Blueyonder launches wireless starter pack

Telewest Broadband via its Blueyonder brand has
released a wireless starter pack for use with their cable modem services. The £35 pack includes Netgear 802.11b wireless hardware that will plug into cable modem (set-top box) and then
allow a computer with an 802.11b wireless card to access the cable modem as if connected by a cable.

The pack is believed to comprise of a Netgear MA101 USB 802.11b adapter and a Netgear MA102 Wireless Access Point. The use of an access point restricts you to a single computer, since the cable
modem will provide a single IP address. Unfortunately there is no option for a Netgear wireless router, so people wanting to share the connection between say an X-Box and a PC are still left on
their own.

For people using Telewest via the digital set-top boxes avoiding the need for an ugly network cable from the back of the main TV to the computer will be welcomed. It would be nice to see more
providers offering a wider choice of hardware, especially as home networking is proving to be in high demand by broadband users.