Freebox

The Freebox is an electronic device provided by FAI French Free to its subscribers High banc. Since its beginnings, Freebox knew five different versions. Freebox makes it possible to profit from the Triple Play.

Following the success of Freebox, many suppliers of French access gave to their Modem a name ending in box .

This apparatus is used mainly as modem ADSL or FTTH, but also makes it possible Free to propose added services using support ADSL, like the television (via a catch Péritel or HDMI) or the telephony (via one or two catches RJ-11 according to the models). It can also act as Routeur by using or not the system of transmission without wire Wi-Fi.

Freebox is defined like l' final equipment of the network, it thus remains the property of Free, and for this reason, is lent to the subscribers. It is delivered with a Télécommande and accessories (cable S, filter,…). According to the allowance in the event of not-restitution on the tariff booklet, the value of Freebox v1 , v2 , v3 or v4 is of 190 €, that of the v5 is of 150 € and that of the Freebox HD is of 290 €.

Range of Freebox

Freebox is not only one simple modem which is used to be connected to Internet.

According to Alexandre Archambault, person in charge of the regulatory businesses of Free, Freebox is “anything else only the return to fundamental of the DSL”, whose initial objective was “to connect via a single support several types of terminals, therefore several service types: Telephone (telephony), Microcomputer (access Internet), Television set (remote transmission, bouquet of programs, Video to the request, Pay per view…), hi-fi system (radio S, etc)”.

In this direction, it is about good more than of a simple modem which can only make the interface between a Ordinateur and Internet.

Besides the general terms describe it like “an electronic device being used as interface between the data-processing equipment and or audio-visual of the user and the network of Free Telecom”.

To obtain Freebox

At the time of a subscription high banc in Free, the subscriber automatically sees himself lending Freebox. It is not sold nowhere, and sometimes if it is the case (what is prohibited, as one can find it on sites of Auction), it will not function in the purchaser because each Freebox is specific to a phone line (except the subscribers not Dégroupé S).

A new subscriber not dégroupé will see himself delivering Freebox version 4, a new dégroupé subscriber will see himself delivering Freebox version 5 and HD and a new subscriber with offer FTTH will have Freebox O and HD. (see low for the various versions of Freebox)

For the former subscribers, Free proposes to receive these last version of Freebox according to its type of subscription via its interface of management on the site of Free:

For a one duration old subscription higher or equal to 13 month, the expenses will be invoicees 60 €
For subscription a one duration old higher or equal to 25 months, the expenses will be invoicees 30 €
For subscription a one duration old higher or equal to 37 months, the expenses will be offered.

Note: the seniority could be given to zero during a preceding exchange of Freebox or of a change of subscription (passage of " Freebox in zone dégroupée" with " Freebox" total; for example). However, a judgment of December 19th, 2006 declared abusive and thus cancelled the clause of restoring of the seniority following a renewal of Freebox.

Versions of Freebox

The version is indicated in lower part of Freebox (in italic in the table).

Starting from its fifth version, Freebox is divided into two distinct cases.

Boîtier has

Case B

Characteristics

External characteristics

The first two versions of Freebox have the same design and consist of a relatively imposing case and little esthetics, having two frontal LED to post its operating condition.

Freebox v3 is completely remade from an external point of view: it is smaller, lighter and more esthetics. It has a small frontal bill-poster with segments. Freebox v4, appeared at the re-entry 2004, as well as V5 in 2006, preserve the same case as the v3.

Version 5 of Freebox is composed of two separate modules. The first case does not change much design and has only the connectors ADSL 2+ (Ethernet, USB, telephone, etc) with integrated Wi-Fi MIMO, allowing a better flow and a longer range (3 antennas). The second case, is intended to him on television.

Internal characteristics

The fact of having in-house an operating system makes it possible Freebox to be remote administrable by Free, while providing additional services " 2a la carte ".

Freebox v1 and v2 articulate around the Processeur of communication 32 bits RC32355. It should be noted that almost all Freebox v1 were replaced by of V2 due to electric problems (indeed, the transformer is internal).

The fourth version comprises new a compatible chipset ADSL ADSL 2+, a support of the standard Wi-Fi 802.11g (for the version v4 C and v 4 R ). The last evolution of Freebox v4 is its release in version “ R ”, compatible nativement with Re-ADSL.

Freebox v5 has, in the case television, a Hard drive intern of 40 Go allowing the use of Freebox like a multifunction digital video recorder, the only available one on the market of the French FAI in double tuner and the first with being proposed without overcost of subscription.

Connector industry

Freebox has the following connector industry (the version concerned is indicated between brackets):

a connector for the Power supply (with transformer interns for the v1 and v2 and external for the v3 , v4 , v5 and HD )
a connector RJ-11 for connection xDSL ( v1 with v5 )
connector (S) RJ-11 for connection with (S) the telephone (S) (two on the v1 and v2 , one of both being unutilised and one on the v3 , v4 and v5 )
for connection with the computer

duplex an Ethernet connector 10/100 Mbit/s full/half ( v1 with v5 , also being able to be used for connection between case ADSL and to limp it TV on the v5 and HD )
minis-switch to connect to four computers ( v5 )
a connector USB ( v1 with v5 )
a slit allowing to insert a chart PCMCIA provided by Free to use Wi-Fi ( v3 and v4 )
three entries to mount antennas Wi-Fi MIMO ( v5 and HD )

for connection with television:

a connector Péritel (" standard" on the v1 , v2 , v3 and v4 and tiny room with an adapter on HD (This reduction solving the problem of the brittleness of the standard connectors péritel))
a connector HDMI ( HD )
a connector S-Video ( HD )
a connector Video composite ( HD )
a connector of exit of the " part; final DVB-T " to use only the function TNT of Freebox ( HD )

for connection with the hi-fi system:

two connectors RCA ( v1 and v2 )
an audio connector S/PDIF (numerical on the v1 and v2 and optics on the v3 , v4 and HD )
an audio connector Numerical ( HD )

for the diffusion of vidéos on TV Perso:

a connector S-Video ( HD )
three connectors RCA ( HD )

a connector of entry for the hertzian Antenna allowing to receive TNT ( HD )
a main connector USB ( HD ) allowing the connection of an external hard drive to store recordings.
connectors which are not used :

a standard connector Ultra-ATA ( v1 , v2 )
a connector Serial ATA ( v3 and v4 )
a main connector USB ( v4 , v5 and HD )

Functionalities

Internet

Freebox gives access Internet. The maximum flow of the connection depends on the version of Freebox:

Freebox v1 , v2 and v3 : 8 Mbit/s in reception and 896 kbit/s in emission (capacities maximum ATM)
Freebox v4 and v5 : 28 Mbit/s in reception and 1 Mbit/s in emission (capacities maximum ATM).

In its commercial offer Free announces a maximum flow going down 28 Mbit/s.

Optical Freebox (version to come): 100 Mbit/s in reception and of 50 Mbit/s in emission according to an advertisement of Free. Contrary to the ADSL, this flow will not be disturbed by the visionnage of one or several flows TV into simultaneous (via the optical case, case HD or the multipost one).

Connection to the computer can be done via Ethernet, Wi-Fi (starting from version 3) or USB.

Note : The flow of synchronization depends especially the length and on the quality of the phone line of the subscriber.

Network

Freebox (starting from version 3) can:

to act as waiter DHCP simplified. This function is administrable since the console of management. It is possible to define MAC addresses in order to make it possible to always allot same IP address to a given machine.
to offer a service of routing simple NAT. It can be activated by the user since the site of Free, and road as well the USB, the Ethernet port and Wi-Fi connections. This service can obviously act as Pare-feu.
to use the process Wake-one-LAN. This one makes it possible to light a computer of a remote network, by using coded packages (including/understanding the address MAC of the computer to be lit).

Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi is not available for Freebox v1 and v2 .

On Freebox v3 and v4 , the activation of this function requires the use of a chart PCMCIA Wi-Fi having the chipset PRISM 2/2.5. Free sells such charts, but certain users could test alternate charts of the market. Once the chart inserted in Freebox, the user can activate the function via its console of management on the Web site of Free.

Freebox v5 uses a chart Mini NCV integrated, containing chipset Ralink and managing an alternative owner of MIMO: the MIMO XR^tm de Ralink which is only MISO and not true MIMO. Freebox v5 has three antennas provided with each case of Freebox. Case ADSL can at the same time connect the case television and the various computers, all that by Wi-Fi. However, there is no connection possible Wi-Fi MIMO of case ADSL to the computer, except if this last is equipped with a chart Wi-Fi MIMO and this one undoubtedly containing chipset Ralink. The link will be made if not in Wi-Fi not MIMO. This version does not allow operation in mode WDS (Wireless Distribution System) for the extension of network.

Telephony (VoIP)

It is possible to connect a traditional telephone to have a VoIP phone line. Many telephone functions are available on this line without overcost: double call, transfer, etc

One can find the whole of the functions of telephony on this document of Free.

The equipment supplier who provides to Free his platform of VoIP is Cirpack which was repurchased in 2005 by Thomson. The only known elements make it possible to think that Freebox communicates via the protocol MGCP with the POP one of access. The heart of network of Free would use as for him protocol SIP.

Freebox also makes it possible to use the Ring Back Tone.

All the Freebox subscribers also have a second phone number allowing them to send Fax via their console of management (a digitalization of the preliminary document will be necessary) or to receive them directly in their electronic letter-box.

Freephonie

All the subscribers Freebox can profit free from an account SIP via their interface of management. This enables them to profit from the telephone tariffs of Free on any computer in the world having a connection Internet (via a compatible software) or with a compatible mobile phone Wi-Fi on the condition of being in the coverage area of a hotspot " ouvert" (restaurants Mc Donalds by ex;) or of a protected network (family or friends) which one has the identifiers which one will have entered beforehand one of the profiles of the Wifi telephone. However the service is currently limited and does not allow the calls towards the foreigner, nor certain paying calls towards France.

Moreover, the owners of a Freebox v5 can use technology SIP for the Freephonie . The latter allows an subscriber equipped with a Free mobile phone to telephone everywhere in France with the telephone tariffs of Free on the condition of being in the Wi-Fi coverage area of Freebox v5. In all the cases tariffing is identical to the normal use from at home and this as well for the outgoing calls as entering, but this service currently undergoes the same limitations.

To use Freephonie, the subscriber must order a compatible mobile phone Wi-Fi proposed by Free since October 2006, at the price of 59 € for a telephone Wi-Fi alone, or 199 € for a hybrid model WiFi/GSM (of mark Pirelli, more advanced. The telephone hybrids allows at the same time connector on the Wi-Fi network of Free, but also on the traditional network of Mobile telephony (GSM, GPRS, 3G,…) of your operator.

The technology UMA, which can allow the continuity of a conversation by changing network (to pass from the GSM to the Wi-Fi or conversely), is not available with the offer of Free.

Television and Radio

Freeplayer

Digital video recorder PVR HD

The subscribers having Freebox HD have the possibility of using it free like a genuine digital video recorder.

Indeed, it is possible for them to record in quality Numérique the emissions of Freebox TV or TNT (chains resulting from the bouquets Canal+ the Bouquet or Canalsat and radios not being recordable) directly on the integrated hard drive of Freebox HD. It is also possible for them to program a recording, manually or via the visible Guide of the programs on Freebox, or to manage direct the of an emission, while pressing simply on the key Pause .

The hard drive of Freebox HD is also available on a visible waiter ftp on any computer connected on the network of this Freebox. One can then recover video files recorded beforehand on his computer or deposit vidéos there that one has on the computer in order to look them on his television (all that even if Freebox is extinct).

If the capacity of 40 Gigaoctet S of the hard drive interns of Freebox HD is not enough with the subscriber, it is also possible for him to add an external hard drive on the port USB of this one, and to have the same functionalities as with the internal hard drive. It should be noted that the paying chains can be recorded but that it is not possible to export the files in ftp nor to record them on the peripheral of safeguard connected on port USB for reasons of copyright.

Fax

Since April 2007, the Free subscribers can from now on make use of their Freebox (all confused versions) like fax. It is not a question however of connecting a fax on its Freebox, since all occurs on line:

the reception of the fax is redirected towards its address of email in the form of enclosure in pdf.
the emission of a fax is done since the console of administration of your account Free and a copy is addressed to you on your address of email. The document to be sent must be with format pdf A4 portrait. See all the details in the article Fax2mail.

Significant advantage, the subscribers will be able to make use of this service of fax since any access to Internet, even abroad.

How does it go?

First of all, all the subscribers have a new number, only intended for the reception of fax. It should be calculated is even. If your number of such freebox is the 095 B XXX XXX, your number of faxes becomes the 095 B+5 XXX XXX. A concrete example: 095 2.123.456 becomes 095 7.123.456.

This service of fax is included/understood in the Free subscription. It should thus be possible to send free faxes on the 70 destinations included/understood in the telephone service unlimited.

However, the invoicing towards the destination except fixed price, would be unverifiable if it were invoiced at the time of emission and the sendings of fax do not appear in the invoices of April and May 2007.

Video encoding MPEG4

Electricity consumption

The boxes in general and FreeBox in particular contain powerful processors and still consume much energy. For example, FreeBox v4 is delivered with a transformer 12V, 1,2A is close to 15W. Over one year, that represents a yearly consumption of 15W*24h*365j = 131kWh (either approximately 12€/an). It would seem that FreeBox HD has a still higher consumption. To extinguish its FreeBox the night or to connect it on a programmable catch, thus makes it possible to make savings of considerable money and energy.

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