UPC 100Mb now available

ronkmonster

roast wrote: »

This should clear up some info for you. At the very least, its for new users to the 100mb service who need some help with this hunk of $h!t Thomson that UPC are sending out...


This guide will help you set up your own Router with the Thomson modem.
As the Thomson modem does not have a bridge/gateway mode option (at least, not in this current firmware) usually you would have to stick with using the Thomson as a router too.

Another advantage of doing this is the potential to add more port forwarding rules, as the Thomson only has a limited number of slots to do so.(This is dependent on the router you choose to set up)

The router I chose to set up was a TP-LINK TLWR1043ND.

Here we go...
1 - Connect your PC directly to the router you wish to set up with an Ethernet cable. To avoid any issues when setting it up, assign a static IP to that machine in the range of the router, but out of the DHCP pool that the router provides. For example, my routers IP was 192.168.1.1, and it leased a pool between 192.168.1.10 - 192.168.1.199. So, I set my computer as 192.168.1.2, which is out of the DHCP pool, but still allows connection. This will avoid any possible/potential DHCP conflicts. (You might get away with not setting a static IP, but do it nonetheless if problems occur)

2- If you've changed your routers IP or your PC's IP in the first step, ensure you can still log in to your router via a browser. If it doesnt work, restart both the PC and the router.

3- Assign a static WAN IP to the router. This IP must be in the range of the Thomson, but OUTSIDE the range of the Thomsons DHCP pool, which by default is 192.168.0.10 - 192.168.0.254.
I chose 192.168.0.2, with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and a default gateway of 192.168.0.1.

4- Now, enter the Thomson's config (if you're behind your own router, you can access it through 192.168.100.1) and go to "Advanced" and then "DMZ host". Change the IP on this screen to the WAN IP that you have assigned for your own router. In my case, it is 192.168.0.2, as mentioned in step 3.


5- Now to change around your settings on the Thomson. There is no need to disable DHCP on the thomson, so you can still use more devices connected directly to the Thomson (but any port forwarding rules set to those devices would be managed by your own router). I recommend to disable "IP Flood Detection", as this can cause problems with Port forwarding, and more commonly, Torrenting. Leave the Firewall on, I havent tested that yet. You can also choose whether to leave the WiFi on the Thomson on or off, depending on whether you need more access points in your house. I left mine on.

And thats it. Your new router should work perfectly. While you're at it, visit http://dd-wrt.com and install that if your router supports it. An excellent piece of firmware, I must say.


I also did use some information from chelloo.com, so thanks goes to "jtech" on that forum for his work. Credit me and him if you post this elsewhere.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Cheers,
Mick.

That's the same method I use with the existing router (cisco). As long as the dmz works I'm sorted. UPC coming on saturday

roast

roast wrote: »

Not entirely happy with this Thomson modem though! No bridge mode. DMZ doesn't work properly. .

How does it not work properly?

roast

RVP 11 wrote: »

How does it not work properly?

Didn't work originally for me, was having issues with the router resetting. Check my other post though, working perfectly now.

JohnK

How can you find out if you can get the 100mb connection? I've got a 30 with them at the moment but would love 100

roast

roast wrote: »

Didn't work originally for me, was having issues with the router resetting. Check my other post though, working perfectly now.

Maybe a firmware issue?
I set up my Xbox as a DMZ host on day one, no issues at all.
Fine router.

roast

RVP 11 wrote: »

Maybe a firmware issue?
I set up my Xbox as a DMZ host on day one, no issues at all.
Fine router.

Not entirely sure what the issue was to be honest. Working okay now, and I haven't been bothered to try reproduce that issue.
I can't say I agree that its a fine device. Its a massive shame that there is limited port forwarding rules, and no option for a gateway mode!

JohnK wrote: »

How can you find out if you can get the 100mb connection? I've got a 30 with them at the moment but would love 100

Best thing to do is to give them a call on 1908.

ronkmonster

JohnK wrote: »

How can you find out if you can get the 100mb connection? I've got a 30 with them at the moment but would love 100

Call them and ask. If they say no, call back and ask again. First person said no. Transferred me to another department(for another issue) where they said I could get it.

vibe666

okay, so dont ask me where i got the info BUT (as i had originally predicted last year:D) it's not just the 100mbps coming out on the 9th may, there's going to be a big re-jig and re-launch of all of UPC's broadband packages and it looks like the advertised packages will be 10 (or possibly 15)mbps, 25mbps, 50mbps & 100mbps from then on. i've been told to expect (although not necessarily from day 1) anyone on lower packages should sooner or later get a free bump in speed to whatever new package is the one higher than their current one, which means that those on 30mbps should get a 50mbps bump for the same (or a very similar) price.

there will be a self install option for everything EXCEPT the 100mbps which will still require an engineer install, even if its an upgrade.

given that the EPC2425 & EPC2203 routers/modems are both euroDOCSIS v2.0 certified (i.e. up to 55mbps), you can expect that they can still be used with anything up to the 50mbps package, although you may not get the same speeds out of it (or as consistently) as you would with the Thompson as I don't believe (open to correction as usual, its just what i've heard) they have the same support for channel bonding/linking that the thompson has.

also, it looks like they've been giving out the Thompson router to people on the lower packages instead of the Cisco EPC2425 recently as they had a bit of a stock issue with the Cisco's, so if you already have a thompson on a lower package, you *might* (no guarantees, obviously) be able to get away with out an engineer install if you upgrade to the 100mbps.

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

Sounds promising vibe. Thanks for the info.

vibe666

just to mention, i have no idea what will be happening to the cap/aup for each product, or the installation charge for the 100mbps.

Tea_Bag

anyone used their thomson router with 2 or more xbox 360s online at the same time? can you get the NAT open for both? its impossible to play with 2 360's on the EPCPOS2425 online.

Slippin Jimmy

vibe666 wrote: »

just to mention, i have no idea what will be happening to the cap/aup for each product, or the installation charge for the 100mbps.

Woudl you suggest upgrading to the 30mb package now?

thefinalstage

50mbps and 5mbps upload. Allow me to say it, SCHWEEEEET

vibe666

Duffff-Man wrote: »

Woudl you suggest upgrading to the 30mb package now?

i wouldn't imagine it'll make much difference either way tbh, if they do it the same way as they did with the bump from 20mbps to 30mbps, you'll have to call to get the upgrade for the first few months and they'll snag you into a new 12 month contract, or wait for the auto-upgrade of everyone else a few months later to get it without a new 12 month contract.

poisonedstream wrote: »

50mbps and 5mbps upload. Allow me to say it, SCHWEEEEET

not sure about uploads, but if they're raising the 100mbps upload from 7mbps to 10mbps, it seems like a reasonable bet that the 50mbps will be 5mbps so i guess just keep our fingers crossed for a few more weeks.

Is this worth getting ? I am on a 30 meg line at the moment , but they quoted me an instalation charge of €100 to get the 100 meg line

Sgt Pepper 64

vibe666 wrote: »

okay, so dont ask me where i got the info BUT (as i had originally predicted last year:D) it's not just the 100mbps coming out on the 9th may, there's going to be a big re-jig and re-launch of all of UPC's broadband packages and it looks like the advertised packages will be 10 (or possibly 15)mbps, 25mbps, 50mbps & 100mbps from then on. i've been told to expect (although not necessarily from day 1) anyone on lower packages should sooner or later get a free bump in speed to whatever new package is the one higher than their current one, which means that those on 30mbps should get a 50mbps bump for the same (or a very similar) price.

there will be a self install option for everything EXCEPT the 100mbps which will still require an engineer install, even if its an upgrade.

given that the EPC2425 & EPC2203 routers/modems are both euroDOCSIS v2.0 certified (i.e. up to 55mbps), you can expect that they can still be used with anything up to the 50mbps package, although you may not get the same speeds out of it (or as consistently) as you would with the Thompson as I don't believe (open to correction as usual, its just what i've heard) they have the same support for channel bonding/linking that the thompson has.

also, it looks like they've been giving out the Thompson router to people on the lower packages instead of the Cisco EPC2425 recently as they had a bit of a stock issue with the Cisco's, so if you already have a thompson on a lower package, you *might* (no guarantees, obviously) be able to get away with out an engineer install if you upgrade to the 100mbps.

As a 2 week old UPC "newbie", I can confirm that the Thompson router is now the default one to cope with the upgrade in network. It really is quite configurable, and will suit 99% of folk IMHO. I went for the 10mbps package and the "engineer" said to me not to worry about it as I would soon be upgraded later on this year. From what I've seen UPC 10mbps is equiv to Eircom's 30 anyway!

roast

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

From what I've seen UPC 10mbps is equiv to Eircom's 30 anyway!

Max Eircom supplies is 24mb, btw..

vibe666 wrote: »

okay, so dont ask me where i got the info BUT (as i had originally predicted last year:D) it's not just........<snip>be able to get away with out an engineer install if you upgrade to the 100mbps.

Vibe, I dont know, or care where you get your info. All I want to say is I you man. Cheers for the info!

cbr954

Can you use an  Airport Extreme with the UPC router?

Yakuza

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

As a 2 week old UPC "newbie", I can confirm that the Thompson router is now the default one to cope with the upgrade in network. It really is quite configurable, and will suit 99% of folk IMHO. I went for the 10mbps package and the "engineer" said to me not to worry about it as I would soon be upgraded later on this year. From what I've seen UPC 10mbps is equiv to Eircom's 30 anyway!

I got the 30Mbs 4 weeks ago and was given the Cisco one, but I shunt all of the data onto a Buffalo Nfiniti which is my DMZ (I am not using bridge mode so my telephony still works). If I get a bump to 50mb and the Cisco can handle it, happy days

jimmycrackcorm

I'm on the 30mb package. However any upgrades are useless to me as I'm only using wifi in the house and can get a maximum of 12-14Mbps. Is anyone getting even close to 30mb speeds on wifi. I presume the high sppeds are only useful if you have wired connections.

GiddyUp86

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I'm on the 30mb package. However any upgrades are useless to me as I'm only using wifi in the house and can get a maximum of 12-14Mbps. Is anyone getting even close to 30mb speeds on wifi. I presume the high sppeds are only useful if you have wired connections.

Hi Jimmy, on the 30mb broadband I was getting around 20mb speeds using wireless. I suppose it all depends on the quality of the wireless card and location of the router etc.

With the 100mb line, the thomson router is wireless N enabled and they give a wireless N usb stick for your computer, so I usually see around 40mb using it.

Jesus Wept

Are the people who are purchasing the 100mb package using it in a professional capacity?

I used to have the top package (30meg) and have over the last year downgraded it twice to the lowest package, I have not noticed any difference.

GiddyUp86

The-Rigger wrote: »

Are the people who are purchasing the 100mb package using it in a professional capacity?

I used to have the top package (30meg) and have over the last year downgraded it twice to the lowest package, I have not noticed any difference.

To be honest, I only really got it for the upload speed, so when I found out they are upgrading to 10mb uploads I was very pleased. If you are just browsing the web then anything more than a 5mb connection is probably pointless but for downloading large files I suppose its quite useful.

In my mothers house, there is nearly always 5 people using the internet at once but there is always a war going on because nobody is getting a decent speed because of the lack of bandwidth. So, for big families or people who require an excellent upload speed then the 100mb is perfect I suppose.

The Big Gig

Got mine yesterday. Usual between 9 and 1 call out. They arrive at 1.30 without Thompson router. An hour to connect and another half hour waiting for someone else to drop down router.
Holy crap it's fast though. 101Mb on Ethernet anything from 40 to 80 on wifi.
Took me about 30 seconds to download 3 music videos simultaneously from iTunes.

digiman

What is the default username and password for the Thomson Router?

I'm trying to log on to 192.168.100.1 but getting prompted.

Slippin Jimmy

digiman wrote: »

What is the default username and password for the Thomson Router?

I'm trying to log on to 192.168.100.1 but getting prompted.

Leave the username blank, and put in admin for the password!

ronkmonster

The Big Gig wrote: »

Got mine yesterday. Usual between 9 and 1 call out. They arrive at 1.30 without Thompson router. An hour to connect and another half hour waiting for someone else to drop down router.
Holy crap it's fast though. 101Mb on Ethernet anything from 40 to 80 on wifi.
Took me about 30 seconds to download 3 music videos simultaneously from iTunes.

Yeah they arrived with the router for me too. They asked had I been posted out any equipment. Then they went off for 10 minutes to get one.

I downloaded Black Ops Multiplayer from Steam in 11 minutes! (8GB)

Slippin Jimmy

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I'm on the 30mb package. However any upgrades are useless to me as I'm only using wifi in the house and can get a maximum of 12-14Mbps. Is anyone getting even close to 30mb speeds on wifi. I presume the high sppeds are only useful if you have wired connections.

Getting 19-20mbps. 28mbps wired.

vibe666

Duffff-Man wrote: »

Getting 19-20mbps. 28mbps wired.

it depends very much on what type of wireless devices you're using and what other wireless devices are in range that could be affecting it.

if you're using 802.11G or N in the 2.4Ghz range then there is a list of things as long as your arm that could be affecting your wireless speed and that's before you even start with other wireless networks in range.

this can be mitigated somewhat by using Metageek's inSSIDer to find a quiet wireless channel with minimal overlaps to change to, or you could try skipping 2.4Ghz altogether in favour of 5Ghz equipment, but you need to change both your router & wireless devices to 5Ghz to get the benefit of that.

the new Thompson router UPC are giving out now actually has 2.4Ghz Wireless N which is good for anything up to 70-80mbps based on user testing here (dep. on your own environmental circumstances) so that's not too much of a bother, particularly as they NEED to swap out your router in favour of the thompson as nothing else UPC currently use is able to provide the 100mbps into your house anyway.

Slippin Jimmy

vibe666 wrote: »

it depends very much on what type of wireless devices you're using and what other wireless devices are in range that could be affecting it.

if you're using 802.11G or N in the 2.4Ghz range then there is a list of things as long as your arm that could be affecting your wireless speed and that's before you even start with other wireless networks in range.

this can be mitigated somewhat by using Metageek's inSSIDer to find a quiet wireless channel with minimal overlaps to change to, or you could try skipping 2.4Ghz altogether in favour of 5Ghz equipment, but you need to change both your router & wireless devices to 5Ghz to get the benefit of that.

the new Thompson router UPC are giving out now actually has 2.4Ghz Wireless N which is good for anything up to 70-80mbps based on user testing here (dep. on your own environmental circumstances) so that's not too much of a bother, particularly as they NEED to swap out your router in favour of the thompson as nothing else UPC currently use is able to provide the 100mbps into your house anyway.

Thanks for the info. I live in Navan myself, and am going to avail of the 50gb when it is lanched on the 9th of may. I am less than a month with upc, so hopefully they will upgrade me. Tbh, the wireless speed doesn't really bother me too much, 20mbps is still good. Im going to invest in a pair of enternet plugs, I think thats what they're called anyway, when the 100mb is released in Navan.