Netgear

[partout]

Happy New Year to you all.

We have a Netgear  box and were wondering if we could up grade our maison secondaire internet to full time internet, this I know is not a problem BUT we would like  to use  the same wifi box (Netgear) and get the Orange unlimited phone, TV  with this box or do we have to have the Orange live box.

[Quillan]

You will need a Livebox.

If your speed is less than 8mb you will need a dish for the TV, Either way the decoder must have a link to the Livebox (all the time else it won't function). If the decoder and Livebox are in different locations you can try and use a cable if it's practical. If it is not then, like us, you can buy a set of Liveplugs from the Orange website. You can buy an alternative to the Liveplug from big stores but having a none Orange product could be a problem if you have a fault "Not ours so we can't help you" type thing. There is information on their website where to point your dish if you need one. Simply type in your post code and it will display all the angles. You have a choice of satellites to 'aim' at, try and use the Astra one because you will then get native language on programs rather than in French if you want. You can rent films through Orange and they can be in native language as well if you wish.

[partout]

Good evening Quillan

Let me see if I got this right

NO Orange Livebox= No Unlimited phone or Orange TV

Thanks

[Quillan]

I read somewhere (possibly on this forum) that you can get a router other than a Livebox to do the phone bit but it was a more specialised router that the person had.

The phone plugs straight in to the router using an RJ11 plug (same as you get on the end of the new French phones). The TV decoder plugs in to a normal type network RJ45 socket on the router but you have to tell the router it has a TV decoder attached. The Livebox knows this and has a dedicated RJ45 socket which is switchable, via the internal router software between normal data connection and TV. If you have a problem the Orange guys in support don't really like it if you have something other than Orange gear. So basically without a lot of mucking around and hoping it will work your better off with a Livebox.

[BJSLIV]

You also have to go for a dish, if like us, your exchange isn't enabled for Orange TV. We get 16mb download.

If you wanted to keep your Netgear router there is Orange's Optimale Internet. For roughly 39Euros , ie about 3 Euros more than the basic package plus line rental., you keep a real (Non VOIP) phone line, speeds of up to 20mb and free calls to France (Non Mobile) and abroad.

[Quillan]

Lucky bigger with 16mb download.

This is what I mean, it starts to get complicated. By going with the Livebox (which you can by the way change the language of the internal software to English if you wish) you won't have any problem and life is simple.

One tip, don't use the software that comes with it. Set your PC up manually. The Orange software is absolute cr*p and has been known to cause all sorts of problems.

[Richardbk]

If it is a 2nd house then perhaps a VOIP supplier other than orange with very low call rates would be a better solution. e.g you could take the basic (no tv, phone etc) orange internet package and then add a different cheap VOIP supplier. e.g one based in the Uk that would give you a UK number at you french house.

I'm using a Linksys PAP2 VOIP adapter plugged into my broadband router to connect my standard telephones. I'm getting my VOIP services from sipgate.co.uk and draytel.org that give me a couple of different local Uk numbers, but there are many others. If you want a french number then there are various french based companies, including www.annatel.net.

The fact that the supplier is based either in or outside of france has no bearing on the call costs, since the system is virtual. You could have devices in both the UK and france (and an android or iphone) that all ring on a single number at the same time, and the other advantage of many other VOIP suppliers such as sipgate is that they often provide useful call hunting. E.g if a phone is unanswered or busy it will ring the next phone in a list of phones until one picks up.