tenniswitch

On my computer (US): CTRL+SHIFT+^, the letter   [^=the caret symbol]  

Do you have your network set up so that IP addresses for the computers are obtained automatically?  You might try assigning permanent addresses for each computer.

  We have tv and phone with orange but never installed the software. What does the software do? I don't have tv and phone with my Orange ADSL package (just my FT landline for the phone and I'm planning to do TV via satellite), so I can't answer for those services. In my experience with ADSL only, the wanadoo software caused conflicts with my existing MS software, slowed down the connection process and caused lots of disconnects.  That's why I ditched it.

What kind of modem do you have?  Are you using a Livebox?  Have you tried rebooting the modem while your computer is turned off? Many people who have had problems with Wanadoo/Orange software have found that it is not only possible to connect to the internet without installing the software, but that their connection is more stable without it. If don't need the software for television or telephone connection, you might try uninstalling the Wanadoo software and setting up your connection manually. If you don't want to do that, it may be that your software needs to be updated.  You should be able to see if there are any downloads for your modem on the Orange website or the website of the modem manufacturer. When we first signed up for ADSL, we had a Wanadoo-supplied Sagem modem and had connection problems similar to yours.  I managed some improvement by ditching the Wanadoo software, but didn't really solve the problem until I replaced the modem with a Netgear Modem/Router, which requires no software on your computer.  Installation was dead easy and my connection is faster and much more stable than before. Good luck!

Danny, just to muddy the waters a little more.  I've not yet attempted to (temporarily) suspend ADSL service (having been told when I signed up that it wasn't possible on my plan), BUT... When we were finishing the renovation of our 2nd residence secondaire, not wanting to have a break in telephone service or internet access, I signed up for a second phone line and ADSL service for that house. After we moved into the "new" house, I called the English-speaking helpline to ask what I needed to do to close the ADSL account for the old house.  The customer service rep told me she could take care of it, and the service was stopped within a couple of hours.  (It was a good thing I didn't have any important email in that Orange account, because access to that stopped then, too.) So, apparently there is a bit of wiggle room in the FT/Orange rules.

[quote user="partout"]Hi Suein56 Can you advise how one goes about getting an FT landline and Orange adsl on a residence secondaire contract, I have looked at the site and my old eyes have not found this is info, husband says if we can get this sorted we could spend 5-6weeks doing work in and around the house, whilst he can still be in contact with the outside world.... [/quote] I'm not quite clear about your question.  Do you have an existing FT ligne fixe contract that you want to change to residence secondaire or do you need to start from scratch? If the former, I'd call FT (via the English-speaking helpline if your French isn't quite up to the other). If the latter, this link may help for starting the residence secondaire service.  (Just in case the link doesn't work for you, I found it by typing "ligne fixe residence secondaire" into the search box at the top of the FT page.) Please note that when you start service, it may take a week or so for FT to have your ligne fixe up and running (especially if they have to run a new wire).  In my experience (and regardless of what the FT reps say) it ALWAYS takes Orange 2 weeks to get the ADSL going.  

One of my neighbors has exactly what I want on his res secondaire.  Guess I'd better email him as he may have brought them down from the north.

[quote user="BJSLIV"] Clair Were these changes within the last couple of years? I have a vague recollection that someone said that there was now a call out chargefor each change.   [/quote] We changed from 6kW to 9kW in June and had a charge of 26,91 euros for "INTERVENT 1 APPAREIL PART".

I think there are firms that will do the testing, but, apparently the fees are not what my friend considers reasonable. I'm not normally an ostrich, but, as none of us are young and probably none of us could/would pay the costs of amelioration (which, given the size, age and construction of these houses built on rock, would probably be considerable), I have decided that it is a non-problem. However, my friend does not agree.[:)]  

We need to put something on the top of three chimneys to keep out the rain.  Two of the chimneys each have two flues.  Since ours is a rather old house with a tile roof, we would like to find chimney caps of terre cuite to be more harmonious with the roof.  Are these still made?  If so, does anyone know where we could buy them.  Do they have a special name?  Searching chapeau pare pluie, I only turn up caps made of aluminum or stainless steel. Thanks. 

[quote user="Fiona"] I am always asked if I have a loyalty card and say NON.  How do you go about getting one??  Picked up a leaflet instore once and from what I could read looked as if I needed to take I.D. etc with me?????   [/quote] I have cards only from Champion and Carrefour (before they were a family).  I just remember filling out a form, no ID required.  It was very simple and I have gotten quite a few benefits from having them.

[quote user="Jacqui Too "] We have our electricity from EDF and pay a monthly abonnement plus any electricity that we use, as we are only there on average 2 months per year we are paying for 10 months at 10.35€ for nothing. Are there any tariffs available from EDF or any other supplier where you don't pay a fixed abonnement but pay more per kWh ? I recently changed from Scottish power to British gas and have just such a tariff and it got me thinking if we could save money on our French home [:)]    [/quote] That does sound a bit high.  Which plan are you on (i.e., what is your base- 9kw? 12kw?)? We also have a monthly billing for one of our properties, but actually it works out to 10 monthly billings (February through November) and one "settling up".  If they've overbilled us, EDF posts our refund in December, if we owe them, they preleve it the following January. At any rate, here are a couple of links that might be useful: Information for foreign residents les tarifs

Thanks, Pierre.  I haven't any idea what they'd want to do (or what would be feasible for an enormous old house built into the hillside). Most fortunately (for me), it isn't my problem.  And, of course, they don't yet know that there is a problem.

Thanks, Maricopa.  I figured the figures for the Haute Loire would be bad.  All that volcanic rock.

[quote user="Anton Redman"] I did not think € 250 including TVA was too bad, which was price in first link I posted. How much are US kits ? [/quote] Depending on type, $50-$150 US.

It looks as if what's available in France is sophisticated equipment for pros.  My friends are looking for the sort of inexpensive test kits that are sold in the US. 

Friends of ours who live in the Auvergne have become concerned about levels of radon gas in houses in the area. Does anyone know where radon gas detection kits can be purchased?  

[quote user="Russethouse"]  Having decided that I needed to back up all my data I purchased an external iomega hard drive (something 2000) It didn't come with software and I have no idea how to use it - I can locate it on my PC and thats about it....... Would I need software in order for it to back up automatically every few days for example ? I'm feeling very dim about this - I have just had a new processor and hard drive and things are not where they were before.... (thought I'd lost several years of family history at one point, now that was upsetting [:(][:(] ) Any help much appreciated [/quote] If you're only backing up document files and could live with a manual backup, you wouldn't need any additional software.  You could just copy your "My Documents" file to the iomega drive.  If you're not planning to do incremental backups (as Ernie suggests avoiding), you can put each backup in a different (dated) folder on the iomega drive.

Sorry, but my post was about progressives, and the software wouldn't allow me to delete it.

[quote user="milkeybar kid"] Ok sad I know, but I am answeing my own question in other post but it might help someone![:D] The disk that comes with a computer that is installed with Vista = Reinstallation  DVD  Windows Vista ,has a key code written within  the DVD that only the computer  that it came with recognizes. Silly me thought I had to get a keycode from Dell or that it was written on a tab somewhere.  So I now have Vista back. I am still battling with Dell over hardware problem - simply they cant fix it. So I now have a complaints number at PC World and e mail address where full sorry saga is being sent to them. !Milkey [/quote] Glad to hear that you found a solution to at least one part of your problem. Computers are wonderful when they're working properly and unspeakably, unprintably awful when they're not.

[quote user="Halldfandid"]Having seen many conflicting stories on this subject I would just like to add the truth as I am experiencing it. We are a UK-based family with a second home in France. We have a France Telecom land line on Residence Secondaire status in France and we have ADSL (internet) also through France Telecom (on the tarrif that has no fixed time limit - ie we are not tied in for 12 months). We switch off and on our telephone AND internet connection with no difficulties what so ever. Mechanism: You can definitely switch the telephone off and on using the espace client section of the France Telecom site but I don't think you can yet use that mechanism to switch the internet off and on. I think this is because they don't actually switch the ADSL off - they just move you to another non-charging product and then move you back when you want to switch it back on. I  use the English speaking line (as mentioned above) and I have found them very helpful. In fact today when I phoned up to switch off both facilities they asked when we would be returning to France and offered to phone me up in advance of our next trip to confirm reactivation. That is service indeed, so we will see if it materialises.   ;-) I hope others find this helpful information. Irene [/quote] That's good to know.  Do you really have unlimited ADSL usage when it's switched on?  Would you mind telling me what the monthly charge is when it's on, and what, if anything, Orange charges for switching between the two products?

[quote user="Sunnysandals"] Please does anyone know if this is possible when you have Internet service also through your telephone line? Thanks.   [/quote] You can definitely have FT Residence Secondaire for your telephone service even if your internet service comes through your telephone line. As Clair mentioned, there has been some discussion (and disagreement) as to whether you can turn your internet service on and off. I believe that it is also possible to turn off your internet service under certain plans (the sort that have limited usage and/or per minute charges).  However, the Orange ADSL unlimited usage service that I have (the 24.90/month one) cannot be turned on and off (even though it is effectively "off" when the phone service is suspended).

[quote user="Clair"]I take it you saw the link to the other article Aveyron. Les Anglais revendent leurs résidences secondaires (in Google English here) [/quote] Thanks for those links, Clair, but I couldn't quite translate the last sentence (about the well-integrated English residents)- and the Google translation made even less sense than mine.

Clair is absolutely correct.  Once you've set up your Espace Client, it is very simple to turn your service on and off;  I've been doing it for several years. One thing to note: after you've entered the commande, however soon FT may actually throw the switch for your service, it will take a couple of days before this is reflected on your account page on the website.  However, you should have received a confirmation email from them quite soon after placing the order.

[quote user="Colin"] Thanks, Got that far before, but although I completed the smpt box in the set up wizard, still doesn't seem to be able to contact the orange server. We can send mails from the orange mail site, but by using Thunderbird.It just says can't find smpt server..... Colin [/quote] What port did you specify for your outgoing mail?  Did you try port 587?  You cannot use port 25 for this.