Home > Consumer Reviews > BT Home Hub

This little puppy is ideal for those of you with several PCs, laptops, and games machines that all need broadband access (it supports multiple connections up to 10 different machines). It comes with everything that you need to connect up (although you may need additional network adaptors for each additional connection you want). It's a router, hub, and modem in one, so if you already have broadband connected, get ready to through away your old ADSL modem.

Your primary connection needs to be near both the BT Home Network 1200, a telephone point, and a power point. You connect up via either a spare USB port, or with your own ethernet card.

Installation was a breeze. I mean a serious piece of cake. If your granny can't connect this unit up in less than 10 minutes, then I'd recommend turning off Coronation St for a week as punishment. It comes with a CD-ROM containing the setup files and USB drivers for both PC (Win 98, ME, 2000, or XP) and Mac (OS 8.5, 8.6, or 10.2 and above). It even has 3 little flashing lights that tell you when you've screwed things up. Which is almost near impossible.

The advantage of this setup is if your house is a little spread out, each additional PC, laptop, or games machine can connect to the unit simply through the nearest home telephone point - it doesn't need to be hardwired in. So your laptop can be in your bedroom, your main PC in the study, and your PS2 in your lounge, and as long as you have phone jacks nearby, you're all sorted.

It comes with 2 microfilters (required if both a machine and a phone or fax will use the same phone jack) plus cabling for USB, ethernet, and several spare phone cables.

And if that's not good enough for you, it has a spare adaptor slot for a wireless port. Buy a wireless network card, slip it into the front of your BT Home Network 1200, and you're done. You then just need a LAN adaptor for each laptop (or an airport card, for each iMac) and you're away laughing.

Have broadband? Have this!

Prospective buyers should note that there is still a discrepancy with this listing. The listing used to be titled BT Home Network 1200. A lot of people were using this to list the newer BT Home Hub. The listing title has recently changed to BT Home Hub but the contents details:

1 BT Home Network 1200 ADSL modem
1 BT Home Network PC Adapter (USB)
2 ADSL microfilters
1 power adapter
1 USB cable
1 ethernet cable
2 telephone cables (RJ11 cable with a BT jack)
2 RJ11 cables
1 CD ROM including installation guide
1 BT Home Network 1200 Quick Start Guide

still refers (obviously) to the BT Network 1200 (not the BT Home Hub).

Amazon need to have separate listings for the two products to avoid further confusion.

As for the BT Network 1200 itself, I had one for ages and it was very easy to set up and use. One mark off because it only has one ethernet port. Although if you do require more ethernet ports you can connect a switch to that port (I used a 5 port Netgear switch). It also has 1 USB port for connectivity to a PC with no network card. It also allows connectivity using the HomePNA protocol. This needs a USB network PC adapter (1 supplied with product) connected to any phone extension.

I got this with a new subscription fot bt,, first bad point- always get disconnected from the internet when my home phone rings it always disconnects me from the internet, if you want to connect to the internet then buy your self a seperate router/ modem this will solve the problem, dont use this when useing another phone!!!

I had this router a while back before I 'went wireless'.

I'm not going to write reams about this - all I'll say is that it was a doddle to set up, and that I never had any problems with it.

It was simple - and sometimes simplicity is the key to stability when it comes to technology.

I've given this four stars as it has been pushed off the top slot by newer wireless versions, but if you don't need WiFi then consider this to be a 5 star device. I only wish the newest Home Hub was as faultless!