configuring broadband/PC power protection/cable-satellite TV in India...

brownboy66

you have abbreviations and txt speak,
capt has cheesecake,
Dilli has....well....lots of things,
for me - its routers!

yeah - not really a biggie - it just makes it difficult to fault find when users have both dial up and DSL (as in the case of Aishah)- as she will have an inbuilt modem in her laptop, as well as an external router - hence making the distinction from the start means no confusion between "please check the settings on the "router" or "modem".

yes - a minor point - but I'm surely I'm allowed just one minor concession??

That's what I'm wondering re the icon on the desktop - unless its a shortcut to an online manual (but why bother)? Re the connection to the PC - most DSL manufacturers provide ethernet as standard and you have to hunt of find one with a USB port (even then there would be both an ethernet and USB port). If the techie has ignored the ethernet port and used the USB instead - he should be shot.

same here - so Aishah, what's the story! Put us out of our misery please!

Aishah

Quick reply - had trouble with the server earlier this morning but have read all - will re-connect everything up - I recollect a green light and i think maybe 2 red ones. It is plugged to USB socket. I also have to wait for the username - had to choose 2 and they will tell me which one. The 'man' is coming again today to check stuff out - or tomorrow. I remember him typing nos. in and doing setting stuff. He has also done 15 connections which are all working, including the Joshi Internet which is successful. So I think he knows what he's doing, except for my problem! We have purchased the modem from BSNL and this is what they are using for other connections here already running, so I should imagine it's alright? It's ZTE ModelZXDSL831AII and says splitter 4KHZ whatever that means. www.zte.com.cn Thanks for all replies fellows, very helpful.

Phew!! I just had to add I am so relieved my computer is o.k. This morning neither GPRS or Dial-Up could get anywhere - worked for a few minutes, both, then just nothing after. I had to completely close off. I was thinking that something wrong with laptop, but having now worked here on a few posts, nothing wrong with it! So it's not my computer making any problem with this current Broadband one..

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"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

brownboy66

Good morning Aishah. How's Jaisalmer this morning (fairly chilly here in Delhi - 9 degrees when we woke up). I had problems logging on to IM this morning as well - just wasn't reachable from here.

Is the picture below the wee beastie you have? So 5 lights across the front of it? Which ones were red - if you can recall? If you have yet to choose a username then it sounds like the techie was trying to connect you and your account was not ready, or your account details had some problems (either way the xDSL light would be green but the "internet" light might be red or not going at all). So the connection might be fine but the service can't authenticate you yet - so no access to the internet for now.

Also - if the picture below is your beastie then the light second from right says "ethernet" . Not sure, therefore, why you're techie would connect you to USB instead since that requires a more complex setup (a device driver would need to be loaded onto your machine to recognise the ZX, whereas if they use the ethernet port no driver for your laptop would be needed).

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machadinha

Do please remember hiccups are not uncommon in the <cough> developed world. Last time I simply had to replace a modem (sorry, router) it took me weeks, no little thanks to the ISP (internet service provider)'s swiftness.

So, er, you're not alone at least.

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brownboy66

my covert campaign is working....

Nick-H

I agree entirely on the nomenclature, but we are suck with it here, at least, and it is going to be necessary to talk to BSNL in terms they use and understand, even though we know what the thing should be called .

Here's a description of installing and using this device. I've only glanced at the first page, but it looks pretty good .

It is not at all obligatory to use a BSNL router; I use my own Netgear router that I bought. If Aishah's laptop has a wireless card built in then it would be good for her to get a router with wireless. These are available from BSNL if she twists somebody's arm!

Leave it at that for now while I go see what else is on IndiaMike today!

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IndiaMike Mod Team (The Grumpy One)

Aishah

Thanks folks - this will all be helpful should the man fail.. Looks like some BSNL or whatever server down earlier, Brownboy. Even my GPRS was useless. Now the model router/modem I have has only 4 lights- from left to right: Power;DSL;Internet; PC/USB not 5. Is ethernet here or not? (Sorry I am so ignorant). I have just come back from market but will 'try' to connect everything, however if I'm not sure where things go I think I will wait for the man. Yes there is wireless facility in my computer.
Nick - that looks a good link for me, I tried to open but I think I need Broadband to open it!!!! I will try later with Dial-Up but GPRS was up to 15 mins. and I just had enough so closed it. Thanks for that maybe we are too slow with GPRS just at present!

Aishah

I tried to edit but it got stuck - so if a Mod wants to merge please do. I am so dopey! While eating lunch I noticed the names on the backside of the modem and yes, there is ethernet port there plus USB as well.

brownboy66

ok then.....its a fairly standard DSL modem (grrrrr) then. In any case, not much can be done about the setup until you've got your username and password.

Aishah

Thanks, bb, yes, we will wait till that arrives, hopefully the man has come in the meantime to check it again and see what the problem is, then go from there.btw on the box we have written ADSL Modem!!! Sorry bb!

Dilliwala

And a corner of a travel website with just enough space to let u indulge your chief fetish.
(talking of IT, folks, not whips and chains).

Not a minor point at all, makes all the diff. So may I SUBTLY point out that I called a router a router to start with and my thingy a "modem" (there just isn't any other term for this in the market - it's an ADSL USB modem - I hope u noticed the inverted commas though )

At least in Delhi the MTNL guys know what a router is, but even then many of em call it a modem.

It probably auto installs when u click the Setup exe. Mine has the same thing (originally from Tata VSNL - yeah, I kicked them out a long time ago!)

Oh, 2 ports are standard on D-Link 502T which is quite popular, in Delhi at least. MTNL used to hand these out earlier til they switched - u probably have the new one.

Aishah - DO NOT touch the idea of wireless BB with a barge-pole in JSM, at least not till u get the present equipment up and running reliably for a while! The next thing BSNL will tell u if u are not getting wireless reception is that your sytem is at fault, simply becos they wudn't know how to resolve any related prob. MTNL has tried this with me often, but since I'm smarter than them (which is not saying much) they haven't been able to get away with it.

Altho this may not work, still just to rule it out and also not waste time till BSNL comes back, u can try the foll, with NO ill-effects for your comp or the BB router:
a) Do u have a cable lying around (RJ45) which can connect a device to your LAN/ethernet port? IF YES, then only see below.

b) Do u know how to enter Device Manager in XP? Look for something like 'ADSL Modem' or similar, and look under 'Network Adapters' for a listing which clearly identifies the new router.
(U may have one or both of the a.m. listings). Delete one or both listings (u may have to restart).

c) Now connect the router to the LAN port with the RJ45 cable. With any luck (espesh if they have activated your password already) u'll get Power/DSL/Ethernet lights on (ignore the USB light, it wil remain off).
Try browsing a site. If possible, nothing further needs to be done (since u said the guy already 'did numbers').

In any case if none of this is successful, tell him u want the router connected to the LAN port when he shows up. (Your comp DOES have a LAN/ethernet port, right?)

machadinha

Even my poor head's spinning now. Maybe I'm not in an attentive mood

Aishah: I'd wait for that technician to return. Others: Try to explain it so as to not use any jargon, or at least to explain how to arrive at that jargon, for the benefit of Aishah and others. Most who speak it don't need it. The others it won't mean very much to.

Dilliwala

I"m sorry, but how else does one refer to things like DSL, router, and Device Manager? That internet-linky-thingy, that square-shaped internet-connection-enabling-box-thingy, and List of Hardware-Thingies-on-your-computer, maybe?

Seeing that the tech connected the router to the USB port and not the LAN port as he probably shud have, he doesn't inspire much faith.

Nick-H

Do try to get him to connect it to your Ethernet port!

DW... the icon on the desktop does a PPoE 'dial-up' -- another dreadful misuse of terms, yes. It sends the user name and password to the BSNL Authentication Server, which then allows the machine to have access to the server.

The 'modem' (should be called a router, yes) is set in 'pass-through' (or bridge?) mode and, apart from establishing the physical ADSL link, doesn't do much in this.

brownboy66

Thank you, thank you, thank you....(given the number of pet peeves on this site, I'd have to wait in line don't you think)?

Oh well Aishah - as mentioned previously until the technician turns up with your password and ID - there really isn't too much else to do - but as Nick recommended - do try to get the ethernet connection in place as opposed to the USB.

Dilliwala also has a good point re the wireless connection. In some ways it is very convenient to have a DSL router/modem that then connects to your PC/ laptop via a wireless connection (means you can move around the house and were ever you are - your connected). Wireless routers, however, are notoriously insecure unless you take steps to ensure the wireless link between the router and your PC/ laptop is secure - and that's a whole different lesson to what you're going through at the moment (otherwise you end up supplying internet to the whole neighbourhood). I did a short post on this as my neighbour was kindly doing just that for our street....

Internet/ PC security part 2: wireless and passwords

so let us know once you have your password and ID (or the techie has been back).