NTL cable model + separate router.

[JonH]

I currently have a 10 Meg NTL cable subscription and my MS Windows PC is connected directly via Ethernet to the cable modem supplied by NTL on installation day (Nov 2005).

I now wish to add WiFi and a wired Ethernet hub to my home network.

Should I buy a just WiFi/Wired router hub and plug this into the basic NTL cable modem or would a combined cable modem/WiFi/Router/Hub be the right solution?

Saving money is not my top priority, I would like decent firewall features and possibly a modem that could chat with one of the roaming IP/DNS services.

I definitely want to get rid of all NTL software from my home PC.

Only NTL supplied modems will work with their network, so a wireless router should be all you need - Oh and the wireless ethernet adapter card for the pc, of course.

Most wireless routers also have sockets for 4 wired connections.

I'm not sure what you intend for the 'roaming' thing - if you mean being able to log into other wireless networks, then it is the wireless ethernet adapter in the pc/laptop which connects, not the modem.

For the firewall look out for one that does SPI as well as NAT.

Finally, if you use ethernet you don't need any NTL software installed, only if you connect using USB

[50420]

hi JonH...
the linksys wrt54gs is the boy for you
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/sto...ory_oid=-24986

£48.10 when bought online with pcworld

the wrt54g (without the 's' speedboost) would do the job...but is slightly more expensive for some reason???)
am sure some of the guys here may be able to recommend other routers if you want a few options

[JonH]

Originally Posted by 50420

hi JonH...

Originally Posted by 50420

the linksys wrt54gs is the boy for you
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0761368946.113986134 8@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccefaddgmjfjlehcflgceggdhhmdgmj. 0&page=Product&fm=11&sm=1&tm=0&sku=250537&category _oid=-24986

£48.10 when bought online with pcworld

the wrt54g (without the 's' speedboost) would do the job...but is slightly more expensive for some reason???)
am sure some of the guys here may be able to recommend other routers if you want a few options

Thankyou 50420 and HomeAlone I have just ordered a LinkSys WRT54gs.

After reading your posts I realized that separating the cable modem and router box was the right solution for me because I have a partially networked house so by locating the LinkSys under the stairs where the rest of the ethernet terminates, I can avoid having an extra piece of electronics cluttering up the sitting room. When the house was under construction I laid a Cat5 cable from under the stairs to the NTL cable entry point which 6 years later actually paided off (once a near bunkrupt NTL found the money to finish off cabling my new estate which is cursed with BT fx:spit TPON).

There seems to be a new super LinkSys home router on the way that even implements a traffic priority scheme but there is never a right time to buy technology!

The roaming thing I mentioned in my original post is called "dynamic DNS " it seems. Having read up on this stuff it looks like the update agent is more often run as a Windows service and not baked into the router as I thought I had read a few years ago.

The dynamic DNS update agent is built into firmware on many routers, but I prefer to use the software version - that way I can see that it is working (or not). If it helps, I use dyndns (www.dyndns.com).