Broadband Router / DSL Modem

Broadband is coming to this village next January, hopefully
we'll also have electricity by then so I can take advantage of
it :-)

I have a Linksys WRT54G Wireless Broadband Router, bought in
anticipation, which I currently use as a switch and WAP for a 4
PC home network.

I am lurking here to pick up comments on broadband suppliers,
and that is proving useful.

I want to start thinking about the DSL modem that will sit
between the router and the box on the wall that will be fitted
eventually.

Is anybody using the Linksys WRT54G with a DSL modem? If so any
recommendations on the modem?

I appreciate the market may change over the next few months, is
there a better option than the Linksys WRT54G - perhaps some
sort of combined kit?

The plan will be to go for a bare 'wire' installation, does that
give me some sort of box on the wall to plug the modem in to?

I am happy to read up on this, I want to change my normal
process of buying kit then reading reviews afterwards, so any
pointers would be appreciated.

--
Jeff Gaines - Damerham Hampshire UK
Please reply to Newsgroup.

> Broadband is coming to this village next January, hopefully
> we'll also have electricity by then so I can take advantage of
> it :-)

This is the special paraffin powered version I assume:-)

> I am happy to read up on this, I want to change my normal
> process of buying kit then reading reviews afterwards, so any
> pointers would be appreciated.

www.adslguide.org.uk would be a good starting point.


gee six jay en (E-Mail Removed)

Replace the words with the numbers to email me

On 24 Jul 2004 in uk.telecom.broadband, Jeff Gaines wrote:

>I appreciate the market may change over the next few months, is
>there a better option than the Linksys WRT54G - perhaps some
>sort of combined kit?

Sorry, no expert on wireless kit... just helped someone install their
combined WAP/router/ADSL modem (Belkin, but I know Linksys and Netgear
also get mentions), but since you already have some kit you'll find it
easy to simply connect a cable from the WAP you have to a modem/router
(depending on facilities needed.. some people 'need' uPnP while others
just have a basic router such as the Dabsvalue 4-port). All that I'd
expect you to need to do would be to set your various PCs to use the
IP for the ADSL router as their gateway.

>The plan will be to go for a bare 'wire' installation, does that
>give me some sort of box on the wall to plug the modem in to?

A "wires only" setup is where no BT engineer visit is needed... it
is down to you to buy/obtain the box for your end. As you'll see
there are some ISPs offering a USB modem (with some filters) free,
while others supply no hardware. Having a USB modem might be of
some use as backup but even a cheap router should prove better for
you (stays online, whereas you'd need the PC with the USB modem to
stay on for the rest to use the internet, if you follow that route)

You will probably have seen a lot of comments about routers, inc.
NAT, acting as a firewall and so on... which all go in favour.

--
PlusNet - good value ISP - <http://tinyurl.com/24ymz>

On Sat, 24 Jul 2004 20:55 +0100, in uk.telecom.broadband,

"Peter Crosland" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>gee six jay en (E-Mail Removed)
>Replace the words with the numbers to email me

Do you need such a "sig" (note missing "-- " so improperly delimited)
when your post shows the right mail address anyway.... Peter M.

--
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Reductions on calls to up to 3 mobile numbers...
Info... <http://web.vfm-deals.com/ads/TTphone/>

On Sat, 24 Jul 2004 23:24:11 +0100, poster
<us-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On 24 Jul 2004 in uk.telecom.broadband, Jeff Gaines wrote:
>
[snipped]

>>The plan will be to go for a bare 'wire' installation, does that
>>give me some sort of box on the wall to plug the modem in to?
>
>A "wires only" setup is where no BT engineer visit is needed... it
>is down to you to buy/obtain the box for your end. As you'll see

It used to be virtually a capital offence to touch BT's wires -
does this imply that I am now allowed to remove the old BT
socket and wire up an ADSL box?

I had assumed that BT would come in and do the wiring and leave
it at that for me to connect my own kit?

[snipped]

--
Jeff Gaines - Damerham Hampshire UK
Please reply to Newsgroup.

> It used to be virtually a capital offence to touch BT's wires -
> does this imply that I am now allowed to remove the old BT
> socket and wire up an ADSL box?

It still is! Bare wires is a misnomer. It actually means that BT don't need
to visit because everying is connected after what was once called the master
socket. Any wiring beyond that is your responsibility.
>
> I had assumed that BT would come in and do the wiring and leave
> it at that for me to connect my own kit?

If there is not a standard box they will. Otherwise you have to pay.

Take a look at www.adslguide.org.uk for fuller details.

On 25 Jul 2004, in uk.telecom.broadband, Jeff Gaines wrote:

>It used to be virtually a capital offence to touch BT's wires -
>does this imply that I am now allowed to remove the old BT
>socket and wire up an ADSL box?

Not at all. Though there is www.clarity.it if you feel keen to do so.

You have *no need* to open anything as the microfilters which you buy or
are supplied will filter in a similar manner to the BT-installed replacement
faceplate for the master socket. Just plug in filters where you have voice
frequency units plugged into extensions and all should be well. Check the
'How ADSL works' section of <http://www.adslguide.org/> for more info.

>I had assumed that BT would come in and do the wiring and leave
>it at that for me to connect my own kit?

They did, but the install cost was over 250 quid. That's why the 'wires
only' option came into widespread use from April 2002, and many ISPs no
longer offer BT Installed ADSL as it is a costly option with no really
good justification, when the tea boy could plug an ADSL modem/router in
and get things working (OK, it helps to know a bit more :-) Peter M.

--
PlusNet - good value ISP - <http://tinyurl.com/24ymz>

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 12:48:32 +0100, poster
<us-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On 25 Jul 2004, in uk.telecom.broadband, Jeff Gaines wrote:
>
>>It used to be virtually a capital offence to touch BT's wires -
>>does this imply that I am now allowed to remove the old BT
>>socket and wire up an ADSL box?
>
>Not at all. Though there is www.clarity.it if you feel keen to do so.

Interesting, I've book marked that, thanks.


>You have *no need* to open anything as the microfilters which you buy or
>are supplied will filter in a similar manner to the BT-installed replacement
>faceplate for the master socket. Just plug in filters where you have voice
>frequency units plugged into extensions and all should be well. Check the
>'How ADSL works' section of <http://www.adslguide.org/> for more info.

I have been looking at that. I've got the untidy looking PC and
a telegraph pole outside the house.
I've also got Home Highway, the main box is in the upstairs
bedroom which is not where I want the Broadband connection.
Currently the HH box is wired off that main box and fed down to
the room with the PC.
I knew that the ISDN box would have to be converted back to POTS
(when I ordered it the BT site said 'there is no likelihood of
Broadband being installed on your exchange' - guess what, 12
months later we've got an install date!).
Perhaps I'll need to ask BT to move the main box when they take
ISDN out. I've got two extensions hanging off it as well.


>>I had assumed that BT would come in and do the wiring and leave
>>it at that for me to connect my own kit?
>
>They did, but the install cost was over 250 quid. That's why the 'wires
>only' option came into widespread use from April 2002, and many ISPs no
>longer offer BT Installed ADSL as it is a costly option with no really
>good justification, when the tea boy could plug an ADSL modem/router in
>and get things working (OK, it helps to know a bit more :-) Peter M.

I may have to start saving up :-((

--
Jeff Gaines - Damerham Hampshire UK
Please reply to Newsgroup.

"Jeff Gaines" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)
> I've also got Home Highway, the main box is in the upstairs
> bedroom which is not where I want the Broadband connection.
> Currently the HH box is wired off that main box and fed down to
> the room with the PC.
> I knew that the ISDN box would have to be converted back to POTS
> (when I ordered it the BT site said 'there is no likelihood of
> Broadband being installed on your exchange' - guess what, 12
> months later we've got an install date!).
> Perhaps I'll need to ask BT to move the main box when they take
> ISDN out. I've got two extensions hanging off it as well.
>
>>> I had assumed that BT would come in and do the wiring and leave
>>> it at that for me to connect my own kit?

If you have Home Highway and want that line converted to ADSL - BT will come
and sort out the wiring for you.

You would need to order a "managed conversion" via your ISP - it costs £50
on top of any ADSL activation fees your choosen ISP will charge

Regards
Sunil

On 25 Jul 2004 in uk.telecom.broadband, "Sunil Sood" wrote:

>You would need to order a "managed conversion" via your ISP - it costs
>£50 on top of any ADSL activation fees your choosen ISP will charge

So still a lot less than the 250 for the original installations (though I
know BT Openworld, or whatever it was in 2001, were covering the cost for
those who had expressed interest before June 2000... phew, seems like so
long a wait for it, and I was only waiting until December 2001 :-)) Back
to managed conversion... there was a list on the ADSLguide site, but for
a chance of getting it done, and with the chance to ring the ISP to chase
(or for out-of-office-hours answers, and without a premium rate number) I
know PlusNet does this. Back in 2002, there was some discussion and list
on ADSLguide, about managed conversions. The list is most likely still in
the news archive, but will be out of date (Claranet, Nildram, PlusNet, to
name a few I remember, but at that time, Eclipse were not among those who
were trialling the facility, and Demon sales were negative about interest
in doing so, as it meant more than minimal paperwork for them to handle).

The fee used to be under 30 quid, but has been bumped up (I expected it
to remain stable, but I guess the bean counters must have been watching
the lower monthly income from rental of HH/BH as people converted away,
and paid much less overall... not just loss of BH/HH but to scrap the
need for Surftime Anytime on those lines too). Peter M.

--
PlusNet <http://tinyurl.com/24ymz> - I recommend them and save some cash.
Depends on account that is opened by new customer, but good value ISP IMO.