wireless broadband - can one turn off the wireless bit?

[edbcar]

Originally Posted by pondweed

we've just upgraded with tiscali and they have sent us a wireless hub. I'm sure the old broadband modem box will still work, but does anyone know if the wirelessrouter can be isolated so we dont have the nasty microwaves in the house all the time? The box thats arrived is a Thomson.

Hi pondweed i have just signed up with tiscali and was wanting to know how you are finding the router?service?

Thanks Brooks

[pondweed]

the router is in a box above a bookcase at the moment Just waiting for our new package to start, but no fussed about connecting up as we still have the old fashioned modem at 2.3mb.

Tiscali have been generally good for about 4 years, but have occasional glitches when it costs you a fortune to call them and sort things out. They are, however, cheap. But slow in the evenings. My mother has 24/7 8mb and free landline and international calls and line rental.. for 19.99 a month (for comparison, line rental from BT was £10 a month...)
We complained about the lack of competitive upgrade and got them to 24.99 for the same (you normally get 25% off line rental, making about £28 for repeat users), including 3 months free out of the 12 month contract. The only other thing you can do is keep ending after 12 months, having no access for a few days, and then signing up again... too much hassle.

This thread has now been answered... after weeks of searching - nothing on manuals or web or tech fora - the Thomson wireless broadband device CAN BE TURNED OFF BY PUSHING THE LOGO/BUTTON ON THE FRONT FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS!!! Why didnt they just say that in the first place?

[JohnDotCom]

BT do if you ask for a MAC code to go elsewhere,
phone you back within the week and ask who you are going to and why.
I said Tiscali and price and they dropped it to £19.49 per month, fixed for minimum of 12 months, from £29.00 I was paying.
I get Line Rental, Anytime Calls (up to 1 hour free) and Broadband Internet 8MB for that amount to.
Strange what they can do when you threaten to go,
also got new Hub 2 and Phone free for staying with BT.

[edbcar]

Originally Posted by pondweed

the router is in a box above a bookcase at the moment Just waiting for our new package to start, but no fussed about connecting up as we still have the old fashioned modem at 2.3mb.

Tiscali have been generally good for about 4 years, but have occasional glitches when it costs you a fortune to call them and sort things out. They are, however, cheap. But slow in the evenings. My mother has 24/7 8mb and free landline and international calls and line rental.. for 19.99 a month (for comparison, line rental from BT was £10 a month...)
We complained about the lack of competitive upgrade and got them to 24.99 for the same (you normally get 25% off line rental, making about £28 for repeat users), including 3 months free out of the 12 month contract. The only other thing you can do is keep ending after 12 months, having no access for a few days, and then signing up again... too much hassle.

This thread has now been answered... after weeks of searching - nothing on manuals or web or tech fora - the Thomson wireless broadband device CAN BE TURNED OFF BY PUSHING THE LOGO/BUTTON ON THE FRONT FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS!!! Why didnt they just say that in the first place?

If it is costing a fortune to call , try . say no to 0870. this will give you alternative nos. to 0870 premium rate ones, hope this is of help.

[r44712]

Originally Posted by Grey Ghost

Wireless routers do not use microwaves, 802.11b and g operate in the 2.4Ghz RF range.

Here, here.

I know people are entitled to their opinons but the old "WiFi is making me sterile" argument fits into the good-old scaremongering category. If it were so then domestic radios should not be used either (nevermind that the radiowaves "travel around us" invisbly anyway). It works on exactly the same principle.

[pondweed]

and how do you stand on mobile phones, out of interest? I see the problems of WiFi as being long term non-specific low level... whereas phones are pretty high level, specific - over short periods of time.

[r44712]

I have no issues with mobiles either...

All of these "wireless devices" use radiowaves, of which have been in 'human' use since the invention of the wireless...the human population has not been in decline since....quite the oposite in fact.

Added to which, radiowaves exist naturally in the earth's atmosphere too.

And weather or not we have a receiver on or about us, we are all exposed to them (artificial or natural) day-in, day-out.


All I can say is: ignornace nearly always leads to misunderstanding.

[pondweed]

well, I prefer healthy skepticism, myself.

Manufacturers DO hush up scientific reports when they dont tell the right stories, as consumer cash is king. I'd have said that pure ignorance is bliss - but that a little information can, yes, lead to misunderstanding, if you are not prepared to do your investigations.

Reports of sustained high level mobile phone use and incidences of brain tumours certainly aren't proven, but its a no-brainer to think that there is definitely NO connection, surely?

[r44712]

Incidentally, I have a degree in Electronic Engineering so my "thoughts" are based on knowledge and insight - not manufacturer "bumpf".

Brain tumours can be caused though other means and it could well be "fluke" that its been attributed to mobile phone useage - especially in my late father-in-law - who never used one (had not been invented).

[DerekS]

And at a slightly different level... what about electric overblankets in bed ? The cables are very close to your body. If the high voltage overhead distribution cables are capable of inducing nasty things to people who live near them , surley the close overblanket is dangerous too ? But arn't they comfortable these cold nights ?