Support
Setting up the hardware
Ours is a ' wires only' service, meaning that you must supply your own hardware- including any modems, routers, filters etc. The points below should be enough to help you
configure any ADSL hardware you may have.
Physical connections
To use an Ethernet router, your PC(s) will need to have an Ethernet port to connect
to the router. Most new PCs have one built-in and the socket will be on the rear
of the main box.
Your xbox should be connected to the router with a patch cable (as opposed to
a crossover cable) - If you need an additional one you can obtain them for a minimal amount from any computer store.
The ADSL wire supplied with the modem should be connected to the socket in the back
of the router and the other end into a micro filter. The micro filter should then
be plugged into the master phone socket. Remember that additional micro filters
should be plugged into any other sockets you have equipment plugged into (remembering
things such as Sky boxes, answer phones etc).
Computer settings
Your PC and xbox should be set to obtain an IP address automatically. This allows the
router to assign an internal IP address to your computer(s) which in turn provides
a layer of security since this IP address is not directly accessible from the internet.
Only the router's external IP address is visible on the internet. To do this, open
Control Panel then double-click on Network Connections. Then right-click on Local
Area Connection and select Properties. Click on Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and select
Properties. Ensure that "Obtain an IP address automatically" and "Obtain
DNS server address automatically" are selected. If you have previously had
dial-up internet access on your machine, you need to disable this since your computer
is now on a network. To do this, open Internet Explorer and go to Tools, Internet
Options, Connections, Never dial a connection.
Note that these aren't the only settings that will work, just the ones that make
things easiest to setup in the first place. If you are of a technical persuasion
then feel free to modify the setup as you please.
Router settings
The following are general settings that are the same across all routers; you should
be able to edit them using your router's configuration menu.
- Mode: Routing
- Encapsulation: PPPoA
- Multiplex: VC
- VPI: 0
- VCI: 38
- IP Address: As notified to you (you can just leave it on automatically assigned)
- Subnet mask: 255.255.255.255
- Default Gateway: Same as your IP address
Note that these settings are different for ADSL users in the Kingston Communications
area, but as Kingston make it prohibitively difficult for us to provide ADSL in
their area, it doesn't matter ;-) You will need to enter your username and password
as well. In most cases the username will take the form of ukgnxxxx@adsllogin.co.uk and the
password as advised to you. If you need to manually enter a DNS server address,
you can use 195.74.102.146 Only do this if you have to as we may need to change this
IP in the future.
Verifying a connection
Once you have completed the above steps you should be able to access the internet,
assuming your ADSL service has gone live. To do this, just enter a web address into
Internet Explorer (eg www.ukgamersnetwork.com or www.bbc.co.uk). If the site appears,
you are in business. If you don't have a connection, run through the following
before contact support:
- Is the LAN light lit on the router,
and is there an icon in the taskbar on your PC showing a connection?
- If not, there is a problem between the router and the PC - check the cables and
ensure the settings in Control Panel are as above.
- Is the WAN /
ADSL light lit?
- If it's not or it is flashing slowly, then there is a problem between the router
and the exchange. Check the cable connections and reboot the router by turning it
off for 15 seconds, then back on again.
No luck?
If 1 and 2 are ok but you can't browse the internet then do the following to see
if there is a DNS issue.
- Open a command (DOS) prompt...
- Click on Start and then Run, type CMD
in the field marked 'Open' and press 'OK'... In
the black window that appears...
- Type "ping 212.58.224.131 " (without the quotes)
- If you get a reply then there is a problem with the DNS settings. Ensure that the
setting in the router configuration is correct. If you get a timeout error then
there is a connection problem. In that case please call us on 01635 32500 Please do NOT call us if you have forgotten or don't know how to access your own equipment. You will need to find and read the manual that came with it. We do not know what equipment you have and will be unable to help,