Installing a new router on Orange landline

Technology
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I have an Orange Livebox 4 and have no issues with it. But I am looking to install a wi-fi security camera system which links to a hub unit, which in turn will be wired to the Livebox ethernet port. I think that is all OK but we have a fair number of electrical storms and always unplug our Livebox when we go on holiday, which will obviously stop the camera system from working. I would like to buy a simple (temporary) router that we can use when we are away so that we would then connect the camera hub to the temporary router and the temporary router to the Orange landline. We would then swap back to the Livebox when we return. Has anyone done this? Does anyone see any reason why this shouldn’t work?
Many thanks.

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Welcome to Survive France

My first question is why?

Yes, if you don’t use the Orange phone via Livebox (I hesitate to call it VoIP as it is much more limited than a true VoIP system) and don’t want the TV box (and I’m guessing you don’t need either when not in the property) then any ADSL or VDSL router will work - you just need the VPI/VCI numbers (which you can Google or get from the Livebox itself, offhand I forget what they are).

But I’m not sure what you will gain from doing so.

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Thanks for the reply. I guess the only thing we would be doing is protecting the Livebox in the event of a lightning strike, and sacrificing the other router. We may decide not to do this but just want to explore the possibility.

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Ok, that makes some sense at least. Though if you have s lighting strike direct enough to blow up your Livebox you might have bigger problems to solve than your internet connection.

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Not at all. Happened to us a couple of times with strikes nearby. No issue. Took livebox into the nearest Orange boutique - no fuss. Changed immediately. They are used to it.

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Which is why I wouldn’t bother installing a “sacrificial” one of my own.

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I don’t know - if you only visit infrequently it can be difficult to get everything organised in one trip.

Not sure how big the risk is though - I haven’t lost a Livebox to lightning strike yet in almost 10 years (there you go, I’ll have jinxed it now :slight_smile: ).

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I guess it depends whether you are living in a part of France prone to thunderstorms. In our part of Lot et Garonne we get storms coming at us from 2 directions - the Bay of Biscay and up from Spain across the Pyrenees. They also start locally. There are some summers where we can have 3 storms a night. I use Blitzortung to track them - very useful for seeing their precise direction - they can swing west of us and head up to Dordogne or east along The Lot - if they are large and heading straight for us we close down livebox and TV

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It also depends on whether you have fibre or the old copper line. Most older liveboxes were taken out by surges down the phone line. A surge from the electrics, if severe enough, would only take out the plug in transformer. I use reasonably cheap Eaton UPSs with built in surge protectors/parafoudre to protect my livebox, computer and security.

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Just swapping the devices won’t work, as there’s some authentication that’s required. That’s not to say it can’t be done, but there’s some tinkering required.

Have a look at some of the guides listed here to see what’s required…

Edit: oh, quick question… Are you on fibre or still on ADSL?

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Thanks for the reply. So did Orange supply a replacement Livebox free of charge?

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Thanks John. That is a fair point and I think we have decided not to go down the second router route.

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Thanks Sue. We are in Lot and have similar issues, but not too often thankfully. Interested in Bliztortung. Is there any setup involved?

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Thanks for the suggestion Mark. Eaton surge protector is on order! We are still on copper wire to the house. Is there anything that can be installed to protect the telephone line to the Livebox?

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Yes they did.

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No, it’s just a website. One that our firewall sometimes tends not to like, but I just say I want to go to the site anyway.

Click on the first dropdown menu: Realtime Maps and click on Dynamic Size then you can home in on your particular part of France.

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Thanks Gareth. I think we have now decided that the second router is a red herring. Protecting the existing one is probably the answer. We are still on copper wire to the house. It would be good to protect the telephone cable coming into the Livebox against surges. I already have a Belkin UK format multiplug with surge protection for sockets and it has “In” and “Out” telephone connection ports (currently unused). Do you know if these would work for the telephone connection between the Livebox and the wall socket?

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Good to know, but we’ll try not to go there!!

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Thanks for the reply. What an amazing project!

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The Eaton UPS has phone line (RJ45 in and out) protection too.