Hardware ownership

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › Hardware ownership

Rickles

2938 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#13768 28-May-2007 14:26

If I'm already a Woosh customer, e.g. at home using a modem, and I subsequently want to access via a laptop, presumably I simply obtain a Woosh PC card modem. There are plenty on TradeMe as well as new from retail outlets, BUT who owns the card since theoretically the hardware remains the property of Woosh and the retail price is effectively the "service joining/activation fee"?

The same question applies for, say, the wireless router/PC card combination .... how would Woosh know I'm the "owner" of such equipment?

R.

rscole86

4979 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#72542 28-May-2007 16:24

You are correct the equipment is owned by woosh.

AFAIK it is by MAC address, woosh need to know this so that you can use their equipment with your account.

Someone correct me if im wrong please

BarTender

3606 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#74768 15-Jun-2007 10:19

Not sure what the exact deal is with this.

I have baught 2 P1D's off Trademe and used my works username & password to login without an issue, plus I "borrowed" my mother in law's PCMCIA and that works fine with both accounts.

I think woosh these days are "recording" the MAC addresses of the equipment the "Lease" under the new agreement so I think there may be a problem with "leased" equipment you buy off trademe then try and use it with an existing Woosh account. But if somone has found that they bought a P1D or PCMCIA card off Trademe that didn't work with an existing Woosh Account I would be interested to know.

greengeek

19 posts

Geek

#76537 2-Jul-2007 07:36

I purchased my first Woosh modem directly from Woosh (I have the receipts). I purchased my second modem from Trademe (and therefore can't really prove ownership so easily). Both connect correctly without problems (even simultaneously).
Newer modems apparently belong only to Woosh, but I have no idea how they can establish legal ownership.
The bottom line is that Woosh wants/needs as many customers as it can get, so I imagine they would not want unnecessary arguments about ownership, and would happily connect you anyway. What they really want is your monthly connection fee. I think it might be wise to email Woosh support to ask how they would identify which modems were sold to customers and which they still retained ownership of.

Batman

Mad Scientist
29771 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#76540 2-Jul-2007 08:42

i'm pretty sure woosh only owns the netgear wireless internet gear (router + PC card) and not the wired adsl modem as you purchase that. i thought that the only way you get wireless internet was to subscribe and get the gear off woosh ... are you saying you could buy the gear off trademe and use wireless internet without having a separate subcription? if that is the case i believe you own the gear. fuzzy logic :)

rscole86

4979 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#76549 2-Jul-2007 09:24

Assuming that we are all talking about Woosh wireless, then when you buy the modem, ie P1D, then the $99 you pay is actually the activation fee.

The hardware is still owned by Woosh. I am guessing that they are not very strict about it though as they obviously want every customer they can get their hands on.

However I am sure that they could start restricting the MAC address's of the units so that if you did not "buy" the modem off Woosh or an authorised retailer then you would have a cool looking paper weight.

greengeek

19 posts

Geek

#76689 3-Jul-2007 07:13

joker97: i'm pretty sure woosh only owns the netgear wireless internet gear (router + PC card) and not the wired adsl modem as you purchase that. i thought that the only way you get wireless internet was to subscribe and get the gear off woosh ... are you saying you could buy the gear off trademe and use wireless internet without having a separate subcription? if that is the case i believe you own the gear. fuzzy logic :)

The equipment I have is two P1D (wireless) modems and two booster antennas (no netgear stuff). I did try the router setup but had insufficient signal strength here (outside official coverage area) to run it, so sent it back.
I definitely purchased the first modem direct from Woosh...I've just dug out the receipt and I paid $1 for the modem pack, and $48.98 for the booster antenna. This was a special deal they were running in March 2005. So I am 100% owner of that modem/antenna. The second modem/antenna was off Trademe, and so ownership may be less clear. I didn't question it at the time, knowing I had purchased the first modem direct from Woosh, I assumed the same applied to the original owner of the second modem.
I was able to use the second modem by logging in with my original Woosh username and password. No probs. Even if the home-based Woosh modem is also in use at that time by my kids.
I am assuming that if you purchased secondhand gear off Trademe now, Woosh would happily connect you if you paid a $99 activation fee, regardless of the true ownership status of the equipment.
However, I don't think there is much value in doing that because I think with the new system Woosh loans you the equipment free, and you simply pay the activation fee and ongoing plan charges.

greengeek

19 posts

Geek

#76690 3-Jul-2007 07:21

rscole86: Assuming that we are all talking about Woosh wireless, then when you buy the modem, ie P1D, then the $99 you pay is actually the activation fee.

The hardware is still owned by Woosh. I am guessing that they are not very strict about it though as they obviously want every customer they can get their hands on.

However I am sure that they could start restricting the MAC address's of the units so that if you did not "buy" the modem off Woosh or an authorised retailer then you would have a cool looking paper weight.

Yes I think you are right about the possibility of restricting access. I must admit that concern did occur to me when I saw that Woosh were claiming ownership of all wireless modems they had shipped. I became aware of that when I read the paperwork that came with the router setup that I trialled when they offered me a "free upgrade" to the Woosh VOIP setup. Made my blood boil that they believed they could request I send back my original gear. (Which I didn't of course)
Anyway, I have the paperwork to prove ownership ($1 for the P1D modem pack, and $99 for the activation fee) so if they do restrict my access I shall bring my nice loking paperweight into the courtroom with me :-)