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British computer and French Wifi


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This one is causing a lot of head scratching.

Has anybody had trouble connecting a British (lap top in our case) computer with an 'on board' wifi connection to an Orange Livebox? So far it is proving impossible to get each of the devices to 'talk' to one another - we've even tried using a plug in wifi bought in our local Orange shop.

The French help lines are now suggesting that because the Windows XP program we are using is an English/American language version, this may be the cause of the problem and that the solution might be to reload a French language versionof XP. I do not really want to go to the expense of this and it does seem a bit strange.

Cheers guys.

 

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I don't think the problem's with the Windows XP English version etc. I've two laptops, both English, running English XP, along with a French desktop. I can run them all at once talking to the same French Livebox, or more often my Netgear DG834PN.

Does the Livebox appear on the list of available networks on your laptop? If so, when you enter the WEP key on the base of your laptop, do you put the Livebox into association mode by pressing the button on the side of your Livebox (there should be two - the one to press is the lefthand one)?

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Absolutely nothing to do with languages or anything like that. I've had my Aussie pc hooked up to the livebox before it died, now I have a German pc hooked up to it. I've also got an English laptop, another Aussie laptop and a French laptop wi fi connected to it no problems.

As Cjlaws said, it's the button on the livebox that must be pressed to associate the computer to the livebox. It's a security feature. Press that button when you are attempting to connect and all should be good.

Failing that, use a mallet or WD40 as a last resort!

(That last bit's a joke btw).

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  • 2 weeks later...
Try looking at the English help sites for a Livebox, in case the details have been confused in translation. The boxes are the same in the UK. This enabled me to connect my Mac as well as an XP laptop to my box.

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The make of Livebox in France is not the same as that now supplied in the UK. Most French liveboxes are SAGEM the UK ones are Inventel, they are similar but some controls and buttons are not in the same place.

You might need a dongle for your Livebox obtainable from Orange with the installation CD for another PC, other cheaper dongles might work but I wasted a lot of money following the advice of people who said other dongles would work and they didn't.

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[quote user="Bannon"]

This one is causing a lot of head scratching.

Has anybody had trouble connecting a British (lap top in our case) computer with an 'on board' wifi connection to an Orange Livebox? So far it is proving impossible to get each of the devices to 'talk' to one another - we've even tried using a plug in wifi bought in our local Orange shop. [/quote]

Absolutely no problem at all with anybody's make/nationality of computer who comes here to visit us. I just put the Livebox in association - by pressing the button on the Box - after the laptop in question has found the Livebox on the 'list of available networks', click 'connect', add the security code when requested and the computer is connected.

It is a good idea to shutdown your computer's firewall and antivirus programme whilst you are doing this as they can prevent connection.

Sue

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A quick question - my neighbour has just come home with a Live box and I'm sure to be asked to get it going when her line is activated - I did a couple last year, but one thing I meant to find out - do they have an inbuilt firewall - as my Netgear does?

Tim

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