[Wiltshire] Any ISP recommendations please?

[Simon Iremonger]

>> I can +1 both AAISP and Zen as helpful Dual-Stack IPv4+IPv6 ISPs.
>> AAISP will arrange a 'copper pair' (dummy phone line) for A/V DSL,
>> Zen can arrange actual phone-service too if desired.
> 
> I had a good chat with technical at Zen late this afternoon. Very
> interesting. I expect I'll speak to sales in the morning.

Do at least talk to AAISP at all, I remember at old-work another
IT-manager there said just how much of a jump in capability happened
at that point over Zen at the time.


> The strange thing is, after telling them today that I'm leaving, the
> WiFi which has recently been dawn and up multiple times per hour every
> evening hasn't been down at all! Coincidence I wonder? I did issue a

I suspect some firmware-update to the devices...


>> I can also recommend (or help with) how to put OpenWRT on a
>> BT HomeHub v5 Type A  which then gives you a reasonable mostly-
>> FOSS solution on WAN-router yet cheaply, noting that there are
> Are these sold on by BT after being returned by BT customers?

No, they are sold on by individuals in general, seemingly.
Reflashing them is tricky if not set up for it, you have to
solder on 3 tiny wires (I use an intermediary 5 pin header),
use a ttl serial console, serve a file over tftp, boot, wait,
insert usb stick with another file, run install, reboot,
install updated image via web-interface....  but I seem to
have this down to a fine-art =).

HOWEVER you find pre-modded  openwrt HHv5a's on ebay for
20 to 25 pounds  as opposed to unmodded units for 10-20 in
any case!.

In any case I cannot stress enough the OpenWRT benefits over bt
firmware or lots of vendor-firmwares in general.


>> A good plan is to have something like this with a Zen/AAISP
>> supplied zyxel/technicolor router as "tested working backup"
>> alongside.

> Good idea. I like my backups including hardware if possible. I have a
> spare identical server board. A functionally equivalent router too
> would be reassuring.


Easy...

--Simon