Thanks for the answers so far.
It is an android. When I switch it on it asks to define the language I want to use and then prompts me to connect to the internet via my router. So far so go.
Then it asks me to insert the email (gmail) account I have associated with the device and the password which I do. And then it returns me to the page asking for again for my gmail - insisting that I have to use the gmail associated with the device. I have logged from a laptop on the gmail of the tablet (and from the laptop) it shows that the log on was successful. However the tablet keeps asking about the gmail account associated with the it and does not allow me to move further.
Any other ideas?