One solution if you have no Orange Coverage at home...

EyePeaSea

Ok - you've probably seen my posts over the last week. Got two phones on a new Orange contract, neither have any signal in my house. Complained, shop told me to speak to customer services, customer services say speak to shop. Everyone is relatively friendly, but no one helps. I get dizzy being passed from one to the other.

I'm all geared up to getting a deadlock letter and pursuing things further, when we noticed something on the Orange website called 'unique' (http://www.orange.co.uk/unique )This is a package that provides home ADSL broadband (like any other) but with a twist; the Wireless router they give you also works with your phone. When you're in Wifi range, no only do calls go out via your broadband (pretty much VoIP), but your incoming calls are also routed in via your broadband, over the router and into your phone.

A downside is that you need to use their broadband. However, as my current (and superb) ISP is closing, I have to find a new ISP within 30 days anyway, so that isn't a big deal. Also, because my local exchange is LLU'd, I don't have to pay the £8 surcharge, so my broadband package, including router is, err, free. I've got to see how I get on with the download cap, but even if I upgrade to unlimited (£10/month), I'm still saving £9.99/month and fixing my phone coverage problem.

Sounds too good to be true? Well, yes, it does a bit. But I'm not sure what I've got to lose. Orange won't provide as good a broadband service as I've been getting, but it's probably (fingers crossed) no worse than Sky, which was my other option - and you get what you pay for...

I'm interested (rather sad really) in the technicalities of how this might work; does the phone communicate with the router via Wifi, or does the router also support the 1900/2200 mobile phone bands?

I'm also very, very puzzled that no one in Orange suggested this. The website clearly states that it's intended for people who have bad coverage at home. The Orange broadband chap seemed to suggest that it was because I'd been speaking to 'phone' people, and 'Unique' was being managed by the Broadband division. Still a bit silly that they've missed a trick, in not pointing this out to me earlier.

They've assured me that it's all going to come together... I'll wait and see!

Cheers


Ian

Edinburghlass_2

Someone else mentioned on a thread about how he was told that getting a wireless router from Orange was going to help his mobile coverage, I'll try and find the thread as no-one could understand why a wireless router would help.

Browntoa

I've got BtBroadband Anywhere, works on the same priciple , I can make cheap/free calls when I'm in range of a BT wifi ( or Fon) signal

works very well

dduk

Something to be aware of is that you need a special phone to use this service. Orange currently only offer 2 Unique phones.

Bettingmad

dduk wrote: »

Something to be aware of is that you need a special phone to use this service. Orange currently only offer 2 Unique phones.

They also do a couple Blackberry's which are listed on business site off the top of my head it is the Blackberry Pearl and Blackbury 8320. I am also looking at Unique as my signal is not good at home. I am currently on a Racoon 35 which I get for £25 with free ul mobile data. I also get free Broadband from Orange. With Unique you get the old Broadband unlimited for £5 where they also throw in 1000 mins for L/L Orange to Orange and International calls. I am wondering if I need to pay the £5 as I already have the Broadband with them.
The resident expert on Orange Unique id Diamonds, have a search on Orange Unique on this site and you will find a number of informative posts by Diamonds.

diamonds

i use BB 8120, Unique is awesome !

£5 is for Broadband Unlimited

£5 charge for Unique calls is for non Orange BB customers


Nokia 6301 is now stable after the last Livebox update, avoid Samsung its the pits

Unique customers seem to get action on broadband issues more than Orange BB


anything else just ask

diamonds

Unique is NOT dealt by broadband - its Orange Technical Level 3

John_G66

Will 'Unique' work with an 'off the shelf' 6301, or will it have to be adapted in some way ?

diamonds

no it should work, its the UMA chip inside that forces wi-fi connection over mobile network when wi-fi is switched on and Unique calls are yours

get the Nokia 6301 and you get the old 40GB Unlimited Broadband package for £5 a month with Orange 2nd line with calls to 100 countries landlines, UK Orange/01/02/03 landlines - your line rental/calls remain with BT on Broadband Unlimited - NO tie in to Orange landline calls or line rental

Broadband problems are better resolved for you being a Unique customer, you need BB for Unique to work

Glad BB now know about Unique - i pushed and pushed for BB staff in India to get to know about Unique with several Indian managers, spending time explaining the product to them as the website has nothing ! Alas MOBILE know very little of Unique & I spent time with several managers & the exec office telling them to inform staff of its existence

EyePeaSea

dduk wrote: »

Something to be aware of is that you need a special phone to use this service. Orange currently only offer 2 Unique phones.

Don't be silly!

They'd never sell me Unique, when they had the full details of the phones I've just taken out. They'd obviously check that first and then warn me before I signed up!!!!

Oh no - sorry, we're talking about a call-centre here. So, As of last Sunday, I had an 18 month contract with two phones that I can't use at home, a broadband package that *doesn't* work with my phones and a sore ear from spending hours, quite literally, on the phone to Orange...

Hurumph!

But there is a happy ending - I'll post later.

Ian

John_G66

Got my 6301 today via upgrades at Orange, bit basic to what I've had in the past but it's more important to me to get a signal in the house !!

Just gotta work out how to 'pair it' with my livebox !!