Nannied by Blueyonder

I've just been around to a neighbour who is unfortunate enough to have
Blueyonder.

Just bought a second wireless laptop and can't connect to the Netgear
wireless router because some moron has decided it would be a good idea
to cripple it, so it's now nothing more than an access point, despite
having four LAN ports and a built-in NAT router with wireless.

They now have to get a cable modem and buy another wireless router.

I know BY thing their customers have an even lower IQ than tech support,
but this is just nannying gone mad.

On Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:59:07 +0000, Silk <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I've just been around to a neighbour who is unfortunate enough to have
>Blueyonder.

Hi Shurley,

Hope you're well and enjoying your new ISP.



Alex

Alex Brown wrote:
> On Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:59:07 +0000, Silk <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> I've just been around to a neighbour who is unfortunate enough to have
>> Blueyonder.
>
> Hi Shurley,
>
> Hope you're well and enjoying your new ISP.

Thanks Alex.

Since you ask, I quite like my uncrippled wireless router that allows
more than one PC to connect.

By the way, I'd be interested in hearing your justification for this
stupid practice.

"Silk" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Alex Brown wrote:
>> On Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:59:07 +0000, Silk <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>> I've just been around to a neighbour who is unfortunate enough to have
>>> Blueyonder.
>>
>> Hi Shurley,
>>
>> Hope you're well and enjoying your new ISP.
>
> Thanks Alex.
>
> Since you ask, I quite like my uncrippled wireless router that allows more
> than one PC to connect.
>
> By the way, I'd be interested in hearing your justification for this
> stupid practice.

How did they cripple it?

"Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
news:457b46a8$0$8711$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Silk" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Alex Brown wrote:
>>> On Fri, 08 Dec 2006 20:59:07 +0000, Silk <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I've just been around to a neighbour who is unfortunate enough to have
>>>> Blueyonder.
>>>
>>> Hi Shurley,
>>>
>>> Hope you're well and enjoying your new ISP.
>>
>> Thanks Alex.
>>
>> Since you ask, I quite like my uncrippled wireless router that allows
>> more than one PC to connect.
>>
>> By the way, I'd be interested in hearing your justification for this
>> stupid practice.
>
> How did they cripple it?
>

Blueyonder do(did?) a self install pack which consisted of a wireless
"router" and a USB stick.
The "router" will only allow one connection.
The software on the "router" is specific to BY.

People get confused as BY also sell proper Netgear routers that work
correctly.
There is no easy way to fix the software on the routers (unless BY issue a
build which reflashes the protection).

Of course they may be in breach of the GPL if its one of the Netgears that
is based on GPL code.
They have to make the source easily available if its GPL and then it can be
hacked to be a proper router again.

Maybe Alex knows if its GPL and where the sources are made available if it
is?

dennis@home wrote:

> Blueyonder do(did?) a self install pack which consisted of a wireless
> "router" and a USB stick.
> The "router" will only allow one connection.
> The software on the "router" is specific to BY.

That's the one. It's to allow idiots to use Blueyonder as well as work
for them.

> Maybe Alex knows if its GPL and where the sources are made available if it
> is?

Haha! I doubt it.

On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 08:52:45 -0000, "dennis@home"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Blueyonder do(did?) a self install pack which consisted of a wireless
>"router" and a USB stick.
>The "router" will only allow one connection.
>The software on the "router" is specific to BY.

Hi Dennis,

Correct - this was a custom piece of firmware that Netgear developed
for us. We're now focusing on a home networking offering though, so
this is being superseded.

HTH



Alex

--
Alex Brown
Senior Internet Product Manager
Internet Products, ntl Telewest

Alex Brown wrote:
> On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 08:52:45 -0000, "dennis@home"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Blueyonder do(did?) a self install pack which consisted of a wireless
>> "router" and a USB stick.
>> The "router" will only allow one connection.
>> The software on the "router" is specific to BY.
>
> Hi Dennis,
>
> Correct - this was a custom piece of firmware that Netgear developed
> for us. We're now focusing on a home networking offering though, so
> this is being superseded.

It's such a shame, especially in these times of heightened environmental
awareness, that a perfectly good wireless router has to end up as landfill.