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.

ok, livebox is all plugged in via ethernet to desk top.

small grey cable runs from livebox to the adsl port on the filter. this filter goes in the wall.

YET, this filter was also being used to run the speedtouch into the same little adsl, to connect onto the broadband.

so now, when i type in the 192. in the address bar to get to the livebox config etc, i can't can I!!! Cos i am not connected to my internet connection.

1. the screens shown on your web browser when you use 192.168... to get the Livebox control panel are coming from the Livebox (so the data is just coming from one end of that ethernet cable to the other, into your PC)

2. your 'internet connection' when you have the ethernet cable connected will come via the Livebox (using the ADSL modem within that to 'talk' to the exchange)

As RustyBear has shown, it is quite possible to have a good few devices connected to the Livebox (in her case most are via wireless).

I don't have the same unit (Livebox) but in my case it is a Thomson wireless router (allowing a couple of laptops, plus a mobile phone, to connect via wireless), and then another bunch of PCs via ethernet cables (the router has 4 sockets, so one socket is connected to an 8 port hub on the other floor, and I have Dell and Philips media centre PCs (nice and quiet) by my desk.

Later on, I will use a HomePlug (carrying data via the house mains power cables) to connect a dozen PCs in the garage, when I have converted it to a workshop (don't drive, so no car to waste the space !)

hi there, thanks again.
so maybe the cable from the livebox into my adsl is faulty? deffo can't connect to open that all important window, i assume maybe i need to do something to enable desktop pc to find the ethernet cable/livebox/cable/adsl/wall socket ?

OK, there are a number of possible problems, one of which could be the IP address (192...) of Livebox.

Am I right in thinking that when you spoke to Orange concerning the Livebox, you did get into the configuration screen(s) of the Livebox ?

I think in one of the web sites I saw yesterday, it showed 192.168.1.1 not 192.168.0.1 so please try both.

192.168.0.1/

192.168.1.1/

Let's see if one of those works...

As for the BT master socket, the modern ones can be identified because they have a front plate which is split into two pieces, and by removing a couple of screws, part of the plate can be removed to reveal another BT socket, which is called the 'test point'.

The reason for this is that BT 'owns' the cable as far as the back of the master socket, and don't want customer to mess with the wiring (in case some engineer gets a shock, or the customer causes a problem back at the exchange by sending mains voltages down the BT cable).

When the front plate is removed from the test point, it should mean that no extensions to different rooms are connected. By unplugging all the house wiring and having this 'test point' at the master socket means they can prove the line is working (and slap a person with a bill for 125 quid if problem is somewhere in the rest of the house wiring.

(BT/Openreach just tried it on with me for a visit in March, but after I disputed their 'facts' I got my 125 quid refunded this week.)

As for 'plugging in at the Master Socket', well, sometimes it may make a difference, but I found hardly any effect whether I had a 20 foot extension going from upstairs to the master socket downstairs, or plugging the box in downstairs. It was an extra 20 feet on top of several thousand.

There have been instances where house extension wiring can generate noise which makes the maximum speed a little lower, but if the box connects at any speed, and you can get the laptop working with it, you can experiment with moving the livebox to another room any time you like.

Just be sure every phone socket with something plugged in (eg phone, answerphone, sky box, fax {?}) would all need to be fed to your master socket via a filter. Clearly you could have a filter into which an extension is plugged, feeding more than one phone at the other end of the extension, via a two-way or three-way splitter.

yes when i spoke to orange i did get the config page, but that when i was connected etherenettly (is that even a word!!) from laptop to ethernet/livebox. Not from trying to do it via my desktop/livebox/ethernet.

desktop runs xp. lappy runs windows7

it may be that my desk top pc hasn't got a wired network card driver properly installed, to recognise the ethernet.

The fact you got the Livebox control panel from the laptop via ethernet means it should be just as possible from your desktop PC, using the ethernet port on that. It's even better that it runs XP as far as I am concerned (I have had only a few months using Win 7 and never used Vista but have had XP for 8? years or more).

1. can you see an ethernet port (since you have a suitable cable, it should be easy enough to spot, perhaps close to any USB ports on the back of the Dell).

2. can you start the Windows Task manager
   (hold Ctrl + Shift + Escape all at the same time). You should see tabs for 'Applications', 'Processes', 'Performance', 'Networking' and 'Users'.

Choose Networking and it should show a grid of green lines on a black background if you have a network card. (On your new laptop, you may see one section of graph for the wireless and a second for the ethernet port.)

hi network guy. i have had my ethernet cable in the back of my pc since yesterday, and into the live box, but i was trying to say that my pc isn't wanting to use that way of connecting to broadband.

I am still only able to be online here, on desktop pc, by plugging speedtouch back in the wall!!

i am thinking my ethernet doesn't work.

hi, back on my lappy now, having unplugged speedtouch on the desktop pc, so i can connect to the livebox!!

'No network adaptors have been found' now that pc is just conencted to ethernet/livebox/filter/telephone point.

can't use the main telephone point it's in the porch/hall. nowhere near desktop pc. unless i have to go buy a 30 ft long ether netcable and trail it over 2 floors!!

No don't worry about where the Livebox is - it should be OK on any phone socket so long as all sockets have filters.

OK, so desktop seems only to work with Speedtouch, laptop (via Ethernet cable) works with the Livebox.

At least that's a start (we know the Livebox is connecting to the net OK).

I'm getting to the stage where I could probably make much more progress if I rang you... I use 1899.com so it would only be a 5p call (and 0p per minute, so even if we were talking for an hour or two it would cost peanuts)... I've talked my sister through reinstalling Windows 98 in the past ( ~5 hours because they had two dozen floppy disks I think!) but honest I am usually quite calm and have been used to PC problems taking a while to understand... and talking clients through something, asking them what is on screen, and so on...

Heck, it might even be possible (if you are willing) to do some of this with the free service from www.LogMeIn.com (I'd use my mouse and keyboard to check settings on your PC, so could see what you see and hopefully find out what is wrong and fix it).

I need to go out for milk before Iceland closes (not just for my coffee, but my cat likes milk too), but let me know if you think a phone call may help - you can e-mail me on peter @ web-hints.info if you wish... give me a time (eg 6pm, 7pm) and your number and maybe we can get both desktop and laptop (wireless) working via your Livebox tonight.

One problem is that I may be very quiet on the phone - had no dialtone from 02:00 Monday to 04:00 today, and then for some hours I could press the numbers but dialtone was still there, and my landline ADSL is still not working very well - it was working for 5 hours and then died about 14:00 (so this is being typed from laptop with Three mobile dongle).

Take peter up on the phone call, will make it much easier to solve the problem.
Sounds as though the desktop either does not have an ethernet port (though you say you are plugging a cable in) or it has the port but not the physical hardware, or perhaps it does have the port and hardware but isn't enabled.
On XP I think you need to create a network connection using the Network Connection Wizard (or manually) to setup the system to use LAN rather than look for the old speedtouch.

Something to try... Plug the ethernet cable into the desktop. At the point the cable plugs into the desktop can you see any small orange/green lights? Those lights help to show that the port is active, though I can't remember if all ethernet ports have the lights.

hi, thanks Peter I will get back to you on that offer of help.

I do have an ethernet port, most deffo. Not enabled tho afaik, I have been looking in the network settings to see if I can change the LAN. Will research Dell. It's an Optiplex gx270.

Areas I would check are

1. Internet Options (off Tools / Options in Internet Explorer browser) where 'Connections' might say to 'always dial' (name linked to the Speedtouch)

2. using Network Connections it should be possible to find an entry named 'Local Area Connection' or similar. However, going into the properties might get confusing right here (sorry, it would be where I'd check that the ethernet card was expecting to find an IP address from the Livebox, and not have some fixed IP - it might be fixed if it was in a work/organisation situation before you got it).

3. If you use Windows Explorer (and right-click on Computer then choose properties) or have 'My Computer' icon, then System Properties should show various tavs, and under Hardware there's a button marked Device Manager which should hopefully show 'Network adapters' which may include a 'Fast Ethernet Controller'.

If it is OK, there will be nothing special to see at this point. An exclamation mark or red cross on it means it isn't working, or is disabled, respectively.

Off to watch CSI.

ok in device manager there is no network adaptors

in network connections we areshowing orange broadband disconnected, fiewalled speedtouck usb adsl ppp

just turned off my firewall, tired pressing the pairing button to try and connect then to IE, but have

error 797

I was under the impression the Dell GX270 had a network card. You're rather stuck if there is none, but without a 'closer look' it's awkward to try to diagnose.

When you mention the pairing button - is this when you are attempting to connect via wireless from the laptop or the desktop ?

Just getting a bit confused (as I assumed it was only needed when connecting something via wireless).

networkguypeter, i was just doing it as a means to an end tbh!!

I rang orange today, cut off 3 times. not in the mood to do so till further notice, as got someone different each time, all helpful ish but it's frustrating!

I downloaded a driver from Dell, this one

as suggested by Dell

it's on my pc in documents but when i click on it i get a sub menu and have no idea what to do with it!!

oh and orange man asked me to open up my networks thing and there was nothing showing in there regarding LAN, only the icon for my orange broadband connection/speedtouch adsl

Sorry you've had such problems with this.

Are you positive it is an ethernet port, as some modem ports in the past looked very similar...

Would recommend going down the route of LogMeIn

If you are concerned about sending a phone number or your primary e-mail address, just create a fresh account at www.gmail.com and then mail me from that.

We can fix some time for you to go online with the Dell (+ Speedtouch) and you can watch as I check out your PC). No phone call needed.

LogMeIn needs to install some software, but first you'd need to login (using my e-mail address and your MN screen name as password) if you want to give it a go.

hello networkguy, that sounds like a plan. I am currently having a very difficult time with my ill daughter. So finding time is my key problem ( my daughter has a disabling hip condition, which i have had lots of support on mn for-see childrens health!)but I wil certianly take you up on your offer when i find the headspace.

Rethernet ports looking like others? It could be true, but would the ethernet cable supplied fit in to this 'other' port? There is only one of this type on the back of my pc, and when i had a look online at the stats for my pc it listed an ethernet port.
It has a little symbol next to it which is a line, and three squares going off it, one on one side, and two on the other. To me it looks like they represent other pc's. which might imply this port is for sharing to/from something.