Pc Related - Bt Total Broadband/bt Home Hub

[Gary Woodman]

Hi

I have just ordered BT Total Broadband option 3 which includes: BT Home Hub, BT Home Hub Phone I also have bought the BT Talk feature. I would like people's opinions on BT Total broadband the home hub, the hub hone and BT talk?

Also if anybody has BT Vision reviews/opinions would be greatful.

Regards

Gary

[swfcdan]

ive got it at home, had it about 8 months now and not had a single problem, even my laptop and xbox360 which are wireless connected have never dropped connection, so top stuff really.

far better than the crap BT hub we had before.

in terms of the phone, ive never actually used it lol so cant really comment, perhaps i should give it a try

[Monster-Mat]

yup, i have it aswell..........and again, never used the phone, infact to be honest i dont even know the score with the phone......

[Gary Woodman]

ive got it at home, had it about 8 months now and not had a single problem, even my laptop and xbox360 which are wireless connected have never dropped connection, so top stuff really.

far better than the crap BT hub we had before.

in terms of the phone, ive never actually used it lol so cant really comment, perhaps i should give it a try

yup, i have it aswell..........and again, never used the phone, infact to be honest i dont even know the score with the phone......

Sounds all good :)

Well I currently have Tiscali....connection always drops just as I went to read this thread it done it again....there is no certain tme of the day it will just 'drop' after calls and calls it still isn't sorted.

With all the publicity for BT Total Broadband I finally decided to move. Im glad that I am reading good things about it from people who have it.

A question: (excuse the bold) Can I just get the Home Hub out of the box wait for the hour and then jus use a wireless connection straight away....or do I need to run a Ethernet cable to start off with?

As I am getting the BT Talk I will write up my opinions of it if you would like me 2?

Regards

Gary

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

I'm thinking about going for it too, so it would be great to hear what it was like.

I'm sure you'll have to set up using an OSCA cable (Ethernet) first - so that you can actually configure your log on credentials and wireless/security settings - that's how most work.

[norkep]

I use the total BT Home Hub, have never had any problems.

Setting up is even easier, plug everything, wait 1 Hr, (only took about 5 minutes with me) till the Internet LED stops flashing, your then connected. Did everything through WiFi (just needed to configure the WEP Key) so no wires anywhere now. When installing the BT Setup, check what you want installing -ie -BT Yahoo, BT Messenger etc....

As for the BT Talk calls - you jst need to goto the URL as incated in the setup manual, register your number and away you go, you'll know when your on the BT Talk - the dial tone will be higher pitched of that of the normal landlane.

One thing I have found is that some people and also mobiles are blocked from dialing into the BT Talk due to it being an Internet #, but after a few updates that the Hub does, most has been relsoved, only a few still have this issue with us.

BTW - We had the Hub for a 5 months now, never look back now.

Hope this helps

[Yaumeister]

You do not need an ethernet connection to setup the Home Hub, just get the SSID and WEP information from the back of the hub, setup the wireless connection on your computer and it should automatically connect.

Then from your browser, connect to http://bthomehub.home/ and you can view and change the config from there.

BT Broadband Talk gives you free evening and weekend minutes as part of your broadband package, it uses Voice over IP (VOIP) technology, a bit like Skype but without the need to use your computer. I wouldn't pay any extra myself for the additional features, as you can probably find cheaper call packages on your normal landline, but evening and weekend is free so feel free to use.

BT Vision is basically Freeview PVR + Video On Demand contents, I just use it as a Freeview box and not bothered with the VOD stuff, I got enough to watch on Sky already. As a Freeview box though it's pretty good, it got a hard disk built in so you can record TV programs, and you can link record TV series like with Sky+, cause the box gets the EPG via broadband rather then the aerial so it goes beyond the normal 7 days TV guide. The box does need a reboot every now and then though.

[Damer]

We have the BT Home Hub. Works fine most of the time, run our PC, lap top and PSP off it. Sometimes do lose connections but that tends to be when it rains, so I think more to do with externals that the hub it self. If it does lose connection just switch of power on the hub for a few seconds then all is good again.

Sometimes use the Net Phone, but beware if someone then uses the mainline fone it cuts off the net phone.

Also when we ordered our hub they were our of stock of Hub phones so BT gave us a cordless digital phone for free! Now that worked as both a mainline fone and a hub fone, ringing with different tones depending which number was called.

However ever since we got the "proper" hub fone we haven't managed to get that to ring when the main line number is called.

Anyone know how to sort that out?????

[norkep]

However ever since we got the "proper" hub fone we haven't managed to get that to ring when the main line number is called.

Anyone know how to sort that out?????

I think you'll find you need to reconfigure the telephoney setting in the advance\telephones section in the hub, in this section you'll find both landline #'s, just configure them to either ring both or just the one of the main socket hubs

[Gary Woodman]

I use the total BT Home Hub, have never had any problems.

Setting up is even easier, plug everything, wait 1 Hr, (only took about 5 minutes with me) till the Internet LED stops flashing, your then connected. Did everything through WiFi (just needed to configure the WEP Key) so no wires anywhere now. When installing the BT Setup, check what you want installing -ie -BT Yahoo, BT Messenger etc....

As for the BT Talk calls - you jst need to goto the URL as incated in the setup manual, register your number and away you go, you'll know when your on the BT Talk - the dial tone will be higher pitched of that of the normal landlane.

One thing I have found is that some people and also mobiles are blocked from dialing into the BT Talk due to it being an Internet #, but after a few updates that the Hub does, most has been relsoved, only a few still have this issue with us.

BTW - We had the Hub for a 5 months now, never look back now.

Hope this helps

You do not need an ethernet connection to setup the Home Hub, just get the SSID and WEP information from the back of the hub, setup the wireless connection on your computer and it should automatically connect.

Then from your browser, connect to http://bthomehub.home/ and you can view and change the config from there.

BT Broadband Talk gives you free evening and weekend minutes as part of your broadband package, it uses Voice over IP (VOIP) technology, a bit like Skype but without the need to use your computer. I wouldn't pay any extra myself for the additional features, as you can probably find cheaper call packages on your normal landline, but evening and weekend is free so feel free to use.

BT Vision is basically Freeview PVR + Video On Demand contents, I just use it as a Freeview box and not bothered with the VOD stuff, I got enough to watch on Sky already. As a Freeview box though it's pretty good, it got a hard disk built in so you can record TV programs, and you can link record TV series like with Sky+, cause the box gets the EPG via broadband rather then the aerial so it goes beyond the normal 7 days TV guide. The box does need a reboot every now and then though.

We have the BT Home Hub. Works fine most of the time, run our PC, lap top and PSP off it. Sometimes do lose connections but that tends to be when it rains, so I think more to do with externals that the hub it self. If it does lose connection just switch of power on the hub for a few seconds then all is good again.

Sometimes use the Net Phone, but beware if someone then uses the mainline fone it cuts off the net phone.

Also when we ordered our hub they were our of stock of Hub phones so BT gave us a cordless digital phone for free! Now that worked as both a mainline fone and a hub fone, ringing with different tones depending which number was called.

However ever since we got the "proper" hub fone we haven't managed to get that to ring when the main line number is called.

Anyone know how to sort that out?????

Thanks for all of the info, glad to see that nobody has any compliants with it. Good to know that I can set it up through the wirelss with no probs.

And I will write about the BT Talk once I get it all working for about a week. So it will be a week this friday....

Lets just hope they deliever it when im in and not whilst im picking up my youngest son from school.

Regards

Gary

[Gary Woodman]

BT Talk Review

(Note: As I have only just had it this is my first impressions of it...more will follow within the next week)

Well first of all I HAVE CALLER ID!! It never worked with Tiscali as to why I shall never know why. Set it all up the home hub first...no problems then plugged in my Bang & Olufsen Beocom 3 into the hub worked perfectly fine....rang my mum & dad they said that I sounded clearer than normal sounded basically the same to me maybe ever so slightly clearer...but perhaps I was just imaging it My mum did say she could hear a echo of her voice...beats me as to why LOL.

I yet to try out the hub phone...

Unless I am missing something...knowing me I am I seem to be able to ring two phones at the same time on the one line? I haven't actually tested it when speaking to somebody but it rings two phones at the same time. Or can a normal line do this to? Never tried it LOL

I will right up more durning the week

Regards

Gary