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[sheddyian]

So, I was wandering around a boot sale the other weekend (got a hardly-used 5 port Gigabit ethernet switch for £2, boxed) and in a pile of junk I saw a Billion modem router.

In hindisght I should have at least asked how much it was, and bought it if it was worth the punt, out of curiosity really.

Amongst the sockets along the back was one that looked similar to a PS/2 keyboard socket, and it was marked "console".  Amongst the various status LEDs was one marked "email" and/or "Pop3" (I may be misremembering this last fact).

The rest of the sockets/status lights seemed to be standard modem related stuff.

I've since done a Google image search and found nothing like it - any idea what it might have been, and should I have bought it? 

Ian

[burakkucat]

No idea.    It might be something quite interesting . . . 

Any chance of a picture or three?   

[sheddyian]

No idea.    It might be something quite interesting . . . 

Any chance of a picture or three? 

No pictures - that's the problem.  I didn't buy it, I only looked at it very briefly.  I can't find anything quite like it in a Google image search.

I have seen picture of one that has a PPP light on it, but I know what PPP is - would I have misread it for POP3?  Yet I'm fairly sure it also had an "email"  light.  But having doubts now....

However, 100% certain it had a PS/2 style socket that said "console".

Ian

[kitz]

Was it one of the old blue plastic ones?    Ive no idea of a model no...  but irrc they used to be sold at one point by Solwise and had the same or similar chipset as the SAR110.  If it is.. and I must be going back to about 2004/2005ish so could be wrong.. but they both used a  Globespan Vitara firmware/GUi...  both had a console port...  and one of the best routers Ive ever had for configuration options.   

[sheddyian]

It may have been a blue plastic one.  It looked "old".  Problem is that I've spent much more time looking at Google images of Billion modems than I did looking at the actual one I now wish I'd bought, and so I can no longer picture the original boot sale item in my mind!

It didn't have wifi aerials on it, and I don't think they were simply missing - don't recall seeing sockets for them.

Ian

[kitz]

No...  the SAR110's werent wireless either...  and tbh thats why I bought a new router otherwise I was happy with it.

Ive just been googling "Globespan Virata, console & billion" and since its from 2006 it may be a starter for you.

http://bc.whirlpool.net.au/bc/hardware/?action=h_view&model_id=153

you could also try the 510x series.. 

lol..  Ive just seen a photo of of the 5100.. and its using the same shape box as the SAR but black..  obviously not the one you saw though because theres no console...   

....but that reminded of a router that Plusnet shipped me in umm 2003? for a short while...   which I think was a black billion router that may have had a console..  I didnt have it for long though to remember too much about it... other than there was something strange about the line in port.

[kitz]

yay I think I may have found it.

D'oh Why didnt I think of searching Solwise archives first!!!!!

http://www.solwise.co.uk/adsl-billion-7560.htm


So then I search for the 7650 and voilą I come up with this image...  look familiar?

[sheddyian]

That's got to be it! (or one with similar features).  Thanks!

The picture didn't actually ring any bells at all, but as I said, I've now looked at so many Billion products I can't remember what the original one I saw actually looked like.  But I'm pleased to see the "MAIL" LED that I remembered, so it's very reasonable to assume that's the one.

So.. what's the purpose of the MAIL light then?

Ian