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Blue5

Blue5

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My home internet is with BT so I was rather pleased at their invitation to become a member of BT Openzone/ Fon.

In exchange for allowing my wifi to be used as a hotspot you get free access to other hotspots countrywide.

So has anyone actually got this to work on the boat? I have tried in Gosport, Cowes, Yarmouth, Brighton and Poole, I am not sure if I am unlucky or have been mugged.
 
It all depends on how far you are from a house with BTFon/ Openzone server. My berth is over 100m from the nearest houses (despite being an alongsied berth!) so I usually just tether to my mobile phone.

BTFon/ Openzone works well with a mobile phone in a town or your lappy in a car when pared in a town. You do really need to be within 20mtrs or so of a server.

Edit: I forgot, there is a mobile app that shows where the nearby Fon/Openzone hotspots are if you have a GPS smartphone.
 
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I use the BTFON/Openzone network regularly whilst cruising but as has been mentioned you need more than a standard laptop/mobile client to receive the signals if you're moored a distance away from the access points. I have fully documented my experience and setup here but in essence I use a Ubiquiti Bullet 2 HP to be able to receive the BTFON/BTOpenzone stations whilst moored in various ports/harbours.

We have just completed our annual cruise and using the BTOpenzone network allowed us to connect to Wifi everyday during our 2.5 week cruise this year without having to pay for expensive marina wifi connections or rely on often non existent 3g connections.
 
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NDH said:
In exchange for allowing my wifi to be used as a hotspot you get free access to other hotspots countrywide...
Click to expand...

Worldwide actually. Fon is nothing to do with BT, they just saw it as a marketing ploy, and of course anyone who uses your fon point uses your bandwidth, so potentially make them more money. I have a non-BT fon point at home, and I sometimes manage to find another fonera (as fon Wi-Fi providers are called).
 
nigelmercier said:
Worldwide actually. Fon is nothing to do with BT, they just saw it as a marketing ploy, and of course anyone who uses your fon point uses your bandwidth, so potentially make them more money. I have a non-BT fon point at home, and I sometimes manage to find another fonera (as fon Wi-Fi providers are called).
Click to expand...

Apologies for some basic questions, but I currently get a broadband connection (not BT) at home using a wireless router. I've had a look at the Fon site and it seems that to join the club you have to buy another wireless router, connect this and register. A couple of questions occur, none of which I could easily see addressed on the site.

1. From the description it appears that I should plug the new router into the existing one. Does having two wireless routers operating in close proximity cause any problems? Could there be advantages in having two connections available?

2. I need to connect via the new router to register. Having done so is there any reason (other than moral) not to just revert back to using the existing router, i.e. in principle need I ever use the new router again?
 
The fon router plugs into your modem/router. it will give out 2 wifi signals one is totally private for your own use and the other is the Fon signal that other people can connect to, you can limit the bandwidth that is shared.
I have a Fon router but have never had anyone connect to it.

If you do not have the Fon router connected for a period of time you will not be able to connect to other Fon users. Its all about sharing after all.
 
DaveS said:
1. From the description it appears that I should plug the new router into the existing one. Does having two wireless routers operating in close proximity cause any problems? Could there be advantages in having two connections available?
Click to expand...

If you register for BT Openzone they download software to your Home Hub that puts out a second wifi hotspot which other members can use. You are then able to sign on to Openzone or Fon hotspots you find when travelling.

In my expereience there are two snags: (a) I never once managed to get a workable connection from the boat despite using a booster antenna and (b) my home PC insisted on defaulting to the Openzone connection meaning I had to reset it to talk to the home hub every time I started up. A total PITA.
 
bendyone said:
The fon router plugs into your modem/router. it will give out 2 wifi signals one is totally private for your own use and the other is the Fon signal that other people can connect to, you can limit the bandwidth that is shared.
I have a Fon router but have never had anyone connect to it.

I understand that, it's explained on their website. My concern was that my existing router would also be operating as before, giving a third signal.

If you do not have the Fon router connected for a period of time you will not be able to connect to other Fon users. Its all about sharing after all.

That makes sense. Hopefully it isn't too short a period. I can imagine shutting it off while going away on holiday hoping to use Fon connections elsewhere...
Click to expand...
.
 
snowleopard said:
If you register for BT Openzone they download software to your Home Hub that puts out a second wifi hotspot which other members can use. You are then able to sign on to Openzone or Fon hotspots you find when travelling.

In my expereience there are two snags: (a) I never once managed to get a workable connection from the boat despite using a booster antenna and (b) my home PC insisted on defaulting to the Openzone connection meaning I had to reset it to talk to the home hub every time I started up. A total PITA.
Click to expand...

Yes, I knew about BT's offer, but am quite happy with my present ISP. I hadn't realised until now that it was possible to get Fon without BT.

Your snag (a) does rather call into question the point of the exercise, however.
 
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