The BT Home Hub is currently FREE - but only until 31 March 2008. You can also get the limited edition Black hub.

We’ve covered the BT Home Hub lots on our online radio show - More details on our BT Home Hub page.

If you sign up to BT Total Broadband Option 1, 2 or 3, you get a Home Hub wireless adapter (saving £50). BT Total Broadband is available for £8.95 a month for the first six months.

BT Home Hub, free on Option 1 only till 31st March ‘08. Order from www.bt.com/btbroadband.

Until the end of February 2008, BT’s offering their wireless router, the BT Home Hub, free on BT Total Broadband Option 1. It’s been available on Option 2 and 3, but not on their basic package (broadband only £8.95 for the first 6 months).

As well as being an Internet router, note that the BT Home Hub is required if you want BT Vision - and BT are still offering their digital set-top box / recorder… for free to BT Broadband customers. More on the Hub at www.frequencycast.co.uk/homehub.html or at www.bt.com/btbroadband

We’re hearing reports that BT is phasing in a release of a new version of BT Home Hub firmware, version 6.2.6.E. This updated version of firmware includes the following improvements:

• Change default Hub Manager access password from ‘admin’ to your unique Hub serial number
• Force admin password change when first accessing the Hub Manager (if still at default value)
• Remove Remote Assistance feature from Hub Manager
• Move all sensitive Hub Manager information under admin password protection
• Add protection against web scripting hacks
• Some improvement to reliability when using WPA wireless encryption
• Various minor Hub Manager interface changes including rebranding of ‘BT Total Broadband Wi-Fi Community’ to ‘BT FON’
• Fix problem that after hiding SSID and re-enabling it, some computers might no longer see the Hub
• Fix problem that setting Wireless MAC address filtering (ie ‘New stations are allowed via registration’) causes the Hub to reboot

If you’re a Home Hub user, check out our Audio Guide to the Hub

In October 2007, the BT Home Hub software got an update, and a new service, called the “wi-fi community” service, was added. This is also known as BT Fon, and is a service that lets other people use your Hub to access BT’s network, in return for you being able to access other people’s broadband connections. If adopted widely, this could mean that people’s hubs become public access points, offering free wireless Internet access to BT Fon users.

As we cover in Show 20, and from what we’re seeing in our Home Hub forum, many aren’t happy with the idea of having their hubs turned into hotspots for other surfers, but others like the idea of an extended network of free access points.

Fon… Good or bad? Comments please

BT has just released a new version of its wireless router, the Home Hub. This is BT’s new central access point for the home, offering wi-fi, VoIP telephony and access to video-on-demand with BT Vision. According to the blurb supplied by BT, the new redesigned hub will update itself automatically and has been redesigned to make it even easier for users to set up. You can connect multiple devices (such as desktop computers, laptops, gaming consoles) either via a cable or without using wires - all you need is a computer with wireless capability. You can connect external devices like the BT Hub Phone or an existing touchtone phone, so you can make cheap calls over the Internet.

We’ll be featuring the new BT Home Hub v1.5 in our November show, and we have some more info on our Home Hub page…

Those FrequencyCast boys have been at it again. This time, they’ve created an audio guide designed for those folk that have a BT Home Hub. This MP3 file includes advice on setting up wi-fi, improving reception, setting the clock and port forwarding, as well as answering a number of FAQs.

You can download our Unofficial Guide to the BT Home Hub as an MP3 at frequencycast.co.uk/guide.html

We’d love to have your comments!

 

 BT Home Hub Audio Guide [23:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download