Wireless Networking

[Brian Turner]

So I bought a BT router to set up a wireless network between my desktop and laptop PCs.

Whoah - trouble.

Short story is that I had problems setting up - networks simply are not my speciality, so when I get IP errors on a home network then it's over my head.

The problem was that the BT support line for the product was a premium rate 50p/minute number.

Having just paid £100 for the router, I was pretty unimpressed to see BT trying to milk the sale further with premium rate support.

This was all the more galling because their premium rate support refused to call me back on my mobile, as the network was being set up in another room to the landline being used for the phone call.

Even then, support complained about my not having everything ready, and that they could get the network running on my laptop - which is what I'd already acheived, the desktop being the real problem.

Seemed they obivously wanted their cake and eat it with some upsell.

Solution?

I returned the BT router and exchanged it at PC World (they're actually pretty friendly up here in Scotland) for a Belkin route.

I've not yet tried to set it up (I've only just got my desktop connected to broadband as it is) but at least the support number is free.

Seems so dumb, though, to charge premium rate on a support line, though - BT made £3 on the phone call, but lost £100 on the returned product. Go figure.

[davidt]

I have had nothing but excellent help from Belkin. When I had a problem with my wireless access point they sent me a brand new one free.

[Ozzy]

I have a Belkin broadband/wireless router myself and actually found it quite easy to get up and running.