Wanadoo Livebox without using USB "dongles"

[chessfou]

Is anybody using a Wanadoo LiveBox without USB dongles in their PCs?

Normal usage in our household (currently in UK) is 4 or 5 PCs

(laptops/notebooks/handhelds) at a time. All are WiFi enabled and all

but one of them is so enabled at chip level (I use a PCcard WiFi card

for the odd one out).

Obviously I don't want to mess about sticking useless USB connectors

into lots of PCs and can't do so with the IPAQ handheld (and wouldn't

want to anyway)..

If the LiveBox functions happily with "native" WiFi connectors then it (the LiveBox) may be a useful solution for us.

If not, then I would sooner just get a.n.other ADSL modem (for which I already have a spare wireless G router lying around).

So, hoping to hear of your experiences as time for decision-making is

reducing rapidly (phone line should be up and running by 1 Feb and

<8Mb ADSL by 1 March).

[Deimos]

One question is “why do you want a “LiveBox” ? –

particularly if you already have an 802.11g Access Point.  True that the LiveBox does have some “special

features” (e.g. TV in some areas), but are you after these ?

You can buy e.g. an Ethernet ADSL modem for Wanadoo for €10

(much cheaper than the LiveBox subscription at €3 per month).  The one I got from Wanadoo (over a year ago)

was a Thompson Speedtouch 510 and is pretty good and reliable – though for your

€10 they may be supplying something different these days.  I’ve configured it as a router so need no

software loaded on anything – just configure the IP stack for each computer

with the IP address of the router and it all works fine.  Speedtouch has all the normal stuff; DHCP

server, NAT firewall, UPnP, etc.  I use

a separate 802.11 Access point on the same network and it all works well (and

is cheaper and from what others say more reliable than a LiveBox).

Ian

[PossumGirl]

[quote user="chessfou"]Is anybody using a Wanadoo LiveBox without USB dongles in their PCs?

[/quote]

We just use the wifi cards that came in our computers and haven't had the least bit of trouble.

R