[airhead]

Hi everyone.

My first post here so I hope I follow forum etiquette. I am sure that variants on my problem will have been posted countless times before but I haven't yet found an answer which gives me the information I need.

I have just bought a refurbished WGT634U wireless router and have been pulling my hair out over the past couple of days trying and failing to install it to work with my relatively new Acer laptop (Windows XP) and NTL broadband.

Note:

a) broadband already works with my laptop connected to my NTL modem with an Ethernet cable.

b) I can access the router on 192.168.1.1

c) I follow the set-up instructions slavishly (eg the sequence of powering up the modem, router, and laptop)

Here's the sequence of installation steps:

1) Firmware Upgrade Assistant

Q: New Firmware?

A: No

2) Setup Wizard

Q: Smart Setup Wizard?

A: Yes

3) Setup Wizard - you already have a valid Internet Connection

Q: Continue?

A: Yes

4) Dynamic IP detected

I have done various things at this point. I have put in what I believe is my NTL account name and the domain name ntlworld.com, I have put in what I believe is my NTL account name without a domain name, I have not put in neither the NTL account name nor the domain name. In all cases I get the Page cannot be displayed Internet page and thus progress no further in the installation.

I have tried other variants. It has been suggested that Netgear Setup Wizards can sometimes fail to work. It certainly doesn't in my case. Therefore, I have gone for manual configuration and the sequence of installation steps has been:

Basic Setting

Q: Does your Internet Connection require A login

A: No

After this point I have tried to proceed with and without an account name and a domain name. In relation to the IP address I have tried both Get Dynamically and used the IP address I could get from ipconfig in Command Prompt mode, for DNS I have tried both Get Automatically, used the default DNS addresses that are filled in, and tried to enter IP addresses I get when using tracert www.ntlworld.com in Command Prompt mode (I have no idea if this last approach is correct). For the Router MAC address I have tried both Default and the MAC address of my NTL modem.

One thing which might be of particular help is any comment whether I am entering any wrong information, eg account name, domain name, IP address, DNS addresses, MAC address, etc. For example, if I put ipconfig/all in Command Prompt mode, I get an IP address, DNS addresses, a default gateway address, and various MAC addresses. What information should I be using?

I have already contacted NTL. They say it's not their problem. (Don't blame them to be honest.) I have posted this same question on the Netgear forums and am also contacting Netgear by email for their help (since this is a refurbished product they do not provide telephone support.)

If you do reply, please note that I'm a complete novice at this and any apparent knowledge in the above spiel is purely an illusion.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

airhead