New toy arrived today

[dazdaz1]

Knock on door, nice chap hands me a boxed wireless router from EE. Bit of history....... I've been using a broadband modem (don't laugh) from 2007 when known then as freeserve and never had problems with the connection.

The leaflet in the box states that they will mail me when some fab broadband connections speeds will be available in the near future, South East UK

Should I take it out of the box and have a play?

Or they trying to dump old farts like me still using a broadband modem, I'm not happy with all these radio/micro waves.

[Gizmo1]

EE Broadband

I recently upgraded to EE superfast broadband with the new cabinets in our village finally going live. They normally send the modem a couple of weeks before the connection to the new cabinet is made. It's of no use to you until they tell you to use it. You will be issued with a new password when the equipment arrives ( on a card in the box ), your old connection will stop working, and then you can plug in the new equipment. My speed went from 4Mbps to almost 38Mbps.

[SpringHeeledJack]

I'm not happy with all these radio/micro waves

It does concern me that bit by bit everything is heading in a wireless direction and the signal strengths are going up. There is evidence on both sides of the argument as to whether this is harmful to hoomans et al, but it strikes me as more likely to be harmful than helpful to the subtle functioning of the body. Also the rolling out of wireless electricity in the near future makes me wonder about spending a working day in such an electro-smog

[vulcanised]

If you're like me and only rarely need the wifi feature with a hard-wired main computer then turning that feature off on the router will provide a bit of extra security.

[dazdaz1]

Gizmo1... Yes there was a card inside the box with user name and password and also email password/user name. I've never used the original freeserve>orange>ee email for years, had to delete 156 mails.

Hope ee are not going to charge me more ££ with this future phone upgrade network. I was happy paying £10 per month (credit card debit) for 9gb.

Thank you all for your replies.

[mixture]

If you're like me and only rarely need the wifi feature with a hard-wired main computer then turning that feature off on the router will provide a bit of extra security.

I agree. Properly installed CAT5/CAT6 structured cabling (or simple high quality patch cables of the same) will run circles around any sort of wireless (or stupid powerline nonsense) network .... stability and speeds will be much higher !

If you are security conscious though, but still want WiFi for the mobile devices and tablets in your life.... you can achieve security on the cheap (i.e. tightwad or home-user quality) courtesy of one (or two for redundancy) Raspberry-Pi's and a Wifi router/hotspot that supports WPA2-Enterprise with EAP-TLS. Setup RADIUS on the Pi's, issue certificates (rather than passwords) to your devices and the job's a good one !

But governments don't ever use WiFi for anything over a "RESTRICTED" protective marking, so there are obvious limits as to how secure you can ever make WiFi, and I still wouldn't do my online banking etc. over any WiFi connection that's based on a shared-key (or worse, an open captive-portal public hotspot).

[dazdaz1]

UPDATE......... Yesterday I had a phone call from EE a general 'hello how are you doing" type call. Lady asks "are you happy with your phone and internet package" Ummmm? I told her, I don't have a phone and internet package with you.

She forwarded me to a supervisor. After a chat with him my response "I only have have a broadband modem that I pay £10.20 per month with 9gb download"

Long story short, they were going to bill me £31 and some pence for phone line and internet access. This error has now been sorted. I'm now, still paying £10.20 per month with UNLIMITED down loads. I'm a happy bunny. They also suggested, use the newly arrived wireless router, or keep using my old broadband modem. The chap on the phone said "there are not many of you left using a broadband modem"...... It's the 'clam shell silver one.

Thanks for all your replies.

[dazdaz1]

Further update. The same man from the delivery company brought me another surprise package today..... Now TV Box with four months entertainment pass voucher inside. No letter inside to inform me who sent it?

Reading the booklet in the box it seems (I also have to register) after four months I can renew the monthly access for £4.99 I'm most confused.

Daz

[Gizmo1]

sounds lke someone out there haven't received the wireless router or TV box that they ordered! I should get back to EE as it seems your account has got mixed up with someone elses. I once logged into my Sky TV account online and got connected to someone elses account with the same surname. I could have subscribed them to anything! Movies, sports channels etc so best to sort it out now that another erroneous item has arrived on your doorstep!

[dazdaz1]

Gizmo1... EE are aware that they sent me the wireless router, told me to use my old broadband modem if I still wanted to, or the new gizmo.

The thing is.. Who sent me the NowTV (little box) four month free connection voucher and leads to connect it up. Ummm??

Daz

[cockney steve]

unsolicited gift There are rules about that sort of thing.....similar to the book clubs and suchlike......IIRC you have to contact them and they have to uplift their goods within a set period....if they don't comply, you're a winner.

[dazdaz1]

Thanks for replies. Further update to my #7 post. Received my Barclaycard statement yesterday £33.45!!!!!!!!! debited!!!!! Knowing how long one can be 'on the line' chatting to these people (slightly diversifying) I used a site that can give alternate 0800 numbers where possible... SAYNOTO0870.COM - Non-Geographical Alternative Telephone Numbers

Long story short (my free 0800 call to EE thanks to above site) firstly EE claimed I agreed to the upgrade (free weekend calls and all that, from a lady who phoned me about three weeks ago) no way I said, my land line is with BT I admitted to receiving a call from EE but stated I never agreed to update my contract. anyway I'm back to my old (will check next c/c statement) original £10.20 p/m fingers crossed

[Loose rivets]

I use Skype to make phone calls to the UK and the US. Can't call UK mobiles or 0870 numbers. Wouldn't if I could.

If ever anything made this country of ours look cheap it's that grasping @$$%& phone system. Just back from Texas where I rarely have to pay for a single call. If I do, it's via the same Skype system I purchased in the UK. I didn't know it would work there, but it does.

For Pete's sake fight this embarrassingly cheap idea of charging these rates even for things like calling your bank. For hell's sake, even the numbers given to me by my personal bankers have now been cancelled. 'Say no' really needs input, and every normal landline number I obtain gets fed into their system.

Right, carry on, chaps.

[500N]

Loose

Don't understand this.

"even the numbers given to me by my personal bankers have now been cancelled. 'Say no' really needs input, and every normal landline number I obtain gets fed into their system. "