BT

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Comments about people who find alexa and other devices wont connect via bt. I think its all down to the over the top but security in the router, one has to turn it off. Brian Brian Gaff -

[Adrian Caspersz]

A decent router should have a user configurable firewall, and users should have the ability to configure ports, logging, forwarding, applications, subnets, multiple SSIDs and VLANs. Users should also be able to install recommended firmware updates, that would fix issues like these.

Or ye could leave it to BT, and their support of non-technical users.

Quite frankly, if an ISP router annoyed me that much, I'd be buying another or replacing their firmware with custom.

I wouldn't be disabling security. That's mad.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Exactly. Either you take the BT pill and stay in their Matrix, or you take responsibility for your own internet and networking connections

In which case, you probably wont stay with BT. Why would you?

[Andy Burns]

I think "Sysadmin" had already had his question answered in another group before he even asked it here, that the problem with streaming devices and BT hubs was caused by the firmware isolating the 2.4GHz wifi from the 5GHz wifi.

[Mark Carver]

Running a BT broadband service on a proper router is easy. I don't think there's anything (in terms of closed services etc) on a 'raw' BT Retail ADSL/FTTC/FTTP connection that differs from any other Openreach provided service from any other ISP  ?

[Theo]

The VOIP service ('digital voice') requires their router, unless somebody manages to convince them to hand over the SIP credentials or hack them out of their router.

Theo

[Andy Burns]

AFAIK, BT broadband doesn't require any authentication at all, it uses the line ID

[John Walliker]

Not all service providers censor your internet connection.

John

[John Walliker]

You could always migrate your number to an alternative VoIP provider, in which case you will have the right credentials. I use AAISP who charge £1.20 per number plus call costs. The savings can be significant and it works just as well. John

[Andy Burns]

difficult without ceasing your broadband.

[Mark Carver]

BT (and Sky and Talk Talk  ?) do that by forcing their routers to direct traffic via their own DNS servers I think ?

Use you own router, and you can define your own choice of DNS server

[Mark Carver]

Oh well yes, the 'Digital Voice' (and the same proprietary VoIP style systems of the mass market ISPs) malarkey is a car crash Ofcom don't seem to be interesting in doing anything about (As they've not mandated the ISPs to allow porting of your phone number to a VoIP supplier, without ceasing the broadband service).

I've resigned myself to losing my landline number when the time comes, coz I have no intention of using an ISP router.

[John Walliker]

No its not. At least not if you move the broadband at the same time. I have done it on four occasions without any problems. You ask the new provider to migrate the phone number without ceasing the line. The line gets allocated a new number. Then, when your original number is safe they request that the line is moved. John

[Andy Burns]

That sounds remarkably like "yes it is" when you don't want to change provider.

[Chris Green]

"The savings can be significant" compared with what? We have Plusnet FTTC with an 'all calls included' call plan that costs £9/month (in addition to line rental etc. of course). You'd have to have very cheap call rates to better that wouldn't you?

[Chris Green]

Ay? I would have thought it would be "difficult *with* ceasing your broadband".

[Andy Burns]

If you request porting your PSTN number away from your combined PSTN+DSL provider, the end result is likely to be that your current provider does migrate your voice service as requested, but then ceases your broadband service.

[John Walliker]

That doesn't have to happen. Its entirely your choice. John

[charles]

My telephone service provider is not the same as my ISP.

[Andy Burns]

You seem to be the only person who thinks there is a process to "separate" the voice service and broadband service on an existing landline, what process do you say exists to request this?