Using one ADSL provider's box on another service.

[Martin963]

Idle curiousity is eating away at me,  and I wonder whether one of you ADSl experts knows the answer  (eg Pachapapa,   in simple language please if it's you (as I suspect it might be)).

My old "owned-by-me" Club Internet box (a Tecom AH4222) sits gathering dust whilst my rented Alice box does the work,   following a change of provider two years ago.

I've read of people managing to get Alice boxes to work on Club Internet (or 9cegetel or whatever they are this week) but is it possible to get a Tecom 4222 to work on Alice.....?

In my innocence I rather assume that the gubbins of these boxes is all pretty similar,  it's just knowing EVERY setting that would need changing,  including the VOIP ones.   

http://www.3000fr.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=999

Failing full functionality,  could the Club Internet box be used as a simple ADSL modem (eg back in Britain on Eclipse)?

[AnOther]

Unless someone knows to the contrary I suspect the Tecom may have custom firmware in it for Club which will prevent it from working with any other ISP. The only way to prove it is to try it, you can't do any harm.

Even if it gets you online though I think it's unlikely that you'll get the VoIP side to work.

Good luck

[Salty Sam]

I don't know about the boxes you mention Martin, but I know that an Orange box bought in France won't work in GB and vice versa.

[gyn_paul]

Free.fr boxes are even specific to the subscriber: my neighbour had a problem with his and we swopped to try and see if the problem was the line or the box. My box wouldn't work on his line, nor his on mine, so what chance a different ISP?

p

[pachapapa]

The Hitachi AH 4021 Box was used by Club-Internet and under SFR is now known as the Club-Internet Box. The same Hitachi Box was used by Alice during the Alice Administration the firmware and configuration were locally accessible. When Alice was taken over by Free the firmware and connections were drastically rationalised and advanced access to configuration is now no longer possible. The firmware for an Alice subscriber with a Sagem 3302, Hitachi AH 4021 and Pirelli Box is now the same viz Version 2.0.14. Even minor changes in configuration are effected from the Free Server; for example freeing up the RJ 45 LAN Port from TV to a normal LAN function.

 

[AnOther]

The Hatachi AH4021 - AKA Tecom, and it's propriotory firmware - was the villain of the piece in last years Teleconnect (spit) fiasco [:@]

 

[pachapapa]

Possible work around. Your box would appear to still have the CI firmware on board, so access to the three configuration modes is probably still available using your internet browser and the local IP 192.168.1.1 with the CI User and Password. In conjunction with the installation procedure for an Alice environment, described in the link below, it may be possible to replicate a PRE FREE takover of Alice configuration. It is possible that when you have configured and connect to Alice/Free the Free server may recognise your Box as pre take over Box and initiate the fairly long process of downloading and installing and validating the new Free firmware on the Box. You might end up with a spare Alice configured Box ready for the summer electric storms.

Another option would be to call the Alice gratuit help line on 1033 and get the technician to help you with the install so as to get a back-up box.

http://www.c-alice.com/phpBB2/alicebox-hitachi-ah-4021-regroupement-tutoriaux-aide-vt3528.html

[Martin963]

@ gyn_ - presumably you changed the passwords and it remained "locked".....?

Thanks for the input anyway folks,   I will give the ADSL bit a try on the basis that I've been told it won't compromise my Alice service when I resubstitute the Alice box.

I know it's a silly question,   but is there a(n) (ADSL) telephone number that the box dials to establish its ADSL connection (as in dial up?).   I'm sure I've seen mention of this but probably I've misunderstood.   If so does anyone know what the Alice one is?

Sorry if it's a daft question...

[Martin963]

Thanks pachapapa in particular.     Yes indeed I can still access all the confuig menus on the CI box as you describe,  it's just I've been doing it without the box connected to the phone line.

I'll have a little play.

Renewed thanks.

[pachapapa]

ADSL box connected to a dedicated DSLAM at exchange so no number as in dial up. Not sure how synchronisation occurs but I presume it must be on the basis of nom d'utilisateur ADSL and  mot de passe. The user number has form 4xchars 4xdigits@alice.hautdebit. The password will have been selected by yourself when you signed up.

Bonne Chance.

The http://www.c-alice.com/ site is useful; maybe worth becoming a member and posting an enquiry, Busyspider is the recognised Alice expert by the way. He did all the patches for configuring the Alice Boxes in the days when local configuration was feasible.

[pachapapa]

Link with video for installation of modems using the Alice installation disc. http://images.aliceadsl.fr/support/assistancevideo/flash_content/index.html

[Martin963]

I've finally got around to having a play.

First problem - there appears to be no (obvious to me at any rate) way to change your user name and password on the Club Internet box.    Finally in desperation I installed the box on my lap top from scratch,   and thus was able to get at the dialogue box that asks for these parameters during initial set up.

But....

When I put in my Alice co-ordinates  (xxxx0070@alice.hautedebit  and xxxxxxx) the system IMMEDIATELY told me that I'd given erroneous information.    The box was not connected to the internet at the time so either the CD or the software must have detected a problem.

Well the problem is the ampersand,  if I leave that out then the box accepts the user name and password and tries to establish a connection,  but of course without success as the information is then wrong as far as Alice is concerned.

Annoying part is that the box synchronises without any problem at all,  but I can get no further.

If anyone has any bright ideas,   particularly perhaps how to get at the Nom d'utilisateur ADSL and Mot de passe ADSL direct via 192.168.1.1 then I'd be very grateful.

[Martin963]

Well I'll go to the foot of our stairs.

Tried 192.168.1.1 via the laptop and it let me into the Distant LAN settings,   in which there *is* the chance to change the parameters after all.

And I did and it did and the ADSL internet bit WORKS!!!!!!

So next question

I go to the "VOIX" settings which is the VOIP I think and I find this

Adresse IP/FQDN du RTP:    rtp3.voip.club-internet.fr

Does anyone know what the Alice setting might be?

Thanks.

[Martin963]

I think I'm getting ever closer.

This link

http://alicebox-news.fr/forums/topic5820-essais-sur-un-tecom-ah4222.html

seems to suggest that it's possible.

However,   I don't know what my "code VOIP" is,  and this is needed to generate the "Clef MGCP" using the little utility that is mentioned to generate said "Clef".   In addition,  neither  mgc1.tiscali.fr nor mgc2.libertysurf.net sound terribly up to date do they?

Any ideas?

Thanks again

[Martin963]

All right,   I *do* know what my Code VOIP is,  it's an eighteen digit number  "Ma Clé de sécurité" in the letter from Alice.

So I've generated my MGCP number,  stopped the MGCP client,   put in the tiscali address,  put in the MGCP number and restarted the client.    It doesn't work (yet!) but I notice that my 20 digit MGCP number shrinks back to six blobs (ie hidden digits) in the menu for the Club Internet box.

I'm going to be annoyed if I fail this late in the day....   so suggestions please.

[Martin963]

Just tried Alice;   their best suggestion was RUN -> cmd -> ipconfig /all which tells me nothing.   They refused to disclose the VOIP address that I need,   although in fairness maybe they didn't understand.

Where are you pachapapa....?

[AnOther]

If there is a facility to do a backup dump of the configuration you will probably be able to find it in there.

[Martin963]

Thanks AnO.   A very good thought,  problem is that the Alice box menus have been hugely simplified  (probably to stop people like me b*****ing them up) and I have no idea how to do a dump.

Any ideas from anyone with an Alice box?

[AnOther]

Often in the firmware upgrade page there will be an option to take a backup but I have no actual experience of the Alice box.