HUAWEI SmartAX MT882 - installation issues

Hello everyone.

I'm brand new to not only this place but adsl broadband in general so please bear with me. Also apologies if my problem is answered elsewhere on the boards - i did search 1st I promise. I really hope someone can help.

Right. 1st off, like a mug I've signed up with talktalk (don't worry I'm not going to moan about my own stupidity in making that decision) and I'm having troubles already - essentially I can't even get the the modem set up!

Now rather than cancel the (non)service after just two days of wrestling with their shambels of a tech support team, i was kind of hoping to find out how to set up the modem myself - if that's possible.

I'm running WInXP SP2 (celeron 2.8GHz 1GB RAM) with McAffee Security Center. I've been supplied with a HUAWEI SmartAX MT882, a micro filter, an adsl cable, a usb lead and a network cable. I ran the installation cd, plugged all the cables in as directed (first i tried it with the network cable then when this gave no joy i tried it with the usb lead) and the cd stalls on the modem connection test page.

Whether using the usb or the network cable to connect it to the pc, it registers success for testing the 'connection to modem' but fails on the 'connection to network' and so doesn't even try the 'connection to talktalk' test.

i've double checked the wires (the only this here is that the phone socket has an extender on it - only about 5m long - so that the phone and modem are in the same room as the pc) and i've also tried the weird 'advice' from talktalk's tech support where they tried to set up a dial up connection (surely this is not right?) but all to no avail.

I did manage to find the instruction manual to the HUAWEI SmartAX MT882 but according to this you should simply install the usb drivers connect the network cable and hey presto but sadly no joy for me!. Again this is something that doesn't sound quite right to me - why usb drivers but connect with a network cable?

Can anyone shed some light on all this for me please? I realise I'm probably missing something really obvious and am being dumb but if you could overlook that and help me out, I'd be really grateful.

Cheers

Ali

Throw the talk talk cd in the bin.

Connect the pc to the router with the network cable (USB networking is a pain).

Check to see if the pc has aquired an IP address start | run | cmd (enter) | ipconfig

Hopefully the pc should have an ip address in th range of 192.168.1.x

Open a web browser and enter 192.168.1.1 as the address, hopefully this will open the routers web config page.

From the manual I've read the username is admin and the password is admin.

Sounds familiar, someone at work had a very similar problem. Have TalkTalk sent you a user name and password yet?

Edit: He got the correct one sent to him 4 weeks after activation.

Edited by miller75 (Thu 05-Oct-06 15:55:51)

thank you so much dave.

i sort of tried this (they were the apple mac instructions which came on a flyer in the box) the pc does have an ip address as you mention but when i tried doing the browser bit you mention it just displayed a blank page (no login box nothing) - is this as i'd been half way through the cd set up or is my modem duff?

i'll give it another go at home tonight but just wondered if there was an explanation for this before i tried?

cheers again

Ali

oh and i don't suppose anyone knows if there's anyway to check talktalk's network availability is there? don't isp's usually have a web page displaying current service status?

well i've got both but i just assumed they were correct - if they can't even get that right i'm really in the s**t aren't i? woo hoo!

that said, i haven't actually got to a part where i've been asked to enter them - except the strange 'help' i was offered by their tech support who tried to set me up as if i had a dial-up modem...

Nearly home but not quite. Check IE for any proxy settings or automatically detect settings and remove the ticked boxes (tools, internet options, connections tab, lan settings).