English wanadoo modem - not mine - for France??

[lausha]

Hi

A friend of mine with Wanadoo in the UK just sent me his Thompson modem and his English username so I can use it.  I already have a wanadoo account in France but never received a modem from them and was told by members of this forum that an english modem will do the job.  I thought I'd just try the CD in my UK computer in case any problems occurred and...

It asks me for a username - I tried typing in my French Wanadoo id but it wouldn't accept it.  At least I think it wouldn't.  The info I have been given by Wanadoo re my various log-ins are: an "id" which is a mix of letters and numbers, a password - ditto, a messagerie name which is my name @ wanadoo and a password for the messagerie.

So... do I type in HIS username, which presumably the modem is registered to?  But if so, won't that give me problems as it's English on the French ADSL?  Or if it's one of my names - which one?  And will I have to reset it at all do you know?

Thanks

[Ron Avery]

The modem is a means of accesssing the internet, it has no user names or passwords.

You do not get a modem from Wanadoo unless you go onto ADSL and then you get one as part of the conversion.  With dial up, you use the modem already installed in your PC or for old PC's a stand alone external modem...

What CD are you putting in and why?  A Wanadoo set up CD? A CD to run the modem ?   If you already have Wanadoo thern you just click on Wanadoo, put in the username and password supplied by Wanadoo, your PC should pick up the modem or ask for CD which you put in and install the new modem  What you are trying to do is access Wanadoo, so you just use the password for connection and user password supplied to you.  There is no reason why it should not work just because you have changed the modem., but it will not work if you are using a dial up modem for ADSL or vice versa.

[lausha]

Thanks Ron.  No, I have ADSL but when Wanadoo connected my phone line they failed twice to send me a Livebox so I'm taking matters into my own hands (anyway, don't need all the facilities Livebox has so don't want to pay a monthly fee to rent it...)

The CD I'm putting in is the CD that comes with the modem.  The instructions on the box are to put the CD in first before attaching the modem so the CD installs the modem on the computer.  So presumably I install the modem on the pc with the CD, then plug everything in, then...? 

You say "click on Wanadoo".  Click where?  When the modem is plugged in both ends will Wanadoo stuff automatically appear on my screen?

(Sorry to be so ignorant but my UK ADSL is cable and a nice man came round and set it all up for me.  And once I get to France - without internet connection until I sort out this modem problem - I won't be able to ask anyone as I won't be connected yet!!)

[Deimos]

Thomposon make quite a few different ADSL modems and the

best way of getting it to connect will depend on the type.  For example they make a Speedtouch 510

(which can be supplied by Wanadoo France) and if using that you would probably

want to configure your username and modem into the 510.  If using a USB modem then you would

configure the username and password into your PC.

As the ADSL on your telephone is connected to Wanadoo

France, you will need to use your Wanadoo France username and password.

France ADSL protocols are slightly different from the UK ones.  Some modems will automatically configure,

others may need to be manually configured and others will not work.  Again, using the Thomposon Speedtouch 510

example, if the device has UK firmware (as distributed by Thompson) then it

will not work in France.  If the device

has the French or “Worldwide” firmware loaded then it will/can work in

France.  Sometimes it will auto-detect,

other times you will need to set the protocol to 8.35.

How the devices work is unfortunately very specific to the device

and firmware loaded on the ADSL modem – thus difficult to provide general rules

about will/wont/might work.

I personally agree with your decision re: the Livebox.  You can purchase an ADSL modem (e.g. Ethernet

ADSL router) from Wanadoo for 10€ (or a USB one for 1€).  Don’t let them insist about the Livebox –which

people do not need (and are often better without).  The reason Wanadoo want everybody to have Liveboxes is that

despite the fact that you can purchase them outright (e.g. Livebox 45€ last

Dec), they tend to only tell you about the 3€ per month deal.  Also, they hope to sell you the other

services they want to provide through the Livebox.  Again, live everybody else its just them rying to separate you

from your money (but I’m a cynic).

Ian

[lausha]

Thanks Ian, very helpful.

It's a Speedtouch 330.  The CD that came with it is Wanadoo, but it's for Wanadoo in the UK.  Should I not use the CD the install it onto the computer?  It's called a "connection CD" and it's issued by Wanadoo (UK)  and it says on the cover to put in the CD before you connect up the modem - but is the CD for the modem or for Wanadoo UK?  In which case - if I don't put in the CD - will it log on to Wanadoo automatically?  And if so, how?  Will the Wanadoo screen automatically appear as soon as I plug in the modem to the phoneline/pc? 

Thanks

[Ron Avery]

Lausha

Now I am totally confused. Where exactly are you trying to acess Wanadoo France from? You say France and then talk about once I get to France[*-)].  You do have an account with Wanadoo.fr and not Wanadoo.co.uk don't you?  They are not the same company at all and you will not be able access Wanadoo,.fr without an account.

 If you are in the UK you can really only access Wanadoo.fr through another Internet provider. You just log onto Wanadoo.fr put in your account number and access  your messages etc that way.  If  you are trying to use wanadoo.fr from the UK with French settings as far as I know it will not connect, it is like trying to dial a UK 0800 number from France. If you have a Wanadoo.fr ADSL account you will have been sent a modem for free to your French address by registered post, if you are in France get onto Wanadoo for a modem,  you don't have to pay a penny for the ordinary modem, its the WI-FI Livebox that costs 3€ a month and  you do not need that if you only have one PC and do not need WI-FI.

[lausha]

Oops - not making myself clear.  I am based in the UK, but have a place in France which FT have put broadband in - already connected up apparently - however Wanadoo have failed at least twice to send me a modem, so in order to get my broadband working I am bringing a modem from the UK. 

My friend who had a spare Thompson modem, from Wanadoo UK, sent me his.  Apparently it is compatible with French Wanadoo - it's listed on their site as an alternative as far as I can tell.  (My French isn't that great)  He sent it with its "installation CD" which tells me I need to insert that and go through the directions before I plug in the modem.  Do I need to put that CD in to load up the modem onto my computer, or is it simply a CD to load Wanadoo UK on?

At the French Wanadoo site I found what I think is a download for my particular modem, though I'm not sure what to do with it.  Do I - when I get to France on Sunday - just connect up my modem to the computer and to the ADSL-enabled line, and I will automatically see a French Wanadoo screen asking me for my various IDs?  Or do I have to load the CD/the download/any other specific software first?  Or do I load on any of the above after I have connected the modem?  Please could someone explain it to me in easy steps because I have been paying Wanadoo for broadband now since November but have been unable to access it because they can't seem to be able to get me a modem, though they have had absolutely no problems taking my money... (...don't get me started!!)

Thanks in advance

Laura

[Ron Avery]

Wanadoo deliver the modems by courier to your registered French address if you have not been there that is why you do not have one, your easist way out of this is to ask Wanadoo to send you the kit, it ony takes two or three days[:)].

If you are having ADSL from Wanadoo you need the French phone splitter plug, also supplied with the modem, this allows the phone to be used if you are on the internet.  I doubt that you will get much joy from just trying a UK modem to connect to Wanadoo without the splitter and the Wanadooo instaklllation disc, however,  you can try and the best thing to do is install the modem, turn on your PC and see if it finds it OK, XP  will normally find most standard modems, if not you will need  the installation CD.

If Wanadoo.fr is not installed on your PC,  you will need to load it from the CD you got when you subscribed, or set the dial up connection yourself, some people find the Waadoo installation invasive, but if you don't know what you are doing, it is probably the simplest  way to get internet access.  You just follow the instructions, put in your user name and password ( the one you got when you subscribed to Wanadoo.fr) and you should then be connected to Wanadoo[:D]

You will then get lots of people telling you that Free and Alice are better, but they are not really........

[lausha]

[quote user="Ron Avery"]

Wanadoo deliver the modems by courier to your registered French address if you have not been there that is why you do not have one, your easist way out of this is to ask Wanadoo to send you the kit, it ony takes two or three days[:)].[/quote]

3 times I asked them to send it to me - I was there in France for a good 2 week period each time, but nothing arrived.  And no note from the postman to say he'd come but we'd been out if that had been the case.  (And other deliveries had been successful so it wasn't me giving them the wrong address or anything!)  When I complained to Wanadoo they said it was the Poste's fault, not theirs, so basically... tough.  They still took my money.  Oh, and I've never had any documentation from them at all, and certainly no CD.  If it wasn't for the money leaving my bank account each month I would have no proof whatsoever that Wanadoo even knew who I was.

But thanks for your help, much appreciated.  Hopefully I will be able to log on from France and thank you again, from my newly activated Wanadoo account!!

Laura

[Deimos]

When you first sign-up, Wanadoo delay the shipment of the

modem so in theory it should arrive at the same sort of time the ADSL is

activated by France Telecom (at least that’s what they used to do).  On occasions shipment can take a couple of

weeks.  When I once called about a

Livebox, they had them in-stock and said that if I ordered one there and then I

would not get it for something close on 2 weeks (cannot remember exactly – but

I did not really want one and did not really believe the reasons Wanadoo had

given as to why my ADSL was not working but would if I got a Livebox).  I’m sure they have arrived faster but the

service they offer is very far from next day. 

I think you may be experiencing one of the problems of being there only

occasionally.

If you have had no documentation from them, how do you know

your username/password (for both the connection set and the e-mail set).  One of my passwords became corrupted once

(at their end) and I had a massive problem getting them to change the password

to something else – even though I could tell them the other 3 items (usernames

and other password), my phone number (which they also knew from their CLI,

etc.).  1^st attempt I could

only get that they would put it in the post and I could expect a letter in a

week’s time.  2^nd attempt

after ages of arguing managed to get it set to something I knew.

The CD will come in the same box as the modem (not

separately) – at least it did in my case.

When you got the modem in the UK, did your friend also give

you ADSL filters for all other telephone equipment in the house.  You will need these.  If you do not have any, then they can be

purchased from Brico’s, etc. (with FT type connectors).

[quote

user="Ron Avery"]

You will then get lots of people telling you that Free and Alice are better,

but they are not really........

[/quote]

I agree – all much the same.  It was not that long ago that somebody was asking about what ADSL

modem they could buy because Alice/Tiscali had failed to send them one.

 

Ian

 

[Ron Avery]

On the plus side Ian Wanadoo has just reduced the price of their 1012k ADSL by 5€, at last the internet is getting competitive in France[:)]

[jimd17]

This reply probably isn't a great help but I have had similar

experiences withWanadoo.fr. It is very unusual for them to reply to

emails or letters ( in my simple  French  ) Despite numerous

requests they have never sent me an installation kit with CDrom

although they did send a letter with a password and user name. I bought

my own Belkin/Micromedia wifi modem/router for 80 euros and after many

attempts managed to establish a connection using the identifiers they

provided and the Belkin setup instructions However, there still is a

strange problem that it always takes me at least ten minutes to connect

each day to Wanadoo ADSL when establishing a first connection in the

morning ( I turn off my computer each night )  I don't know why

there is this delay.

[Deimos]

[quote user="jimd17"] ... However, there still is a

strange problem that it always takes me at least ten minutes to connect

each day to Wanadoo ADSL when establishing a first connection in the

morning ( I turn off my computer each night )  I don't know why

there is this delay.

[/quote]

Not a problem.  ADSL

(in France) does this.  Maybe some

people have much quicker sync, but the quoted times are 10 mins and I have

certainly seen that sort of time on occasions. 

It can take up to 10 mins to establish a connection.  Often quicker but mine has taken that long

before.  However, I don’t switch mine

off so it normally does not need to reconnect.

Ian

[Nick Trollope]

Isn't it the modem that "connects", rather than the PC - the modem is just another network address, surely? So why not just leave the modem powered up?

[Lautrec]

I have too the same delay  getting my first connection; usually about 5 - 10 minutes. This is not too bad if you only have to experience it at the beginning of a session, but my computer has the the nasty habit of breaking the connection if I do not use the PC for 5 minutes or so!

That is annoying, but the most upsetting extra is, the only way I can get 'back on line' is to completely reboot the computer.. So I have the same wait all over again!

Is there any other sufferer has discovered the cure for this?

Lautrec

[Ron Avery]

You really do have problems don't you Lautrec?  Can't you just go to Start and hit the internet icon to start your internet?.  The answer to your cutting out is probably in how your modem is set up.  Look at the properties of the modem and see if there is a time limit to the length of time of no internet activity.  If you have dial up then this was a measure put in to stop users leaving themselves connected and costing money if you paid as you go.  I  have no idea what modem you have so I could not even begin to tell you how to change the settings, see if your modem had a booklet, try Help or do a Google on the make of your modem.