Router with STB
 

Hi All

My mate has virgin (exNTL) and currently has a cat5 lead from his STB running up to a USB convertor which goes into his PC.

Now he wants to get a wireless network going so am i right in saying an ethernet router would be ok? Thinking something like this Linkage

So basically he gets rid of USB, plugs a cat5 into the switch on the router, and plugs the router into the STB? Will i need to spoof mac addresses etc?

Any help/guidance much appreciated...

Re: Router with STB
 

No sure with STBs but I think you have to register the new routers MAC address, things should work ok after that. No sure if the registration is done via a web site or over the phone

JJ

Re: Router with STB
 

Registration is via web (speaking from memory).
I connected my PC directly to the STB via ethernet to register the PC, then got the router to spoof the PC's MAC. This enables me to switch between direct or router connection without having to re-boot the STB (can be useful in diagnostic testing to eliminate the router).

Re: Router with STB
 

You can register upto 3 MAC addresses on the STB system, (I was once there).

All I had to do was to switch everything off, connect up then switch it all back on STB, router, PC.
Once up browsing to any page went to the MAC registration screen. Login using details posted to you and register the MAC of the router. Logout.

Power down router and PC and up again, router first and you should be away. I've never had to clone MAC addresses or anything messy like that.

Re: Router with STB
 

The WRT54GS is exactly the way I have my network set up off the Set Top Box. All works well (untill I overload it with P2P stuff, but that's a different story ;)

If you clone the mac address of a device previously directly connected to the STB (in your case the USB adaptor), then you wouldn't even get the STB provisioning screen to contend with, provided you reboot the STB after swapping over to it. On the other hand your browser will point to that screen the moment you try to use the internet, if you reboot the router, and don't clone the mac. As said above all you'll need is your PID no and password that should be on a letter sent to you when you took up broadband via STB.

Re: Router with STB
 

perfect - thanks for all the replies and advice - much appreciated! :)