Domestic Wi-Fi??
 

A basic question - I'm thinking of going over to Virgin's Broadband 'always on' Internet access. But I'd like to access it by using the embedded TrueMobile 802.11b card in my Dell X200 laptop, rather than by USB connection, so obviously I'll need a domestic 'hotspot' Wi-Fi device.

The BT Voyager 2000 appears to be a combined WLAN access point device and ASDL modem. So, would it merely be a question of plugging the Voyager 2000 into my current phone socket and the AC mains, loading all the relevant software from Virgin Net and for the Voyager 2000 and then being able to access the Internet at 1-2Mbps from anywhere within range? Or isn’t it quite that simple...?? I’ve already connected using Wi-Fi in Lufthansa airport lounges with my laptop, so the basic wireless card is already set up – but presumably would need the Voyager 2000 adding as a new wireless network?

Try this for a start:
http://www.adslguide.org.uk/hardware...q3/bt-2000.asp
Yup, it looks fairly simple. A quick skim read suggests that all you need to do for the BT 2000 is to enter you username and password, because Virgin uses BT wholesale for DSL access (obviously using the standard set-up).

<<I’ve already connected using Wi-Fi in Lufthansa airport lounges with my laptop, so the basic wireless card is already set up – but presumably would need the Voyager 2000 adding as a new wireless network>> OK, so your card is probably set up to receive IP, DNS server address and gateway dynamically. I would assume the 2000 will be set up as standard with DHCP server activated (the server that dishes out this information) that will automatically configure your laptop. You will probably have to set the network name on the laptop wireless LAN configuration to match that of the BT 2000.

Quote from the website:
<<The router is pre-configured for an ADSL service based around the standard BT Wholesale services, which means to get online all you need to enter is your username and password, the screen shot above shows the bt_test login (a blank password is valid for this account). Click the 'Connect' button and assuming your ADSL is working and the login details are correct you should see the screen below after a few seconds.>>

Good luck.

I would also recommend anyone using BT wholesale ADSL through any ISP to try this tool:

http://www.broadband1.bt.com/update/index.asp#20030131

Go to 'MTU adjustment tool.'

It increased my connection speed significantly.

one word...
 

Security.

Don't forget to change the default passwords, switch on 128bit encryption and set the box to only talk just to your own wireless network card (MAC address control.)

If you do all that it shold take your local script kiddies at least 20mins before they can share your broadband connection.

Serioulsy, switch it on. I have just got a new lap top with Wifi, its a real surprise howmany people have wide open networks and that is without looking for them. *edit - ok it was no surprise...*

If you ever do need some tools to look for wireless access or to do a "security survey" ;) then have a look at http://www.wardriving.com

Digital swingers...
 

My little Pocket PC keeps jumping up and down with excitement whenever I'm wandering about town. Its quite embarrassing in mixed company when your trousers start quivering of their own accord. :eek:

There's so many open networks about that its not just the local script kiddies that could be swapping connections. I'm reminded of the huge telephone bills I got after I installed a cordless phone. For some reason a neighbour's cordless phone found it easier to call out via my line than through its own...

**************************
Through difficulties to the cinema

Hmm - most communication round here seems to be by bean cans on string or similar. But yes, no doubt the local geeks have sniffed out the odd open network hotspot....

MAC address seems to be the thing. The Voyager 2000 also has a 'stateful firewall'. In English, please?

Is it necessary to fit an ASDL microfilter to very phone socket in BEagle Towers? Or just to the socket which the Voyager 2000 will use? It will probably share that with the DECT base station - is that likely to cause any problems?

It seems that the house will soon be fairly buzzing with RF - DECT, GPRS, WLAN and the external RF modulator which routes a DVD feed to the kitchen TV. (And no, it doesn't defeat Macrovision encoding before you ask!).

Blacksheep's tale reminds me of the case where someone bought an illegal-in-the-UK cordless phone (one of the old HF/VHF analogue things). Someone else realised this and bought themselves a similar set, then parked up near the other one and made several expensive long-distance calls. Of course the chap could hardly complain to BT when the bill came in, could he.........

BEags:

"Stateful firewall" means that there is a built-in firewall on the Voyager which keeps track of all the connections your laptop makes to other computers. If it receives a packet from the outside world which it can't reconcile with a request from your lappy, it will stop it. It can be configured to be as strict or lax as you want.

Microfilters need to be on any ordinary phone plugged into an extension. If there's nothing plugged in, you don't need one.

Thanks for de-crypting the geek-speak, NrF!

So, I'll need one filter for the socket for the DECT base and ADSL modem - and another on the socket for the one which currently supports the fax/phone and Sky receiver?

The ADSL modem musn't be filtered, everything else must. Most filters have two female sockets marked ADSL and phone respectively. You can get them for about £2.50 including postage, but the ADSL modem box usual includes 2.

For those with more sockets and/or those who don't want filters hanging out of their walls, you can replace normal phone faceplates with ones with built in filters. You can also replace the first/master socket in the house with one which filters the signal to the slave sockets which run from it around the house.

See here.

Yup - minimum of two. If the fax/phone and Sky receiver have separate plugs you may need one each, thus three, but if they're already plugged into a double adapter, still just the one.

It's wierd that I'm writing all this bumf yet am still only on ISDN ! Still, 5th November and counting !

BTW, if anyone's interested in becoming a broadband campaigner, it's well worth it - I received £100 of "cheques" which I can exchange for vouchers to be spent at a wide variety of stores - PC world may get my money for a splendid new ADSL modem.

Thanks, everyone.

OK - one wall socket will have the microfilter plugged into it with the filter's ADSL port connected to the ADSL/WLAN box and the 'normal' port connected to the DECT base. The other microfilter will be plugged into the other wall socket wilth thin air connected to the filter's ADSL port and a doubler connected to its 'normal' port to feed the fax/phone and Sky Rx.

YIPPEE!! Thanks, fellow PPRuNers - it all works a treat. For the benefit of others:
1. Plug the microfilters in before you do anything else!
2. The BT Voyager 2000 installed virtually instantly.
3. The details which the ISP registration need for you (in my case it was Virgin.net) have to tally exactly with the address BT uses for your account. Same name, house number etc - and even if they habitually use the wrong post code, that's the one which you need to give to the ISP.
4. Once you've installed the software, use the MAC thingie so that only your laptop will talk to the Voyager.
5. When activation has taken place, you'll need to sort out the Broadband and Backup set up. But there are pages in the Virgin.net home site which tell you how to do this. You'll also need to tell your OE6 or whatever to use the broadband connection as default. Again, the Virgin.net homepage tells you how...

Not 100% straightforward as you're not using their normal modem. But not exactly rocket science to sort out. The wireless bit is great - rock steady and very fast. You can change the 802.11b channel used, the name of the network and create a name for your access point if you wish.

And that's it. E-mails come and go at breathtaking speed, internet pages change almost seamlessly.

My modem cost £150, the Virgin.net fee is £24.99 per calendar month. A pretty good deal for domestic wireless broadband, in my view!

Later edit: I still can't get over how good this is! Whilst typing this, I'm listening to Radio FFH fom Germany in excellent quality. No drop-outs, glitches or other problems.......and all for less than €1 per day! Earlier I downloaded MS Media Player 9 upgrade - it took about 4 minutes rather than the advertised 32 min it would have taken with normal dial-up.....

Beags:

After all the Vickers Funbus stuff, bet you're glad to be in the 21st century, no ? :D

I certainly am!

It still seems like a FM system.

F***** Magic!

Sorry, I promise to stop boring you all with my amazement over how good this wireless broadband thing is soon.......

But here I am, listening to live 'Hit Radio FFH - Fur Hessen, Deutschland und die Welt' in crystal stereophonic clarity whilst typing this.....and yet only 40 years ago I was stumbling about with my first crystal set, straining to pick up Radio Luxembourg.

Progress is truly amazing. Yet we no longer seem capable of sending people to the moon - and soon we'll no longer be able to fly passengers supersonically in luxurious surroundings.

Which'll mean that the dear old Vickers Super FunBus will once again be the fastest transport aeroplane in the sky, perhaps? Although I'm no longer in HMFC, it was only a year ago when I last saw an IMN in excess of M0.9 in the dear old thing over the Bristol Channel! And nothing fell off either!!

Beags - any comments (good or bad) on the BT Voyager 2000 ? It's one of the two models of ADSL box I'm considering buying. After, that is, we move house and then get ADSL actually installed in the rural idyll we live in.

The other one I'm looking at is the NetGear DG824M or the DrayTek Vigor 2600We. Again, comments invited from anyone who's got one.

The Nr Fairy,

I have the Netgear router and it is excellent - this was not always the case as the first ones had a habbit of dropping the adsl connection until they were reset but they have sorted it now. really easy to configure too.

cheers

I'm thoroughly impressed with the BT Voyager. It does what it says on the box, the software loads easily..... Plus it's 'branded' by BT - so if you get any snags, their name would lose prestige.

Range is fine around the house; it doesn't have any external aerials and it's very conservative in appearance.

You get the modem, power supply, all the cables, 2 microfilters, the CD-ROM....all for £149.99.