Finally got an internet connection in my flat. All is fairly rosey. Here's what works:

• Laptop connected directly to VM cable modem
• Cable modem connected to LAN on VM rebadged netgear WiFi router, with Laptop also connected to LAN
• Laptop can seemingly connect to the router via WiFi, but...

What doesn't work:

• The router doesn't seem to like the internet connection when the modem is plugged into its WAN port, and it seemingly won't let you connect from the WiFi to the LAN (Possibly the WiFi is in a DMZ?)

Anybody happen to know the correct settings? I can't use the supplied VM CD, but can access what seems to be the full netgear web config panel.

Edd

You need to switch the VM modem off for 5 mins before connecting to the netgear.
I think the password for it is virgin

Oh okey doodles. I'll try it when I get home. Ta.

Thanks SAS, worked a treat. Any idea why? I'd unplugged it for thirty seconds or so each time I changed stuff before, but I presumed it just spat out an internet connection on the ethernet. Does it store the MAC of the connected NIC or something silly? Can't see why it would on the local side, though. :s

Yeah, you're right it's MAC addresses.

VM modems will only connect to one device. Rather than turn the modem off for a century, I normally just clone the address onto the router and it works just as well.

Yup, as Nick said it's the MAC.
VM registers your MAC when you connect (stops piracy)

Could this also be the reason that I couldn't get Wifi to work on my gf's TalkTalk connection?

I tried everything with a "cable" modem (it was a router that connected through the TalkTalk modem), would I be any better off with an ADSL router?

Try unplugging the modem for a while too? Or spoofing the first computer you connected it to's MAC?

Unfortunately I'm not in a position to try again for a while, but I will remember to try next time.

Out of interest, how do I spoof a MAC address?

I don't quite follow.

Why/how were you using a cable modem with an ADSL connection?

I thought TT provided their own gear, a bit like sky? Or can you use any old ADSL modem?

Hence the " " lol. It was a router without it's own in-built modem. It connected (or rather was supposed to) through the TalkTalk modem via Ethernet cable. However despite much tinkering I couldn't get the router to connect to the interwebs.

EDIT: To be specific, it was the WGR614v9 from Netgear.

What ports did it have on the back?

5 Ethernet ports, 4 for PCs, one to connect to the modem.

As stated above it was the WGR614v9 from Netgear.

Ah okay, I was reading your post wrong! I read it as a router that did have it's own in-built cable modem! What you wrote was that it didn't have an in-built modem. D'oh!

Take a look around the settings for MAC cloning. Enter the MAC for whatever device is working okay.

Routing issue. You're NAT'ing a privat subnet through another private subnet (also NAT'ing) to the interwebz.

Just use 1 router & you'll be fine