Non wireless router

[glenos]

Hi all,

I am a sole trader business working from home ( just starting up) and I have had issues with my router (Home Hub 2.0) I am being told that I should have a business router(?) as BT often do a "sweep" and when they do my service drops out. Would a business router solve the problem as I just cannot afford to be off-line for even an hour, and are these things expensive?

Many thanks,

Glenos.

[OldWolf]

Hi,

My first question would be - who told you about this 'sweep'?  You don't need to tell me, but could you bat them round the back of the head please?

Do you have a business broadband service, or are you running from a residential connection?  In any case you would probably be better having the connection checked by whoever you are with.

Also there is something that I should advise you.  If your business is so important that you MUST have your connection up 24/7, then GET A BACK UP ONE!!!  There is no such thing as a service with 100% uptime, no matter what companies would tell you.  Any service that has some sort of 100% uptime guarantee simply has multiple back up servers, with the chances of all of them failing being almost nil.

Go and do some research on mobile broadband, and availability in your area, and get one.  There are plenty available, both contract and PAYG.

Cheers.

Dave A

[MHC]

Migrate to a business service - immediately.

BT will do that no problems - you may be breaking te residential contract but going to a BT Business servoice means no penalties.

Support is UK based and good 24 hours / day plus response times are a lot quicker than for residential.  

The router is a lot better, holds sync better, can give improved speeds and is more flexible.

Also, putting your ADSL invoice through as a business cost is easy with a Business Service - but accountants and te revenue have been known to question why your residential bill is going through and you then need to document and explain the whole story - a hassle that can easily be avoided.

Also, you will get a 2wire2700HGV to use, but keep the HH2 as a back up.

[glenos]

Many thanks for the replies.

 Ah yes, "the sweep" I have heard this from a couple of people when I phone the 'Help Desk'. I am registered with BT as a business user so I guess that I will need a different router then. More costs... ah the joys of a business start-up.

Thanks again.

Glenos.

[MHC]

Moving to a BT Business service will mean a little more in monthly charges - but not much and the Router is FREE.

[OldWolf]

Hi Glenos,

This is strange, as the reason for the batting about the head is because this "sweep that knocks people off" is probably some nonsense deamt up by someone to try and explain something they don't understand.

There is no such thing.

It doesn't matter if you use an Internet capable toaster on BT Business Broadband, as it should stay connected as long as there are no issues with the line or the service.  Now that's not to say that you might not need another router to serve some specific function, but a properly working router (no matter where it comes from) and service should see you connected for a very long time.

One question.  If you have BT Business Broadband, didn't you get the offer of a free router, or did you pick a package that didn't come with one?

Cheers.

Dave A

[OldWolf]

@MHC

Partly true.

If you get an Office package then you don't get a router, although there may be an offer where the Office package AND phone service will get you one.

The only broadband package that definitely gives a router on it's own is the Advance package.  The basic versions of both have a usage limit, 10 GB for Office and 50 GB for Advance, and the 'better' versions don't.

http://business.bt.com/broadband-and-internet/internet-access/

Hope that helps.

Cheers.

Dave A

[MHC]

I wish they would stay the same month to month !

The advance package at £18 for BB only - for a sole trader could be adequate and come with a router.    

[glenos]

Hi fellas, I have a new 'business router' arriving this week for free with unlimeted bb and at the same cost as my previous set-up. I did have to go with a new 2yr contract though.

The problem of my service 'dropping out' every 10 mins or so hasn't been resolved and the engineer will be back tomorrow, and this time will be at the exchange end of things.

Dear God... gimmee a break. lol

Thanks all

G

[MHC]

Get a copy of an application called RouterStatsLite - it is free.

Install it and run it for a few hours with 30 second sample times - get it to plot the SNR figure and sync speed and that might help give an insight into what is happening.