Comments on: Why Fon is a good thing

By: Paul Webster

Paul Webster — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:41:03 +0000

@Christopher Woods
I think that all BT-FON subscribers are essentially “linus”.
(see my earlier comment about BT Homehub)
You don’t see them on the Fon map – but there are a lot.
For example – there are 8 BT-FON listed within 3 streets of me on the BT map – but only 1 on the FON map.

http://www.btfon.com/

The SSID makes them look like a regular BT access point but it presents FON branding and you can login with you regular FON id.

By: Christopher Woods

Christopher Woods — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:17:15 +0000

Welcome to the Fonero community Mr. Crid! I’ve run two La Foneras in two separate places for a while, you should’ve just asked me for one because I still have three of the little units spare (recent promotion for existing foneros).

Glad to know you also signed up as a Linus – I thought I was in the minority!

By: Tony Moorey

Tony Moorey — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:01:31 +0000

You have me convinced, James. In fact I ordered one after reading this and it’s just arrived.

Have you ever considered a career in advertising copy-writing?

By: Adam Bowie

Adam Bowie — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:07:42 +0000

Surely most contracts with ISPs actually prohibit this sort of thing. They don’t even really like you sharing WiFi with your next door neighbours. So effectively leasing it on to third parties would seem to be even worse.

I still like the idea though even if I don’t believe that James doesn’t carry a WiFi laptop around with him a lot of the time.

By: Paul Webster

Paul Webster — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:10:40 +0000

Anyone with a BT Homehub (and I think some of their higher end ADSL contracts) can go and click a button on a BT website (linked to from the set-up page in the Homehub) to enable their Homehub for Fon.
This is done by an automated overnight firmware upgrade (perhaps more recent models already have the firmware).
From then on the Homehub presents 2 SSIDs – with the new one being BT Openzone.
i.e. it makes your Homehub look like a regular BT access point.

The BT subscriber can then use any Fon access points in the world and any BT Openzone access points.

No need to add a 2nd hub.

Mine is shared out that way.

By: James Cridland

James Cridland — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:30:55 +0000

They need to have two wifi units inside, as the Fon wifi access point does. That’s a picture of one at the top.

No costs at all, except buying the wifi access point. I needed one anyway; and when I joined, it was €5, so rather cheap…

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:18:16 +0000

Yup, Fon are partners with BT, but don’t know how practical it is for BT to start altering their modems – do they have to be a sort of dual band I wonder?

Love the idea of Fon, hope it takes off more. Do you have to have them as your ISP or is it additional? Costs involved at all?

By: Phil Edmonds

Phil Edmonds — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:39:45 +0000

I’m sure I remember reading a plan that BTInternet had to turn all their ‘BT Home Hubs’ into FON hotspots, and as part of your BT Broadband subscription you get free access to any FON hotspot.

By: Ben

Ben — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 16:27:33 +0000

Speaking of ‘walking’ around looking for a Wifi spot, I produced a Google Map of Free Wifi Spots in Glasgow recently. Incase it’s of any use to someone!

http://glasgow-wifi.subduedmedia.net/