After at least 10 years, my Orange ADSL line is no longer…
I had an ADSL line for my internet with Orange for about 10 years at least – however about 4 weeks ago my Livebox just stopped working ie you could see the signal but it kept coming up with a configuration message. So as per their guarantee I contacted the English helpline and they sent an engineer out – he duly arrived on the Monday and replaced my ADSL socket and the Livebox worked for a day then about 24 hours later stopped working.
I wont go into the hassle I have had re getting this resolved but suffice to say 3 weeks later and after 2 visits to the Carhaix Orange shop (56 kms there and back) and various visits from engineers ie those who could be bothered to turn up, today an engineer did turn up and after various line tests even replacing our line and giving us yet another livebox he said to me – you have never had an ADSL line – I was astounded to say the least considering we have had a livebox for more years than I care to remember and a few years ago I cancelled my fixed line for a package with the ADSL livebox that included free calls to most of the world. OK so it was expensive ie about 37 euros a month but it worked well until recently when it started to play up.
The engineer said well you cannot have ADSL now as you are 8 kms the maximum you can be from the exchange – I am furious to say the least, its been working for donkey’s years and now its finished ie no livebox and no telephone. He then plugged the telephone into the adsl socket however, you do you have a telephone – which of course did not work.
He said just get a mobile – you can use the Airbox which in my book costs too much. Lets face it I was paying way too much for an ADSL line but to have to pay even more for an Airbox with limited access is not an option. How do they get away with it I wonder – the engineer then said that a new cable would be run along our road in 2 months guaranteed – should I believe him? So to keep my telephone number I have to pay Orange for a fixed line – and more for the internet, there are no other options in my neck of the woods.
I just wish I could fathom out why my connection stopped so abruptly. Only a gaelic shrug answer to that particular question. Roll on 4G and then goodbye Orange and when it comes to hassle, well changing telephone numbers is bad enough but email addresses etc etc for financial institutions and Cpam and doctors – as if I have not got enough to do.
Any solutions to this problem welcome.
Hi Maggi - how frustrating.
ADSL is usually at its limit around 6km from the exchange - I know because we are! You can measure the attenuation (noise) on the line here https://boutique.orange.fr/eligibilite (pop your phone number in) . Anything over 60dB means your ADSL is limited to about 512Kb or less.
It sounds like your line has suddenly degraded. Not really surprising if its like ours with trees and other obstacles. We have also had trucks and farm vehicles damage the line.
If they are replacing the line in 2 months that might be your best bet, but is 4G an option in your area?
[edit] the Orange page does not give the attenuation as I had thought. It may be visible if you connect to the livebox using a browser.[/edit]
The bizarre thing is the “you have never had an ADSL line” comment because you are certain that you did.
Certainly 8km is a long way from the exchange, even the “extended reach” version of ADSL is only expected to get to 7km or so but exactly why you were previously able to get ADSL or what changed to stop it working looks as though it is going to remain shrouded in mystery.
It would be worth putting your number into http://www.degrouptest.com/ and seeing what that says.
Thanks for your responses - I did the above regroup test and they have several offers however, my line is not working ie it just goes through to an ansaphone oddly enough - I had the phone working via the livebox.
We are in one hellish place for the internet - my neighbours further along do not get anything except the expensive domino thing. I would love to change operators and will be researching but seriously its the hassle of not having my telephone number - right now its only taking messages. Our line was never that great ie about 512 kb on a good day. If 4 g were an option I would have a new supplier but unfortunately it is now. The line has only been up since 2003 when we moved here. Its all these guarantees they give ie not worth the paper they are written on - next thing will be getting in touch with the English Helpline to see what exactly this means ie a disappearing ADSL - a free at the moment domino box with 50 gb - free for how long? No telephone line - need to look at mobile contracts next - seriously do not want to sign up for anything until I sort this mess out.
By the way its not easy to test a line without a fixed line. To top it all as my husband’s health is not too great and I need a reliable phone. Just looking at the offers from the tested line and some are Orange ADSL liveboxes and other ADSL offers - very odd.
So no 4g at your home maggi?
Edit - scrap that - if you’re using an Orange Domino you must have 4G ? If you have Bouygues 4G as well then you’re laughing!!
I think your phone service is in limbo - it sounds like you had phone via the livebox, i.e your phone service was Orange’s Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) offering which needs the ADSL to be connected.
Thus you now have an analogue phone line but no phone service associated with it - do you have enough of a mobile signal to see what happens if you phone your landline from a mobile.
Hopefully you can get some sanity out of the Orange helpline.
Do you have old bills to prove you had (or at least were paying for) ADSL?
Wish there was - 3g only right now - hence the airbox 3g
Strange thing is when I ring my number it goes to an answer phone - I no longer subscribe to FT’s landline. No need for invoices - all done online and the 37 euros pm ie Livebox and free calls via the live box billed by DD via CA for years. I suppose the problem with online billing is - its difficult to track back to when I subscribed but rest assured its been over 10 years - I am totally a computer orientated person and could not survive France without a decent internet connection. I end a good connection to keep up my website and banking for starters.
As I said - no 4g - I am using a 3g box…
OK, that is consistent with the Orange systems expecting your phone service to be on the Livebox and recognising that there is no active ADSL connection so diverting to a voice mail box.
PS a good 3g connection can be 6Mbps**, so actually better than your ADSL.
** theoretically up to 21Mpbs but we all know the difference between theory and practice.
With online billing you still get invoices. The trouble is that you need to access the internet to find them.
if you rural try bouges telecome 4g box.
Did not mention that as the engineer thought my adsl line was faulty he laid a temporary one but it did not work, this line is still there - makes me think they cannot leave it there - anyhow, the English HL consultant is phoning me tomorrow and I will be interested in an update - and what they are intending to do, my neighbours on the other hand are getting excited because they think the fact he said Orange were laying a new cable along our road - they are getting fibre optic but somehow I doubt it. I think they are just replacing a faulty line - but you never know. I will update when I hear from Orange tomorrow.
It’s a never ending saga as now the orange helpline told me that the engineer had informed me that I needed to prune an enormous oak tree in the garden - he never mentioned this at all. When I do this they will send yet another engineer out to look at the problem, funny thing is they laid a temporary line and this did not work - this temporary line is laid on the ground so where does the tree problem arise. He also told me that a new cable was going to be laid along our road - she said she had no information on that either. She then recommended that we think about satellite broadband - and that as our ADSL line was poor anyway that was a bettter solution. I am absolutely furious about the whole thing and seriously do not know what to do next. I asked her to put me on to an advisor re other options - after waiting a good while a lady came on - kept saying she could not hear me then hung up. So we have 2 liveboxes, one airbox, no telephone line and a bill that has 7 euros deducted… in an area with loads of trees everywhere I just do not understand why the tree in my gardens is affecting my line - just do not know what to do next.
Cancel the fixed line, take out the Freemobile 19,99€ mobile offer and use your smartphone as an internet hotspot (100GB of data within the offer). Done.
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An excellent offer but when they tested my line it says “caution high attenuation” - I am in a bad position right now as not only do I have a temporary non working ADSL line but Orange refuse to send another technician until I prune my massive oak tree - I still do not understand why if they have laid a temporary on the ground cable, the line does not work - I would leave Orange in a heartbeat - I am not tied to them, but they have left this place in a mess with stuff and lose adsl wiring and boxes around - I doubt if another contractor would touch me right now. I have a Free contract at present and its been a lifesaver but its only 2 hours a month and phoning the Orange HL has used up all my saved up hours. So this month my bill is 36 euros to orange and to date about 8 euros for data etc with free - I reiterate I still have the use of the 50 go 3G airbox.
Did the original line go through the oak branches?
If you have a reliable 3G signal at the house I’m inclined to agree with Simon - though I would view using a smartphone as a hotspot as a strictly temporary solution, if you are going to do that you need a permanent 3G router (I think you mentioned one).
With luck Orange might try a bit harder if you simply phone up and cancel the contract.
It sounds like you are hitting the legendary French customer service ethos plus some genuine technical issues with the line 
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Maggie - I don’t think you understand - the Freemobile offer is a mobile, not fixed line service. Based on the info you’ve given us - you don’t need a fixed line !! Anyway - you’re not the only one confused - so many folks just don’t understand the difference between fixed line and mobile. Beats me 