[Watford] Router problems

[Alan Secker]

I had been using a four port Netgear DG834GT 108MB ADSL router for about 
a year,
replacing a Linksys WAG54GS because the latter require a manual reboot  
after a
brown-out.  It had been my daughter's but she no longer had a need for 
it. (Sorry,
too much information).

Anyway, last night I wanted to prevent unwanted intrusion via the wifi. 
I had never
restricted access for specified MAC addresses following a re-designed
arrangement following a business move.

Netgear default to 192.168.0.1 for firmware access. When I got in, the 
wireless
settings page would not come up. Eventually I set it back to factory 
defaults and
for a while could not get back in. When I did, I reset all the settings 
but could not
gain connection to the Internet.

I ran desperation version 1 and substituted the Linksys. Exactly the 
same problem.

Finally after faffing about like chicken without the proverbial head, I 
upgraded to
desperation version 2.

I called my provider TalkTalk. They don't support Linux and they don't 
support any
routers other than the one-port job that they provide.

Mine was in the loft. To be fair, the call centre guy no 2 (the first 
one got cut off
after 20 minutes) was patient and waited. I connected the router, 
switched on the
power and it came up with no set-up required. What's more I had access 
to the
Internet,

So now unless I can get these two four-port jobs to play ball I am 
stuffed. I need
those four ports!