Orange Livebox Review

Orange Livebox

When i decided to move to France to work I originally planned to take my linksys pap2 voip box and router with me. When I visited the France Telecom store to sign up for ADSL I noticed they were giving away a free livebox when you took out a subscription to their ADSL service.

The livebox is a combined wireless router/modem with a socket to plug a phone into to make cheaper VOIP calls.

Also included in the livebox package is a usb wireless adapter this makes it easy to set up the device if you don't already have a pc with a wireless facility. The USB wireless
would not work with my mac, but i was enable to connect to the livebox using my macs airport card. I did have to use a PC for the original configuration.

The ‘all-in-one’ solution from French ISP Wanadoo (Now known as Orange) is an interesting concept. Resembling an iPod that has mated with an atlas, the LiveBox is small enough to be tucked away on a bookshelf and flash enough to be the centre-piece of any cutting-edge internet office - especially the Wayne Hemmingway designed offering.

In France the Orange Livebox seems a very good deal and it comes with 8mb broadband. Apparently the UK version has limited bandwidth and so it might not be such a good deal.

Your Comments/Opinions

Can't get the livebox to work(tried everything,dropping firewall/anti virus etc),reverted back to my good old trusty cable modem

RobD

Went on-line with a Livebox in France two weeks ago...Can't fault it yet but lost the ability to use Norton Liveupdater on two computers...It refuses to connect and Norton are no help....Will switch to McAfee!!!!

Steve

Thanks to Hugh for the information I have changed the text to English. Any idea how to download a English manual anyone?

john

More of a question. Can I plug a network switch into the Livebox and gain wired internet access via the PCs plugged into the switch?i.e. attaching a wired network to the wireless one.

Jan

my mate has this, can I call him even if I don't have one and what Voip software should I use? Oh and how do I connect to him? I'm a newbie obviously.

john

I just got a Livebox from Orange's Mauritian partner, MT. Works perfect except the WiFi security settings were too strict to allow my Acer laptop to connect. logged into the box and eased the settings. Now it's working. Got to get a switch now...

ash

I have a live box just can't get it working and have gone back to my reliable adsl router which works fine.

Steve

i think live box is very good for the money

Bob

I bought the wanadoo version of the livebox a couple of months ago and i recently discovered that Wanadoo have locked this unit to their network - it will attempt to establish a PPPoA connection only if the username & password entered are within a domain used by Wanadoo for their customers' ADSL logins. Wanadoo do actually say on this ontheir website and in the documentation supplied in the box that "please note that your Livebox. I just didn't notice it before I signed the 12 month contract! Oh well it's only a matter of time before someone unlocks the livebox, it would be good to use the livebox with a cheaper VOIP service than wanadoo.

Damian Simes

If you are a mac user remember you can plug an AirPort Extreme base station into your Wanadoo Livebox. Don't expect any support from wanadoo/orange but you will get the wireless web access this way. A lot of people have had problems accessing the livebox directly using a mac airport card. It's also an option for linux users to plug an existing wireless router into the livebox but linux users all know that anyway ........

Hugh

If you only speak english and you have an orange france livebox you can log into the livebox by entering http://192.168.1.1/ into the browser address bar, username is admin and password is admin. When you have logged in you can change the language to english by clicking the flags on the top right of the screen. This makes configuring the livebox much easier. You will need to disable Videophone by ADSL and TV by ADSL if you want to use both RJ45 ports for PCs.

Michelle

Noting the comment about locking in the LiveBox for Voip, I assume that this wouldn't apply to Skype which piggybacks off the existing internet connection. I wonder if there are any other possible limitations to the LiveBox, presumably it uses a dynamic IP and doesnt allow static IP? I'll see if the Wannado site contains any info about this.

Paul

I've got a livebox from orange france and it seems to have an interesting feature that lets you download photos from your mobile via bluetooth and publish them on your blog automatically. Does anybody know how to use this feature. My french isn't good enough to read the manual.

John King

does anyone know if you can use the second RJ45 to plug in an xbox 360 for xbox live? if you can, do you have to set it up in any specific way, because its not working for me at the moment

Joe

Great info, especially changing to English. Thanks! Does anyone know why Skype calls drop out after about 30 seconds? Is it a Livebox problem?

Sable

My mate has recently had an orane livebox and having a lot of problems with keeping his connection. It seems that the automatic firmware updates happen all the time instead of just the once any idea's on how to turn them off. I know you can Telnet into the box but can't find any commands for it. Also having problems with giving it a staic IP address. It seems to me it works like a glorified soft modem rather than a router. Any help would be appreciated.

Evzz

Hi, Orange has soft launched Apple MAC support for Livebox (Wired & Wireless) Call 0870 010 2462, IVR options: 1-5-3-1. Regards... The future is bright, the future is Orange...

Alex

Hi, I'm not at all a techie, so need help aimed at dunces. I live in Indre, France, and have my PC working on WiFi with Orange/Wanadoo Livebox, and it works fine. I have just got a MacBook and am totally at sea as to how to configure or attach it to the WiFi network. I've been collecting bits of advice off the internet, and trying to translate my Guide d'ulilisation for the Livebox, it all seems to be telling me different things. I got as far with my Mac as it saying that the Livebox itself must be made to recognise the Mac. In the Livebox manual [in French] it seems to show how to connect a second PC to the Livebox, but the section on Macs doesn't seem to cover connecting a second computer [and particularly when the lst is a PC and the 2nd a Mac]. I don't want to bugger up the PC connection when I connect the Mac. Also the Mac has asked for my Livebox password, and I haven't a clue what it is [France Telecom engineers came here to connect the PC a year ago]. I've gone to the manual about changing the password, but it demands my first password, so that's no good. There seems to be no place to go like the familiar "click here if you have forgotten your password" on the Orange or Sagem internet sites. Also the Mac doesn't seem to let me go any further with set up until I've solved the internet connection problem. I really need help. An English language manual for the Livebox would be a good start. Or a step-by-step for dunces explanation of what I need to do would earn my eternal gratitude. Thanks so much.

Nancy

i just set up my orange live box and it is great not giving me any problems yet. i have an acer laptop and it works fine wot u have to do to set it up is press the number 1 button on the side of the box so it reads ur computer make sure ur laptop is ON wen u do this go in to connection double click on ur live box connection and type in ur WEP key but make sure u use CAPITALS for ur WEP key coz it is case sensitive otherwise u will have problems this should sort it out for u Acer laptop users!!!!

JACK

I got caught out with the case sensitive WEP key! As if you use the caps lock, you get a warning that the caps-lock is ON... thus giving the impression that it should be OFF.... So just IGNORE the warning and Bingo! it works! Could do with a sticker by the modem WEP code warning new users to use upper case.

Roger T

WHERE DO I GET A LIVE BOX FROM!!!!!

Aaron

Matt 1972uk - Nice one! I'll give it a try, thank's.

Keith B

I'm living and working between U.K & France at the moment. Hopefully if I can get a decent internet & Voip set-up, I will be able to finally settle and work from France all the time. I'm new to all this techno' stuff and need some advice. I've recently subscribed to the basic 'livebox' package from Orange(FR), but didn't take the phone option as I guessed i'd be given a French number. I need a U.K number so customers (& my boss, of course !) can keep in touch at a local U.K rate. Can I buy an Orange Voip phone in the U.K that i'll be able to plug in and use with my 'livebox' in France. Any ideas, anyone ! Thanks.

Keith B

Keith B I use a vonage VOIP adapter with my livebox that I got from france telecom last year. I have never used the VOIP phone connection on the livebox itself. With vonage I pay £9.99 a month and get a landline number with local dialing code (shrewsbury). When I call someone in the UK it looks like i am calling from shrewsbury if the person I am calling has caller ID. With vonage all my UK landline calls are free. I am really impressed with it. The quality of VOIP calls seems better in france than the UK.

Matt 1972uk

Keith B I use a vonage VOIP adapter with my livebox that I got from france telecom last year. I have never used the VOIP phone connection on the livebox itself. With vonage I pay £9.99 a month and get a landline number with local dialing code (shrewsbury). When I call someone in the UK it looks like i am calling from shrewsbury if the person I am calling has caller ID. With vonage all my UK landline calls are free. I am really impressed with it. The quality of VOIP calls seems better in france than the UK.

Matt 1972uk

Would like to know how to switch off (out) the wifi on my live box, quite happy running from the cable just dont like the headaches!, Thanks.

Christian.

Both the RJ45 ports can be used as normal ethernet ports so there should be no problem hooking up an IP security camera. You may have to enable the port in the admin area of the livebox.

Paul

Running livebox for 6 months in France ( second home ) no major problems but does anyone know if I can connect an IP security camera to the second RJ45 port ( if so do I just plug it in or are there some configurations to make ) and does the livebox support power over ethernet or do you need an injector. Thanks

Steve

My mum has a G4 iMac running OS 10.4.10 with no wireless card. She's just moved to France and has opened an account with France Telecom (Orange). Problems! she is a spry 73 year old but knows nothing about Macs and her grasp of French isn't great either! The disc that came with the package doesn't have an installer for Macs just PCs but we have been assured that we can manually configure it. I still live in England (and am pretty au fait with Macs) and have tried to talk her through it but am not having any luck at the moment! Anyone know of some absolutely bulletproof, simple step-by-step instructions anywhere that I can print out and send to her by post? I've searched this forum but this link is out of date - http://www.transcience.freeserve.co.uk/bra...o-wireless.html Failing that, she lives near Bellac/Limoges so can anyone recommend a troubleshooter who doesn't cost the earth? The FT people don't appear to offer any Mac support - even though they signed her up in the first place on the promise that it was all Mac compatible :-( Help please or someone will talk her in to buying a PC...

Lynne.

ive had a livebox for half a year now and it was one of the most pointless descisions ive ever made. It constantly disconnects leaving me stranded. Refuses to allow updaters to connect with the internet. Ive had to phone orange countlesss times about its poor operation and internet connection as we are on the unlimited package and only recieve a 50/kb download per second speed when it is supposed to be about 4mb!!!

Gethin

I've just had my phone line installed (in France) and have Livebox for internet and phone. Internet is fine but phone has cut off after the first morning - halfway through a call! The phone light is still on on the livebox. Any suggestions?

Linda

tv & computer work with livebox phone wont.£80 bill for 2 calls to england help please easy stepsKris

kris

I've got a livebox in france. My normal phone rings for incoming calls, but the phone that runs through the Livebox (for the inclusive calls)does not ring when I call the number?? any suggestions?? it has a different number from my original line.

shelley

I have had it for 3 days now and can't fault it. The sleek box just keeps giving! Me and my family are running a desktop, laptop and a playstation 3 from the godsend! My say is 10/10 A* CANNOT BEAT IT!

Dan

Had a Orange livebox since November 2007, I have had many problems with France Telecom including 11 days without a phoneline so no internet, Livebox constantly needs to be rebooted. Orange say they are not part of France Telecom and Vice-Versa. The package was supposed to be a Liveboxwith just broadband connection and a landline all for €39.90 per month. So far since november it's cost me over €700 for the packge with no refund for the poor line and internet service and no customer support from Orange/France Telecom. The service sucks.

Peter

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