does bt fon actually work?

I signed up for bt total broadband and was led to believe that bt was a partner to fon and that I would to use bt,s advert: roam for free.
After 150 e mails to both bt and their partners fon and to a company called zon in portugal, who are also or rather appear to be bt,s partner in portugal. Needless to say I am not very popular with any of them.
Basically bt fon does not seem to work. You are not a foneiro with a bt router and this may well be the reason. you cannot roam for free in europe. even though bts advert suggests that you can and even suggest that you click on a map to show you all the fon spots in your area. The good bit is that BT insist that all the fon routers that I can pick up are not working and thats all 14 of them!
I would guess that I have to buy a fon router to join the fon system, thats no big problem but bt do say that I should be able to access the fon system with the router they supply. I can in the uk but not in europe.
After all this waffle
the basic question I have is that has anyone successfully used bt total broadband with bt fon enabled been able to log onto a zon-fon-free-internet router in Portugal, I will be grateful for any answers. regards

I've managed it before using a friends login (I had permission) in France

When you log onto the FON page abroad there's an option called BTFON where it says buy a pass. Click this, you then login as normal.

Don't login on the automatic landing page as this connects you to the service provider in that country, not BT. You need to click onto BTFON

Could be different in Portugal

Edited by ukhardy07 (Tue 28-Jun-11 10:33:14)

I cannot get onto the landing page for love nor money, I have also screen shots of 6 zon-fon-free-internet routers any of which I should be able to log onto. All I get is (limited connectivity), which according to bt is my wireless connection connecting to the other router, which according to bt are all offline. I am now going to buy a fon router ( a genuine one) and join the fon system properly. The ( I hope and think) reason that I am not a foneiro is that the bt route rdoes not make you a foneiro in the true sense. I have no confidence at all in BT as I have been unable to speak to anyone who has done more than a 2 day course on the subject. I am sure that someone at bt knows if it is working or not or that it may be a software problem.
I cannot get onto the landing page to click the bt logo. I have to repeat that as thats what most people tell me to do.
When I have the fon router fitted on my phone line in england) i will try in portugal again.
Its all rather poor that after advertising it bt have completely failed to provide it, I call it the care center syndrome, I only wish ( if it then works) to dump the bt router on the boss of bts desk spilling his whiskey at the time, but thats not likely tom happen.
regards

In reply to a post by southerly:

I cannot get onto the landing page for love nor money, I have also screen shots of 6 zon-fon-free-internet routers any of which I should be able to log onto. All I get is (limited connectivity), which according to bt is my wireless connection connecting to the other router,

This actually does sound correct.

With the Free Fon spots (either Fon, or BT-Fon), you can always access the welcome page asking you to login.

On Fon (not BT-Fon) spots, you can also view any web sites that the Fon owner wants to allow you on for free.

Matt

I cannot get onto the landing page

having a 'genuine' fon login is not going to change this, because you dont get to a point to enter login details.
I suspect your wireless network card isnt getting all its networking details from the fon router.
do you have a different dns supplier,/ fixed ip address/ gateway etc, on the laptop? - or disabled 'unsecured' networks? //edit: or aggressive firewalls//
does it work to fon (or btfon) routers in UK?

Edited by ggremlin (Tue 28-Jun-11 20:35:11)

From the way he seems to be approaching the problem, I think he is trying to take his router with him! I don't think he understands FON.

You are approaching this all wrong.

ANYONE can access the BT FON landing page

You can connect with an ipod touch, iphone, blackberry, laptop. ANY wifi device.

You do not use a router of your own

FON is generally hosted by a cafe or by a homeowner

Basically, Mr bloggs signs upto BT broadband

A homehub arrives whiich broadcasts BT FON and BT openzone aswell as the BT broadband wireless signal.

Somebody is sat outside Mr Bloggs house with a Laptop. They click Wifi networks next to the clock and connect to BTFON. This= is similar to yourself connecting

This connects to Mr Blogg's BT HOMEHUB. The homehub then routes through to the landing page

IF Mr Bloggs turns his homehub off, the fon network no longer exists.

When you are abroad, say in Portugal. You will see a FON network in wifi next to the clock

This will connect in the same way as the homehub, no router needed. You just hope whoevers hosting the FON network doesn't unplug it!

Of course abroad, the FON network is not hosted by BT broadband, BUT when you connect to the FON network abroad, there is an option for BT.

SOME networks are hosted differently, but this is a general idea.

The fact you're not getting to the landing page suggests you're doing something wrong. Even if it wasn't compatible with BT, as you suggest, you'd still see a landing page of somesort. Unless you are not connecting to FON at all - which I'm sure you are.

EDIT: To connect to FON you only need the device you want to work online. It has to be wifi enabled

E.g. if you want your Laptop to work via FON, you only need your Laptop.

No router of your own, no special gadgets. Just the Laptop.

This is what makes fon so great, you just take your laptop in a bag. Turn it on, connect to the wifi network, login and away you go.

If this is a continuous problem I'd suggest a problem with your hardware or what you're doing. Not the networks.

Edited by ukhardy07 (Wed 29-Jun-11 00:42:44)

FON is disabled by default in the HH3 (thought Big-Brother would have enabled it!).

It is easily enabled from the Hub Home page http://192.168.1.254/

I think he is trying to take his router with him!

would actually be a neat way to do it...
but, unfortunatly, it dosnt work like that

In reply to a post by ggremlin:

I think he is trying to take his router with him!

would actually be a neat way to do it...
but, unfortunatly, it dosnt work like that

Quite!

But how else do you account for his not being able to see Fon landing screens, and for his thinking changing his own router, (several times?), will make a difference?

I wonder if he is in hotels and trying to connect his router to a room internet connection?

I thought this myself. I'm Imagining somebody sat in the hotel cafe holding up a homehub asking how to connect it to FON. The staff looking very confussed

Believe me I have tried to use zon fon as it is in portugal,
click connect
open a web browser
limited connectivity
never get to the login page
machine works on local council hot spots and internet cafe,s
perfectly.
machine works on bt fon in the uk
Have purchased usb wifi dongle and with the supplied software In addition to the wifi supplied with the machine, just in case it was a problem with the supplied one.I can pick up 6 fon-zon free-internet networks
zon and fon are down as bt partners
I do now realise that there is no point in buying a fon router as I am already on a bt fon router, and share access here, I would only need a fon router if I was on orange or sky broadband.
BT fon and zon all blame each other, yet cannot talk to each other. the official line from bt is all 6 routers are turned off ? or using all their bandwidth, and that I should move my laptop a mile or so and try again, this I have done and the result is the same but only 5 networks.
But of course I still cannot get into the landing page.
Now either I am doing something extremely stupid, or something isnt working. Bt fon works ok in the uk on the machine but it does not work where I want it to, well for a short while anyway.
If anyone has any ideas
please

In reply to a post by southerly:

machine works on local council hot spots and internet cafe,s
perfectly.

Do you mean it works on such places in Portugal?

Where are you finding SIX fon connections? That seems quite alot.


This is the only explanation i could find and I'm not sure if it's right, but several forums all said it.

If there are 6 connections in range you're probably in a busy area where there are lots of people. From what I gather if there are lots of people using the FON network, or lots of people using the secured network hosting FON aswell you get 'limited or no connectivity.' This prevents the home users connection being slowed down.

If the home users secured network is being maxxed out, again FON won't work.

I think you're doing everything right, excuse my doubt earlier. Quite annoying!

I had a very similar situation to the OP just yesterday, where laptop connected to btopenzone, and got address/ gateway etc (10.72.yyy.zzz) but just would not offer a landing page.
this I can only put down to that openzone connection not working.

but for the OP to have more than 6 fail like this indicates other problems.

Fon is a great idea which doesn't work well in practice.
Just like christianity and communism.
People sign up for it because they hope to use it when out and about,
but then restrict or turn off their own because of bandwith and/or (unjustified?) security worries.

Just my 2p's worth.
Regards,
Martin

No it doesnt work, despite BT sending out letters with the telephone account telling you how good it is!
It needs someone to take BT to task in their misleading advertising but of course all of us are paying for expensive people to look after our interests at ofcom the asa and all the rest.
It does work in the UK via btfon but certainly not in Portugal where I have been trying to log onto zon fon for 2 years now. I suspect that if I purchase a fon router, leave bt who always say that they can find no problems on other isp networks. Probably the best way to go is to use another isp in the uk ( certainly a cheaper one, than bt whose policy is a bit bankerish, rob you blind ). and advertise something which they can not supply and cannot do anything about. I have written to Luis H the boss of fon who seems like a nice chap and doing his best but the simple fact is after 2 years and 3 machines and "help" from the BT forum ( If you cannot get to the landing page you cannot do anything yet alone click on the bt logo) as I have been continually told to do!
The sooner voda phone have a world wide wireless dongle at a reasonable cost i will get one and get rid of the land line), and while I am about it where has 3,5 G and 4 G gone they should pull finger as well Saudi Arabia has had 3,5 G for years and Azerbaijan has 4 G , Sorry for the rant but I am fed up with rubbish service because BT and others know that I can do nothing about it.

In reply to a post by southerly:

All I get is (limited connectivity), which according to bt is my wireless connection connecting to the other router, which according to bt are all offline.

Do you have Windows Vista ?

He needs to have a dynamically assigned IP address on his wifi setup.

If he has set a fixed internal IP address at home it will not pick up the correct IP address from the FON router.

People set fixed ones at home as maybe they want to share files easily between computers at home/share printers/use basic remote control etc. I do this all the time - but you need to uncheck all the IP address sections of the wifi set up (assuming windows) in order to use FON. In this situation your computer will happily see and connect to the FON router but you would get nothing in terms of login screen like this person is getting.

It does work - I use it all the time.

I have been able to use internet while on holiday, and many of my neighbours have a BT home hub so its a great backup for my broadband if it goes down.

It is also a great system in case of approaching my monthly cap on my broadband - if I want to have spotify on all afternoon, I can just connect one of my machines to next doors BT fon signal and do it without eating up my cap - as my Fon account is uncapped (I have a fonera).

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

He needs to have a dynamically assigned IP address on his wifi setup.

If he has set a fixed internal IP address at home it will not pick up the correct IP address from the FON router.

People set fixed ones at home as maybe they want to share files easily between computers at home/share printers/use basic remote control etc. I do this all the time - but you need to uncheck all the IP address sections of the wifi set up (assuming windows) in order to use FON. In this situation your computer will happily see and connect to the FON router but you would get nothing in terms of login screen like this person is getting.

As far as I can see, southerly doesnt have a static IP setup on his device. The reason why I say this is because if you read through the whole post, he can connect to other wifi connections.

Well many thanks for all the tips. I can with the super dongle come up with 9 zon fon routers which I should be able to get onto the landing page with. I like one chap says use btfon when I am near to my limit in the uk. My last option is to try and find someone or computer shop in or near Portimao who can check out as to what I am doing wrong, ( I think nothing). I have snnt screenshots of the zon-fon networks available to bt. And I note one contributor said he had a foneiro router which works fine, I have a bt router, which works fine in the uk but of course thats in the uk where it stays. I always delete browsing history and cookies, as sometimes it doesnt connect in the uk, but once on is fine and reconnects perfectly. It has never well once worked in Portugal then kicked me out before I could read my e mail. So effectively it has never worked.
BT have tried to help but repeatedly say they cannot acess other isp networks, I dont really believe this as just about anyone can access anything nowadays.
I just have to wait until the contract with bt runs out ( the reason for staying with BT was the bt fon system ) then I will change to another phone and ISP supplier. Maybe someone from BT will read this and go the extra 4 feet and sort it out, but I doubt it. In Baku in Azerbaijan I am using a 4 G wireless system , on a dongle not bad for a backward country!!!!!!
I will be back in Portugal in a week and will be able to check it again. best regards

yes bt fon does work but at times can be tempermental works 85% of the time all you have to to is follow my steps
1. connect to your least disired btfon network and do not do anything for about 30seconds to a minute the connection should then say limated connection wait..
it should then connect. again
2.now connect to the best signal btfon network and wait for about 30secs to a min again and then it should say limated or no connection then it should connect again now you have internet enjoy.

and more help needed join my youtube channel lukeandjema and message me thank you
Luke

But of course it works! How can you doubt BT and its reliable service ???
Here's how it works:

1. You connect to a btfon hotspot, launch your browser, get to the landing page, and then they take your money!

2. Then you relaunch your browser and are on the internet for about 30 seconds... then you find yourself nowhere "Internet Explorer cannot display this page"

3.Then you get frustrated, since you paid for a whole day, the clock is ticking, and you realise that you're wasting your money away

4. Then you try to speak to BT; after about an hour (probably on your mobile), you get to the BTFON "support".

5. This is where it becomes truly enlightening: "there is a small problem with a VERY small number of our cusstomers who cannot access the service"... "perhaps if you login later"... I don't want to log in later, I want to log in NOW because I have work to do!

6. Oh well, you log in later, much, much later and eventually you get to the internet... work for a while, then you lose connection... you relaunch your browser... "Hello .... you are out of credit... please purchase one of the options below"

7. Go back to Number 1

AVOID !!!!

And it took you 6 months to come up with that?

I find it mostly dosn't work.

I've tried BT FON many times over the past few years and NEVER got to the launch page. Not once. My username and password have always been confirmed as OK by the service interface, Reading the above commments form other "users" (ha!) confirms my suspicion that the whole thing is an elaborate sales con or the most incompetent service ever launched.

Use it a fair bit on my phone with the android app which makes logging in much easier.
Have used it on a laptop whilst on holiday .

Hi we just came back from France, Spain and Portugal and was not able to connect to bt and have been on the phone this morning to bt and their help Desk is totally C***P twice they told me you can only connect to bt in the UK only and there's no way of connecting from outside the UK as btfon is a UK only network can anyone tell me how as I use the main user name and password but Keeped being told it was the wrong user id or password yet it works OK in the UK

I think you've got it right. I'm just back from Lanzarote and there's no BTfon there although I can use it here in UK. BT says I can use their partner hotspots free but I've yet to find one anywhere. There's plenty of wifi in Lanza provided you are willing to pay for it, otherwise many cafes etc offer free wifi.

Mind you I was happy to forget about Fon, BB and the lot, I just relax and enjoy the sunshine

Edited by Malwaremike (Sun 02-Dec-12 17:42:48)