Bigpond 7.2 home network gateway needs install CD
A customer just got a new Bigpond 7.2 home network gateway, and needed some help installing it.
This device is like an adsl wireless modem/router, except it uses telstras nextg 3G network instead of ADSL over a wired telephone line.
What makes it nice is that it also has a wifi (802.11G) network, as well as 4 ethernet ports.
Anyway, I try to setup like any other router (by connecting directly to router web interface), but the nextG section will not accept the customers username/password.
We call bigpond, and ask for a password reset (as customer is not sure about the password). The bigpond tech says there is no “transit” delay in changing the password, so I should be able to try it straight away, and to call back if there are any problems.
I try with the new password, but it still won’t accept the username/password (the NextG page has boxes for username and password, and a connect button, and a (greyed-out) disconnect button).
Every time I press “connect”, the modem thinks for a few seconds, and then the connect button becomes available again.
I call telstra/bigpond, and the tech gets me to enter a “test” username and password. It actually connects this time (connect button greyed-out, and the disconnect button is active), but the PC still cannot see the internet (no web browsing and ping fails).
Restarting the router/modem and PC doesn’t help.
The tech eventually tells me to re-install the software from the bigpond CD, and call back if I have further problems.
I can’t see how installing the CD software will help, but I try it anyway.
I hate it when I’m proved wrong… it worked.
At this stage, I figure the PC needs some kind of telstra “authorisation” software, in order for the PC to talk to the modem/router.
Or the network propagation of the new password took longer than I was told.
Next, I try configuring a laptop… and its able to connect to the internet (by just setting up its wifi settings).
So that proves my “connect software” theory wrong as well.
A possible explanation (at that stage) is that telstra has gone back to the dreaded “heartbeat” software they once used on their cable internet system.
To test the theory, I replaced the initial PC (the one with the CD software installed), with a vanilla PC (no telstra software) this was actually the customers original PC (I had to uninstall 2 sets of Telstra 3G software… one for a usb 3G modem, and one for the “home network gateway”… a possible source of many conflicts.
The “cleaned” PC also works on the internet without any problems.
So, the only real explanations for what happened are either:
– There is a long delay (over 30 minutes) between when a password is reset, and when it is active within the mobile network.
– The install software (which can take over 10 minutes to run) makes some specific changes to the modem, without which, no connection is possible.
Under the belief, registration server can have a delay, not password propagation but licence number propagation, Regards Chris
bp support
Installation is required as only one modem is able to be used per account and the device uses the installation disk to register the type of modem with bigpond.
The installation CD rob the devices IMEI code and forwards it to bigpond, probably so your not able to purchase 2 / 3 usb devices and use them on separate computers.
) have installed 7-2 Bigpond Network Gateway satisfactorally and now would like to connect a printer into the network.The gateway is connected entirely with Wi-Fi
7.2 HNG is cool, but when it goes nuts damn its so hard to fix.i do have a new HNG and its really giving me a hard time installing the crap.
I cannot connect my wireless printer to the bigpond gateway. It will not recognise the ssid.
What’s wierd is my lap top can see my network, also my printer can see my neighbors network.
if anyone has any ideas i would be grateful
Hi John,
In the past, I’ve seen similar issues, and this is what you can try:
– Triple check that the password is correct (or temporarily change it to “12345678”).
– Check that the printer will support the encryption on the router (change the router encryption… eg WPA-PSK-TKIP, WPA-PSK-AES, WEP (yuck), or even “open” (no password).
– Check that the password is not too long or too short, or that it has strange characters that the printer / router don’t recognise.
– As a last resort (since you can ruin your router and/or printer), try a firmware upgrade.
I am forveer indebted to you for this information.