Bouygues 4G internet box

Bouygues 4G internet box

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Discussion

rdjohn

Original Poster:

6,333 posts

201 months

Saturday 17th March 2018
quotequote all
Hi, I was wondering if anyone in the sticks has tried using this service? As I don’t have their TV service, Orange only allow me 2Mb, so I looking for improvement.

I have read that after the trial period that your speed can be cut back, so would be grateful for any feedback.

Thanks

Perik Omo

2,022 posts

154 months

Saturday 17th March 2018
quotequote all
Yes, I have.

Same as you we had Orange broadband that was supposed to be 2mb but never got anything like that, it was always nearer .9 to 1.4.

I have a GiffGaff Uk mobile that uses Bouygues as it's network in France and I sitting there playing one day and thought I would see what speed I could get on the mobile and was somewhat surprised that it was clocking between 12 and 14mb. Next time I was in town I went to the Bouygues shop to check if it was possible to have one of their 4g boxes and after a few checks he said yes my area was on the fringe but it should work OK.

Been very happy with it and have had no drop-outs and it's been in since October last year. I have a lot of wired connections so I linked the 4g box to my non-Orange router and use that to distribute around the house (there's only 1 port on the back of the 4g box).

I still have my Orange connection, I really must get around to cancelling the broadband as I'm paying for something that I'm not using anymore, I still need the Orange 'phone connection though as it give us a lot of international free calls so not sure how that's going to go!

Edit:
There's been no degradation in the speed as far as I can tell, I'm away at the moment in NZ but will be back at the start of April and will do another speed check then, it was still clocking 12-13mb at the end of January and we are quite heavy users.


Edited by Perik Omo on Saturday 17th March 20:32

rdjohn

Original Poster:

6,333 posts

201 months

Sunday 18th March 2018
quotequote all
Thanks for that, it does sound great. My Orange landline now only seems to attract tele-marketing calls.

I use my UK mobile for all my EU calls now that we have free roaming and use Bouygues for data and it is strong everywhere.

I worked my way through several French Avis Websites last night and the complaints only seem to come from people trying to use more than 200Gb per month (a lot) and those who are not eligible because they could receive fibre, or want to move it to their second home for holidays.

Doofus

27,923 posts

179 months

Sunday 18th March 2018
quotequote all
Perik Omo said:
Yes, I have.

Same as you we had Orange broadband that was supposed to be 2mb but never got anything like that, it was always nearer .9 to 1.4.

I have a GiffGaff Uk mobile that uses Bouygues as it's network in France and I sitting there playing one day and thought I would see what speed I could get on the mobile and was somewhat surprised that it was clocking between 12 and 14mb. Next time I was in town I went to the Bouygues shop to check if it was possible to have one of their 4g boxes and after a few checks he said yes my area was on the fringe but it should work OK.

Been very happy with it and have had no drop-outs and it's been in since October last year. I have a lot of wired connections so I linked the 4g box to my non-Orange router and use that to distribute around the house (there's only 1 port on the back of the 4g box).

I still have my Orange connection, I really must get around to cancelling the broadband as I'm paying for something that I'm not using anymore, I still need the Orange 'phone connection though as it give us a lot of international free calls so not sure how that's going to go!

Edit:
There's been no degradation in the speed as far as I can tell, I'm away at the moment in NZ but will be back at the start of April and will do another speed check then, it was still clocking 12-13mb at the end of January and we are quite heavy users.


Edited by Perik Omo on Saturday 17th March 20:32
Where are you in 87? I could do with an alternative to Orange, so this sounds interesting. What are the costs?

Perik Omo

2,022 posts

154 months

Sunday 18th March 2018
quotequote all
Doofus said:
Where are you in 87? I could do with an alternative to Orange, so this sounds interesting. What are the costs?
We are near to Chalus, I think the charge is something like €36 per month and the first month was free when we took up the offer. If your area is OK (check the coverage map or go into the shop) you will get 30 days to check it out at home and if not OK you can return the box and cancel.

Doofus

27,923 posts

179 months

Sunday 18th March 2018
quotequote all
Perik Omo said:
We are near to Chalus, I think the charge is something like €36 per month and the first month was free when we took up the offer. If your area is OK (check the coverage map or go into the shop) you will get 30 days to check it out at home and if not OK you can return the box and cancel.
Thanks. We're near Vayres, but mobile coverage isn't too good. I think Bouygues is OK, but I'll investigate further.

rdjohn

Original Poster:

6,333 posts

201 months

Monday 19th March 2018
quotequote all
https://www.bouyguestelecom.fr/offres-internet/4g-...

This will tell you if you are eligible. They need to be able to geo-locate your home on three masts.

Doofus

27,923 posts

179 months

Monday 19th March 2018
quotequote all
Is it accurate? It says I can get between 8 and 12, but all the broadband postocde checkers in the UK are inaccurate, so I'm not minded to trust the Bouygues one either...

rdjohn

Original Poster:

6,333 posts

201 months

Monday 19th March 2018
quotequote all
I think that it is accurate.

A friend nearby (<1km) can’t receive it. His house is in a slight hollow, whereas ours has clear sight lines for 20km.

There are antenna that can be attached to boost the signal.

Mike-tf3n0

573 posts

88 months

Tuesday 20th March 2018
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Had a Bouygues mobile once, they had a computer programme which showed how brilliant the signal was in my area - except that when I got home there was no signal at all, nothing. That phone went back the next day. Then had a Virgin pay as you go which worked OK but they insisted you bought another €20 of credit every 3 months regardless of whether you actually needed it and if you didn't then they took the credit you still had remaining. I told them that was theft but got only the Gallic shrug so after they had stolen credit off me three times I cancelled that and went back to good old O2. My Orange Livebox router in the house manages an asthmatic download speed of between 0.3-2.0 mbps. It blew up in yesterdays thunderstorm so I got another from them this morning, no problems, very helpful. I asked when we might expect an improvement in our mbps and apparently it is coming, just that nobody knows when. Use a UK mobile and put up with whatever Orange can give you for the internet connection, at least their service is quite good and as they are the State owned service provider they get to turn down their competitors operating speeds where they share a mast!

Doofus

27,923 posts

179 months

Tuesday 20th March 2018
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I'd like to be able to get some decent telly, so I could do with improving on my Orange speed, but in truth, I don't think 4g is the answer for us...

Mike-tf3n0

573 posts

88 months

Wednesday 21st March 2018
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The only way to get UK TV properly is a dish and a digibox. It used to work well with a 60cm dish but the BBC are determined to stop people abroad watching their transmissions so here in the south we now need a 130cm dish, smaller as you go north.

Doofus

27,923 posts

179 months

Wednesday 21st March 2018
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I didn't say I wanted UK telly. smile

thefrog

341 posts

225 months

Thursday 22nd March 2018
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We've had one for a few months because nothing else with wires works and satellite is way too expensive for the data you get.
There is a 200Gb cap which we have yet to reach, but we don't stream video or download anything out of the ordinary.
For €30 a month and no contract I can't find anything that touches it provided you are in range of their 4G network. Orange have a similar offer, but the cap I think is 100Gb (or less).

Happy with ours.

rdjohn

Original Poster:

6,333 posts

201 months

Tuesday 27th March 2018
quotequote all
Received my my box yesterday afternoon. It is very easy to set up.

I am getting download speed of about 60Mb and upload of 10-15Mb. Halved when using VPN.

First impression is that it a the perfect solution if you are some way from the exchange.

boxboxbox

19 posts

131 months

Tuesday 27th March 2018
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Watching this thread with interest.
Has anyone with this 4G box used it in an old stone house with thick walls, and does the signal travel into adjacent rooms ok?
I'm considering binning our current wired freebox/telephone setup and it seems the 4G box will do the job in our area, but only worth it if the signal gets into the house, and then to other rooms.

Off topic, but the 'France' forum has been quiet recently, does anyone know if there are there any car/classic car events/meetings in the south east soon?
(We're an hour north east of Bordeaux).

Perik Omo

2,022 posts

154 months

Tuesday 27th March 2018
quotequote all
I connected my 4g box to a more powerful Asus router and I don't have any trouble with wi-fi, that's in a 330sq mtr converted barn with half metre thick stone walls in places. We use a mix of wired and wi-fi connections throughout the house.

Doofus

27,923 posts

179 months

Tuesday 27th March 2018
quotequote all
I use a Netgear router and a Linksys repeater. We get a good strong wifi signal over three floors and through 50cm thick walls, and about 50m into the garden

Fatt McMissile

330 posts

139 months

Wednesday 28th March 2018
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Our Freebox couldn't penetrate more than one thick stone wall, and to get a signal out of our house and into some places in the gites it has to pass through up to four.
We installed a Ubiquity Bullet and aerial on the outside of our house that distributes a secured signal successfully throughout the gites and gardens. With a clear line of sight reception is at least 500 yds. I'd recommend it to anyone seeking to cover several properties over a large area from the same box.
Its considered overkill by those who know, but this was done several years ago, when repeaters weren't as effective as I believe they are now, and OPL wasn't reliable due to separate mains supplies.
Deviating somewhat, our mobile reception is very poor but as we have a Freebox and Free mobiles, we have been able to activate the femtocell on the Freebox to give us excellent mobile reception (on Free) throughout our house and nearby.

Kev_Mk3

2,898 posts

101 months

Wednesday 28th March 2018
quotequote all
Interesting read as we always used a Orange dongle and it wasn't the best but these days I use my Mobile to connect devices to as I am on unlimited data & the speed has always been fine for what we use. Not massive users in France tbh but works a treat