such as a Linksys WRT54GL). Take care to avoid any router with a built-in ADSL modem.


But.... it's apparently AOL broadband over cable.

And according to here...

http://myaolbroadband.co.uk/broadban...Networking.adp

Originally Posted by AOL Broadband

AOL does not currently support home networking for cable broadband users.

Now, whether that means they don't "support" it, but it's still possible, or whether it means you cannot actually use a router at all... I have no idea. I always thought AOL were meant to be quite restrictive... then again, if you can network an AOL ADSL connection, why not cable?

[updater]

Thanks to all who answered.
Virgin set the AOL up for my nephew and I thought it sounded like a lash up. They have their own reasons for not using VM broadband, one being that he has been an AOL Gold service user for ages and, strangely enough, likes it.

I installed an ASDL wireless router at he previous address so he could get three laptops connected on AOL simultaneously. He likes the setup (is used to it) and wanted to continue.

As to why VM did what they did - I have no idea. I couldn't find any info on the modem or setup which is why I posted.

However it does seem that putting a standard wireless router inbetween the desktop and modem will do the trick.

Thanks guys

Rik