I signed up to switch from Virgin to Wannadoo because I liked the Livebox idea. The wannadoo operative told me they supported Macs up to O.S. 10.4. When the hardware arrived, there were no MAC drivers or instructions.
I called their MAC technical Support line, where a guy told me they don't support Macs - and the Livebox doesn't work properly on a MAC! In light of this, I tried to cancel my account. Just like other users on this forum, I was told I couldn't cancel because I'd signed a 12 month contract for Wannaddo, and that was that. I've written to head office twice now, and they aren't interested. Apparently, if the Technical Support guys back my case, head office might cancel, but the supervisors at both the normal Tech Support and MAC Tech Support haven't the backbone to do it for me.
I went back to Virgin and asked them to provide a service instead. They can't acitvate my line because of the active Wannadoo Broadband - I called Wannadoo and told them that however my dispute with them turns out, I definitely won't be using their service. What was I told? That they can't turn off the connection unless my account is cancelled, and I need authorisation from technical support for that. Now, I'm completely stuck - I can't have the product I want on my own phone line, and I'm being told I have to pay up 17.99 each month for something I don't want, having been miss-sold a product. Yes, I've written to Watchdog. Perhaps if we all do it they might start to think it's worth a slot on the programme. I'm feeling quite down about this, I run my own business and do not currently have the broadband I so desperately need.
They do everything to get hold of customers, they want you to pay up eben if you dont have interent providd by them, this is frustrating, something has to be done about this 12 month contract, i am still paying for them for nothing i dont have a connection since a month ago,
They offered me a dial up connection, which is abnsolutley unusefull, because it is very i mean very slow, how the hell am i going to use my phone, and why the hell am i paying 17.99 for a dial connection, absoluty ridiculous.
I hope you read this watch dog and hope you can do somthing about this because i am and i'm sure other people ae out there who's money is getting stolen.
Wanadoo can atleast tell me what is wrong with my connection and when exactly it is goint to be resolved becasue they never tell you they always have a new excuse and a new story for you believe me.
I cant believe this they told me I can cancell my contract when all the technical procedures have been done but when is that going to be?
It does support macs, well the usb modem does, not the livebox
you can get the livebox to work with macs, although you will need to buy either:
an airport card
or
a wireless eithernet bridge
I took the latter option and got my mums old g3 MAC (os 9.0.4) connected using a bridge by belkin (play.com)
I quote from the current wanadoo site:
"Do you support Apple MAC?
Not at the moment. However, if you're using an Apple computer, you can make a wired (ethernet) connection with our Livebox but you won't be able to install the wireless adaptor. You can use the Talk service."
There isn't MAC support as they don't have MAC trained techs. They were looking into MAC training when I left.
The livebox will work physicaly connected, and manually set up, as a router too, but won't as a rule work for the wireless..
I wasn't in Tech support, so I couldn't tellk you much more
(Oh, and i believe in the small print it does state it doens't support MAC OS X, or something similar...)
_________________ -----------------------
Ex-Wanadoo Employee as of beginning of 2006
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My Disclamer:
Information given as Goodwill, and is not binding in ANY form.
Your post said that the livebox wont with with the MAC - it will - just follow the instructions in the link - its so easy I just cannot understand why wanadoo don't publicise this.
Its just another example of wanadoo not knowing the first thing about technical support and customer service.
Your post said that the livebox wont with with the MAC - it will - just follow the instructions in the link - its so easy I just cannot understand why wanadoo don't publicise this.
Its just another example of wanadoo not knowing the first thing about technical support and customer service.
It always cracks me up reading these sorts of threads. Maybe I should complain that this very website does not render properly in Firefo running on Solaris 10 on my Ultra-60 (the computer I use at work)?
Which ISP in the UK does support Macs? Or Linux? Or any other obscure operating system? I am with NTL and I had to borrow a Windows laptop from work to run the setup program that activates the cable modem (as the software is Windows-only). This is hardly a Wanadoo issue - every ISP leaves MAC users out in the cold, ergo it''s a MAC issue.
Mac users (and I am one) are such a tiny minority amongst an ocean of PC users that it makes no financial sense for any ISP to hire the extra technicians to support them. Wanadoo's official posistion is that they do not support Macs, period. Of course this does not mean that it is impossible to use a MAC with a Livebox - it just means that they will not help you out if it goes awry. This is nothing to do with customer support - it's simple economics. Mac users can either like it or lump it, and this is something MAC users should be well used to by now (I've been wating over a year for a MAC-compatible version of Guitar Pro for example).
Also, I have to wonder how many MAC owners (out of the already tiny minority) haven't got built-in airport cards or do not know where to buy them?
Site AdminJoined: 07 Apr 2006Posts: 784Location: United Kingdom
m0thr4 wrote:
Maybe I should complain that this very website does not render properly in Firefo running on Solaris 10 on my Ultra-60
Hi m0thr4
I understand that it must be extremely frustrating for you and other MAC users. I design websites and if I am totally honest, and I hate to have to admit this, but... I do not test or code or make any allowance for MAC users. I do code (and test) for the most common browsers using PCs (as PCs is all I have in my offices).
However, the software that runs this forum was not coded by myself, though it has been tweaked a little here and there by me!
Send me a screenshot of what you see on your computer if you have time. I'd be interested to see the differences and see whether I can accommodate you and other MAC users! You are the first to raise this point on the WanadooProblems.co.uk forum and, as I am using 3rd party software, phpBB, I shall also post feedback to the designers.
Perhaps if people READ things properly, they might get somewhere.
On the registration pages, for quite some time now, even on Orange.co.uk, it has said:
To get broadband you need a home phoneline (not cable) and there's a 12 month contract. Broadband Plus and Broadband Max: up to 8 Meg means download speed. The price includes £2.08 paid to OHCSI Lda for Livebox hire. To connect wirelessly you need a wireless-enabled computer (e.g. Centrino), or will need to buy a wireless adaptor for each computer. The inclusive calls to UK landlines are to 01 and 02 area codes. Our Livebox isn't compatible with Apple Computers.
Click here for more terms.
Granted, it's false, as I'm using wireless/Livebox on my G5 upstairs, but it's covering Orange to the extent that if anything goes wrong, it's nothing to do with them, because it does mention as above.
Not impressed with either of those. They are both expensive (the former has a £58.75 setup fee, the latter a £47 setup fee) and yet still use the same BT network that Orange, Tiscali, BT Yahoo and others use... so how can they be any better?
They can't - you're paying extra money for the Apple support.
Now, if Orange offered a deal under which you paid extra for Apple computer support, would you pay it? or would you come on here and b***h about being discrimintated against?
Oh, and that second link expected me to put all of my details, including my credit card details no less, into a single form without even checking to see if I have a BT line? I think I'll pass on that.
I wasn't endorsing either of those, merely answering your question.
Quote:
Now, if Orange offered a deal under which you paid extra for Apple computer support, would you pay it? or would you come on here and b***h about being discrimintated against?
(Are those the only 2 options allowed? )
I'm not sure why you're asking me this. Look through my previous posts. Do you see any sign of me complaining about about Wanadoo's policy on MAC support? Perhaps you intended to aim this comment at someone else.
as a long term MAC user since System 7, I have also experienced the occasional ISP lack of support.
However, it's not a question of inoperability, it is, of course, the lack of general user knowledge, and in terms of economy, employing people who have that knowledge.
Orange currently offer limited support for Macs, and always have since Freeserve days. As an IT professional, I have never actually been unable to network Macs or PCs onto a LAN, dialup, broadband or wireless (albeit oftimes screaming expletives into the air).
I understand the frustration of having an unsupported OS, but I also understand the point of view of the supplier, its just not cost efficient to do it.
However, as mentioned, there are a lot of people in Orange who use Macs (after all the employees are people just like you and me, and a small cross section of computer users have Macs) and as MAC OS X penetrates the PC user market more, I'm sure that Orange will roll out better support.
It's true that Inventel's box is not hugely adaptable, but it can talk to Macs and a Firmware update would help in any case.
I recently had a problem getting a Nintendo DS to talk to my no-name wireless box, which i eventually gave up on, but it talks quite fine with the Inventel, and I'm told it also works with PSPs, so its not all bad. It's economies of scale -- the more MAC users there are, the more world there is for us to inhabit....
OS X for Intel machines....the MAC world is already getting bigger...
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