Multiple connections on Telewest - help please!

[sanderr2]

I have a Mac for home use and a Notebook for work use and I want to be able to use them both to access the internet via a Linksys WAG54G wireless router. Have just had Telewest cable installed. So far I have successfully connected (albeit after much delicate powering off / on of cable modem, router, computer) Mac using wireless and wired connection to the router; PC only via direct ethernet connection to the cable modem and never the two computers together (because the PC connection only ever works when directly connected to the cable modem). Any clues on what might be going wrong? Is there a limit to IP addresses on Telewest meaning I need to get the router to provide IP addresses (and how do I set this up?). Generally the cable modem set up seems very flakey (ie intolerant of anything being changed connection wise without repowering everything down and up and waiting the correct amount of time at each stage. Hopefully this won't be an issue when the wireless router is set up correctly). Help gratefully received as this is starting to drive me insane... Thanks Rob

hi

The point of using a router is that it 'pretends' to have only one IP that Telewest can see, while handling the switching of the correct packets to the client computers.

Usual advice is to set things up wired, before trying it wireless & the default setup should work (obtain IP automatically, DHCP server enabled). Mac/PC isn't an issue, as the router just sees them as network devices.

I'm surprised you think the modem is 'flakey' because it has to be power cycled after making changes - it is necessary to reset the internal memory, not a fault.

After making any changes, the routine should be turn everything off, switch on the modem, wait for it to stabilise, switch on the router, wait for it to stabilise, then switch on the client computers, which should both get assigned an 'internal' IP. You can't 'hot plug' devices into the router, so any 'new' device should be switched off when you plug it in, switching it on should then get it an IP assigned.

Wireless is another ball game, which I can't help with, though

[sanderr2]

Thanks homealone , I will reset the router to it's default configuration - everything looked OK but maybe there is something awry with the config that is preventing two devices from working. I don't think there's anything wrong with the wireless. In fact when the broadband was installed, I fired up the router and the Mac and couldn't believe that the Mac just worked wirelessly straight away... Re the flakey comment it just seems that the cable modem is a little erratic in talking to the Telewest side of things. It usually takes a couple of power cycles to get up and running - even using my directly connected notebook.

Originally Posted by sanderr2

Thanks homealone , I will reset the router to it's default configuration - everything looked OK but maybe there is something awry with the config that is preventing two devices from working. I don't think there's anything wrong with the wireless. In fact when the broadband was installed, I fired up the router and the Mac and couldn't believe that the Mac just worked wirelessly straight away... Re the flakey comment it just seems that the cable modem is a little erratic in talking to the Telewest side of things. It usually takes a couple of power cycles to get up and running - even using my directly connected notebook.

let us know how you get on

- there is a useful article on wireless security here

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/forum/article.php?a=12

you might want to have a look at