Orange internet speed and modem rental

[Dave Phelan]

Hi, I live in the Aude near Limoux. My Orange internet is a max of 8MB but recently the max I can get is from 2-3.6MB. Just wondering if this is something I can get checked or is there an online checker ?

I am also paying €3 per month for rental of the modem, just wondering if I can purchase the modem?

thanks

Dave

[Loiseau]

Not sure if this is any use to you, Dave, but you can try this site http://www.degrouptest.com to check how far down the line you are, and what telephone packages you might be eligible for. You enter your landline number and postcode.

It shows me that I am 7km from whatever bit of telecoms equipment is important (hmm, you can see how techie I am - not) so am never going to be downloading movies etc, but it's adequate for most things.

Angela

[crabtree]

If you subscribe to SOSH (Orange's Low Cost Option) there is no charge for the Livebox!

[AnOther]

8mb is just the package Orange have put you on based on the information they hold on your line (length and attenuation) but that does not mean you will get 8mb or necessarily anywhere near it. Since 2mb is the next step down you should expect anything from say about 3.5mb upwards.

How are you measuring anyway, sites like Speedtest are not reliable indicators and Degrouptest only returns what the Orange records say and they are far from infallible.

Orange have their own little tool for checking speed but I can't recall where it is and it wouldn't run for me anyway.

The only reasonably accurate way of determining the losses on your own line is by the real world attenuation figure in the Livebox, to be getting 8mb you'd be looking for something in the low 20's or better. 3.5mb would suggest the mid 40's.

You can purchase a Livebox but frankly with the high incidence of storms and blown routers my advice would be to stay with the rental.

That said a friend on ours has had her Livebox zapped and but apparently Orange say they have run out of replacements and won't have any for 10 days !

I've just set her up with a USB router for the interim but that doesn't get her VoIP phone working.

[Jako]

If you do not use other services from Orange like phone over the internet (voip) or TV, as is the case with the 'Découverte 8 mega' subscription, than you can use any annex-A modem you want.

I use a second-hand FritzBox that I bought online for €30,- . One can even register  a UK voip number on that thing. At the going rate of €3/month I started to make money after 10 months and that is five years ago.(5*12*3=already €180 saved)