[TelstraClear] Setting up Wireless with telstra Clear

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craftycoldcuts

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#19840 3-Mar-2008 13:53

Hi,

I've just moved back to NZ from the UK, so excuse my ignorance on cable and how it works.

I would appreciate any advice you guys could give me on setting up a wireless network at home using a Telstra cable option.

As I understand, telstra will install one cable connection to a PC, they said they would provide the Motorola SB100 modem.

As well as a PC, I also have a laptop, Playstaion 3 and PSP which i would like to wirelessly access my internet connection, does anybody know if my curent wireless router can be hooked up to the cable modem telstra provide, my router is a Netgear DG834GT.

link to product spec >>> http://kbserver.netgear.com/products/DG834GT.asp`

link to picture of router ports >>> http://www.karoo-user-group.co.uk/resources/hardware_reviews/images/dg834gt/back.jpg

As I understand it, I could buy a new wireless router with a coax connection, but I thougth it might possible to ethernet from the telstra mdoem >>> to my router >>> to my PC, which would allow wireless to other periphials?

I would consider another ISP, but my new flat doesn't have a aerial so I feel obliged to go with Telstra to get TV, not that that is a bad thing, but if i can't easily go wireless, then it will swap my decision to get a aerial installed.

Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Brad

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#114334 3-Mar-2008 14:28

The Surfboard TCL supply has an Ethernet & USB port on it (so your ADSL modem won't work with it).

I suggest you buy a Linksys WRT54GL and load DD-WRT on there instead of the stock Linksys Firmware. Then you will have wireless and no problems with ARP traffic causing routers to hang (which has been detailed many times in the past. Plus the linksys has 4 ethernet ports to plug your PS3 and other devices into it. They are ~$130 in NZ, and if you are in Wellington I recommend Ascent, their returns policy and customer support are great. Plus you can order online, and pick it up and pay cash/eftpos on the spot.

If you are going for the TV then you will get a second Surfboard with the STB, this is so the STB can download the EPG, and the two cable modems (even though they look exactly the same) will only work on the network they have been configured to run on, IE one Cable Modem for the STB, the other cable modem for internet.

TCL give you a static IP which you hard code into the router (or PC if you don't have a router), and then you are away. Any ADSL modems won't work as you are connecting via Cable and not ADSL.

Please also do go for a Linksys WRT54GL, as it has been written about many times by other people going for the cheaper routers that "should" work the same, however due to the excessive ARP traffic on the TCL network (and most Cable networks worldwide for that matter) I can guarentee that you won't have an issue with other model routers, including the one that TCL supply which is some rubbish Belkin / DLink router.

I don't work at or have shares in either Ascent or Cisco/linksys... Ascent have never failed me when it comes to customer support, and my WRT54GL has never missed a beat since I installed in 18 months ago.

cyril7

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#114339 3-Mar-2008 14:47

Hi, just to backup Peter (Bartenders) comments the WRT54GL does seem to be the go especially when loaded with DD-WRT, note the GL version is required to allow other open linux distros like DD-WRT to be installed on it.

Cable networks essentially run as a large LAN, and TCL will give you a TCP address, subnet and gateway IP, normally you would load these into your PC, but when using a router load these as static IP settings in the WAN setup.

It has been noted by other inquisitive TCL users that some other less capable routers (than ones running DD-WRT etc) populate a single ARP cache with both LAN and WAN ARP entries. As some ill informed folk incorrectly load private LAN addresses into the WAN setup there appears that if these match your chosen LAN address space that corruption of your ARP cache will occur. Therefore to avoid this use an odd private LAN address space like 192.168.223.X that most noobies would be less likely to use.

That said I suspect that DD-WRT has better ARP analysis routines and knows to ignore WAN ARP results that are private as well as having seperate WAN and LAN caches hence they dont get upset by bad ARP postings.

Also you cannot buy any other Cable modem than the one TCL provide, its locked to their cable system.

Cyril