Orange Livebox is an ADSL

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line

Asymmetric digital subscriber line is a type of digital subscriber line technology, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional voiceband modem can provide. It does this by utilizing frequencies that are not used by a voice...

 wireless router

Residential gateway

A residential gateway is a home networking device, used as a gateway to connect devices in the home to the Internet or other WAN.It is an umbrella term, used to cover multi-function networking computer appliances used in homes, which may combine a DSL or cable modem, a firewall, a consumer-grade...

 available to customers of Orange's Broadband

Broadband

The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...

 services in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

, Guinea

Guinea

Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Tunisia

Tunisia

Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, Jordan

Jordan

Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...

, The Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, Orange's Mauritian

Mauritius

Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...

 partner MyT, Lightspeed communications in Bahrain

Bahrain

' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...

 and TPSA

Telekomunikacja Polska

Telekomunikacja Polska S.A. is a Polish national telecommunications provider established in December 1991. It is a Public company traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, with a controlling stake owned by France Télécom , with the latter controlling over 50% of this stake by 2002...

 in Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 and Orange Botswana. Depending on the model, it is manufactured by Inventel

Inventel

Inventel is a major French company involved in consumer electronics and communication systems. Founded in 1990 in Paris by Jacques Lewiner and Eric Carreel, cofounder of Withings, the company has been acquired by Thomson SA, today known as Technicolor, in 2005....

 or by Sagem

SAGEM Communication

SAGEMCOM is a French company, headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison, involved in communication systems and consumer electronics.Formerly a division of SAGEM , Sagemcom became, in 2005, a subsidiary of SAFRAN, the high-technology international group formed by the merger of SAGEM and Snecma...

.

Features

• 802.11
  IEEE 802.11
  IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee . The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent...
  
  b/g (Wifi n for Livebox 2) Wi-Fi
  Wi-Fi
  Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
  
   router
• Ethernet
  Ethernet
  Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
  
   ports
• RJ11 socket for VoIP calls using 'Second Line' (The name of Orange's VOIP Service).
• USB
  Universal Serial Bus
  USB is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and protocols used in a bus for connection, communication and power supply between computers and electronic devices....
  
   host port specifically for using a standard USB printer on the network, which Orange is calling "Liveprinter"
• USB
  Universal Serial Bus
  USB is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and protocols used in a bus for connection, communication and power supply between computers and electronic devices....
  
   port for connection to a PC

Although hardware for these services is built into every Livebox, some (Bluetooth

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...

 and Live Printer) are only activated by firmware

Firmware

In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices...

 updates. Currently, the latest firmware is v5.10.7-uk for the UK.

With hacking, and possibly in future firmware releases, it may be possible to use other hardware

Computer hardware

Personal computer hardware are component devices which are typically installed into or peripheral to a computer case to create a personal computer upon which system software is installed including a firmware interface such as a BIOS and an operating system which supports application software that...

, such as hard drives, with the USB host port. Due to deliberate restrictions embedded in the firmware, Liveboxes in the UK are locked to Orange. As a result, they will not work with other ISP's. However, hackers have found ways to circumvent this restriction by overwriting the firmware.http://www.andyp.uwclub.net/livebox.html

Second Line

Second Line is Orange's VoIP service through the Livebox. In the United Kingdom and Spain it is free to call landlines and other Livebox numbers. Additionally, the UK Livebox allows free calls to Orange mobile phones and 30 international countries (providing the call is made from the Orange Second Line to a landline in that country. A list of these countries can be found here.

The original Livebox second line plan "Talk Unlimited" on Orange Broadband Unlimited plan at UK's Livebox launch was calls to 100 international countries, UK 01 and 02 landlines including Orange UK mobiles (where a customer had an Orange mobile plan) as listed above in the pdf, 03 UK landlines were added when UK telecom regulator released the 03 prefix. 1000 minutes Fair Usage Policy was later introduced which effected both the 30/100 countries package when 30 countries plan launched. Free calls will be disconnected after two hours, at which time one can then redial. Orange Broadband Unlimited was discounted by £15 for Orange Mobile customers at this point to just £5.

Using the device in Jordan, it is free to call other Orange Livebox subscribers. It costs 10p per minute to call any other mobiles. UK Livebox phone numbers begin with 0845, but other UK standard area codes can be selected from the Orange Broadband members center, which allows free calls between UK to UK Livebox numbers. Using the default 0845 number provided by Orange means Livebox to Livebox call will be charged at the 0845 (lo-call) rate rather than free.

However, the free Orange Mobile calls only apply to users using the Home Select or Home Max Packages, and they must be Orange Pay Monthly users (as per the old 100 countries Unlimited plan). Users can enter their contract ID into their Member Center configuration pages.

In the firmware update of February 2008, the ability to adjust the audio quality of the VoIP service was added.

Orange Unique launched in 2006 with expensive Animal Canary or Panther mobile Unique plans allows free calls over UMA (wifi connected calls from Orange UMA enabled mobile); this allowed Orange mobile users free calls to UK landline 01 02 03 and Orange UK mobile calls and 30 countries as per the newer Livebox package when calls started over wifi (and continued to be free when call transferred seamlessly over to Orange UK mobile network). Later the Unique plan above was FREE on any price plan, then optional £1 for Orange UK calls, £3 for UK landlines & Orange or £5 for both and included the 30 International landlines. Orange dropped these Unique packages later (circa 2008?) and all Unique/UMA calls are now billed/deducted as per your mobile contract allowances/rates. Original Unique customers continue to have these additional bolt/add on plans kept on mobile plans/accounts, unavailable for new customers.

Discontinued For New Customers

The Second Line was a VOIP service which included a separate telephone number, was withdrawn for new customers on 17 September 2010.

In September 2011, Orange Shops in the UK began offering the Netgear DGN1000 router which has no facility to accommodate a Second Line making the service a legacy only facility. Existing customers will have to keep their old service plan and Livebox to continue using the service.

Orange help pages still refer to the Livebox when setting up broadband and include references to the Second Line.

UK

In the firmware update of February 2008, IPTV

IPTV

Internet Protocol television is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats.IPTV services...

 support was added via the Yellow Ethernet port and would be for Orange customers who had was in the network area (LLU). This was in advance of a Digital Television service from Orange that was supposed to launch later in 2008. Orange did undertake trials of the service, but announced in November 2008 that they would not be rolling the service out.

Spain

An IPTV service is available to most Spanish customers via an extra decoder box that connects to the yellow Ethernet port of the Livebox. The service allows for streaming of several free channels, while others require a paid subscription.

Some sport events and movies are available on a pay-per-view scheme.

The decoder can be connected to an aerial allowing for free-to-air channel reception via digital terrestrial television

Digital terrestrial television

Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...

.

The new generation: Livebox 2

In 2009, Orange launched in France and Spain the last and more advanced release of the Livebox: The Livebox 2. This device is Wi-Fi N enabled, the latest and most powerful Wi-Fi mode, with a wireless max. bandwidth of 130Mbps, which doubles the current Wi-Fi capabilities in b/g modes.

It includes 2 USB ports for disk and printer sharing, 2 FXS ports to connect standard phones, Wi-Fi on/off button, 4 ethernet ports and the last improvements in router technology.

The new Livebox has a new aesthetic design and includes the new pairing mode for Wi-Fi: WPS. With WPS now you can pair WPS devices in Wi-Fi with no need of introducing the Wi-Fi key and keeping security. It improves the customer experience.

The new router also includes DLNA, so all the devices connected to the Livebox (via Ethernet or Wi-Fi) can share the contents of the USB disks connected to the Livebox. The devices can also access a shared printer connected to the USB port of the Livebox.

The new JJJivebox is also the gateway for the Orange TV with exclusive contents, connecting the Set Top Box to one of the 4 Ethernet ports.

With the on/off power and Wi-Fi buttons the power consumption is reduced making it more eco friendly.

Orange currently have no plans to release the Livebox 2.0 in the UK market, Instead Opting to keep the current Livebox 1.0 (Livebox 1.2 No longer stocked) and the Siemens Gigaset 572 Router.

External links

• Livebox 2 Official Site of Livebox 2 in Orange Spain
• Liveprinter setup
• Livebox Help
• LiveBox GPL Inside