BBNet Broadband

Checking Wireless Connections

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:20:42 +0000

If you are using a wireless router and a laptop and cannot connect to the internet, the problem is quite often related to the wireless router and not your actual broadband connection. Please follow the steps below to check that your wireless connections are correct..

Power off the wireless router for a few seconds and power back on again.
Check if WEP security is enabled on your router and ensure the correct WEP key is being used. A WEP key is a 10 digit security key to prevent unauthorised access to your wireless network. You can do this by going to the ‘Start’ Menu and go to the Control Panel. In Control panel, select Network Connections.
In Network Connections, select your wireless connection, right click and select “View Available Wireless Networks”. This will show any available wireless network and whether they are secure networks or not. You should also check the signal strength of the network you are connected to. If the signal is weak try moving your laptop closer to the wireless router. You should also check that you are connected to your wireless network.

(Note : The signal strength is a measure of the signal between your computer and the wireless router in your home and not a measure of the signal coming to your house from BBNET)

Switch off any other wireless devices that you are using in your home. Most domestic wireless devices operate on a narrow band around 2.4Ghz. As the range of wireless devices increases, interference from other devices in the home can cause loss of connectivity to your wireless network. Once all devices are off, restart your wireless router and any computer connected to it.
Wireless devices would include, AV senders (Magic Eyes for TV), Wireless game controllers (Xbox, Wii, Playstation), baby monitors, cordless phones and bluetooth devices.

Check the configuration of your wireless connections. In windows go to the Control Panel and select Network Connections. (In Windows Vista, got Network and Sharing centre and then Network connections). Select your wireless connection as shown below, right click and select properties. Go to Internet Protocol- TCP/IP (version 4 in Windows Vista) and select properties. Ensure “Obtain an Ip address automatically” and “Obtain DNS server address automatically” are selected. Click OK and OK again.

(If your router was installed by BBNET, please log a ticket or get in contact to retrieve lost WEP keys or for support with your product)

What is spyware?

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:17:24 +0000

Spyware is software that covertly gathers user information through the users Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes.

Quite often spyware can be bundled as a hiddent component of some freeware or shareware programs which have been downloaded from the internet. Common sources of spyware would also include downloading some peer to peer file sharing software. Once installed on a computer, the spyware monitors the users activity on the internet and transmits that information to someone else, in the background without the users knowledge or consent. Spyware also uses computer resources and internet bandwidth as it sends and receives information via the users home broadband connection. This can cause poor system performance or what seems like a slow internet connection. Spyware has been known to monitor keyboard strokes, scan files on a hard drive, install other spyware, change the home page while constantly feeding information to a third party. Because it is using system resources, it can also cause instability of the operating system, possibly causing system or program crashes.

Avoiding Spyware!

Ensure your computer is protected with a valid and up to date anti virus program that includes spyware protection.
Ensure that your computer is running a valid firewall. Most anti virus programs have a firewall function and Windows has an inbuilt firewall that should be kept running.
Avoid peer to peer sile sharing. Many file sharing services contain spyware in their installation procedures.
Avoid downloading or installing executable files (*.exe) from any source other than a major or well respected vendor (e.g Microsoft, PC Manufacturer etc).
Also avoid installing any program that you are not 100% certain of its origin.. You should carefully check the licence agreement presented during the installation to ensure the software is legitimate.
Avoid/Delete any unsolicited emails and their attachments. In your email client it is advised to turn off the preview panel to ensure such mails are deleted before opening them.
Ensure security levels are adepuate in your browser and deny installation of any ActiveX controls you have not specified.

What is Adware?

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:15:15 +0000

Adware is essentially advertising built into software that is installed on a pc and is a close relative of spyware. It can affect the performance of a pc and slow your internet connection by using the available bandwidth to retrieve or activate advertisments. It may cause pop-up advertising to appear on screen which needs to be closed before the PC can be used correctly.

Engenius Router Configuration

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:42:07 +0000

These steps needs to be followed in order to configure an Engenius Wireless Router to work with BBNET broadband.

Attach the wireless router to your PC using an ethernet cable connected from the ethernet port on you computer to one of the 4 network ports on the back of the router. Your internet connection should be connected to the router as shown below.
Open your internet browser ( Internet Explorer, Firefox etc ) and in the address bar to login to the router interface, you need to enter ‘http://192.168.1.1′, after which you will be prompted for a username and password. Enter ‘admin’ for both the username and password field and press ‘ Enter’.
(Note the password and username refer to the administration logon. The password for this should be changed to ensure adequate security for home/office network)

Once you have successfully logged in, the following screen will be displayed. The items on the left hand side menu are expandable to display the relevant sub menus of that category.

Click TCP/IP on the left hand column and select LAN Settings which should display the following page. For standard BBNET connection the settings should be as shown in the image below. Generally the IP Address and the Default Gateway should both be updated to 192.168.1.253.
After all entries have been checked/updated, click on ‘Apply changes’. You will need to login again at this stage. To do this enter http://192.168.1.253 into your internet browser, press ‘Enter’ and login with username and password used earlier.

On the left column, under TCP/IP settings, select WAN Settings. Ensure that WAN Access Type is set to ‘DHCP CLient’

Configure Linksys Wireless Router

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:41:26 +0000

A common router for home use, general instructions are listed below- Connect the router to the PC as shown in the Linksys Quick Installation guide that camer with your router. It is a good idea to restart your PC to ensure it see’s the router correctly.

- Connect to the router using your web browser (Internet Explorer,Firfox etc) by entering http://192.168.1.1 into the address bar. Use the default username and password as outlined in the documentation that came with the router. For linksys it is usually

username – admin and

password- 1234

but you should always refer to the documentation that came with the product.

What is SPAM and how can I prevent it?

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:40:28 +0000

Spam is the term widely used for unsolicited e-mail and is often referred to as junk mail. Spam is usually sent indiscriminately to hundreds or even hundreds of thousands of inbox’s simultaneously. In general terms spam could be described as unsolicited email that can fill up your inbox with nuisance advertisements or scams.

If you receive an email that you believe may be spam, or even an email where you don’t recognise the sender you should be particularly wary of opening it, as it may contain offensive content and/or viruses that could damage your computer. Children should be encouraged not to open e-mails from people they do not know and certainly not to open any attachments. There are filtering solutions available to help combat spam, however you should note that these sometimes send wanted e-mails to the junk mail box.

Always check your junk mail box for e-mails that may have been put through there by mistake.

How can I prevent SPAM?

Never, ever reply to a spam message. This includes buying a product that is for sale or clicking the often-misunderstood “unsubscribe” link, which actually informs your spammer that you exist. If you can tell from the subject line that a message is spam, don’t open it — delete it. Spam subject lines usually promise you a better sex life, a more youthful appearance, prescription drugs without a doctor’s approval, love, thicker hair, or a better mortgage rate. They also use attention-demanding punctuation, such as exclamation marks or all caps.
Don’t click any links in a spam email. Spammers often have multiple, unique pages on their sites. Often, when you click a URL in a spam message, this tells the spammer that you — and only you — received the message he or she sent.
Disguise your email address. Don’t put your email address in plain text on your Web site. An effective way to trick the spiders that traverse the Web to harvest email addresses is to disguise your email address by stripping out periods and “@” symbols. For example, “YOURNAME AT YAHOO DOT COM.” You can also make the “@” an image, which will prevent crawlers from identifying it. You make also wish to disguise it in your signature file, in case your recipients forwards your email.
Don’t forward an email from someone you don’t know to a list of people. You remember those “forward this email to 20 of your friends” messages? They are perfect for spammers to harvest email addresses, even if the sender of the original email did not have this intent. These types of sign-and-forward emails often appear in the form of a petition — and they don’t work.
Don’t use your home or business email address. when you register on a Web site or in a group. If you must sign up for services, want to receive more info, register for newspapers or domains; use a free email address from a site like Yahoo or Hotmail to create an address especially for that purpose. This also goes for posting to the Web, in a listserv, newsgroup, on a contact page for a Web site, or on a resume that is posted on the Web.
Before you join a list, make sure the list owner or Web master will not sell your address. Check to see if you can opt out of receiving unsolicited email from the site where you’re registering. If you are unsure about this, read the site’s privacy statement.
Preview your messages before you open them. Outlook (and many other email clients) let you use a preview mode to peek at the contents of a message before you actually open it. To do this in Outlook, go the View menu and select Preview Pane. Instead of double clicking a message, click it once to select it and you’ll see the message displayed in the Preview Pane.
Use a complicated email username. Spammers’ software will look for the easy and obvious addresses first, such as those with identifiable names “john1977@hotmail.com,” as opposed to “sjk839@msn.com.”
Use a spam filter. One to try is SpamBayes for Windows, which you can find in TechSoup’s Free Downloads section. Another is Mailshell, which is available on TechSoup Stock. (Visit the Mailshell page for details).
If your organization has an IT department, forward any spam that gets through to it. This way, they can perhaps better tweak the filters.
Make sure your privacy settings are set so you don’t receive marketing from other sites in your AOL and Yahoo profiles. Many listservs use Yahoo lists as the list provider; you must unselect these pre-selected choices in your personal privacy settings.
Never use your email address as your screen name in chat rooms. It will give spiders or human email harvesters an absolute yes to a questionable email address.

Please note that BBNET are not responsible in anyway for content displayed on other websites.

Extract taken from Techsoup

What are DNS servers and do I need one?

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:34:23 +0000

DNS (Domain Name System) is a standard technology for managing the names of websites and internet domains. It allows a user to type names into a web browser (e.g bbnet.ie) and will automatically find that address on the internet. A key element of this process is the DNS server.

A DNS server is any computer registered to join the Domain Name System. This computer has a public Ip address and runs special-purpose networking software and also contains a database of network names and addresses for other networks hosts.

For BBNET customers the DNS servers are automatically assigned to standard users computers. As such customers of BBNET should generally have their PC set to ‘Obtain DNS server address automatically’.

Please note that customers who have been assigned a static IP address would have been given the relevant DNS servers with their IP address information email.
If for any reason this was not issued to you please get in contact

How can I protect my children when they are online?

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:04:03 +0000

The internet is an excellent resource for both parents and their children. However there can be downsides to the internet and these can include some services and features that can be harmful to children.

Here are 10 tips for protecting your child while they are on the internet.

Keep the computer in an area you can see it, in a busy part of the house.
Restrict use of the computer to times that a parent can monitor their activity
Monitor browsing history to regulate sites they visit and to check if they are using chat rooms
Ensure the child is aware that personal information is never shared online or in chat rooms.
Ensure the child is aware that they should never agree to meet online “friends” without permission
Talk to your children regularly about their online activities.
Encourage your child to talk about any negative experiences they may have online.
Ensure you have access to your childs email account especially in the case of younger children.
Install an effective security solution on your PC and ensure it is kept updated.
Parents should familiarise themselves with the internet and its uses so they can answer or explain any issues that arise with their childs use of the internet.

Related Software

Safescreen – is a real time image monitoring solution which identifies and obscures unsuitable images from the internet or sources such as CD’s, DVD’s etc.
Net Nanny – Filters and blocks unsuitable content from the internet
Cyberpatrol – Windows based program to protect internet users from possible dangerous threats.

Further useful information and reading can be found at these links:

Cyber Smart Kids – Smart Net Surfing for kids and their grownups
I.A.B – Irish Internet Advisory Board
Stay Safe Online – gives information on how to keep your home or office computer and its users safe.
Hotline – A service allowing anonymous reporting of suspected illegal content on the internet
FOSI – Family Online Safety Institute

What is contention?

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:01:18 +0000

Contention is defined as competition for resources. In terms of broadband, the contention ratio defines the maximum number of subcribers that share a particular service. (e.g 48:1, 48 users sharing the same available bandwidth).

Network contention is employed by most Internet Service providers and may affect the speed that you receive at peak usage times.

Configure Belkin Wireless Router

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 13:58:43 +0000

The following steps act as a general guide through the configuration of a Belkin Wireless router to work with BBNET broadband.

Ensure your PC is connected by ethernet cable to one of the 4 LAN ports on the wireless router and your BBNEt connection is connected to the ‘Modem’ port on the router.
Open your web browser (Internet Explorer / Firefox etc) and in the address bar, enter http://192.168.2.1
Click on ‘Connection Type‘ in the left hand column under the ‘Internet WAN‘ heading.
Leave the password field blank for BBNET connections
Click ‘Submit‘
Click on ‘Dynamic‘ and click ‘Next‘
Leave ‘Hostname‘ blank
Click on ‘Apply Changes‘
The ‘Internet Status‘ column should now show ‘Connected‘
BBNET users will also need to change the IP address range being used on their Belkin router as it sometimes conflicts with BBNET connections. The steps below give a guide to doing this but this may vary depending on the model of Belkin router being used. Please check with Belkin for further product support.
After Hooking Belkin Wireless Router directly to your PC. Turn off the BBNET equipment that maybe attached to the Router
Once this is turned off, double click on Internet Explorer.
Address Bar in Internet Explorer Once Internet Explorer has opened. In the address bar type 192.168.2.1 and hit enter.
The Belkin Menu will appear. On the left hand side you will see menu. Click on LAN settings under LAN setup as shown below:

In the Ip address field where an IP Address is currently 192.168.2.1. Change the 2 to a 40. So it will now say 192.168.40.1
Next click on Apply Changes Button at the bottom of the page.
Close out of Internet Explorer. Then turn off the Belkin Wireless Router and Computer.
Turn on your BBNET equipment and then turn on your Belkin Wireless Router. You will now have an Ethernet light. Turn on the PC and you should now be able to connect to your wireless network.

To set up Wireless Security on your Belkin Router, please follow these steps:

Connect a computer to any one of the four LAN ports on the back of the router
Open your web browser and enter http://192.168.2.1 in the address bar and press ‘Enter’
Click ‘Login‘ on the top of the page. Password is left blank by default.
Under the ‘Wireless‘ Menu, click on ‘Security‘ and then select 64 bit WEP (or 128 bit WEP)
If you have chosen 64 bit WEP, select ‘KEY 1‘ and enter any 10 hexadecimal digits ( any combination of the numbers 0-9 or the letters A- F)
If you havew chosen 128 bit WEP, select ‘KEY 1‘ and enter any 26 hexadecimal digits. You may also generate a passphrase from which the router will generate a WEP key for you.
Click ‘Apply‘ and record the WEP key and passphrase for future reference.

Please note ; Once wireless security has been enabled on the router, you will have to reconfigure your wireless clients ( computers) to match these settings. Wireless clients will not be able to connect unless the correct wireless settings are used.)

(For further information and support, contact the manufacturer or point of purchase.)