Breton Networks

[quote user="tel"]According to Microsoft Vista Discussion groups this can only be acheived if you have Vista Ultimate, which is rarely installed on a laptop unless specified.[/quote] I don't use Vista (except via a remote interface) but that link states: Applies to all editions of Windows Vista. Don't say Microsoft are telling porkies :-)  

[quote user="tel"]....however the operating system language can't be changed. [/quote] From the link: How to change the display language The display language is the language that Windows uses in wizards, dialog boxes, menus, Help and Support topics, and other items in the user interface. Some display languages are installed by default, and others require you to install additional language files [quote] I stand to be corrected, however if it can be done I would be grateful for the info.[/quote] Have a look at the Microsoft link :-)

[quote user="tel"]IMHO if the operating system installed is the French version you can't change the language.  You can change the 'Input' language i.e. keyboard and some installed programmes allow you to install or change the language but not the operating system sofware.[/quote] That was certainly the case with XP & earlier versions, but http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/2bac0e03-c331-48fc-8b7e-b66b8007512d1033.mspx seems to imply that you can install multiple languages in Vista.    

[quote user="Martinwatkins"]And the thought of Mr Murdoch swallowing up the entire satellite industry in Europe (he has after all got hold of a monopoly in the Italian market) is just too dreadful to contemplate.[/quote] IMHO, that's exactly what will happen.

[quote user="Martinwatkins"]Whilst it's impossible to predict which operators would be the net winners and losers none of them want to go there,  and prefer to stictch up their own country,  on the basis that the other operators do the same for theirs.[/quote] While I agree with you about the theory of opening up competition across countries, I would have thought it would be possible to estimate who would be the winners, those with the deepest pockets. I also would have thought that a major problem would be language, I certainly wouldn't pay the same to receive, say, Italian satellite broadcasts where I wouldn't be able to understand all the channels as an Italian, I also think that if the market was opened up, all that would happen eventually would be the larger companies would take over the smaller ones, in the same way as the mobile telephone market.

By default 'Telephonie par ADSL' is turned off, you need to log into the LiveBox & change the setting, it's on the opening page. A standard analogue telephone should work.  

[quote user="Martinwatkins"]The BBC could do something about it (the overspill).  They could go back to encryption,  as was the case from 1998 to 2003.[/quote] They only went from Free To View to Free to Air, which in practise is not that different, Sky Boxes & FTA cards are as cheap as French boxes. [quote]What I am trying to get at is that the satellite bouquet operators love the fact that they can hide behind the rights issue smokescreen in order not to have to compete with each other across frontiers.  [/quote] I would have thought that the operators would welcome the opportunity to gain more viewers & hence advertising revenue. [quote]If there was more cross-frontier subscriptions then it is likely that footballers would have to accept rather more sensible salaries, [/quote] With more broadcasters bidding for broadcast rights I would have thought it might push the price up. While I would like to see my Sky subscription go down, I don't see how the ability to buy a Canal+ (etc) subscription in the UK would do that unless Canal+ broadcast the same program selection as Sky in English.

[quote user="LyndaandRichard"]You need a digital phone apparently. [/quote] What's one of them ?

[quote user="Martinwatkins"]The BBC continues to transmit free to air to most of W Europe via Astra 2D,  in spite of only paying for UK rights.  [/quote] Technically they only broadcast to the UK. [quote]The rights people turn a blind eye to the BBC's overspill because they can't afford to start mucking the BBC about,  and they know it.[/quote] They turn a blind eye because there is nothing technically the BBC can do to stop it. [quote]With a bit of backing from Brussels the broadcasters could do a lot to knock back the rights people[/quote] Not with most of the copyright owners being America & they have some very powerful friends. Ever wonder why the copyright period there increases every time Micky Mouse gets near to being out of copyright ?  [quote](and in my view it's high time it happened);  [/quote] For what it's worth I agree with you. [quote] after all film companies and football organisations need the broadcasters as much as the broadcasters need them,  and it's time the balance was redressed somewhat.[/quote] All the time broadcasters are prepared to pay silly money* for broadcast rights to get 'market share' & pass it on to viewers who will pay silly money to watch it, not much will change, I'm afraid.  * Someone has to foot the bill to pay a football manager M£4 a year.

[quote user="Martinwatkins"]But the sat situation is something that could be sorted out overnight by our friends in Brussels if they so wished.[/quote] It couldn't, the problem is the fault of the production companies & studios who restrict distribution to one country when they sell the broadcast rights.

[quote user="ooVooMolly"] I always use ooVoo [/quote] OK, I'll bite, what would ooVoo give me the Skype doesn't ?  

[quote user="Pads"] better weather Im in England or france .  [/quote] Worst spell of whether I've seen for years :-)  

We use Skype for 'text', voice & video, between here & our office in the UK & various family & friends worldwide. We also use SkypeIn with numbers in the UK & USA, diverted to our (French) home or mobile phone for when I'm not near the computer & SkypeOut for calls to landlines & mobiles worldwide.  I have played with Asterisk & SIP systems but they are either an overkill or too difficult to maintain.    

[quote user="ltf"] Googlemail uses the SMTP port 465, so I don't think it can be related to the port 25 being closed.[/quote] It depends on how aggressive Orange are being with blocking use of other SMTP servers, they will know gmail & yahoo use port 465 as an alternative, so it would be a trivial task for them to block that as well as port 25.

[quote user="ErnieY"]Don't know where you got this from SC, I do not have a static IP and my friends on GMX.de get my emails no problem.[/quote] I wondered about this as I don't know how they can determine if an IP address is fixed or not but a Google search on gmx.de static IP returns a lot of hits claiming that they do block e-mails from non-fixed IP addresses.

[quote user="spg"] [quote user="TempsPerdu"]I've set up our PC to send out through the Orange SMTP servers, but still collect mail from the variety of servers I use. No need to use the same servers on the way out as you do on the way in... Steve [/quote] Can you explain that in words of one syllable how you do that as I can receive mails OK at the moment using my email programme, Courrier, but cannot reply/send that way since yesterday. I use a variety of different servers too, but have no idea how to ask them if I can use port 587. Sue [/quote] The port 587 mentioned is to access an alternative Orange SMTP server & is a red herring as far as this issue is concerned. As you are aware you collect e-mail from various POP3 mail servers using port 110 & this is never blocked (unless you live in China or North Korea) but to send e-mail you use a SMTP server which by default is port 25. For some reason, various ISPs (Orange, BT, AOL & a few others) block traffic on port 25 going to any SMTP server apart from their own, this is often a problem as other ISPs block all e-mail from certain other ISPs*. Most SMTP servers will accept traffic on another port apart from 25 as a way of getting round this restriction, the number of this extra port varies from host to host, if they all used the same extra port ISPs would just block that one as well as port 25. You need to contact your host & ask if they have an extra SMTP server port. * I just don't understand why anyone uses an ISP that blocks e-mails that could well be legitimate.

Thanks for the reply [quote user="Eslier"]a) draw up a long term letting contract (or better still get a notaire to do it for you - the tenant can be asked to pay for this) and make sure you know what your and your tenants legal rights and responsibilities are.[/quote] Makes sense. [quote]b) nothing, assuming it will not be your main source of income, except find some cstomers to rent it next year.[/quote] OK, I thought I read somewhere that you had to inform the Marie &/or some other authorities. Regards

This is probably answered somewhere, if so, can someone please point me in the right direction. We are just finishing the renovation of a 2/3 bedroom building attached to our house. This was originally for my Mother-in-Law who has now decided that she doesn't want to move to France but we have a friend who would like to rent it (until at least next April) after that we may put it on the Gite market. My question is really what formalities do we have to go through to: a, Rent the property long term b, Operate it as a gite. Thanks in advance  

[quote user="sid"]The advisor there wanted me to connect my Livebox in order that they could conduct some diagnostics. [/quote] That's because their script only covers the LiveBox [quote] asked what he had done. He wouldn't say [/quote] When I had dropout problems (both in the UK & France) BT & FT denied doing anything but the problem miraculously disappeared.  [quote]I can't believe that the problem has disappeared for good [/quote] Want to put money on it :-) [quote] it looks as though I'm going to have to fork out for a Livebox power supply. [/quote] I can lend you one if you wish, drop me an e-mail to [email protected]  

[quote user="Martinwatkins"]So - OK - what IS likely to be causing a problem such as this for a whole village?   Any ideas gratefully received! [/quote] IF it is the whole village dropping the connection at exactly the same time it sounds like a line or exchange fault. It would be worth a number of people who are experiencing the problem setting up a log from www.nc18.com & comparing them. If they are seeing the problem at exactly the same time it might persuade FT to look further into the problem.

[quote user="sid"] I use a Netgear DG834 [/quote] That modem/router has a dynamic DNS facility, if you can set that up, a service such as 18nc.com can give you a much more accurate idea of  the reliability of the service.  Then use this data to beat-up Orange.

[quote user="Martinwatkins"]More likely to be "contention" according to Ernie who knows his stuff.  Can be off 10 mins to 3 hours. [/quote] Unlikely, ADSL should be/is an always on service, if too many people are downloading at the same time (on the same NAS in the local exchange) they should all just slow down.

[quote user="Mikey"] i have this setup in our gites. http://www.darty.com/webapp/wcs/Réseau par courant porteur one plugged into AOL box then 1 in each of the 4 gites. [/quote] Very useful devices (I use them) but doesn't answer the original question.  

[quote user="ErnieY"] It needn't be complicated, just a couple of lines telling them how to connect to the router because the config will be lost every time of course, we're not talking War and Peace. [/quote] (Linux) It's not difficult but it looks different from Windows & that is enough for most people to panic & need help (Been there, done it, got the T-shirt)

[quote user="ErnieY"]Most certainly there are software solutions but that = expenditure whereas what I was proposing would be essentially a near zero cost option.[/quote] The Microsoft solution is zero cost, apart from the time setting it up. [quote]You would be foolish to underestimate the cunning and resourcefulness of your average 10 year old tech savvy kid to whom a proper PC, however well "locked down", would likely just present an irresistable challenge. [/quote] Possibly, but these systems are pretty secure. [quote]you're probably not going to be putting a phone line and router in each one[/quote] Possibly not but because of our building, I have 4 wireless access points just to get the signal around the place, there is no reason why one (or more) couldn't have filtering & the others encryption. [quote]  therefore any filtering you set up would apply to you also ![/quote] The ones I have seen have had password by-pass, so if you really wanted to get to the blocked sites you can. [quote]. Anybody who's that desperate to have access whilst on holiday will almost certainly have one won't they ?[/quote] Yes but if saves carrying it it would be a bonus, also useful for the husbands/wives whose partners forbid then taking a laptop on holiday (BTDIBTTS) .