Livebox problems, intermittent fault and error messages. HELP

[nectarine]

My neighbour has recently purchased a Orange livebox to connect to her PC running Windows XP.  She has plugged in all the necessary connections, i.e. livebox to the ADSL filter, then to the junction box.  Phone into the Livebox.

Query 1:  she's been told by several people that you need two telephones, one to make outgoing calls through the Livebox, to take advantage of the discounted and free calls, and one phone for incoming calls, technically on a different number.  She's queried this several times but has been told lthat this is definitely how the Orange/Livebox arrangement works.  Is this true.

Query 2:  She hasn't loaded the Orange software, having been told that Windows XP can sort out the hardware and software compatability.  Does she need to do this?

Back to the story.  Her internet connection was, originally, intermittent and it would cut off mid-use and then sometimes not work afterwards.  It has been on and off.  Now it's off and despite trying to connect, there is no internet connection.  However, the Livebox light is on but the internet light on the livebox is continually flashing.  She can still dial out on the livebox but the internet connection won't work.

Now, between us, we have a reasonable knowledge of computer usage but nothing desperately technical.  I'd love to be able to say it's because we're both gorgeous blondes with empty heads, but that's not the case here; however, please don't let that hold you back from giving us some useful tips or knowledge on how we can get the livebox working.  Perhaps it's a duff one?  We've changed the filter twice, so perhaps it's not that.  Software incompatability, but in which case why did it work before?

Any suggestions, in clear instructions, will be very welcome.  Thank you all!

[Danny]

"livebox to the ADSL filter"

By this, do you mean that the cable from the live box is plugged in to the separate adsl filter? If so, this is not right. The cable from the livebox with the filter on one end should go straight in to the phone socket. The adsl filter(s) are for putting in any otherphone sockets if you want to put something else in them other (eg - phone or fax)

Query 1 You do not need two telephones. The phone plugged in to the livebox will use VOIP free and discounted calls. If you want, you can normally press the # button twice and get a normal FT dial tone.

Query 2 You do not need to use the Orange software plenty of help online for example here...

hope that helps - sorry if I have misunderstood your setup

Danny

[nectarine]

Apologies, I may have misled you but I'm pretty sure we have the set-up right - I probably didn't make it clear.

Re. Query 1 - our  French neighbour has two telephones - she insists that this is what Orange told her to do.  Orange have also given my neighbour a separate number for the outgoing calls, she retains the original phone number for incoming.  Actually, there's a couple of people who say this is normal but it's double-dutch to us.

Is it possible that it is just a dodgy livebox which has been steadily failing and is now kaput?  anyone else have problems like this?

By the way, thanks for the link which I'm looking at now ....

[Mikew]

From my involvement with a livebox belonning to a friend:

Q1   When you install the LB you gain another line over the internet, this one has the discount offers. You may use it to make your free outgoing calls. That line also has a number given to it for incoming calls - not in the normal range of numbers (ie 05, 01 etc), but in a national series for these type of lines, the number is given in the FT paperwork. I don't know what the call rates are, or whether the number works for incoming international calls, perhaps someone may enlighten me here. You also keep your France Telecom line in this setup. This is the number that everyone knows and calls you on. Therefore you need 2 phones or a lot of unplugging. I did read of a switchbox to use one phone on the two lines but I have no detail. The 2 lines may be used simultaneously.

Q2    I would not use Orange software, once set up all one does is to open Internet Explorer, and one is connected to the home page. The livebox, I have found, is difficult to set up using the wireless, but works OK on the network connection. Read the manual carefully, use google uk to search for instructions, livebox forums etc in english

 

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Query one has been covered. Personally we use two phones, but just for the opportunity to have 2 numbers.

Query 2 when you install the livebox on your pc, from memory I think there it gets to a screen where you have to hit continue to go into the Orange software setup. At this point just cancel the wizard. Open your browser and you should be online.

If you are connecting wirelessly, very simple. Once your computer has detected the connection, enter the long 24 digit code that's found on the bottom of the livebox. When you have done this, press the number 1 on back of the LB to pair with your computer.

You say the internet light is constantly flashing. Perhaps the adsl line hasn't been set up yet. Takes up to 2 weeks I believe.

[mint]

I'm afraid that I can only contribute to query 1.  To add to the replies already given, I must emphasise that you only get the free and discounted phone calls on the adsl line if you sign up for BOTH internet and telephony.

You can change your contract on line.  But, bear in mind that the "free" calls do not include, for example, 0821 calls and I think others that are "paying numbers".  I remember what I can use for "free" by thinking of my past BT Altogether Option which exludes 0845 numbers and others.

The international "unlimited" calls are also not what they appear on the surface.  There ARE charges, albeit reduced, ones.

The extra over costs for using the adsl line are 5 euros per month for French landline numbers and 7 euros per month for "unlimited" international calls.  Do bear in mind the French numbers that you can't ring for free and the costs for international calls.  You need to work out how you are going to use your adsl line in order to make some sort of guestimate at whether you will actually be saving money.

And yes, you need to factor in the cost of an additional phone unless you don't mind plugging and unplugging everytime you want to use the adsl line for outgoing calls.

Hope that helps.  If you need extra explanation, please pm or email and I will tell you all that I do know.  I myself have only had my landline for a little over a week and my adsl line for slightly less than that.  My knowledge is limited but recent and up-to-date!

[Danny]

Ok, this is getting a bit confused...

If you have chosen telephonie illimite, then this works through the phone plugged in to the livebox. There is no need to unplug and replug the telephone.  If you want to call on a normal FT line on this phone, just press the hash(#) key twice and you should get a normal FT dial tone. If you have the telephonie illimite, then there is no need ( unless it suits you,of course) to tell anyone the new number.  All telephones will ring when someone calls your normal FT number, the one plugged in to the modem and any others too. If someone call your new number, only the phone plugged in to the livebox will ring. You can call using the phone plugged in to the modem and benefit from the free or cheaper calls. If you opt for 'mobiles et minutes international' you pay 7 euros extra per month and have free calls to many countries and 30 minutes free to mobiles in France. 

Be careful where you call. The VOIP calls are free to many countries but only to landlines. Also not special numbers 08xxxxxxxxx etc and 4 digit numbers 32xx etc.

hope that is clear.

Danny

Linda and Richard said "You say the internet light is constantly flashing. Perhaps the adsl line hasn't been set up yet. Takes up to 2 weeks I believe." this is a good point. If everything is actually working, it can take 2 weeks to get the adsl connected  by FT.

[nectarine]

Many thanks for all the helpful hints and advice.  I've now had another go at the PC and Livebox and this is where we are:

Livebox is correctly connected to the main phone point (ADSL has been on for three weeks).  PC is correctly set up and the user name and password are correctly entered.  I've tried setting up a 'new network connection' and entering the set-up as before, but still get the same result.

When the PC is switched on the Livebox lights come on and then starts flashing, the Wi-Fi (I don't use this, using a cable connection to the Livebox) comes on and the @ symbol flashes about once a second.  this, according to the guide, means that the Livebox is trying to connect.  However, on my PC screen, at the bottom right, comes a little icon (2 little computers) and the message says that I am connected and it shows the cumulative time that I'm on line. 

So i take this to mean that I have a connection to the Orange server.  then I open up Internet Explorer to go to the Google or BBC page, and it just hangs, finally saying that I am not connected to the server.  I go into 'properties', re-enter user name and user password, and nothing - 'server cannot be found'.

So I rang Orange's helpline.  My French is OK, not brilliant, but enough to follow slow, clear instructions on the phone and convey what I had done and what was happening on the screen.  They told me, in the webpage address line, to enter a 192.168.1.1 IP address, which I did, and a Livebox 'help dialogue' page came up.  they told me to enter my user name and password, which I did, according to the written instructions and also their instructions.  No chance of mis-duplication, at all.  Nope, didn't like it.  Gave me a 'Server 404 error' plus a message that I must check how the Livebox cables were connected.  Switch off, try again, re-connect, go through this all .... same thing.

Orange confirm that my user name and password are correct and insist it is that the cables aren't correctly set up.  But they are, three of us have sat around and read the clear instructions and tried every permutation of cable, even switching them around.  In the end Orange disconnected our call (on the pretence of 'transferring you to someone else ...!) so we're still stuck.

My PC (Windows XP) worked fine with Broadband in the UK and I'm sure it's nothing wrong there.

Advice please!  Desperately needed as i am getting seriously close to pulling out my hair, already turning rapidly grey from trying to get this Livebox to work.  Does anyone even know a roaming PC-mechanic in department 23 or 36?

Many thanks

 

[suein56]

[quote user="nectarine"]

My PC (Windows XP) worked fine with Broadband in the UK and I'm sure it's nothing wrong there.

Advice please!  Desperately needed as i am getting seriously close to pulling out my hair, already turning rapidly grey from trying to get this Livebox to work.  [/quote]

Do you have Zonealarm or equivalent firewall by any chance? I had to alter a setting in my Zonealarm set-up to allow the Livebox access to the server.

Sue

[nectarine]

No, not under those names but I get an automatic AVG update box when I switch on which says it is 'downloading', which I assume means it has connected to the internet and is taking information in to my PC.   therefore, i'm pretty certain that I have an internet connection but it's just accessing Internet Explorer and email .... if my Livebox is corrupt would this be stopping my user name and password being transmitted correctly?

The infuriating thing is that it DID work originally, in the past - albeit intermittently.  Sometimes just dropped the connection midway through a webpage, sometimes didn't.  I read about disconnecting Livebox during storms, which ihave always done, so I'm sure it isn't a power outage affecting it.  It seems like just a gradual deterioration over the past few weeks now resulting in nothing at all.

Eeeeeeeek!  Aaaagh!

[Danny]

You can close down the AVG or any other anti virus software and any firewall like Zone Alarm temporalily. Try the installation and then reboot the PC to resart the protection

The AVG update box will come up to try to download updates but that does not mean it is succeeding. Can you send/receive email ? Is there any other way to check if you are actually connected.

Ok back to basics: did you follow the instructions on the website I mentioned earlier? This is the one for the Livebox Inventel and this is the one for the Livebox Sagem Find out which make box you have and try to connect by ethernet cable if possible There are less things to go wrong. Connect the livebox to the PC ethernet slot and if your network connection is OK (go to:Start/ control panel/system/hardware/device manager. You will see a list - click on the plus sign next to the network adaptors and you will see if the network connection is OK.) you should be connected to the modem. Then open Internet explorer and type 192.168.1.1 in the address bar and the modem interface page will be displayed. In the two boxes username and password, type admin and then click valider. Follow the other instructions on the page.

If you do not get the modem page as described there must be a fault in either the cable, try another method (eg USB) or another cable. Or your network adapter settings are not right. Or the livebox is not working. If you can't get any joy, is it possible to try the livebox with someone else's Orange account in their house. You can take the livebox to an FT shop and get them to test it and give you another if it is faulty.

let us know what happens

Danny

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

We are on our second livebox. If I remember correctly, ours diminished over a period of time. We ended up taking it back to FT for a replacement. We had a networ, but it refused to connect to the internet. Possible cause was that we had an update and was warned not to switch the box off at this time and I did after the apparent update took 3 times as long to complete (was supposed to take 20 minutes), I switched it off after an hour thinking it needed resetting. This seemed to stuff the box completly. Perhaps you've had an update going on and a power cut at the same time may have zapped it? Just guessing, but it could be the cause.

[nectarine]

Many thanks to you all.  I have printed out these instructions and am taking them to my neighbour's house to try and work through them.  I have to keep remembering that it is my neighbour's PC and not mine, as it is driving me insane trying to work out the problem (I'm on boring old Wanadoo dial-up so she can't check her Livebox here).  So I am going to my neighbour's house and we shall try to work through the problem again and, if not joy, then we'll shoot up to FT shop tomorrow and get them to test it.

Aren't computer problems frustrating?  It's not like you can take a spanner to it to make it work, like you could with an unreliable car.  When the computer doesn't work as you wish then it drives me utterly insane! 

But many thanks, I'll report back what happens.  Cheers, all

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Last resort, WD40 or hit it with a hammer.[;-)]

[nectarine]

We're off to FT today to change the Livebox.  Fingers crossed that this works.

Failing that, the hammer option is becoming increasingly more attractive ........

[derf]

If you are using an ethernet cable from livebox to pc try using a USB cable instead, you may have to use the instalation disc again but try it first. If it works then you can try going back to the etheret cable.

[Panda]

A little late but my LiveBox does this on occasion and going through the 192. etc. and rekeying the login and password for connection to the interent ususally sorts it out. 

The 'fault' is caused by the user validation according to FT, the livebox is not being given access and so I now know that if my @ light is flashing I have to log on to the router  192.1.1 etc log on as admin etc as explained by Danny) and then re-validate my login for connection to the internet (usually starts (ft1/ or something along those lines).  I've had to do this on occasion for the telephone connection too which occasionally disaperars (as in the light on the livebox of a handset disapear

 

[nectarine]

Thanks everyone for the very useful advice.  Much appreciated and what a helpful bunch you are, I'm very grateful.

I'm now concluding that the problem is the phone line because we tried another computer with the Livebox (still nothing), another Livebox on the line (nothing).  So took the computer and the Livebox to someone else's house and set it up and plugged it in to their ADSL line ... result!  So it MUST be something in the line.  France Telecom tested it and said it's OK from their end but it could be an exchange problem so they're sending an engineer tomorrow.  My neighbour is planning to barricade the engineer in her house and not let him out until it all works ...!

Anyway I'll let you know what the real fault was, but again many thanks for all your helpful suggestions.

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

[quote user="nectarine"]

Thanks everyone for the very useful advice.  Much appreciated and what a helpful bunch you are, I'm very grateful.

I'm now concluding that the problem is the phone line because we tried another computer with the Livebox (still nothing), another Livebox on the line (nothing).  So took the computer and the Livebox to someone else's house and set it up and plugged it in to their ADSL line ... result!  So it MUST be something in the line.  France Telecom tested it and said it's OK from their end but it could be an exchange problem so they're sending an engineer tomorrow.  My neighbour is planning to barricade the engineer in her house and not let him out until it all works ...!

Anyway I'll let you know what the real fault was, but again many thanks for all your helpful suggestions.

[/quote]

Ah. I bet there's a short in the phone line inside the house. That would explain why the box cannot connect, but you would still be able to make phone calls.

[strebor]

Hi Nectrarine, hope you and FT have this all sorted now but in case you don't and for the benefit (I hope)

of those on the forum that struggle with the 'slings and arrows of outrageouse networks'

There  are a couple of command line tools that 'even' come with MS Windows ;-)

ping and traceroute tracert or some such in windows. Also your ADSL modem/router (Livebox)should have a system log, which might look something like this:

1/1/1970 0:0:0> Ethernet Device 0 Detected

1/1/1970 0:0:0> ATM: Detected

1/1/1970 0:0:0> ATM: Setting up vcc0, VPI=0, VCI=38

1/1/1970 0:0:0> Dynamic NAPT is enabled

1/1/1970 0:0:0> CfgMgr: 'Shtm.dlz' module loaded.

1/1/1970 0:0:0> CfgMgr: 'Washer.dlz' module loaded.

1/1/1970 0:0:0> Washer - washer_reg called!

1/1/1970 0:0:15> ATM Connected

1/1/1970 0:0:15> ATM layer is up, cell delineation achieved

1/1/1970 0:0:15> ADSL connected

1/1/1970 0:0:15> PPP1 PPPoA Connected

1/1/1970 0:0:15> PPP1: LCP terminated at peer's request.

1/1/1970 0:0:18> PPP1 Session is down.

1/1/1970 0:0:18> PPP1 PPPoA Connected

1/1/1970 0:0:21> PPP1 CHAP Authentication success

1/1/1970 0:0:22> PPP1: PPP IP address is 86.144.230.34

1/1/1970 0:0:22> PPP1: PPP Gateway IP address is 217.47.23.91

1/1/1970 0:0:22> PPP1: DNS Primary IP address is 194.74.23.91

1/1/1970 0:0:22> PPP1: DNS Secondary IP address is 194.72.5.65

1/1/1970 0:0:22> NAT/NAPT Session Start: interface ppp1, WAN IP is 146.147.30.76

1/1/1970 0:0:22> Initialized Dynamic NAPT.

1/1/1970 0:0:22> Initialized NAT Virtual Servers.

1/1/1970 0:0:22> Initialized DMZ host.

1/1/1970 0:0:22> No Static Session Information is defined.

1/1/1970 0:0:22> PPP1 Session is up.

9/3/2007 6:31:28> Received time from Time Server 129.34.5.25

Above you can see the 'ATM Connected' that at least tells you that you have a connection to the exchange.

Then 'CHAP Authentication sucess' you have sucessfuly loged in to your provider.

Then DNS servers are found, so your PC can convert those URLs to IP addresses.

The last line is setting the internal clock via NTP from a server 129.34.5.25 out over the internet.

Just to confirm things I have pinged and tracerouted the first point off my equipment.

tulip:/usr/sbin> ping 86.144.230.34

PING 86.144.230.34 (86.144.230.34) 56(84) bytes of data.

64 bytes from 86.144.230.34: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.978 ms

64 bytes from 86.144.230.34: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.947 ms

64 bytes from 86.144.230.34: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.909 ms

64 bytes from 86.144.230.34: icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=1.14 ms

tulip:/usr/sbin> ./traceroute 86.144.230.34

traceroute to 86.144.230.34 (86.144.230.34), 30 hops max, 40 byte packets

 1  host86-144-230-34.range86-144.btcentralplus.com (86.144.230.34)  0.974 ms   0.797 ms   1.113 ms

If you have a rainey evening, try finding this information from your PC, then when things go astray you might have some ammunition to fire back at FT.

Bonne chance..M

[nectarine]

Ah, the continuing saga of the Livebox!  If anyone's been following this thread I thought you might be interested in an update:

France Telecom came and checked the line and tweaked a few wires, but the Livebox didn't work.  The FT engineer said it was definitely a problem with the Livebox.  We went back to the shop and changed it for another.  Back home, set up the Livebox, nothing.  So we rang FT and asked for another Livebox, saying that we wouldn't drive 60kms back to the shop to exchagne it and then 60kms back home - so they agreed to send a courier van with a new Livebox.  But a few hours later the @ light came on and remained constant .... puzzled, we tried 'Internet Explorer' and - bingo - everything was working.  We had a pleasant couple of hours checking emails, etc. and all was well. 

The following day (I think you can guess where I'm going with this!), it was all working fine and the FT van arrived with a new Livebox.  Difficult decision, whether to exchange a working Livebox for a new untried box - so we told him that we didn't want it anymore as the one we had was now working (he was only a van driver and not an engineer).  Anyway, he went away and we went back inside, up to the computer and - would you believe it !!!!!! - the Livebox had packed up!!!  And we could see the courier van disapearing into the distance ....!

Aaaaaaghhh, eeeeek!  I was banging my head on a wall by this point in frustration.  the Livebox was dead, the @ light was flashing, and logging in as 'admin'and trying to revive it was doing nothing.

So, the next day, staying calm, we went back to the FT shop (60kms there, 60kms back) and politely asked for another, fourth, Livebox.  This time, however, we asked for the manager and stayed very polite.  The assistant went to change the box and gazve us a package but the manager took it, examined it and shook his head.  We were being given another SAGEM box but the manager said we'd had SAGEM boxes before, and he went into the back of the shop and brought out an Inventel box.  He said this would definitely work.

Back home, plug in and .... bingo.  all works, continues to work.  Three days later we are still surfing the internet, emailing all and sundry and the Inventel box's @ light continues to stay on all the time.

I hope this is the solution but if you're having continual Livebox problems then perhaps asking for an Inventel-manufactured one, instead of the standard SAGEM, might be the answer.  The FT manager didn't exactly say as much but I inferred that he had a lot of problems with the SAGEM-manufactured boxes.

Anyway, problem solved (fingers crossed).

[suein56]

[quote user="nectarine"]

I hope this is the solution but if you're having continual Livebox problems then perhaps asking for an Inventel-manufactured one, instead of the standard SAGEM, might be the answer.  The FT manager didn't exactly say as much but I inferred that he had a lot of problems with the SAGEM-manufactured boxes. [/quote]

As a fellow (satisfied) Livebox user I am pleased that a solution has at last been found and I wish you many happy hours of surfing.

OTOH I find this post to be an absolute hoot as I was told the exact opposite only last Octber when I signed up for ADSL. Having been told how dreadful Inventel boxes were compared to the saintly Sagem ones which never malfunctioned, I was aghast on opening up my Livebox package to discover an Inventel lurking inside. I was horrified and my first thought was 'shall I take it to FT and demand a Sagem? Or shall I try it first, just to see?' Of couse I tried it, it worked just fine and the rest is history ...

Sue [:)]