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Setting up D-Link DSL-G640T with Virgin.net broadband
Yes! The D-Link DSL-904 Wireless ADSL Modem/Router, with firewall, works just fine with the English ISP Virgin.Net's DSL service (broadband). The product number I've quoted is for a starter kit with a modem/ router plus a USB wireless interface device. The modem/ router (just called "router" hereafter) in that kit has its own product code: DSL-G640T. Start by connecting a PC by wire (Ethernet, aka LAN) to the router. Once that is working, you then connect the PC to the internet. I use the UK service provider which is part of Mr. Branson's achievements. The wireless USB adapter is for connecting a PC... either the one you started with, or a second one... to the router. But that's a story for another time! (I have made it work. The second PC is then able to access the internet too (unless you are on AOL, with the wrong package), and the two computers can access one another's files and printers, if you've chosen to enable those features.)
I had some really first class support from the Tech Support people at D-Link, and this is by way of thanking them, in hopes that you'll find what you need here, and between us we can help keep D-Link's costs down. Not only were the people at D-Link knowledgeable, but they were there when I needed them... the Sunday of a holiday weekend.... not "9-noon, Monday to Thursday", or some such nonsense. You can buy cheaper, no-name, devices... but you'll often regret it! I have to say, in the spirit of completeness, that I wasn't as impressed by the standard of the online support either at D-Link or at Virgin's site. It was hard to find things.... even, in the case of the Virgin site, things that were there.... but buried.
While this page is primarily for a narrow audience, other readers benefit from the ideas for tracking down problems, which appear farther down this page.
I'm doing this from notes, without the device in front of me to check the exact names for the pages and tabs you need within the router configuration... apologies. I'll try to revisit it later. For now.. use a pinch of salt. I have been careful that my setting recommendations are accurate.
A separate page is provided if you are new to using broadband via a router.
There are also extra notes for people who have not configured a router before.
Specifics of using a DSL-G640T with Virgin.Net's broadband service:
First of all: Don't worry about the CHAP / PSP authentication issue. You don't have to set anything to ensure that the router uses CHAP.
Secondly, not that it matters much, I think, but just in case: I'm using Win98SE and IE 5.0 (Although I prefer Opera or Firefox... its just that neither is installed (yet) on the machine with which I was working.)
If on the "Advanced" tab, you have turned off the firewall and NAT... turn them on again. Both of them.
On the Connection 1 page, set your router up as follows:
DSC setup: MMODE (You will see newsgroup posts suggesting others. MMODE worked for me, and was D-Link's suggestion.)
PPPoA
Put a tick in both the NAT and Firewall checkboxes.
Encapsulation: VC
I didn't discuss the next three settings with D-Link, but these settings worked for me....
Idle:0
Keep Alive: 10
MaxFail: 3
I believe the next two settings are values which might improve your internet experience if they were tweaked. They seem to get lots of discussion, and D-Link had me try 1430 (for both, I think it was) before we discovered what I was doing wrong. But what I have below was a D-Link suggestion, and is how my working router is set...
MTU: 1400
MRU: 1492
DO put a tick in the Set Route checkbox.
Do NOT put a tick in the On Demand checkbox.
My notes get a bit messy here... they say "PVC 0 38". You, who can look at a configuration screen can probably see what that means. The notes go on to say that I had the following settings, but had not discussed them with D-Link:
QOS: UBR
PCR -
DCR -
So! That should do it! (Ha! That little "should" word again!)
Troubleshooting...
If your setup still will not work, here are some ideas for you....
Always start with the simple things. Remember that each your router powers up, it takes a little while (40 seconds?) to establish a good connection with your DSL service. Wait until the DSL LED is steady, not blinking, before you try to access the internet. (That LED may sometimes "flicker" without it meaning anything sinister, but it should not be going on/ off/ on /off at about one cycle per second.)
Before looking too hard at the router (hardware), be sure your browser (software) has the right settings. IE 5.0: Tools - Internet Options - Connections - LAN Settings: Tick "Automatically Detect Settings", UNtick the rest, including "Uee Proxy Server"
Are you getting a connection? This is NOT the same as "Are you getting into your account."
On the router's Connection page (I think that's where it is!), in the menu running down the left hand side of the page, there's a button for System Log. This should be full of useful indications of what is going on.
If you see "PPPoA Connection Successfully Established" (or similar), don't get too excited! It is a necessary first step, but there's an additional step. Even achieving "PPPoA Connect with Gateway IP Adrr..." is not everything you need. If you're not able to use your broadband yet, go to the Status page. There's an entry there (under DSL?) that may say "not connected", even though you have a connection, according to the System Log. They're talking about different things. Do a "connect", and refresh the Status page, then go back to the System Log. If you see something about CHAP authentication failed, have a very close look at your user id and password. I believe in every case, for Virgin.Net customers, the user ID consists of...
<word>.<word>@adsl.virgin.net, e.g. Fred.Bloggs@adsl.virgin.net
If the System Log is showing failures of CHAP authentication, you probably have your username or password wrong. N.B.: If your user name derives from a webname, e.g. MyStuff.com, then don't try to use something line
me.mystuff.com@adsl.virgin.net
(The ".com" in the above should not be there.)
Your telephone line must have been activated before you'll be able to connect.
If you think you're connecting okay, but something like www.google.com fails to work when you put it into your browser, then try putting either of the following into your browser in place of the www.google.com...
216.33.88.141 or
212.58.226.40
If one of them gives you a result (the second one should give you a BBC page), then try www.goggle.com again. Still no joy? You probably have a DNS setup problem. "DNS" stands for Directory Name Server. The internet "runs" on those tedious numbers which no human is going to remember. The DNS looks up the number which goes with the URL ("www thingie"), saving us frail humans from the chore of remembering the numbers.
To fix the DNS problem, you need to access the properties of your TCP/IP protocol. There will be a tab for the DNS setup. Type anything in for "host", enable DNS, put the following two IP addresses in for DNS servers ("DNS Server Search Order")...
4.2.2.2 and
4.2.2.3
These may not be the best, fastest, DNS available to you. For advice on that, contact your ISP. But the addresses given should work. (If anyone can advise me on the right way to chose servers, and where to get their addresses, I'd welcome the information.)
When trying to get something like this working, it is important to remember to save the router configuration changes you have made at suitable moments. It probably won't hurt, and will sometimes help, if you restart the router and / or the PC. Sometimes flushing your browser's cache is helpful. (IE 5.0: Tools - Internet Options - General - Temporary Internet Files - Delete Fields.).
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