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Switching From FT/Orange to SFR


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Don't do it I hear you cry! Well I have read all the old threads relating to SFR I can find, and it seems they are both good and bad. I guess we all have a story to tell about an ISP, I certainly have one about Tiscali back in the UK.

After reading Judith's post regarding the phone only ringing 4 times, which ours does, and the fact that we keep losing the internet connection on a regular basis it is time to take the plunge and move from FT/Orange. Not to mention they were quite rude to us when we took out the contract 2 years ago.

I am interested to hear from anybody who has made the similar switch, how the mechanics of the whole thing works. Do SFR take care of everything once they receive the instruction to move from FT, or is it left to us to struggle with? For instance do they cancel your contract with FT? I guess we will have to take our Livebox back to the all so friendly Orange shop when we move ourselves.

Now I have got to show my ignorance here regarding all things technical. The package offers something like 145 TV channels, so does this mean they will supply us with a digibox to plug into the telly? If this is the case will this get us over the problem when France goes digital on 19th October, so we can carry on watching French TV.

On the telephone side do they also supply a hub or whatever it is called, to plug the telephone into? I understand that the telephone calls will be via the internet not through my FT landline.

Any SFR feedback gratefully received.
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Grecian, the service SFR will offer you is limited by where your house is situated.

If you live in a zone dégroupée by SFR, then you can have Internet (at the max speed the line will support), telephone by Internet (i.e. phone plugged in to the SFR box)

and TV over the internet.

If you are in an zone 'non dégroupée' by SFR or your line speed is limited, then you will not recieve any TV at all and just Intenet and telephone via the SFR box. In this case you can normally choose to keep ( and keep paying for) the FT line or go without and just use the phone by internet.

In a 'zone dégroupée' it normally costs 29,90 a month. If not it will be 34,90 per month.

You are supplied with a modem/router, the SFR neufbox and if elegible for TV, a decoder.

To find out, go to www.degrouptest.com, enter your phone number and click on TESTER. Scroll down the page to see what is offered by SFR and others.

Or go to the SFR page and enter your number on the right of the page to see what is offered.

If you decide to change, IMPORTANT do not cancel your FT line, SFR will take care of this. You will have to cancel your Orange Internet account by writing to them (lettre recommandé) and you will then need to send your livebox back or take it to a shop after having received confirmation of the cancellation.

Danny

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Thanks for the very concise answer Danny, most helpful.

I have been onto the SFR site and keyed in my telephone number, and we are able to take any of the packages on offer. I didn't realise there are two different packages on offer, but at the moment I think the 29,90 a month package would suffice for what we want. If we take the 29,90 a month package will this package come with a box for the TV, or does it mean we can only watch TV via the internet? Sorry to be a bit dense here but I could not work out from their website as to whether the 29,90 package comes with a TV box.
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Grecian,

there are not really two packages on offer. If you want the SFR neufbox package( calls included and possibly TV) then your package depends on whether your exchange is 'dégroupée' or not. If not, you will get no TV.

When you go on to the SFR site and enter your number, you are presented with some choices - it is pretty clear if TV is available or not. SLIGHT EDIT.... You will be able to tick the 'television HD' bit if you are elegible. If you are elegible,  the decoder they send you is to connect to the TV so you watch on your TV. Not on the computer. ANOTHER SLIGHT EDIT... just to be clear - it is called TV by ADSL but it is connected to the TV, the signal just comes via internet instead of an aerial or sat dish.

Quillan,

eh - No...

Orange is the only ISP to offer TV by satellite. If the local exchange does not have the equipment installed by the ISP for TV and/or the line speed is not high enough then no TV at all. So no ADSL TV, then no TV. It is the same with Free and Darty and all others as I say except Orange.

Danny

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I just went to their (SFR) site and typed in my phone number and it tells me I can't have Internet through them. This is rather strange as when I go to the degrouptest website everyone seems to use it tells me I can have SFR but no with TV which is strange.

I looked on the SFR site for just Internet and phone but couldn't find a package just for that, they all seem to include TV. Does this mean you have to pay for TV even though you can't get it or have I missed something?

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Quillan,

It does not tell you because you no longer have an FT line and number - I think. This does not mean that you cannot change if you want but you would have to call them if you were interested.

As for "just Internet and phone", there is no such specific package - it does not work the same as Orange. This goes for most of the other large ISPs too.

If you are in a zone dégroupée by SFR then you can have the TV if you want. If you are in a 'zone non degroupée' like I think you are then you will only get the Internet and phone service and no TV. So there is no separate package at it were. There is only one package but what you receive depends on what is available on the line.

The alternative providers only really provide more features - extra TV channels etc - in areas where they have their equipment installed. Unlike Orange, who have their own DSLAMs in every ADSL enabled exchange, the others have no such obligations and only do it where it is worth doing i.e. in large, urban conurbations where they can expect a decent demand.

It is also possible to use SFR or Free or whoever in a zone non degroupée (even ADSL Nu) but the service offered is pretty basic and generally costs more than dégroupé.

Danny

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Well I have the FT number I always had except I am on adsl Internet phone. On the degrouptest website it does say I can have just phone and Internet from SFR and somebody from SFR calls me once per month to ask me if I want to move from Orange to them (even though I still have 9 months of my contract to run with Orange). As we don't have 10mb I guess the saving is that I don't have to buy a decoder and card to watch TV as I get one with them (Orange) but then SFR are 6 Euros a month cheaper although I don't know if, excluding the TV, the offers are exactly like for like. I do of course get got the comforting use of an English speaking helpline with Orange if I get in to difficulties with my French. Having said that I have only had to contact Orange (and Wanadoo way back) three times since I have been using them for nearly 10 years and the service has been very good. I guess the service etc must differ from one area to another and perhaps the best thing to do is ask people where you live about problems and service then choose the best ISP for your area.
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OK bear with me here, as I am going to go all technical.

I keyed my telephone number in on the SFR site, and highlighted the 29,90 a month option. The site informs me that I will receive for my subscription: neufbox de SFR, Téléphone illimité, Télévision HD and modem neufbox. Exactly what I want.

Now here is my interpretation as to how all this will work, plese feel free to correct me. I connect the neufbox de SFR to my TV, plug my modem neufbox into my landline and plug my phone into the modem neufbox. Then as if by magic the modem neufbox zaps a signal to my neufbox de SFR and bingo we have French telly! Thus taking care of the problem when Poitou-Charentes goes digital on 19th October.

I stand back awaiting to be corrected.
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Yes - you have (sort of) got it.

The Neufbox de SFR is the modem/router and the decodeur TV is the box which is connected to your TV and to the Neufbox.

Here is a jazzy animated doodah to make it all easier. Hover over each item if you wish for more info but don't forget that SFR will not supply the obligatory pink sofas.

http://adsl.sfr.fr/neufbox-decodeur-tv/

and on this page are all 150 TV channels you will receive.

http://adsl.sfr.fr/offres-adsl/television/chaines-incluses/#docu

remember to make the right choices/options by ticking the boxes - including the right TV choices - otherwise you may end up paying for/having other things. Ask if you are not sure what they are.

Danny

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Hi J&D. Looks like grecian is lucky to be in a degrouped area of Deux Sèvres, lucky him.[:)]

Certainly SFR have the best coverage of DS with 21 of the 140 NRAs degrouped.

The link below shows the comparitive situation for DS; the NRAs are in order of number of lines and clicking on a FAI colour block shows a map with further detail.

Be a good idea if grecian checks that his commune and telephone number do in fact agree on his degrouped status.

The next FAI is Free with 17 NRAs in degrouped status and on number of lines basis similar to SFR; the release of the Free V.6. Box at Xmas with BluRay,Mobile, etc could be of interest.

http://www.stats-degroupage.fr/79#79034ENE

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Thanks for your help again Danny, not a bad guess on my part. I think I have it all clear in my mind now as to what to put where, so to speak. Although I think I will demand from SFR that the pink sofas come as part of the package! We have a SFR shop near us so I think we may pay them a visit to sign up, rather than use the internet.

pachapapa I visited the link you so kindly supplied, and next to our village we definately have a maroon splodge, and when I hover over it, it reads: Dégroupé par SFR, so I guess it's Thunderbirds Are Go! SFR here we come.
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