Can I use my Sky wireless router for other broadband providers?

[allmytimeonmumsnet]

I signed up with Sky just after christmas and was given an activation date for broadband of 31st Jan. 2 weeks ago after masses of pointless calls I told them they were useless and incapable of providing a service and I wanted to cancel. I have since signed up with Waitrose and have just got my email saying I am live. However I'm a bit baffled by what to do now. I have connected the router to my laptop but I can't see anywhere on my laptop where I can set things up. Waitrose have sent me details of various settings but I can't see where to use them.

I did a search on netgear router on google and found some instructions to link to a page where I can configure it but it asks for a user and password and the ones given don't work. Does this mean that Sky have done something to the router to I can't use it with anyone else. Am I wasting my time? Should I just be getting another router or can I change this one somehow and get it all working.

Many thanks
Katherine

The SSID ID and key are also encrypted in the box so you need to get into this to change the settings on here first. instructions here .
Default Id is admin, password is sky (may be Sky as well)

Thanks I can now login to the router and mess with the settings but still don't really know what I am doing. Waitrose provided me with a primary DNS and alternate DNS but not sure where these should go. Also where on earth to I enter my username and password?

I'm not familiar with the Waitrose package but normally you would just need to get the SSID (network ID) and encryption key to configure your settings. As you can now access the box, you can change it on here under Wireless Settings. You would then need to configure your laptop with the same details. Didn't Waitrose supply you with any info? I would think an ID / Pw was maybe just needed for their online site (eg if the package includes an email address) but as advised, I do not know what they offer... A DNS name is simply their web address and should not have to be used when configuring your laptop/router.

Well I've gone to wireless settings. Do I set the SSID to be my username then?

Not sure about the network key bit. If I scroll down there are the following security options:

Disable
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
WPA-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key)
WPA-802.1x

Orogonall it was on the WPA-PSK setting with a space to enter a key at the bottom. However the password I have been given is only 7 characters long and it says it needs to be 10. I have tried the different options. The bottom one asks for Radius Server Name/IP Address (my user name or the DNS?, Radius Port (which it sets) and shared Key which it allows me to set as my password but then if I try to connect to the network it says it is unsecured and as I am still on dial-up its still not accessing the broadband.

???

Sorry to be so dim!

Katherine, i'm not sure you have the correct information. You need to contact Waitrose and ask them to confirm the SSID and the encryption key, also ask them the type of encryption. The IP address would indeed be the DNS

Hi Mimie I've wimped out and decided to just get their own router. Its only £30 and it means if I phone up they will give me full support whereas I reckon if I have any problems at the mo they will blame it on the router. So thanks for your help but hopefully all will be sorted when the new router arrives.