This is to help all you poor people who are being driven insane because you cannot reliably connect to the Internet using Orange. Don’t despair there is an answer, my experience is that its definitely a problem with the Orange Livebox Router.
I recently subscribed to the Orange Home Max service and had the problems many of you describe, I could only ever connect to the web for a few minutes at a time before having to switch the livebox off then back on again, so I could spend my whole day trying to get connected to the internet for just a few minutes.
Fortunately I am fairly technical so I know how to carry out all the tests that Orange and others recommend and I did so, Line tests, exchange tests, wiring tests of every socket in the house, filter changes, equipment isolation, changes and checks etc etc. You name it, no stone was left unturned I did it! Following all of this I still had exactly the same problem, livebox keeps dropping broadband.
Then I changed from Livebox to Speedtouch modem, problem 100% solved, trouble is now I do not have any of the router and VOIP capabilities that I have paid for.
Next step - borrowed a 2 year old Wanadoo livebox from a friend of mine, this works 100% too. Software revisions and setup are exactly the same as the Orange Livebox, which indicates that there are Hardware issues with the Orange Livebox.
The Wanadoo Livebox stays connected to the Internet 24 hours a day including direct connections and wireless. Upload and download speeds are very good as well. I have heard that other routers work OK with Orange too. No guarantees with your set ups of course, but that’s my experience.
Livebox problems are a great source of revenue for Orange tech support, it probably supports the whole department and makes profits for them too, so Orange will probably not want to fix the Livebox too quickly, although it is ruining their reputation so you would think that they would.
Moral of the story is don’t keep paying for Orange tech support which will take you round in circles for weeks and cost you a fortune, go onto Ebay to find an old Wanadoo livebox or a different router. Better still get Orange to supply you with a router that works (not Livebox) although on second thoughts don’t because they will make you speak to their tech support and you will have paid for one by the time you have finished with them.
Hope that this helps you to be able to use the Orange ADSL Broadband service that you are paying for.
Yes I have tried re-connecting the original Livebox several times but its still exactly the same unfortunately.
It is interesting that this works for some people because there are no technical reasons that I can think of which would make it work if it does not work at the start (assuming all that is being changed are Liveboxes).
The Orange and wanadoo liveboxes are effectively identical, they didn't redesign the hardware just for the name change. Some Orange liveboxes are reconditioned wanadoo boxes with a new cover.
It's likely just a dodgy box and not specific to all Orange liveboxes otherwise we'd have heard about it.
As is common with support lines they cost more to run than any profit they generate, this is supposedly true even for the 50p a minute lines. They do generate some revenue but far from a profit.
Hi Elhana,
Thanks for your reply its good that there are people like you on these boards trying to help Orange’s poor customers. I take it you are employed or sponsored by Orange?
These notice boards are a much better and less costly way of sorting out problems than speaking to Orange Tech support.
You are right, I would not make Livebox assumptions based on one experience, I had the same experience with an Orange Livebox with my previous service and two of my work colleagues have experienced the exact same problems.
I have only talked about one item so far, an item of hardware called the Livebox which I believe despite people defending it, is the technical cause of many of the Broadband issues for reasons I have discussed in my previous thread. As a reminder on my Broadband Service I have now tried Speed Touch Modem, Linksys Router, Old Wanadoo Livebox, and all work, 100%. Only the Orange Livebox drops Broadband every few minutes. I know there are must be Orange Liveboxes that work, I wish I had one, but I think there are so many out there like mine that do not work properly.
Lets be clear a working livebox takes some beating it’s a great product, its finding one that is reliable and whose technical parameters are “not on the edge” that is the challenge.
But that’s just boring technical talk, lets get on to the real issue and that is Orange selling this service in the first place, this service should be sold with a very clear health warning in its glossy brochures such as “because of the nature of broadband services it may be a number of weeks before you are properly connected, you may have to check your exchange, your line, every socket in your house, isolate equipment, you may have to spend many hours talking to Orange Technical support at a significant extra cost to yourself, there is no guarantee of voip because you may have to use a different router, in fact there is no guarantee that you will be able to enjoy this service at all…. etc etc. This will set peoples expectations so that they cannot complain after they have signed up and paid for the Orange service.
These issues are well known within the company so please be honest Orange!
People should be in a position where they can make an informed choice because there are broadband services out there that use different equipment to Orange that will work immediately.
I am in a fortunate position where I understand the technology and can trouble shoot and sort out these problems for myself, Probably more than 95% of Orange subscribers do not understand the technology (why should they?) they are just purchasing what they perceive as a straight forward Broadband ADSL service and have no idea what they are letting themselves in for.
In conclusion I believe the buck stops with the Senior Management at Orange, they need to be honest in their marketing literature. They need to set peoples expectations by providing information on all the checks that may need to be carried out, and the time it may take to get the service up and running, if its possible to get the service working at all.
If peoples expectations are set up front, then we will not have all these very unhappy customers on these notice boards, and outside, spreading the negative word about Orange and its services.
Joined: 05 Feb 2008Posts: 2Location: Koutiala Mali
Thanks Nearlylivebox
this post was an affirmation of what I found out last week.
I run networks in Bamako and Koutiala in Mali. We do have 6 Orange connections... and all off them don't work well for the wirelesspart of the modem. The wireless part sometimes works for a few hours, but most times less than 15 minutes...
This while at the same time the ethernet connection doesn't drop the connection.
So what I do here is always connect another wireless modem to the ethernetport. So the wireless part of the livebox we no longer connect to instead we use any linksys or dlink, sitecom router to give us stable wireless internet connection.
Maybe temperature is part why the livebox hardware functions so badly.. It is always more than 25 degrees celcius here upto 40 in the house...
Thanks
_________________ Why is it so hard to find Africa proof equipment. Equipment should work up to 50 degrees celcius at least...
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
“because of the nature of broadband services it may be a number of weeks before you are properly connected, you may have to check your exchange, your line, every socket in your house, isolate equipment, you may have to spend many hours talking to 
there are broadband services out there that use different equipment to 
