ReverseMidasTouch Technologies

Information: BT Home Hub

The BT Home Hub is BT's offering for VOIP and Broadband. With the latest firmware it can even allow you to use just Hub phones for VOIP and landline calls.

There is an excellent telnet interface on the BT home hub - 192.168.1.254. The web interface is plagued by javascript problems and is generally slow. BT should take a leaf out of Linksys' book when it comes to web interface design. Speed and simple interfaces are everything. Below are documented some common procedures:

• Adding a static host. For some reason the Home hub often doesn't pickup on static devices which are connected into one of the ethernet ports. hostmgr allows configuration of which devices will show up in the advance menu.
• Listing Applications for Port forwarding.
• Listing Applications for Port forwarding.
• Adding an NTP server that works ;-)
• Modify the wireless security mode.
• Quick example showing a wireless address being added (badly). Use this if you have set the hub to only allow registered devices on the wireless network.
• NAT translation tables.
• Showing the allowed wireless addresses.

Review: WAG354G

I've experimented with several different routers for my ADSL connection. I've bought both Negear DG834 and DG834v2 in the past and been happy with each. My setup was slightly esoteric: The DG834 wireless signal was not as good as my WRT54G so I was using the DG834 as an ADSL modem and the WRT54G as a wireless router. I decided that it was time to use one box and the WAG354G appeared to have it all.

Features

• 4 10/100 ethernet ports.
• 1 RJ15 telephone port.
• Port forwarding.
• Network Address Translation.
• VPN pass-through.
• Mac address filtering.
• Runs linux firmware- GPL'd sources available.

The WAG354G box contains the usual Linksys equipment- power supply, 1 ADSL filter and a CAT 5 cable for making a wired connection. Setup was a breeze- apart from having to double check the internet connectivity with Plus Net:

Encapsulation:          RFC 2364 PPPoA
Multiplexing:           VC
QoS Type:               UBR
Autodetect:		Disable
Virtual Circuit:	0 VPI
                        38 VCI
Username:		something@plusdsl.net
Password:		password

All other settings were left as default.

One problem I did have is connecting my PS/2 up to the WAG354G. Currently there is a problem with Central Station DNAS authentication and the firmware version I am using. Linksys are aware of the problem and are bring out new firmware shortly. There is a workaround, but sadly it'll not work for my configuration as I already require port forwarding for other stuff.