Wanadoo; What else?

[Lautrec]

[8-)]With difficulty, I have managed to cancel my Tiscali sunscription and moved to Wanadoo. The main reason for the change was to be able to get Broadband, and Wanadoo are the only servers providing it in our area of Ruffec. However, I can only get the basic service of 512K, which does not seem all much faster than my old non-broadband service at Tiscali.!

I was always under the  impression that on Broadband, you were able to use the telephone whilst on line, but that does not seem to be happening. But I am being offered a 'Livebox' for an additional 3 Euros. What exactly is a live box? What does it do? Would it mean that it would enable one to use the telephone at the same time? Would be pleased to be enlightened!

I say!, I do like the new format Forum. Nice to be able to change the text and colours and size!

[MargaretD]

Glad you got the hang of writing, changing clolours etc.

Yes our Livebox lets me write on the computer, talk via skype whilst husband talks on the phone!  We never have to talk to oneanother (Oh that's not fair we talk alot).

mmm.  I've also managed to change colour and font - but what - no Comic Sans?

Hope that helps.

Margaret

[Deimos]

If you are really using ADSL, then you should be able to use

your internet connection at the same time as the telephone.

You will need a filter on each telephone in your house.  These are FT inline devices (a plug and

socket in one, normally only a bit larger than the normal FT plug).  You normally get one or two wth your ADSL

modem.

Your ADSL modem is completely different to your old dial-up

modem.  Your old modem will not “talk

ADSL”.  If when you are on the internet

you like the telephone receiver and you hear the beeps and whistles, you are

connected through your old dial-up modem. 

Unless you want to use your old modem for e.g fax or backup link then

disconnect it from your computer and only use the ADSL modem.

The Livebox is Wanadoo’s preferred ADSL modem.  It does quite a lot and many people

(including me) think it is not as great a device as Wanadoo think it is.  I would (personally) just stick with a

cheapo AADSL modem (you can get then pretty cheaply from e.g. Wanadoo).

When you subscribe to Wanadoo it may take up to a couple of

weeks for your ADSL to actually be connected properly by FT (to Wanadoo).  If you are limited to 512 then it is

probably the distance you are from the exchange.  However, 512 will be a lot faster than your old dial-up.

If you feel technically capable, you are best to configure

the ADSL connection without using Wanadoo’s CD as many (including me) think its

not the best bit of software around. 

However, if you are not confidant setting up the ADSL link yourself

manually (e.g. on windows using Windoze networking) then the Wanadoo CD may be

the safer bet).

 

Hope above gives you something to go on.

 

Ian

[Benjamin]

If you play with it too much you'll just flatten the batteries. Seriously...............

The Livebox lets you access the Internet from more than one computer at the same time, it will also allow you to pay an additional subscription to access certain French TV channels and the reason I am using one; it lets you access the Internet without being connected to a phone socket. A bit of care is required here if you live in an old house with thick stone walls you may find that you cannot "talk" to the Livebox from all over the house.

Benjamin 

[Lautrec]

Thank you Deimos, Benjamin and Margaret for your input. It all becomes clear to me now, especially as today I received my  Livebox from the postman! I realize that I am not yet up to full speed at the moment, but I should have an improvement once I have installed this box.

I managed to subscibe to Wanadoo over the telephone, as a kind friend gave me the proper number to ring. I have received the prelevement form, which I have deposited at my bank to cover the monthly charges and installed the programme with the CD Rom and the three passwords that were given to me in the post. So now I will have to sit down in front of my PC; dictionary in my hand and try to get the proper installation. It seems pretty straightforward, but time will tell. So fingers; legs and eyes crossed I will start the process.

Lautrec.

[Ron Avery]

Benjamin (or anyone else)

If you have successfully managed to get more than one PC on to your Livebox ( using Wi-Fi, not a fixed phone line) could you let me know how you did it.  I followed the advise I was given on here about getting another 11g dongle( adaptor) and plugged that in to find that this Netgear one  will not talk to the Livebox, my Wanadoo supplied Sagem is OK on the other PC though, so does it have to be another Sagem adaptor? 

 On Wanadoo, French and UK sites section on connecting another PC to a Livebox,  it tells me to put in the software CD but to which PC, the first one, the new one and which software CD Wanadoo, Livebox or the dongle one???

 I tried all three in the new PC , the dongle one loaded OK, the Livebox one wanted me to connect to the dongle but couldn't (until I changed the dongle to the sagem one, but then it would not connect to Wanadoo) and the Wanadoo CD kept offering me eXtense deals that I do not have.  Just why is it so difficult???  Perhaps it is not supposed to work and that is why Wanadoo charge an arm and a leg for their technical support phone line!! 

[Benjamin]

Sorry Ron, but I'm one of those poor people that can only afford one P C. I've mentioned on other postings that I use a Livebox purely because it gives me the freedom to site the P C anywhere in the house without being tied to a telephone socket.

It might be worth mentioning that when I purchased my P C from a local systems builder I got them to instal the Livebox and establish the ADSL connection because I didn't feel technically competent to deal with any unknown problems that could have occured during the installation. This is always a bit difficult to admit when you know a seven year old could do it with their eyes closed and we adults seem to hit so many snags.

It took about 15 minutes for them to do it for me. I can't identify a cost because it was included as part of the "deal" when I purchased the computer, but sometimes I find it worthwhile to get professional help if only to avoid this type of frustration.

Benjamin

ps where's the spell checker gone on this extremely sexy new system?