If its BT, there has to be a catch... (btopenworld.co.uk)

Member Name: IanPaterson

Product:	btopenworld.co.uk
Date:	29/08/00 (283 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: High bandwidth (512Kb)

Disadvantages: far from ideal

...and here it is! £150 installation, £39.99 per month after that that will only be charged to a CREDIT CARD! Visa and Mastercard only. If like me you hate credit cards and never use them, you are stuffed.

This is not be the end to the modem by any means either. If you have a PC with USB connection, you can use this service. If you don't, tough luck mate! Therefore, you are restricted to Microsoft OS products, i.e. Windows 95, 98, 2000. You cannot use NT as it has no USB support. BT will be using ADSL technology that they say quote "..is not suitable for VPN connections..." This is absolute RUBBISH! Phone their help lines and they will say "It is because we use DHCP for these connections" Don't be fooled! This is how EVERY OTHER ISP WORKS the world over. Encryption tunneling for VPN does not use any IP address information whatsoever only where to send packets back to. What they are saying is, we do not want people working from home on our cheap domestic connection via the internet or linking up with their mates to play games cheaply, we want to charge them more for a business connection. BT comes through for the consumer again! (NOT) By the way, they have also barred H.323. This means that you cannot use IP telephony, like NetMeeting for example. If you want a cheap way to call Auntie Shiela in Australia, think again. Well, this is BT what do you expect?

Another word of warning. Cable or ADSL modems connect your PC directly to the internet. Therefore, you are vulnerable to attack from hackers etc. who find great joy in syphoning off all your details and information. Get a decent firewall between you and them!

*** UPDATE *** UPDATE *** UPDATE *** 25/09/2000
I have had the chance to try VPN tunneling now via a BT OpenWorld ADSL line and can report VPN tunneling as WORKING 100%. However, ICQ and H.323 do NOT work and will NOT connect over BT ADSL.

Summary: