Tech: wireless modem question

Subject: BS: TECH - wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 10:31 AM

On Monday, I'm to help another senior, who just bought a low end desktop computer, set up her new high speed telephone (DSL?) connection to the Internet. My friend is even older than I am and is a first time Internet user.

The telephone company sold her a "wireless modem". The printed information supplied with the modem is minimal. It instructs us to connect an ethernet cable between the modem and the computer. This will be a problem because the point of her having a wireless modem was that she will not have the computer in the same room as the modem. There is no telephone access in the computer's room, but I could set up the modem in the computer room, as instructed, if I run a temporary extension cord from the telephone jack in the other room while we set up the modem.

After it is set up, can we put the modem into the room with the telephone jack, across the hallway, and connect to it from the other room through a USB wireless card plugged into the desktop computer, or must there always be one computer connected directly to the modem by an ethernet cable?

Why would we have to connect anything to a wireless modem with an ethernet cable for setting it up?

No information was supplied about securing the wireless modem to prevent others within reach of the signal from accessing it. My friend has a monthly "download limit" so this could become an issue. How would we find out how to do this?

I'd be grateful for any advice or information.

Thank you.

rags

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: Bruce MacNeill
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 10:59 AM

Unfortunately, there is some modem setup necessary before it will work wireless and for that, you have to be connected by wire. I assume the modem came with a CD for installation. Mine did.

Once you've done the setup it will work wireless unless at some later date you need to do the setup again.

The modem I got was a Netgear, when my previous modem stopped working. The installation CD was pretty self explanatory but I was a computer geek so maybe it wasn't for non-computer geeks. There was a phone number to call for assistance so if you have problems, call them.

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: katlaughing
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 11:14 AM

rags, my Rog says (I should just copy and paste that everywhere:-) only the modem has to be connected to the cable and yes, the USB wireless card will work fine with the modem in the room with the connection and the computer in the other room. No need for any cables attached to the computer, though you certainly can do it that way. We have the cable plugged into my computer, but Rog runs his and my laptop via wireless.

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 12:14 PM

Bruce and Kat,
Thank you for information. With the help of my Mudcat friends, I may be able to convince my friend that I know what I'm doing.

Bruce, there isn't a CD. Apparently there will be online instructions when/if I get it connected to the Internet. There is a number for support which I hope we won't have to use. TELUS has an automated voice activated answering system that doesn't seem to like my accent and sends me in endless circles before I give up. It would try the patience of a saint.   

The modem is a Siemens SE567. I've been reading whatever I can find online about it and downloading any pages that look as if they might be of use to a flash disk in case I can't get online at her house. I'll take my netbook along to check if the wireless network works in case the card in the desktop computer doesn't.

rags

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 12:32 PM

Best say what country you are in, ragdall, to avoid getting advice that might not be too relevant.

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 12:47 PM

Have they given you an address to type into your browser once the modem is connected to the computer?

Often there'll be an address (something like http://100.100.1.1) which you put into Internet Explorer / Firefox etc., and that gives you a configuration page. Once you've gone through this initial config (often just giving your wireless modem a name so that you can identify it, a secure password only you know to allow trusted machines to connect, maybe a couple of tick boxes that you've read the terms & conditions).

The modem should, hopefully, be recognised by the Internet Service Provider and connect. After that it will indeed work wirelessly and there'll be no need to have a computer physically connected, unless you want to for speed / convenience reasons.

This initial stage is

(a) to get round the Catch-22 of 'I want to set up my wioreless modem', but 'I can't set it up because it's not yet working wirelessly' and

(b) to make sure that the only people who can set the modem up are those who can physically connect to it. Otherwise the spotty 14-year-old over the road might beat you to it, set *their* secure ID and password, and use your connection as their own until you managed to sort the mess out.

But the bottom line is that you (or your friend) are the customer here - if the service provider's instructions don't work, keep on at their customer support until you get someone who *will* explain what you need to do in terms you can understand: and if they don't, telling them you're cancelling the contract and going to their biggest competitor usually does the trick :)

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 12:48 PM

Sorry, poor proofreading in paragraph 2, think you'll work out what I mean though ...

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: Anglogeezer
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 12:56 PM

Hi Ragdall
If you're taking your portable along then you can use that to set up the router next to the phone socket using the ethernet cable.
Dont forget to use an encrypted signal for security.

Then your friends WIFI computer can be instructed to look for the wireless network - not forgetting to use the same encryption codes.



regards
Jake

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 02:00 PM

Sorry, McGrath, I'm in Canada.

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 02:04 PM

Anglogeezer,
Will they tell me how to "use an encrypted signal for security"?

I failed that aspect of configuring my own wireless router and only use it when absolutely necessary because I'm worried about the aforementioned 14 year old. Maybe I'll need to locate him and hire him to set it up?

rags

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: Greg F.
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 02:11 PM

Two Words: Hard Wired.

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: IvanB
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 03:27 PM

I found a manual here: Siemens Manual

The condo we've rented for the winter for the past few years has DSL. The owner has it set up as an open system, probably so week to week renters in the summer aren't bothering him for login instructions. When we checked in, I logged in to the router and checked for users. There were 34 people using this one account (think of the computer savvy 14 y/o to the nth degree)!

I promptly set up the router with my own id and password, then set up the wireless connection as secure. Of course, I had to reset everything when we left, but no biggie.

On a forum I found an entry which said the default id for the Siemens is "admin" and the password "telus". These, of course are the entries you'd want to change to keep out the 14 y/o.

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: Anglogeezer
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 03:57 PM

ragdall wrote

"Anglogeezer,
Will they tell me how to "use an encrypted signal for security"?

I failed that aspect of configuring my own wireless router and only use it when absolutely necessary because I'm worried about the aforementioned 14 year old. Maybe I'll need to locate him and hire him to set it up?"
****************
I hope that instructions on encryption/security are bundled with the router, in the manual! otherwise call the product helpline if they have one.
Ivan B posted a link to some instructions which seem comprehensive.
Just take it steady. Scanning quickly thru the instructions it seems that setting up the encryption is just another step although you may select "DISABLE SECURITY" if you wish.

regards
Jake

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 03:57 PM

IvanB,
Thank you very much! All I could find was the same basic install guide that was in the package. This should be a great help if we can follow it. I read complaints somewhere that TELUS (or their supplier) disabled some of the settings in the modem. After the Internet is enabled by TELUS, Monday, I'll find out what I can and can't access.

Greg F.
The modem which TELUS supplies to new customers is "wireless". If we were able to purchase a long enough ethernet cable and and run it from the far side of one room to the far side of the other without posing a tripping hazard, wouldn't the wireless modem continue to be available to anyone in the neighbourhood who has a wireless receiver?

rags

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 04:01 PM

Anglogeezer,
We do not want to "DISABLE SECURITY", is that correct?

rags

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: Bruce MacNeill
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 04:31 PM

The security applies to the wireless function and should be enabled to keep others from hijacking your connection. It is disabled by default so that you can make sure the modem works wirelessly and then go in and enable it. There will also be a place where you can change the default admin logon name and password and there is generally a place where you can enable or disable admin functions from wireless connections. This is generally disabled by default which is why you have to make a wired connection first. If there are other users possibly within a few hundred feet or your modem, you should enable all the security and if there are several levels of security available, which is generally stated in number of bits, take the highest value, generally 24.

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 22 Aug 10 - 04:34 PM

Thank you Bruce.

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: Bruce MacNeill
Date: 23 Aug 10 - 07:16 PM

Just wondering how you did with this. Did you get it up and running?

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 23 Aug 10 - 09:32 PM

Hi Bruce,
Thanks for asking. We bought a USB wireless card for a desktop today. We have not been able to get the wireless modem set up though. The lights all come on but it doesn't do anything.

I took the manual I downloaded from a link in this thread along on a flash drive but it was a pdf file and her computer didn't have an pdf reader. I couldn't download one because she's not online. I'll see if I can put one on the flash dish tonight.

Tech support at Telus, (when they finally answered after 35 minutes of waiting), told me that maybe the telephone extension cord we were using (from the phone jack in one room to the room across the hall) was too long. Apparently I'll have to take a laptop there and try connecting in the same room as the telephone jack. I'll try to do that tomorrow or the next day. I think that the middle of the night would be a better time. There might not be a 30 minute queue for help then?

When my friend signed up for Internet at the Telus store in the mall, they neglected to tell her the user name and passwor, or print it on her documents. I was able to get that by phoning Telus and pressing a lot of buttons on her phone to access a human.

We ran into a block trying to set up her new HP printer, too, because the computer admin has to log in or something. She's the only user on her computer and there is no login as we didn't set a password for her. I'm hoping that getting online and downloading a newer driver for the printer might help because the printer box doesn't list Windows 7. The clerk at Staples showed us the printer along with the computers that all run Windows 7, so it should be compatible.

Thanks for all the help.

rags

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: GUEST,amergin
Date: 23 Aug 10 - 10:07 PM

Alot of times the pc will need to be hard wired to the modem for the initial set up. Then you open a browser and usually will have to go to 192.168.0.1 to access the firmware inside the modem. Most DSL companies will have an WPA key, sometimes on the bottom side of the modem, or sometimes with the documentation from the service provider.

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 23 Aug 10 - 10:56 PM

amergin,
We had the modem hard wired to the desktop computer, but there is no phone jack in that room so we had to use a 25' long telephone extension cord to connect the modem to the DSL line jack. We were told that the modem cannot be more than 10 feet from the DSL jack. The tech told me to get a laptop, set it and the modem up within 10 feet of the wall jack, and try again. I hope to be able to do that sometime in the next couple of days.

Thanks,
rags

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Aug 10 - 11:02 PM

"We were told that the modem cannot be more than 10 feet from the DSL jack"

Yep The BOFH (Bastard Operator From Hell) I dealt with when setting up this connection insisted on that too - minimum length of cored from socket to modem - but it had to be the 2 meter cord supplied. So we packed up the junk - which was on a semi-portable desk (allowed us to do some cleaning!) and set it up next to the phone outlet. When I rang back in the insisted location we got a REALLY NICE Indian guy who would NOT give up on us, till we got it nailed... :-)

When working, we moved all the junk back and connected the 15 meter cord needed to live in the house - worked perfectly .... sigh ....

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 24 Aug 10 - 05:25 AM

Foolestroupe,
I'm sure you're right. I've run my own computers with long telephone extension cords and they've worked fine. On the other hand, this was not working. Before I can get any more "tech support" I must try what she suggested. I do have a laptop so it won't be too hard a hoop to jump through. If it works, great. If it doesn't then they will have to come up with a better solution.

I'm feeling a bit of a fool at the moment as I thought installing a printer and a modem would be very simple tasks. It turns out I couldn't do either one. At least the computer is up and running and my friend can play Free Cell. If we ever get the Internet connected, I hope that the wireless card we bought for the desktop computer will work without any grief.

rags

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 24 Aug 10 - 05:34 AM

Don't feel too bad ...

I still can't talk to the printer attached to the Linux box from my Win 7 box .... I bought my TRS80 in about 1975....   :-}

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: Bruce MacNeill
Date: 24 Aug 10 - 07:18 AM

Just to see that the modem is working at all, open IE or whatever browser you have and in the address box type http//192.168.1.1 and try to open it. You should at lease get a login box or an error of some sort. I'm not familiar with the Siemans modem but it just seems strange that there isn't an installation CD to walk you through the steps. Both my original Westell and my new Netgear came with installation CDs.

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 24 Aug 10 - 06:47 PM

Bruce,
Thanks. I'll write that in my notebook and try it the next time I can get over to my friend's house. (Unexpected house guests arrived there yesterday so further installation frustrations have been postponed until after they decide to leave.)

There is no CD with anything these days, it seems. No CD came with her new computer either. I assume we are expected to download anything we might need? It's a circular problem.   I wonder if anyone has written a song about computer woes along the lines of "There's a hole in my bucket..."?

rags

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 24 Aug 10 - 07:09 PM

Installation CDs for the modem we got were useless - they were for WinCrap - and the PC was a Linux one... :-)


"We don't support Linux"

Said the BOFH...

The actual technicalities are identical - just knowing what info and where to put the info is all I needed to know...

As I said - the really nice guy we got the second time didn't care about all that nonsense, just got the details fixed...

It's not really all that difficult once you have lost your virginity .... oooooooo ....

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: Bruce MacNeill
Date: 24 Aug 10 - 08:07 PM

It's not a new problem. My company once stopped printing manuals and out everything on a disk. Of course you had to get the a machine up to read the disk and the instructions were on the disk. I'm sure it sounded like a good idea to the finance folks, not so much for the support folks. I had forgotten that the tablet PCs don't even have CD drives anymore so I suppose Siemens figured they didn't need a CD but not having a CD they probably didn't think that decent printed instructions would be really useful for first time users. I'm glad I'm retired and don't have to think about this stuff anymore.

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: IvanB
Date: 24 Aug 10 - 08:59 PM

According to the manual I referenced above, the default address for the Siemens router is 192.168.254.254.

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 01:45 AM

Ivan,
Thank you. I've written that number down, too. I hope that I can get back there soon and get her connected. She's already paying for the connection that she doesn't have.

rags

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: Bernard
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 09:09 AM

"I wonder if anyone has written a song about computer woes along the lines of "There's a hole in my bucket..."?"

Dunno about that, but the infamous Les Barker did a parody of 'When I'm Cleaning Windows' entitled 'Reinstalling Windows'!

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: Leadfingers
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 09:23 AM

The WONDERFUL world of Ctrl/Alt Delete !!!

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 04:51 AM

I spent a very frustrating five hours today on the phone with TELUS Tech support people. The modem connects to the Internet but won't hold the connection. (Or the computer is blocking it?) I got into Mudcat once, but all that it would load was the header. I tried hard wiring my XP laptop to the modem, instead of my friend's new Win 7 desktop computer, and was able to connect to some sites but timed out on others. They're sending a tech to my friend's house tomorrow to check things out.

I don't know why this all had to be so difficult? I hope TELUS won't drag it out until it's too late for my friend to return the computer. If she can't get online she won't need it. She has about 7 days left of the 14 day return policy.

I gave up on using the CD that came with the printer, ignored the instructions that said not to connect the printer cable to the computer, and just connected it. The computer found new hardware and said it was installing something. We printed text and scanned a photo. It works great! At least something works.

rags

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: Amergin
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 05:11 AM

Are the filters plugged correctly into the telephone jack? Are there any devices that may interfere with the signal?

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 06:39 AM

Amergin,
It's not my house, I don't know what she has or doesn't have. The filter was connected okay on the line in the room where I was working. She swore that she put one on the only other telephone in the house. That phone was working fine. Both filters were new and came with the modem. The telephone company is the ISP. They installed the phone lines when her house was built, 32 years ago. Hopefully when they send a tech to the house Thursday it will get figured out.

rags

Subject: RE: TECH - wireless modem question
From: Amergin
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 02:44 PM

Almost sounds like something was interfering with the connection....as it was slow....

alot of times powercycling the modem (shutting it off and unplugging it for a minute or so) will help...as it refreshes the modem, and forces it to reach out again for the information needed to obtain connectivity.

Oh well, I am curious as to see what the tech will say though.

As an aside, because of the location of my computer and the various devices around to interfere with a wireless connection, I have a 25 foot cat5 going from the modem to the box, much to everyone else's irritation....

Subject: RE: Tech: wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 11:53 PM

Thanks, everyone for your patience and helpful suggestions.

This morning two men arrived at my friend's house from the telephone company/Internet provider. They brought a new modem, tried that, still had the problem, checked through her house and basement, could find no reason for the problem, left, saying that they would be back. They never returned, but phoned to let her know that they had battled with someone else in the company, (something relating to a "port"?), and all was now fixed. They told my friend that she should have no more problems with the Internet.

I went over this afternoon to set up Thunderbird e-mail for her, the Internet works like a charm! Also, her telephone line that she's been complaining about to the telephone company for years because of so much noise on the line was no longer making that noise -- coincidence?

Tomorrow, I'll try again to set up the USB wireless connection in the desktop computer so we can move her computer away from the telephone jack on the wall. I think we need to get a "key" from the ISP in order to access the modem.

rags

Subject: RE: Tech: wireless modem question
From: Amergin
Date: 27 Aug 10 - 02:21 AM

Was it a locked LIM port? Sometimes for some reason it can get clogged up with information and it could show connectivity, when there actually is none. They would just need to repush it from the server and then it works fine.

Subject: RE: Tech: wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 27 Aug 10 - 04:55 AM

Amergin,
All she knew was that the problem was something about a port and that the techs who visited her had to fight with someone to get them to make changes that allowed her Internet to work as it should. Whatever was wrong, there was a connection but it was much too slow for "high speed" DSL and the Internet didn't stay connected long before dropping the connection.

   My son phoned me tonight. He recently moved to another town, set up Internet with the telephone company and received the same model of modem. He sent me the information I should need to set up the wireless connection when we have time again.

rags

Subject: RE: Tech: wireless modem question
From: Bruce MacNeill
Date: 27 Aug 10 - 03:23 PM

Well, rags, look at the bright side. It wasn't your fault so you're not as dumb as you felt. There's a lot of telco stupidity down here too.

Subject: RE: Tech: wireless modem question
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 27 Aug 10 - 08:04 PM

Id say it was a cable pair that was flaky - usually a slight short - it will still work more or less for speech, maybe even ok for dialup up to certain speeds, but is useless for ASDL.... been there done that, I had to wait till complete failure... :-)

Subject: RE: Tech: wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 09:27 PM

I'm pleased to announce that the wireless modem is set up with a password.   The CD that came with the USB wireless adaptor didn't have a Windows 7 driver, it took a while to find one but it works very well. The computer is no longer hard wired to the modem. The Internet is still accessible. I'm happy and relieved.

rags

Subject: RE: Tech: wireless modem question
From: Noreen
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 09:59 PM

hooray! :)

Subject: RE: Tech: wireless modem question
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 02:40 AM

Well done!

Subject: RE: Tech: wireless modem question
From: ragdall
Date: 31 Aug 10 - 06:54 AM

Thanks.