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Will "North America" ADSL router work in France?


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Hello,

We are moving to France in August, and so I am doing some research now to find out what is the best high-speed internet provider for our needs.

I see that all the providers offer their own "boxes", which are a few Euro extra.

Thus, I wonder if it would be better to bring my existing ADSL router that I am using right now (in north america) so I can save those few Euros...

But will it work? Is the ADSL "system" in France the same as in north america? Can I simply take bring my existing ADSL router and use it for free.fr, sfr.fr, orange.fr, etc..?

(Of course, I would need to enter the appropriate un/pw and connection details provided by free/orange/sfr...)

Thanks for any help!
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You ask for "best" and then "cheap" on your other thread - the two don't come in the same package.

If you sign up with Orange or SFR for an internet package then you get free calls to most of the world as part of it, but you must use their router, free from SFR and €3 per month from Orange.

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Not to forget that as well as the free call landline to landline calls you get free calls to North American mobiles from your Orange ADSL + Phone + TV package.

Orange is not the cheapest but being part of French Telecom (or is it the other way round I always forget) they put their customer first when there are line problems.

As to the router, well you can't use the package without an Orange router which I prefer to rent (for three Euros per month) because they have an English language helpline (unlike the others which could be a big decider for some) and if the router does go bang (we have problems with electronic devices and thunderstorms in France) it's not my problem.

As to large amount's of data and mobile phones, well compared to the UK its extremely (and I mean extremely) expensive in France but then when out and about there are many free WiFi points (McDonald's comes to mind) and of course you would have WiFi at home. I think Orange now does a deal where you can have your mobile included in your ADSL package but others would know more about this than I.

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There could also be the problem of voltages, you will have to plug the router into a power socket, US is I believe 110v France/Europe is 220v. Unless the power supply used with the router is multi voltage some knid of converter would be needed. Use a French one at least that will be setup for the system it is designed for.

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Routers are that cheap anyway, I really don't think it's worth the time considering.

Personally, I wouldn't bring anything electrical from the States to France, it's a waste of money in shipping, and then you have the voltage issues on top.

When I moved from France to the States last December, I brought nothing with me that needed plugging in.
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[quote user="Mr Coeur de Lion"]Routers are that cheap anyway, I really don't think it's worth the time considering. Personally, I wouldn't bring anything electrical from the States to France, it's a waste of money in shipping, and then you have the voltage issues on top. When I moved from France to the States last December, I brought nothing with me that needed plugging in.[/quote]

That is probably the wisest thing you have ever said Richard. [;-)]

With regards to mobile phones. GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is a type of cell phone and network used in Europe and most countries in the world. Some US cell phone companies use GSM (T-Mobile, AT&T), but many do not. You need a GSM phone in Europe. These are sometimes called "World Phones" in the US because they can be used around the world. Your IPhone is probably OK but I don't know what the other phone is or how old it is. It may be best to contact the suppliers of the phones you currently have to see if they are OK to use in Europe. As a B&B owner I know Apple make two versions of the IPhone, one will work in Europe the other not, I have seen this with my own eyes.

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I know Verizon doesn't support international roaming as a standard, you have to pay big money in order for your phone to be used.

In contrast, I used my French cell which was on a pre paid and it worked fine in the States. I bought a pre paid in the States to use while I was there and when I returned to France, it wouldn't work.

If you have an iphone, chances are you aren't with Verizon as they have only introduced them to their range recently.
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Thanks for the replies!

I have an unlocked GSM phone which I will be using. I've travelled with this phone to many other "gsm" countries and never had a problem. I just install a local SIM chip, and all is good.

For the ADSL modem question... I'm basically trying to avoid the 3 euro per month it costs to rent a modem from orange/sfr/alice/free/whatever.

(I don't need a wifi/router as I already have that.)

For example, I can go to grosbill.com and purchase a new adsl 2+ modem (including delivery to our house in France) for 30 euro.

This works out to be 10 months of modem rental... after that.. I'm saving money. That's two "free" coffee every month! haha.

(BTW - the voltage/electrical issues are no problem. All my electronics work with 110/220v and 50/60hz.)

I just called Orange's English-speaking phone number and talked with them about this. The first two people were totally clueless, but the third person was very helpful. He said I can use any modem and it would be the same for them as if it was theirs. He said if (when!) there is a problem with the service for any reason, it would not matter if I'm using my own modem or if I'm renting theirs. He told me all "newer" modems include the same diagnostics software inside the modem firmware that their own rental modem includes... so when there is a problem, it doesn't matter if their modem runs the diagnostics or my own modem does it.

So we'll see...

I really like the English-speaking phone number.. I wish SFR had that. I prefer SFR.. but being able to discuss technical issues without a communications barrier is really nice...

So I suppose it's a tossup between SFR and Orange.

SFR - cheaper for both adsl and mobile phone.

Orange - Has English speaking people and "owns" the phone lines where we will be living. (Non degroupage area.)

Cheers!
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Just remember that if you want to take advantage of Orange's VoIP services you will need a Livebox. You can buy your own for about €50 or so I think.

Renting seems the more expensive option until your bought router get's taken out by lightning, a very common experience for many, myself included. If rented it's trip to the nearest Orange shop for a replacement, if bought a trip to Darty or wherever and another €50 so it's not necessarily as clear cut a decision as it may appear.

Actually we've just this morning had a heavy lightning storm here and I predict queues at the Orange shop in Cahors today [;-)]

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Quillan,

I must disagree with your statement concerning prompt action by orange.

 

For three weeks I suffered with line problems, no phone, only deafening static and only an occasional internet connection. It was only as a result of a friend contacting the operator to report the problem, in turn the operator then tried to phone me that actually resolved the problem, she could clearly hear how bad the static was, and it was for that, that spurred them into action.

Two days later they arrived to lay a new cable from the junction box in the road to my house. I still had to pay the full monthly bill, which I have since wrote to complain about, as always it seems to fall on deaf ears.

 

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[quote user="Mr Wiggy"]

Quillan,

I must disagree with your statement concerning prompt action by orange.

 

For three weeks I suffered with line problems, no phone, only deafening static and only an occasional internet connection. It was only as a result of a friend contacting the operator to report the problem, in turn the operator then tried to phone me that actually resolved the problem, she could clearly hear how bad the static was, and it was for that, that spurred them into action.

Two days later they arrived to lay a new cable from the junction box in the road to my house. I still had to pay the full monthly bill, which I have since wrote to complain about, as always it seems to fall on deaf ears.

 

[/quote]

Two days seem pretty quick to me, what did you do about contacting Orange before that? Did you call their helpdesk (either French or English)? Did you get a call number when you called?

I have always found them to be pretty good and we live out in the sticks. A neighbour recently had a problem and called them from my house and the engineers were on site within three days but that was mainly because the appointment times were not convenient to my neighbour.

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I stated quite clearly (Deafening Static) an extremely loud distortion of a crackling noise which made it completely impossible to converse with anyone.

So how is it possible to have a conversation while this is going on?

I did manage to contact the online technical assistance but all I got was, "The problem is at your end, it's your phones that are causing the problem." Bull-Sh*t*

The operator did phone me, after a concerned friend phoned them to report the problem but all the operator heard was the same as myself, deafening static.

All I heard was the operator literally shouting OK OK, I mean she was indeed shouting.

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The reason I said what I said is that quite often people complain about a service but they have not followed the correct procedure. I am not saying you did or you didn't, its just an observation I have made of others.

When we had a problem I used a mobile phone, if I didn't have a mobile phone I would have used a friends phone or a public call box. With regards to the line and possibly a phone problem I always go for the obvious first and check the phone (like try it in a neighbours house) before I call on the basis that I can say it's not the phone because I have tried another which is known to work.

You may of course have done this but all I can comment on is what you have written. Compared to my experience in the UK with BT the Orange service is pretty good although in fairness its been many years since I have had a BT phone line so things may have dramatically improved.

In the context of the thread if you use another ISP and you have a problem then like many things where more than one company is providing a service there is a tendency for one company to say it the others fault and you get caught in the middle which results in it taking ages to get the problem fixed. If you stick with one company for all then obviously they can't do this. Likewise Orange will always put their customers first with respect to what they see as the competition. Orange also has the benefit for those who find technical French difficulty of having a dedicated English language help-desk.

I agree about renting an Orange router, I look at the €3 per month as my insurance because if the box goes wrong its a quick phone call then off to the shop for a replacement which in my case can be done in a day quite easily. With some others the exchange is done via the post which could take around three days or longer and of course if you buy one you need to buy another and that will take a few days to arrive also. I guess at the end of the day it's how important your Internet and phone system is to you.

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I think that a mobile phone is the only way to go, I do have a French phone that I bought back in 2004 while house hunting here. Once I returned to the UK it was confined to a draw and never go used again but I am now thinking of getting a new card for it but think that I may need to get it  unlocked from SFR first.

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I have a mobile with SFR because they have the best signal round here where Orange is pretty weak and requires balancing on the roof on one foot whilst holding phone with an outstretched hand to get a good signal which is something to think about. Mrs 'Q' has a phone I bought second hand off Ebay France for around 30 Euros unblocked in to which I fitted a LeClerc SIM. This works well (although you must stand near a window i  the house to get reception) and can be 'recharged' over the Internet from anywhere. I see you can buy a phone with a card for as little as 19.90 Euros on their website. I believe they use Budgetel for their airtime but if I am wrong I am sure somebody will put me right.
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Quillan, I have decided to follow your lead with regards to mobile phones.

To save all the hassle of trying to get my phone unlocked, I too have purchased a new unlocked phone off eBay and also a new Bouygue card with number for a little less than 30€.

I will see how this combination performs then maybe try out a Leclerc card at a later stage.

 

With regards to signal strength, I am sitting at this desk which is behind a metre thick wall and the strength of the signal is incredibly strong, 3-4 bars.

Thank goodness for that, as I’m getting too old for climbing on roofs!!!

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