Backup Broadband for Office

[chris ashdown]

Looking at some method of having a fast change-over of broadband suppliers for the office network in case we ever have a problem with BT our phone company and ISP

Present system is a BT Voyager router connected to a switch which sends over ethernet to all computers

No problem buying a broadband dongle for emergency backup, but how would you set it up so everyone could share it, as I understand it needs one computer to control the dongle

[Duncan Rounding]

I saw a router recently that has a usb port specifically to do what you want. I can't remember where mind - I'll have a dig around and see if I can find it again.

I remember at the time that I thought is was a great idea.

[JGLIGHTING]

This website sell 3G router.
http://www.nucleusnetworks.co.uk/3g-.../3g-router.htm

[Golf Tee Warehouse]

Elliott, you have a double http:// in your link you may wish to edit.

[NormanRouxel]

Draytek make professional routers (I have 2) and they have some that support 3G dongles. See http://www.draytek.co.uk/3g/index.html

[consciouspnm]

I have the Draytek dual ISP router and have two different ISPs going into it via two phone lines. The chances of them both going down are remote as the lines only meet up at the exchange.

[completerookie]

there has been a bit of british Rails "Engineering work" in the Sheffield area, and they seem to have a really clumsy lot of workers, they've cut through the fibre link three times since xmas, each time, 6-9 hrs downtime

I asked the ISP about a "backup adsl connection" with another ISP, but he infered that the second adsl link from our local exchange would still go out through Sheffield and that link would also have been hit by the damage to the link (40+ miles away)

we can't get 3G services out in the sticks, does anyone know if a "second adsl service" really does get routed through the same "main exchange" to connect to the net??

[chris ashdown]

Thanks folks

Think the Draytek loks the way to go, dont really need wireless but looks like all routers are only built that way now in the reasonably priced ranges

[Cheapprices4u]

I asked the ISP about a "backup adsl connection" with another ISP, but he infered that the second adsl link from our local exchange would still go out through Sheffield and that link would also have been hit by the damage to the link (40+ miles away)

we can't get 3G services out in the sticks, does anyone know if a "second adsl service" really does get routed through the same "main exchange" to connect to the net??

sometimes yes
working in telecomms as my day job, on fibre sometimes there are back up paths as on our network sometimes not
all of our network has a resilient path as backup

most comms comes down a common fibre then splits
so yes potentially if its the main fibre which most run down the railway network you could in effect isolate a town/city is broken

[Darren B]

Thanks folks

Think the Draytek loks the way to go, dont really need wireless but looks like all routers are only built that way now in the reasonably priced ranges

I use draytek equipment at a couple of offices and these are on 24/7 and just go and go. I also use the broadband phones on them, free calls between draytel users and a couple of other suppliers, plus you can by credit and use them like normal phones and get your own national numbers.

One of the better pieces of kit around.

I would avoid these couple
linksys
d-link

[guccij]

One of the better pieces of kite around.

lol at presumably unintentional typo

[gabrielcrowe]

56.6 modem.

on internet downtime, fetching of the orders to keep your packing grunts happy is probably the most important thing.

even on a plain old dial up connection, you'd be fine, speedwise downloading orders.

[fergusw]

, does anyone know if a "second adsl service" really does get routed through the same "main exchange" to connect to the net??

Satellite Broadband?

[TraceyHand]

One of the better pieces of kite around.

pmsl

obsessed much?

I have the same problem with some words.
If I type words like bridge, 9 times out of 10 they end up as bridget because I'm so conditioned to type budget!
(soon to change, I hope..w00t!)

[Darren B]

pmsl

obsessed much?

I have the same problem with some words.
If I type words like bridge, 9 times out of 10 they end up as bridget because I'm so conditioned to type budget!
(soon to change, I hope..w00t!)

Ooops mind you if the broadband go's down then Chris could always go a fly one