Telewest/Virgin Wifi

[useless]

We have our desktop wired into a modem supplied by telewest. We have recently acquired two laptops, one of them a Macbook.

I rang Virgin yesterday and told them I wanted to keep the service I have for the desktop, it cannot go wifi, but wanted wifi for the laptops. I was advised to buy a router which would connect into the back of the modem, but there is no spare plug to put a router into. I would have to run the desktop or unplug it to connect the laptops.

The best solution the man from Virgin could give me was to buy a new computer..................as I am made of money, why not!!!!

Is there any kind of adaptor whereby I can plug the desktop hard wire in and a wifi router into the same socket on the back of the modem, a sort of double phone adaptor? I have looked on line have not found anything yet.

Anyone got any ideas?

Thank you.

[degsy]

Welcome :)

I believe telewest would be the same setup as NTL.

You have a cable modem that uses ethernet.
You can purchase a 4 port / wireless router

You will plug the modem into the router.
You can plug your desktop into one of the router ports (or wireless if you get an adaptor)
You can connect other computers using wireless

I would recommend Linksys, but there are also routers from belkin, netgear and d-link.

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1149562300349&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper&lid=0034939789B01

[useless]

Hello Degsy, thanks for that, I shall invade John Lewis tomorrow and see what they have got.

One other question, I do have a netgear router given to me by Orange as I have a mobile phone contract with them and got it for free. Would that work if I plugged it in to the modem from telewest or would it all have to be reconfigured. At the moment I just plug it in to my phone line and get free broadband but for some reason it will not let the windows laptop work, only the Macbook. When it was first set up, after very lengthy phone calls with orange I did get them both to work, but not now.

I don't want to just try putting it into the telewest modem it incase I mess it up.

I thought going with my blueyonder set up from telewest would make more sense because they have been thoroughly reliable the whole time I have been with them, although after the phone calls over the last few days with Virgin media I am beginning to see a BIG change in their customer services.

Maybe I should look at BT!!!!

[degsy]

You'll have to clarify what setup you have.

I'm on NTL which is a Cable service. It it totally different than ADSL (BT, Orange, Sky, TalkTalk etc) that uses a phone socket.

I'm pretty sure that Telewest/Blueyonder (all Virgin Media now) are Cable.
This means that your modem is a Cable modem. It is not compatible with an ADSL router or phone sockets.


If you want to use the Orange connection (Livebox?) then you can. If you reset it, following the instructions in the manual, then it should be setup for wireless internet with the WAP encryption key on the side/bottom of the Livebox.

[useless]

It is a cable internet connection from Telewest.

So I take it that I could not put the Livebox from Orange into the back of the Telewest modem? I am not called Useless for nothing:confused:

[degsy]

You are correct. They use different technologies.

The Livebox has a modem built in. You connect the phone line to it (using an ADSL filter)

[useless]

Thank you very much for your help Degsy.

So now I feel a long phone call to Orange coming on to try and find out why only one laptop at a time will work on the Livebox.

Thanks.