BT Hub?

[Old Salt]

I already use BT for my telephone and BROADBAND.

They keep sending me offers to setup a Hub for phone/TV/PC/BROADBAND

I called them asking, "Why should I have a hub installed."

Mostly, they tell me things that make no sense and keep telling, "It's going to be better." I ask about price comparison, i.e. what my average phone / broadband monthly bill is now, and what is it likely to be once the hub is installed.

No one can, or is prepared to say. BUT, one thing is for sure, I'll bet, once installed I will be stuck with the setup for a very long time.........and....I may even get hit with an uninstalltion for hub and reinstalltion normal phone / broadband.

Would greatly appreciate if one of you 'technophiles would give me some down to earth explanations and average costs

Living in hope of enlightenment
Old Salt

[Postdog]

Do you want BT vision - no?

Happy with your set up as is - yes?


If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it

I don't think it will be either / or either. If you ain't happy, you will still be lumbered with paying even if you got rid, as it is a new contract with T & C's attached

[craft1948]

You used to have an initial 12 month contract with BT and after that could just move to another provider if you wished to do so. Now every time my contract term is nearly up they ring me - ask if I'm staying with them and sign me into another contract term!
Having said that both times I've agreed to stay with them I've had a free gift, the first time I got a wifi printer and the second time a BT home hub...

[Postdog]

I've never had that, and i'm with BT - have been since Broadband came out

[Old Salt]

Hi craft1948

What exactly does the BT Hub give you? Does it allow you to setup a TV anywhere in the house without an antenna cable? My TV is on FREEVIEW, would that still work? How does the telephone work (I already have three cordless phones)? I understand BT are still working on their TV programmes.

Can you tell me your average monthly bill?

Right now I'm on the top telephone service with broadband and my average bill is �35 to �45. Her indoors loves to talk to people on the phone.............even charity money collectors

Is it true that an engineer has to come and setup the hub?
any idea how much RF (transmission power) the hub radiates?


Old Salt

[craft1948]

Postdog so have I and I worked for them for 32 years. I was amazed to get the phone call out of the blue asking me to enter into another contract (twice now). I think they do it to put you off changing providers.

[craft1948]

Hi Old Salt - it's still in the box but if I ever get around to using it I'd only use it for phone/broadband not TV as I use my freeview.
The only time I would set it up is if I move my desk as unlike normal 'wired' broadband with the hub wifi connection you can use your laptop anywhere in the house as there is no actual physical link required. You can set that up yourself.

[craft1948]

Sorry forgot to say if your not using it for TV there's no change to your existing charges - you are using the same broadband just accessing it differently. Also if you haven't much room on your desk/table whatever if you have a wifi printer you can have that set up separately to your PC as again there is no physical link needed.

[Therema]

Ok we have the BT home hub and broadband it is an 18 month contract and we pay �24.99 a month, but i also have to have the BT line to run it all so this is another bill, *but i pay �10 a wk by swipe card at post office* this covers the cost of my fone calls cos i use the cordless fone, i dont use the hub fone because it has never worked properly since we got it a yr ago, they sent us a new handset out its still the same then they sent out a new hub but havent emailled up to tell us how to cancel oput the old hub first to install the new one or it wont work, i got them to take back the BT vision box because we have freeview which is just as good and anyway if i didnt set up the vision box within 21 i was going to be charged �200, roll on the next six months of our contract so we can get rid of BT altogether and go with the post office which everything is cheaper

[Old Salt]

Well done everyone, and thanks for your input.

My initial gut-feeling was, "Stay with what you got and you understand and seems to work."

The lack of any realistic explanation coming from BT, was yet another indication that someone is trying to "Sell us something not yet fully ready." I suspected FREEVIEW would not be available.

So, for right now and in the foreseeable future, "Sorry BT, you've got a long way to go."

A much wiser and satisfied with his lot,
Old Salt

[Rollo]

If you are happy to stay with BT when your existing contract expires tell them you want at least a �6 per month discount if you are going to renew. You will get it.

[ACtheTROLL]

basically the router is just a way of connecting (possibly more than one PC) to the internet
the basic broadband costs are the same
(depends on your useage)

but then you can add extra services ...
internet phonecalls are cheaper (only if you make them)
the vision box is a relatively cheap freeview hdd recorder (with the option to buy newer films)

the broadband anywhere is a mobile phone for �5 a month which includes 50 mins of calls, 50 texts and10Gb of data
(lets you use the net when out and about)

all allow you to buy extra addons so cost is a case of if and how much you use them ...

[ACtheTROLL]

just to add - it's actually a fully finished and quite good package

what isn't so good is the product training given to the call centres

you don't need an engineer to set it up

[craft1948]

Rollo how do you know he will get a reduced rate when his contract is up. Under BT's licensing terms they are not allowed to give 1 customer a product at a lower rate than their other customers are paying.

[gina32]

i had home hub for 18 months and wish id never set eyes on it, it was complete rubbish and kept cutting out, and bt couldnt or wouldnt tell me why, got a replacement and thatw as just as bad, customer service was abysmal as well, soon as i could i changed

[craft1948]

Must admit I'm thinking of changing when my contract is up. The house I've bought is cabled up for VirginMedia and the package on offer seems very attractive.

[Old Salt]

Good input everybody....thank you very much for taking the time.

But, my experience with the various services and I have been on most, Tiscali, AOL, NTL, Virgin, and BT (twice), they are great and extremely anxious to please....................until you sign-on,

Then try to get them on the phone or get someone to help with a problem.......especially something difficult. If the problem is easy, and falls into the capabilities of the 1st line helpdesk folks, no sweat.....they will drown you with smarmy phrases and promises.

But, when things get difficult..................they only know rote answers and will only talk from a script

I know it's cynical, but, I've been there................often.......I got the T-Shirts...........and I have worn out several of them.

Sorry to have such a lack of faith in my fellow man....

Old Salt

[indie78]

a point to note one of the above abers said it was easy to set up wirless not so I had to call there call centre to set mine up because aparently the software supplied to do that for as vista compatability issues ...

this was after they failed to deliver my equipment on four seperate ocasions and after three weeks from the date they first promised to install my phone line...
not to worry though abers if your persistant they will eventually deliver and after around 5 hours on the phone I
decided that they should pay me and negotiated a reduction from bill... wich works out for my phone package and broadband i will pay about 7pound a month for the next quater.