OT Question about BT with FON security

[Chris Hogg]

I have recently changed my ISP to BT, and I use a BT-supplied router and ADSL connection.

I have two computers; one is a desktop PC, with a wired connection to the router, the other is a laptop with a wireless connection. Almost all the computing I do is on the PC, with the laptop acting purely as a backup if the PC fails in some way. It sits in a cupboard, coming out once a month for re-charging, updating software etc.

When I connect the laptop to the modem, three connection options come up in the little window, whereas with my previous ISP I only had one. The two extras that I don't recognise are BTWifi-X and BTWifi-with-FON. A bit of browsing tells me that these are for connecting to Wifi networks away from home. The security on the BTWifi-X is WPA2, as is the connection to my own modem, but the BTWifi-with-FON connection is unsecured, i.e. open. As I have never used these two facilities, and am unlikely to do so in the future (but you never know...), should I be worried about the unsecured FON connection, bearing in mind that we're always being urged to make sure our modems and other equipment are secure to prevent others hacking in to them. If I do need to make it secure, how do I do this? Is it simply a matter of accessing the modem and setting a password for FON, in the normal way, or is it within the computer itself, or doesn't FON need password protection?

[Jonno]

Chris Hogg scribbled

This site any use ?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The 'Fon' connection is to allow other BT users to access the internet via your router - but not your LAN. Sort of a co-operative, as you can also access others when out and about.

You can turn it off if you want - but it's a useful facility to provide/have.

I have a PAYG phone and use it quite a bit - in London at least, it works well enough, but of course doesn't give coverage everywhere.

[fred]

In article , Chris Hogg writes

To add to what others have said, the FON connection is not a truly open one, you need to be a FON subscriber (included in BT BB) and login to access the connection so the actions of users are traceable. They get an IP address that is separate from yours so their actions can be traced to them and not be ascribed to you.

[Chris Hogg]

Thanks for the replies. I won't worry about it. But as we live out in the country, with only a couple of houses some 50 yds away, it's unlikely that anyone else will want to use it anyway.

[Davey]

My initial query was going to be:

Why did you change TO BT for your ISP? Most folk I know change FROM BT to some other company. When I was about to move back here to the UK and I asked about an ISP, the unanimous advice was to steer well clear of them! But I hope it's working out fine.

[Richard]

BT has not been a bad choice for me so far. Used to be with Zen, but their pricing was a bit steep for any real benefit of being with them.

[Chris Hogg]

I was with Virgin Media, but they dumped me, along with several thousand others, in the direction of Talk Talk, because they wanted to focus on their cable business and I wasn't on cable. As I'd never heard anything good about TT, I didn't want to go there. I had no strong views as to which ISP I should choose other than TT, and as horror stories abound about most of the main ISP's whichever you go for, and SWMBO wanted BT because she liked the colour (IYSWIM!), I plumped for them. Whether they will be any better that TT, I'll never know, but they're OK so far.

[tony sayer]

In article , Davey scribeth thus

Yes why;?...

[bert]

In message , Chris Hogg writes

It's hard to be worse than TT at anything.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I changed from Pipex/TalkTalk after their service became a joke. Multiple breakdowns every year - and slow repairs. With a 'help' line which started by assuming it was my fault.

Went BT fibre about 3 years ago. Can't comment on the service as I've never needed it. Everything was installed when they said and worked fine from the off.

[alan_m]

I was with an ISP that was taken over by TT. Not only did the service deteriorate overnight but the staff who provided on-line support in their own forums started lying wholesale about the resultant problems.

Luckily I was only on a monthly contract at the time.

[Brian Gaff]

Well from outside, the fon side is not protected but only allows access to the bt network for other bt customers using their own user name and password. I believe some bt packages allow this so bt has hospots over wide areas. IE you get reduced bandwitch at a cheaper price but bt get the ability to allow other people on thier network from elelsewhere than their home. Brian

[Dave W]

You only need to be a FON subscriber to get free access. Anyone else can just pay an online fee to get access for 1 hour, 1 day etc.

[AnthonyL]

Ditto. Zen were great but BT offered a very low cost unlimited 12 month deal and we have no LLU so it's all the same from home to exchange whoever I use for ADSL.

But the 12 month deal ends this month and now the problem is who to go with next - Plusnet?

As for the original system I don't want to be able to access hotspots on my limited travels so I have disabled my FON (you can only access other FON's if you've enabled your own - fair enough).

[John Mulrooney]

Small point of order. I can use the service as a user of SFR, in France. Like Chris my house is fairly lonely, but I keep the hotspot live (just a couple of tick box options in the router controls) so that I can use the FON network in France, Spain, Belgium and UK

John

[Chris Hogg]

Plusnet is owned by BT, but continues to operate as an independent business, at least for the time being.

[Johny B Good]

_Is_ the correct answer!

[AnthonyL]

Yes - that's the worry!

[Roger Mills]

Well, PN seems to consider BT as a competitor - and offers all the 'new customer' perks if you switch.