Be Unlimited provide ADSL2+ services in the UK, supplying a Be-branded Thompson SpeedTouch wireless router called the BeBox. The Member Forum is full of complaints about router instability and errant behaviour. My 780WL had been doing well for around 6 months, then started resetting itself sometimes several times within a short period, but at least daily. Sometimes after a reset I was left with no Internet connectivity. Eventually Be sent me a replacement router, which came with replacement problems. So how do you turn a flaky BeBox into a rock-solid Internet router? Just take the "Be" out of your BeBox.
Be deny any blame
Be offered me a variety of explanations and solutions for the frequent disconnection/ resets I was experiencing:
- The router firmware was corrupt (this was suggested by each of the 4 support staff I contacted—perhaps a stock response. I explained I couldn't replace it using a Mac—see below);
- Local errors my router reported were indicative of a problem between the router and my computer;
- Local errors my router reported were likely due to line noise (despite very good data rates it seems, and a clear Quiet Line Test—17070 option 2);
- The replacement router was disconnecting because I was using the wrong DNS server IP addresses (I was; Be's instructions for configuring the replacement router for a static IP were completely wrong; I got no connection at all until I was given the correct gateway IP address over the phone);
- Ongoing issues with the replacement router indicated that the problem was "something on my network", and I should only use the router with one computer at a time, leaving the networked printer unplugged.
Be technical support seemed most reluctant to blame the problems I was having on faulty Be hardware or inherently bad firmware.
I consider myself reasonably technically proficient so can but wonder how the majority of customers cope when facing such challenges. Getting support for a complex issue from Be entails not only mastering the technical concepts, but at least in my experience having to additionally struggle to understand the non-proficient English of the support staff, which only serves to exacerbate customer frustration. Courteous and technical adept staff are not enough in these situations.
Be said accumulating errors caused the router to reset
Reading through posts in the Be Member Forums it was clear my issues were not at all isolated. Once I realised this and acknowledged I was starting to go round in circles with Be tech support, I took matters into my own hands and made real progress towards resolution.
Be's own firmware is infirm
As of this writing the firmware version Be require you to "upgrade" to is 6.1.4.3. It seems most folk find that is already installed on their router, so "replace" might be a better term. Be also require you to install downloaded templates via a command line interface after loading this firmware onto your modem (incidentally one of the 5 required template files for Mac users is missing from the download).
On several occasions I saw non-ASCII characters within the modem configuration pages. Surely this represents inherently corrupt firmware?
Non-ASCII characters seen when configuring the router's firewall
Be's Mac software doesn't work on Mac
At least not on an Intel Mac mini, an Intel MacBook, or a PowerPC-based G4 iMac—running Apple current Leopard 10.5.2 operating system.
100% failure rate trying to upgrade firmware via Mac
In the Member Forum I found instructions [log-in required] that do not require installation of the Be templates and which worked for me on the Be unlimited (Be home 24 meg) plan with static IP. To replace Be's infirmware with Thompson's firmware version 6.2.29.2 do the following which, sadly, requires Windows:
- Borrow a Windows laptop, assign it a fixed IP address, and connect it directly via wired Ethernet (not wireless) to the BeBox. Confirm you can connect to the router by opening http://192.168.1.254 in a web browser on that machine;
- Save your current BeBox configuration by clicking this link and choosing Backup Configuration Now..., saving a file called user.ini to disk;
- Download the UK-specific firmware 62T2 (March 2008) for the 585v6 from this page;
- Insert the Be CD into the Windows laptop and run the upgrade wizard, or alternatively download it here (2.4MB, .zip), choosing Have Disk and Browse to find the firmware you just downloaded;
- After the wizard has run and the router has restarted, go back to this page and click Restore Configuration Now..., loading the user.ini file you saved earlier.
My downstream data rates have dropped somewhat (from a typical 17Mbps to around 13Mbps) but it's hard to say whether this is directly a result of not using the Be templates, or other changes made to my service during the troubleshooting process (e.g. switching to a more stable "profile", enabling fast path). I remain convinced, however, that the new found stability of my router is soley down to the elimination of the customised Be firmware.
My backup plan, should replacing Be's firmware have failed to resolve my issues, was to purchase a Netgear DG834GT (at £70 around twice the retail value of the 585v6, for which Be charge £100). There is a step-by-step guide to configuring this router for use with Be Unlimited, and numerous recommendations for this router within the Be Member Forums. Incidentally I had asked Be if they could recommend a compatible replacement router, but they declined to do so.
Update 27.05.08: Further information from the Be Member's Forum suggests that bugs in the 6.2 firmware are in fact the cause of the lower downstream data rates. This issue is apparently fixed in version 7 firmware, available for download from a German SpeedTouch Forum. As my issues are resolved I'll stick with the official UK 6.2 release for now, since a stable 13Mbps downstream connection is an improvement not worth putting at risk.
Update 17.06.08: Successfully flashed the 585v6 to version 7.4.3.2 (link, 2.7MB .zip). Bandwidth (Up/Down) now 1,209 / 17,854 Kbps (was 1,209 / 13,170 Kbps).
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It seems Macs are largely ignored during the set-up process, although all the claims of support are made, the support is equally as dreadful as the instruction.
Instance a) was my own Orange router. which not only required a Windows laptop to make the initial connection, but it required a specific version of Windows - took me 3 begs steal and borrows to get the right one, and b) was setting-up a BT router (instructions totally ignored Macs) it was not until I got through to the back-room boys that they let slip how blindingly easy it was - just enter the key from the router base... now that wouldn't be too hard to write in the setting-up procedure would it?
Agreed D.; you do get the impression that some of these companies either don't both to test their software at all, or if they do, they try it once on perhaps one obsolete machine and that's the end of testing. Mind, I do get the same impression when using Windows software too...
As regards Be Technical Support, #1 they may be in Bulgaria, #2 they may not have the greatest command of the Queens English BUT they WERE on the end of a FREEPHONE call on a SUNDAY when I needed the correct settings for my 585 ( Yup the WAN IP and subnet mask settings were a bit strange and you can't go off the defaults the config process puts in the boxes)... (NILDRAM aka PIPEX said they could do nothing better than 6MB and Be are giving me a 13/14 MB connection that at last check had been up for 13 days (since 12 month old last unplugged it!) .... never seen the garbage ASCII you have... NB: DMT v7.35 is a good package to use with the 585 (go google).
ONLY tech issue with the 585 for me is trying to get a Lindy SAN (IDE drive in a box on my lan) to work as an FTP drive.
Will try the V7 firmware!
John C Bullas
Southampton UK
SpeedTouch 585 / Software: 6.1.4.3/ Boot Loader v1.0.8/ Product #36029470 / Board: BANT-W.
Despite Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) Be were the only outfit offering ADSL2+ at my exchange too. IMHO their Unlimited plan remains very competitive.
Yikes, that looks complicated! I guess I could run it in Parallels (I'm on a Mac), but can't imagine any amount of tweaking will get me better than the speeds I have already. So what does it do for you John?