Dear Forum Members

I have finally managed to change ISPs, from TalkTalk to John Lewis Broadband, the change over took longer than it should because I got a support person, at the new ISP, that was a "Fairy Tale teller" rather than someone who knew the ropes.

Anyway, putting that unpleasantness aside, I want to mention the new modem/router that I got from my new ISP, the Sagemcom F@st 2407n.

First off, this machine is very easy to set up and if you are using broadband for the first time it is a breeze to get going.

However, if you are not a new user and have wireless equipment to set up, e.g. NAS units, printers or any equipment needing a static IP address then your goose is cooked.

The firmware/setup screens are so basic they are practically useless. And what is worse, the ISP support staff have no way of helping you to get around or provide a solution to this imposed simplicity.

EDIT: I now believe that this imposed simplicity was commissioned by the ISP to replace the modem/routers normal manufacturer's set-up screens. I guess this imposes strict conformity across all of their customers, i.e. less problems for the ISP and more simplicity for the inexperienced.

As a side issue, I understand that only two ISPs in the UK at the moment are sending these crippled modems out to their new and current users, Plusnet and John Lewis Broadband. The official reasoning is that the Sagemcom F@st 2407n conforms to EU regulations on power consumption (but no reason for crippling the modem). So it seems likely that more UK ISPs, with the exception of BT and Virgin, are going to change over their current modem/routers.

Back to the Sagemcom F@st 2407n, there is, however, a solution to this "imposed simplicity". Plusnet, in their wisdom, have enabled a little known facility called:


which is one of the "Advance set-up" screens the ISP has replaced.

And you can only access this facility by using the following URL:

http://192.168.1.254/expert_user.html

Now, although this facility turns the modem from being "practically useless" to something an experienced user can use. But caution is required because there are no notes or guidance on what some of the options, within the facility, may or may not do.

Now I've got this modem working as I would like it.


UK Bob