orange live box help.

[piratecat]

hiya, i have a new laptop, and i can't get it to connect to my livebox.

background--my pc is connected directly to orange broadband thru my bt socket upstairs. had never used my live box, and it's been in the box for 3 yrs.

Dug it out and tried to set it up down stairs so my lappy can access my account, but it doesn't want to. I spent one hour on the phone to orange who said i should just go to a wifi cafe or something and check it's not my new lappy.

I then thought lets start formthe beginning andtried to install the livebox via the ethernet port on my pc first. But got totally confused by what was supposed to go where.

i am stuck.

[lou33]

silly question, as i am sure you have already done it, but have you pushed and held button one on the livebox for a few seconds before you type in the code from the livebox into the laptop to make the connection?

[piratecat]

hi lou, yes done it many times. orange were rubbish, said go to a wifi cafe, which i can't do as dd is bad today!

I absoultely hate not knowing what i am doing. I said to orange maybe the livebox is up the swanny, but they said until i try my lappy out somewhere they can't help me. I rang the suppliers of the lappy and they said there's no reason it should not connect.

arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! i also have dongle probs, see my other thread. god it's tedious

[NetworkGuy]

Does the laptop 'see' the wireless network (or any other networks) at all ?

Sometimes a laptop may have wireless turned off (either by software or with a physical switch) so that it can be used on a plane without any hassle from airline staff if they ban wireless devices.

On one laptop I've seen a switch on the side, on more laptops, I've had to use function keys and on a Compaq it has a push button on the laptop which shows blue when working and red when disabled.

If you know the livebox network name (SSID) and try to connect to it from the laptop you should be prompted (to enter the encryption code).

If laptop does not see the network name, but sees others in your street then the livebox might be faulty. If laptop shows no networks to connect to, then laptop wireless might not be on, or the laptop might not have wireless (sorry, have to consider that possible too). Some laptops have a card built in, hidden inside, while for others, you'd have to buy a card (say 10 to 20 quid) to go into the PCMCIA slot on the side, or nowadays, buy a USB wi-fi dongle...

[piratecat]

hi i am the same person as on the thread with the usb dongle problem.

the laptop is a brand new one, it see's the livebox, but can't connect. Wifi is on, blue light.

[piratecat]

yep have entered the code that's ont he live box, hvae pressed the white button for 'pairing'before clicking connect. nothing doing.

[NetworkGuy]

Ummm, bit lost - I used Freeserve (later Wanadoo, later Orange) from end of 2001 to end of 2003 for ADSL but never had a 'livebox' so cannot really help much.

Are you able to connect (with web browser, like Internet Explorer or Firefox) to the livebox to check status, and make changes to settings ?

Just that you could set a new encryption password / passphrase instead of the one from the box, and try that on the laptop.

Must lay my cards on the table, and say that I have been much happier with cables than wireless... have been setting up networks using cables for 25+ years and when clients with home PC problems with their wireless not working get really fed up with disconnections etc, have offered alternatives (like data via the mains power through the house).

[NetworkGuy]

One other thing (as I had this situation recently)...

In February I bought a Windows 7 laptop (Compaq, unfortunately once I told sister about it and she found they were sold out for radius of 50 miles, it's now going to be hers... as a gift... drat!) and tried connecting it to wireless router provided by my ISP (Plusnet).

Wireless router came with encryption set to WPA+WPA2 (at least three types of encryption in common use, rising in security, from WEP to WPA to WPA2)

Windows 7 laptop would prompt me for the encryption key, but then never connected.

Tried lots of things for a couple of days, used another laptop no problem, and a really old one, too, with an external USB wifi adaptor on a metre of cable, no problem. Just problem with the brand new laptop.

Went into the router controls and changed it to use WPA (not WPA+WPA2) All laptops worked fine after that.

So there seems to be some problem with Windows 7 and the router I have (Thomson) but only when set to WPA + WPA2

There might be a similar problem - is your laptop running Windows XP or Vista, or Win 7 ?

[piratecat]

hi networkguy

you said

'Windows 7 laptop would prompt me for the encryption key, but then never connected'

yes this is what's happening to me, I also have Windows 7 on the new laptop. I rang the supplier who said there shouldn't be a problem, with the wifi in the laptop.

i entered the wep key, but no joy.

[piratecat]

how can i get into the router controls and change form wep to wap?

[abr1de]

I've had success changing from WPA = WPA2 to WPA. We had trouble with a new wireless printer and a livebox, until I did this.

You may have better luck calling the Orange helpline at different times. The last two times we have called we have had very good Indian call centre staff. They were almost impossible to understand as they spoke very quickly but they knew their stuff brilliantly. They really seemed to want to help, too.

[hobbgoblin]

Type this in the address bar:

192.168.01

Will take you to Orange settings page. You need passowrd which you could Google or get from Orange.

It'll be 'Orange' or somesuch...

You can sort all settings out here and change from WEP to WAP etc.

It isn't your laptop if the wireless is visible on the laptop. Have you checked to connections map and done a diagnsoe and repair vai your internet connections window?

Also have you restarted computer after doing a re-set on the livebox?

What lights are doing what on th elivebox?

[piratecat]

hello hobgoblin and abr1,

we did that thing you suggested with the 192, when i was on the phone to india.

Tho i cannot recall if we changed to wap.

my problem now is that my stupid t mobile dongle has decided to have 'no signal'.

the livebox is back in the box it came in and tbh i am going to pair it up with the bin soon.

the connections thing, my pc couldn't tell me what was wrong, the network connections thingy. sorry i am not very technical with the terms!!

i need to focus, i know, but theses thechy things can make you so bloody depressed/tetchy!!

[hobbgoblin]

Oh I know! I've spent half days at a time sorting this crap out.

It doesn't really matter to much whether you are WEP or WAP afaik, it's just a security thing. But obviously it has all got to match up, security codes and all.

I'm not good enough to help you much as I'm better if I have the stuff in front of me. You need a proper geek to talk you through it straight from their head.

[NetworkGuy]

192.168.0.1

I don't trust the 'diagnose tools' from MickeyShaft (sorry, Microsoft) as they are trying to be helpful / clever but XP was better in some ways. In the case of the WPA + WPA2, the Windows 7 laptop couldn't tell me that was the problem. I found it by looking at the Plusnet 'community' board (where someone else was having problems too).

There may be some Orange forum which has tips about this Windows 7 / Livebox problem...

Don't bin the livebox - if you have already been into it then you should be able to set it back to WPA again, and have another go with the laptop.

I know things can be annoying, but just because you've given up for the moment doesn't mean the kit cannot work together, just needs a bit more patience... and good luck...

Ignore the T-Mobile dongle - that's just a separate hassle and you need to just get one sorted, then the other, not get cross about both.

[abr1de]

I think the password is 'admin'. User name admin, password admin.

[piratecat]

lol, what else can i do but laugh!!

right i am sat at my upstairs pc.

the livebox is here. i am going to try and connect it non wirelesly, AGAIN from the start.

is this the right thing to do.

and 'then' try and see if my laptop will pair with it (AGAIN).

the instructions are shit, the cd won't load properly, so i can't see any of the diagrams.
bah.

[hobbgoblin]

yes but i'd forget the cd!

[NetworkGuy]

Am looking on a few pc magazine / ADSL help forums to see if someone else has similar (Win 7, Livebox, + problems) to find a solution.

[piratecat]

you should see the flimsy booklet, even the pics are the wrong way round.

thanks everyone.

[NetworkGuy]

Have seen a comment about the key having spaces shown (but when you type it in, don't type any spaces). Possibly unconnected...

It's on an old thread dating from January 2009, but given the livebox is 3 years old...

[piratecat]

ok, plugged in livebox, things are flashing, as before.

the @ very fast, and the ariel one not so fast.

do i just wait for it to stop doing this, i am sure i do.

[NetworkGuy]

This bit was from a note on getting an iPod (Touch) to connect:

"The iPod then asks for a password. This password is the WEP key of the Livebox (it is located below it)

Enter the WEP key respecting uppercase (press the arrow below the Q, at each letter you write) AND WITHOUT SPACES ..."

I assume you press Button 1 just before you hit 'OK' (or similar) on the laptop, so the Livebox is waiting for a new connection at that point.

[NetworkGuy]

(Have never seen a livebox myself, so cannot comment on the lights, sorry.)

[hobbgoblin]

you need it to go solid light on the @ before you try and connect.

Also, do you have filters in ALL your phone sockets and between socket and router?

[NetworkGuy]

(On the basis that we're seeing comments from piratecat at regular intervals, not days apart, I doubt there's a problem with ADSL and the phone line / filters... and they're unlikely to cause any wireless problem after all!)