End of Windows XP

Problems/advice relating to your PC/Mac/Phone/Television/ Satellite TV/DVD/Blu ray......

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Sally
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End of Windows XP

Post by Sally »

Hello everyone

My PC in France needs replacing as Windows XP goes out of support in April. The simplest solution would be for me to buy a laptop in England and take it over. If I do this will I be able to do the following in France?:-

1) Connect to my wired internet connection through Orange
2) Connect to the computer screen already there which is a good size for watching films on
3) Connect to the keyboard that is already there, as my elderly father will find this easier to use

In other words, can a laptop bought in this country just be plugged in, in France and what cables will I need ?

Any help appreciated! Or is there another solution? Would a tablet work?

Thanks for your help

Sally :?
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Post by russell »

First, to answer your questions:
1) Yes.
2) Probably. It depends on the laptop but most of them have a "VGA" connection which will connect to your existing monitor using the same cable. Alternatively, modern laptops have an HDMI connector to connect to a modern TV receiver.
3) If the keyboard you have uses a USB connection it will work with the laptop.

A tablet is unlikely to be able to connect to your existing monitor or keyboard. Some, but not all, have an HDMI output to connect to the TV.

However, just because Microsoft will no longer support Windows XP doesn't mean that your computer will stop working. If it works for you now it will continue to work. There will be no new updates but they are not usually necessary.

Hope that helps.
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Post by Allan »

Russell's answer is spot on but the key aspect of Microsoft ending support is that there will be no new security patches to Windows XP.

This means if somebody now invents a new virus or malware that can affect Windows XP then Microsoft will not do anything about it.

Anti-virus software suppliers will probably follow suit and not necessarily be able to support Windows XP without the cooperation of Microsoft.

In my experience users of Windows XP largely don't know about security updates so have never applied them anyway so the change is largely meaningless to them

Having said that, modern operating systems like Windows 7 and Windows 8 automatically check and apply updates, the internet can be a nasty place with many nasty people so good security is paramount.

Given that you have a large screen an desperate keyboard then do you really need a laptop or would you be better off with one of the new all-in-one PCs with a large screen
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Post by russell »

Just a quote from one antivirus provider:

"We do not have any plans set yet for the end of life for XP so we can't say officially what will happen at the moment.
It wouldn't be helpful for us stop releasing virus updates for that operating system as there will still be a large number of users using XP by the time April comes around, so my own personal opinion and from previous experience, we will probably still provide virus definitions and basic support but any problems specific to XP that would require bug fixes would be stopped.
As soon as there is an official statement or official information I will post back.

Michael Allen
AVG Customer Services
"

I wouldn't worry just yet.

Russell

P.S. I'm using a computer with Windows XP for machine control in my workshop and I'll not be upgrading that as Windows 8 will not do real time control of the parallel port.
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Post by Lanark Lass »

Hi there!A new version of Windows called Windows 9 is due to be released in Autumn of this year and is purported to be very like Windows XP.

In the meantime, I would turn off "Windows automatic updates" which is quite easy to do (yes,XP does do automatic updates!} and hold off buying a new computer until Windows 9 comes out. AVG will still give you protection.

Alternatively, there are a few android netbooks around, I've seen some on ebay from a company in London and some from Hong Kong!

My husbant works with Ubuntu on a memory stick which he just plugs in to either his computer in UK or the one in France. With Ubuntu there are updates but you can stick with a version you like and no worries about new versions! Hope this helps.
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Post by martyn94 »

Or get a mac. I would not pay the premium prices for their laptops (not needing a laptop anyway). But a Mac mini (especially a refurb) is as close as Apple come to cheap, and they update the operating system for nowt
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Post by russell »

martyn94 wrote:Or get a mac. I would not pay the premium prices for their laptops (not needing a laptop anyway). But a Mac mini (especially a refurb) is as close as Apple come to cheap, and they update the operating system for nowt
Or install Linux on your existing PC. It costs nothing, updates and software are free and there are no virus problems. It is basically the same operating system as Mac but without the restrictions placed on it by Apple. :wink:

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Post by Owens88 »

John
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Post by russell »

I hope my bank sticks with XP. It is the most stable of Windows OS's to date.

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Post by Lanark Lass »

The trouble with Microsoft is the company wants you to keep buying what is basically the same program over and over again. I have heard that people have not been happy with Windows 7 and 8 but were happy with XP. So sooner than keep XP going they will release Windows 9 which allegedly will be similar to XP.

I too am now thinking about switching to Ubunto or Android as I'm getting tired of Microsoft!
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Post by Allan »

Lanark Lass wrote:The trouble with Microsoft is the company wants you to keep buying what is basically the same program over and over again. I have heard that people have not been happy with Windows 7 and 8 but were happy with XP. So sooner than keep XP going they will release Windows 9 which allegedly will be similar to XP.

I too am now thinking about switching to Ubunto or Android as I'm getting tired of Microsoft!
I know that Microsoft and Windows bashing is even more popular than 'Le French Bashing' but I just can't agree with your comments.

Windows XP was released 13 years ago - that's hardly forcing people to buy the same program. Incidentally Ubuntu releases are supported for between 9 and 18 months with the exception of their long term releases which are supported for 5 years.

Most of the hardware in modern devices wasn't even dreamed of 13 years ago, it is inevitable that new versions will be released.

I don't know where you get the idea that Windows 9 will be like Windows XP but I very much doubt that you are right. Windows 8 and indeed Ubuntu recognised that more people are using mobile devices and have sought to be converged operating systems that can run on desktops and mobile devices. This hasn't gone down well with business desktop users so Windows 8.1 was brought out to provide a more familiar interface. Windows 9 is expected to have a build that goes further in that direction.

As for Android, it isn't a desktop operating system.

Personally I love Windows 8, the transition from Windows 7 was strange at first but now I much prefer it.

Its all well and good to suggest that people try different systems but Ubuntu has a small share of the Linux market which again has a small share of the total market. The vast majority of programs are written for Windows or the Mac operating system, yes you can run a Windows emulator on Ubuntu but why not just use Windows.

My company has been involved in all Microsoft Beta testing of major releases for the last 25 years, so yes I may be biased.
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Post by russell »

Lanark Lass wrote: I too am now thinking about switching to Ubunto or Android as I'm getting tired of Microsoft!
Remember Ubuntu is just one version of Linux. For anyone considering switching from Windows to Linux I would recommend Linux Mint which is the most popular version and has a look and feel more familiar to Windows users.

As Allan said, Android is not meant for desktops or laptops. It's main focus is mobile phones, tablets and IPTV boxes.

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Post by Lanark Lass »

My information about Windows 9 came from a Sales Rep at Staples in Northampton. The Windows Rep who visited this shop had advised the Sales rep about the similarities between XP and the forthcoming Windows 9. He also commented on the problems people had been having with 7 (which we have) and more so with 8.

The sales rep advised me to wait for Windows 9 if I was considering a new computer!
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Post by martyn94 »

If you want basic laptop uses plus streaming UK tv, a chromebook (specifically this http://www.acer.co.uk/ac/en/GB/content/series/c720) plus a chromecast (reportedly being released this Wednesday) could be very effective. And outstandingly cheap - about £235 all in.
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Post by Owens88 »

Lanark Lass wrote:My information about Windows 9 came from a Sales Rep at Staples in Northampton. The Windows Rep who visited this shop had advised the Sales rep about the similarities between XP and the forthcoming Windows 9.
Have you also noticed the similarity between HTML and Wordstar5 ?
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Post by Allan »

martyn94 wrote:If you want basic laptop uses plus streaming UK tv, a chromebook (specifically this http://www.acer.co.uk/ac/en/GB/content/series/c720) plus a chromecast (reportedly being released this Wednesday) could be very effective. And outstandingly cheap - about £235 all in.
Chromebooks have featured highly in the list of top IT flops for the last 3 years, what's different about this one?

Where is the chromecast reportedly being released?
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Post by martyn94 »

Google is your friend on both points. And google is all that I have to go on. As recently reviewed, chromebooks seem to offer all that the OP seems to want to do in a cheap, quick and low-maintenance form. And with high security and no issue of disruptive OS updates (which is where the OP came in, with concerns about the end of XP).

As to being a flop, google have something of a record for products (android, anybody?) which start slowly but ultimately do rather well. The hardware makers evidently haven't given up trying. The fact that other people want more capability than they can offer, or simply haven't given them serious consideration, isn't really material, apart from the risk that google will simply stop taking them seriously or stop supporting them at all. That risk seems relatively slight by now, if you're only paying £199 a pop (and could install Linux if all else failed).

The particular model I cited has a better-than usual processor. That seems to make it highly capable: in particular it can "tab cast" to a chromecast dongle, which speaks to our current concerns over access to tv etc.

Chromecast is alleged to be being released in UK, France etc on Wed on the basis of the usual rumours, snippets of code, photos of product already said to be in stock.... All possibly wrong, but we will know soon enough.
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Post by russell »

Allan wrote: I know that Microsoft and Windows bashing is even more popular than 'Le French Bashing'.
Agreed. I may be guilty myself :lol: However Microsoft are also guilty of Linux bashing.

Interesting to hear from someone who is a MS beta tester. Have you got your beta Windows 9 yet? I would be interested to know how you get on with it.

Yes, it is true that Ubuntu, like most other flavours of Linux, has a limited published time of support but when a new version is released it is free of charge unlike a new version of Windows.

Agreed, most software is written for Windows but there are many free programs for Linux that perform the same functions as the Windows equivalent. Here is a list: http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Lin ... s_software

"why not just use Windows" - for me the answer is easy. Linux is cheaper (free) , the software is (mostly) free, there are no problems with viruses, there is no need to reboot after updates or software installation, and the support is excellent.

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Post by Allan »

russell wrote:
Allan wrote: I know that Microsoft and Windows bashing is even more popular than 'Le French Bashing'.
Agreed. I may be guilty myself :lol: However Microsoft are also guilty of Linux bashing.

Interesting to hear from someone who is a MS beta tester. Have you got your beta Windows 9 yet? I would be interested to know how you get on with it.

Yes, it is true that Ubuntu, like most other flavours of Linux, has a limited published time of support but when a new version is released it is free of charge unlike a new version of Windows.

Agreed, most software is written for Windows but there are many free programs for Linux that perform the same functions as the Windows equivalent. Here is a list: http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Lin ... s_software

"why not just use Windows" - for me the answer is easy. Linux is cheaper (free) , the software is (mostly) free, there are no problems with viruses, there is no need to reboot after updates or software installation, and the support is excellent.

Russell.
All very convincing arguments Russell, I wonder therefore that Linux in all it'svariants has only about a 1.5% share of the desktop and laptop market?

Windows 9 is not yet in beta testing and as far as I know Microsoft has made no announcements yet of functionality or release date. I believe most information out there doesn't go beyond informed rumour, although Microsoft does have a product roadmap. The most likely release date is spring next year.
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Post by Allan »

martyn94 wrote:Google is your friend on both points. And google is all that I have to go on. As recently reviewed, chromebooks seem to offer all that the OP seems to want to do in a cheap, quick and low-maintenance form. And with high security and no issue of disruptive OS updates (which is where the OP came in, with concerns about the end of XP).

As to being a flop, google have something of a record for products (android, anybody?) which start slowly but ultimately do rather well. The hardware makers evidently haven't given up trying. The fact that other people want more capability than they can offer, or simply haven't given them serious consideration, isn't really material, apart from the risk that google will simply stop taking them seriously or stop supporting them at all. That risk seems relatively slight by now, if you're only paying £199 a pop (and could install Linux if all else failed).

The particular model I cited has a better-than usual processor. That seems to make it highly capable: in particular it can "tab cast" to a chromecast dongle, which speaks to our current concerns over access to tv etc.

Chromecast is alleged to be being released in UK, France etc on Wed on the basis of the usual rumours, snippets of code, photos of product already said to be in stock.... All possibly wrong, but we will know soon enough.
Interesting, it used to be that Microsoft was considered the 'Great Satan' of the IT world but a lot of people think the mantle has passed to Google, did you know that they log every search that you ever make and buy up satellite photos and databases simply to have the information in case they can find a use for it.

The Chromebook may be cheap but it is principally a browser only device, another £60 gets you a proper laptop that you can use fully off-line, install programs on and run Skype, I know which I would rather have but each to his own.

The Chromecast has been on-sale in the UK and France for some time, I presume imported from the US. I bought one a few months ago to play with. I found that tab-casting (replicating the content from a tab in the Chrome browser to a TV) worked fine on a PC but was very fiddly because a number of TV catchup sites open extra Windows and you need to force them to open extra tabs. It doesn't work with Chrome on the iPad.

Beyond casting, I haven't found it much use. You can use it with Netflix and Youtube but a major limitation is that you cannot configure it to use a SmartDNS or VPN so if you use one in France it won't give you access to UK services. You can get around this by making changes at Router level but this is not possible with a number of French internet providers unless you buy an extra router.

From what I have seen, the Chromecast isn't a patch on Apple TV with Airplay from an IOS device or Air Parrot from a PC or Mac.
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Post by russell »

Allan wrote: All very convincing arguments Russell, I wonder therefore that Linux in all it'svariants has only about a 1.5% share of the desktop and laptop market?
A good question. I think it is largely because MS have a virtual monopoly when it comes to new sales.

It is difficult to get exact usage figures because most new sales are Windows and some are converted to other systems. A recent estimate is that there are about 70 million users of Linux on PCs, hardly insignificant.

When it comes to applications that are more security and reliability critical the picture is very different (according to Wikipedia):
For servers 34.6% Linux, 32.9% Windoows
For supercomputers 96.4% Linux, 0.4% Windows.

At the other end of the scale Android is also built on a Linux kernel so nearly 80% of smartphones are using a version of Linux.

It will be interesting to see how things develop.

Russell.
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Post by martyn94 »

[quote=
Interesting, it used to be that Microsoft was considered the 'Great Satan' of the IT world but a lot of people think the mantle has passed to Google, did you know that they log every search that you ever make and buy up satellite photos and databases simply to have the information in case they can find a use for it.

The Chromebook may be cheap but it is principally a browser only device, another £60 gets you a proper laptop that you can use fully off-line, install programs on and run Skype, I know which I would rather have but each to his own.

The Chromecast has been on-sale in the UK and France for some time, I presume imported from the US. I bought one a few months ago to play with. I found that tab-casting (replicating the content from a tab in the Chrome browser to a TV) worked fine on a PC but was very fiddly because a number of TV catchup sites open extra Windows and you need to force them to open extra tabs. It doesn't work with Chrome on the iPad.

Beyond casting, I haven't found it much use. You can use it with Netflix and Youtube but a major limitation is that you cannot configure it to use a SmartDNS or VPN so if you use one in France it won't give you access to UK services. You can get around this by making changes at Router level but this is not possible with a number of French internet providers unless you buy an extra router.

From what I have seen, the Chromecast isn't a patch on Apple TV with Airplay from an IOS device or Air Parrot from a PC or Mac.[/quote]

I am not a google (or any other) fanboy, but if your budget - in terms of time, skill, money and energy - is constrained, and your needs are what they deliver, you may well decide to sup with the devil and choose a long spoon.

Similarly with a chromebook: if you need a full-service laptop they are not for you (or not as a sole machine). But they do everything that most people want, and have advantages as they do so - fast, quick, cheap, easy to maintain, lightish, long battery life and above all (getting back to the original post) they do not run Windows 8.

For myself, they deliver rather more than I need (I hate keyboards) so I will stick to my ipad.

Given that choice, I agree that Apple TV may well work best for me. But if you are not already half-committed in this way, a chromecast might well be a valid choice. In particular, the point of having an "official" UK or French model, rather than an imported one, is that they can be expected to carry the UK/French tv services natively (as well as Netflix etc): you can control it with one or other device, but after that you can switch the device off - the. Chromecast pulls the content by itself. Apple TV currently does nothing useful in that vein, unless you like US professional wrestling or ice hockey to the point of paying for it.

As always, it's horses for courses. You need to analyse your own needs carefully, taking account (but not too much account) of what you have already got. But with the certainty that whatever you choose will be sub-optimal in a few months time.

One smaller point: Allan's comment about what you can and cannot do with your router (your "box" for most of us) is on the ball as ever. My own freebox seems to deliver the essential: a fixed IP address, and the facility to change DNS server. But I have no idea how others are fixed: it would be a service to us all if users of other boxes could report what they can and can't do (it might make a sticky idc).
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Post by martyn94 »

[quote=
Interesting, it used to be that Microsoft was considered the 'Great Satan' of the IT world but a lot of people think the mantle has passed to Google, did you know that they log every search that you ever make and buy up satellite photos and databases simply to have the information in case they can find a use for it.

The Chromebook may be cheap but it is principally a browser only device, another £60 gets you a proper laptop that you can use fully off-line, install programs on and run Skype, I know which I would rather have but each to his own.

The Chromecast has been on-sale in the UK and France for some time, I presume imported from the US. I bought one a few months ago to play with. I found that tab-casting (replicating the content from a tab in the Chrome browser to a TV) worked fine on a PC but was very fiddly because a number of TV catchup sites open extra Windows and you need to force them to open extra tabs. It doesn't work with Chrome on the iPad.

Beyond casting, I haven't found it much use. You can use it with Netflix and Youtube but a major limitation is that you cannot configure it to use a SmartDNS or VPN so if you use one in France it won't give you access to UK services. You can get around this by making changes at Router level but this is not possible with a number of French internet providers unless you buy an extra router.

From what I have seen, the Chromecast isn't a patch on Apple TV with Airplay from an IOS device or Air Parrot from a PC or Mac.[/quote]

I am not a google (or any other) fanboy, but if your budget - in terms of time, skill, money and energy - is constrained, and your needs are what they deliver, you may well decide to sup with the devil and choose a long spoon.

Similarly with a chromebook: if you need a full-service laptop they are not for you (or not as a sole machine). But they do everything that most people want, and have advantages as they do so - fast, quick, cheap, easy to maintain, lightish, long battery life and above all (getting back to the original post) they do not run Windows 8.

For myself, they deliver rather more than I need (I hate keyboards) so I will stick to my ipad.

Given that choice, I agree that Apple TV may well work best for me. But if you are not already half-committed in this way, a chromecast might well be a valid choice. In particular, the point of having an "official" UK or French model, rather than an imported one, is that they can be expected to carry the UK/French tv services natively (as well as Netflix etc): you can control it with one or other device, but after that you can switch the device off - the. Chromecast pulls the content by itself. Apple TV currently does nothing useful in that vein, unless you like US professional wrestling or ice hockey to the point of paying for it.

As always, it's horses for courses. You need to analyse your own needs carefully, taking account (but not too much account) of what you have already got. But with the certainty that whatever you choose will be sub-optimal in a few months time.

One smaller point: Allan's comment about what you can and cannot do with your router (your "box" for most of us) is on the ball as ever. My own freebox seems to deliver the essential: a fixed IP address, and the facility to change DNS server. But I have no idea how others are fixed: it would be a service to us all if users of other boxes could report what they can and can't do (it might make a sticky idc).
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Post by neil mitchell »

With the IT knowledge (limited) which I now have as a result of this TV thing it seems to me that there are hundreds of different ways of watching IPTV but one common denominator is the ability to show a UK IP Address which, as far as I can see, mostly depends on the capability of the device which you use. If we were all able to configure that on our wireless routers then wouldn't everything be simple again. I tried to Google it but being in UK right now and not really knowing exactly what my router is didn't really help. If anyone could do a "sticky" that would be helpful because most people could DIY it with decent instructions or, in return for money, visit peoples homes and do it for them.
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Post by Allan »

neil mitchell wrote:With the IT knowledge (limited) which I now have as a result of this TV thing it seems to me that there are hundreds of different ways of watching IPTV but one common denominator is the ability to show a UK IP Address which, as far as I can see, mostly depends on the capability of the device which you use. If we were all able to configure that on our wireless routers then wouldn't everything be simple again. I tried to Google it but being in UK right now and not really knowing exactly what my router is didn't really help. If anyone could do a "sticky" that would be helpful because most people could DIY it with decent instructions or, in return for money, visit peoples homes and do it for them.
It would be wonderful if life were that easy but each of the main providers all have many different models of router.

The first rule is that if you have an internet telephone via your router or french television then you probably can't change DNS on the router because these services normally rely on addresses that only exist in the ISPs domain.

None of the standard routers in use can be configured with a router based VPN. In practically all cases it is a simple matter to add an additional router to your network.

If you have satellite broadband you probably can't run a SmartDNS or VPN. Even with an extra router.
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Post by neil mitchell »

Hi Allan.

Thanks for that, should have twigged the old internet phone catch, I have one of those. So would adding another router mean just buying one from PC World and then connecting by cable to the French one and then configuring it. When I say "just" what I mean is if it is practically possible, not if I personally can do it
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Post by martyn94 »

neil mitchell wrote:Hi Allan.

Thanks for that, should have twigged the old internet phone catch, I have one of those. So would adding another router mean just buying one from PC World and then connecting by cable to the French one and then configuring it. When I say "just" what I mean is if it is practically possible, not if I personally can do it
Broadly speaking you just plug the new router in (though it helps to have an EU-plug power-block, so perhaps not PC World) and change your existing box to "bridge" mode. Unless I am very much mistaken, it is possible to change the DNS settings on a "free" box, so unless you are determined to go the VPN route (rather than "smart DNS"), it might be easier and cheaper just to change ISP, if you have served out your initial 12 months with your current provider. Free's service is also quite attractive in other respects, eg if you want a French mobile phone. In particular, you can bung tv content directly from an ipad/iphone/iPod touch/mac to a "freebox player" ( the bit that plugs into your tv) using airplay without any further hardware.
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Post by Allan »

martyn94 wrote:
Broadly speaking you just plug the new router in (though it helps to have an EU-plug power-block, so perhaps not PC World) and change your existing box to "bridge" mode.
I think you are a bit confused here martyn94 you certainly wouldn't change your existing router to "bridge" mode even if it permitted it.

The restrictions on VOIP. and internet tv apply equally to SmartDNS and to VPN, to get around them you can simply plug an Ethernet router with its own DHCP settings into your existing router and then connect any devices requiring SmartDNS or VPN to the new network created by that router.

The choice of router is determined by whether or not you want to run a VPN through it or not.

I have always been impressed with Free's offering and the Freebox is a lot more advanced than the devices provided by other suppliers. However, most Free offerings include a VOIP phone so you could possibly run into trouble changing DNS, it would need to be tested to check if it works.

I looked at the settings on a Freebox for another forum member and on her box I don't believe that you could change the DNS settings so there may be more than one version out there
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Post by martyn94 »

Allan wrote:
martyn94 wrote:
Broadly speaking you just plug the new router in (though it helps to have an EU-plug power-block, so perhaps not PC World) and change your existing box to "bridge" mode.
I think you are a bit confused here martyn94 you certainly wouldn't change your existing router to "bridge" mode even if it permitted it.
Not so much confused as simply out of my depth (like most people when it comes to networks). I had dimly supposed that it would be desirable to switch off at least the DHCP on the "upstream" router (ie the ISP's box). "Bridge" may not be the right expression for that, and it may just be wrong. (Though "bridge" is exactly what free say you might use in what seems to be this situation - http://www.free.fr/assistance/5083.html). I hope I never have to grapple with it: serious wrangling with network settings is well above my pay grade.

As to DNS on a freebox, there are indeed various vintages of box in circulation. I believe I have changed them on my "freebox revolution" (or v6): I can't check because all my stuff is packed away on account of building work. It may not be possible on the slightly cheaper "freebox crystal" (or v5).
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Post by Allan »

Martyn

The article you refer to is how to use your own router INSTEAD of the Freebox which just becomes a broadband Modem. Following this procedure would disable the phone, TV and all the other Free added value services.

What you actually want to do is simply add a downstream router with its own SmartDNS settings or VPN, plugged into an Ethernet port on the Freebox or other ISPs router. You then connect any device that needs to use the SmartDNS or VPN capability into the network created by the new router.

Its actually pretty simple but if anyone needs to do it, send me a message and I'll talk you through it
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