TP-Link frustration continues...

[#1]

Further to comments I posted on here the other day about not being able to get a new TP-Link TD-W8980 router to work, I've posted the following comments on another thread where someone was having problems.
I hope someone can help me.

Glad to learn that someone's having success with a TP-Link router!
I've now spent more than 10 hours trying to get a new N600 (TD-W8980) to work on my new Plusnet FTTC service - and I've still not succeeded! I bought the device to replace the appalling £5.99 one from PN, the wifi range being about the length of two Ford Fiestas with no obstacles in the path.
The words "Not", "fit" and "purpose" spring to mind...
Anyway, I've connected up the TP-Link router to the Open Reach modem and it works fine for my computer to access the internet via an ethernet cable.
The problem is trying to get the wifi to work. The router radiates signals on both wireless bands, as picked up by my mobile phone and tablet, but no matter what changes I carry no data is transmitted.
In other words, even though the passwords match the wifi signals refuse to do anything other than radiate. When I try to carry out a Speedtest, for example, the display on the phone or tablet shows "network communication issues". Even when wireless security is disabled there's no success.
In desperation I consulted a  computer engineer who spent an hour retracing everything I had done, including restoring the router to its factory default and then inputting all the details again. Still no luck.
If anyone can help I'd be enormously grateful.
Cheers.
PS. Under the router's diagnostics procedure I keep getting "fail" messages, even though the set-up pages inform me that all is okay. Grrrrr!]

[#2]

Did you ever manually set any IP addresses on the wireless devices themselves? If so, you'll need to set them back to obtaining their IP addresses automatically.

[#3]

Thanks for that, ejs, and apologies for taking so long to reply.
I was unable to go online, of course!!!!
Anyway, after yet another mammoth session, I've finally managed to get everything working, but not entirely sure how.
I re-set both the TP-Link router and OR modem and started again from scratch, doing everything in the same way that I had countless times over the past couple of days.
In the meantime I had a chat with Matt - thanks for that, Matt, at Plusnet, who was very supportive - who confirmed that I was doing everything correctly.
Twenty minutes or so ago I finished the setting-up procedure yet again and, for no apparent reason, managed to go online both via ethernet cable on my PC and on my mobile phone.
So far (tempting fate!) all's still working.
As for your question about manually setting IP addresses on phones and tablets, no, I didn't have to do anything other than typing in passwords.
Cheers again,
Steve.

[#4]

Sorry to hear you had so much trouble! - I used my TP Link W8968 adsl modem to work perfectly when I moved over to Plusnet fibre, I connected the EWAN socket to the BT Openreach modem, went in to the TP Link menu and set the PPOE option and entered my username and password and I think that was it! (possibly added Vid101 as the id)
I've now moved on to TP Link W9980 all in one ADSL/VDSL modem router and it works very well and again was simple to set up.

[#5]

I got my TD-W8968 working at the second attempt
except that I can't watch BTSPORT.  is a PPPOE  conenction the right type to setup ?
I checked the YouView box and it seems to connect to the router ok and internet is detected and setup

[#6]

yes the connection should be pppoe i use the same router but i have flashed ddwrt to it had a lot more features but look on your router and find dmz and enable it for the youview box ip
be careful though as multicast has a tendency to flood wireless signal

is the box connected wireless or wired? 

[#7]

thanks very much for the prompt response.
wired

[#8]

if your comfortable with ddwrt and flashing i can give you a more though guide  but if your using standard firmware then you first need to configure dmz for the youview box ip
http://www.tp-link.us/FAQ-28.html
then go to interface setup->LAN page, Select the Multicast as IGMP v2 and enable IGMP Snoop.

[#9]

I tried that, setting DMZ and reboot.
Multicast as IGMP v2 and enable IGMP Snoop was already ticked.
sadly still no BTSPORT channels
I should be familiar enough with ddwrt