We now have NTL Broadband. They came, they installed it, they went away to get more cable, they came back, they connected it.
They were polite, on time, and quick.
They gave me the cables, told me to use the CD on the computer, and went away.
And I ignored them.
I plugged in the router, connected to it, and tried to find the magic address where you register your PIN number and everything, which – until you register – is the only site you are able to access at all.
This magic address which took me several hours to find is:
This guide to installing NTL under Linux is also really helpful.