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Revision 117482147 of "Benutzer:TotalUseless/Freebox" on dewikiThe '''Freebox''' is an [[Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line|ADSL]] [[modem]] that the French [[internet service provider]] named [[Free (ISP)|Free]] (part of the Iliad group) provides to its [[Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line|ADSL]] subscribers.
Its main use is as a high-end wireless modem (802.11g MIMO), but it also allows Free to offer added services using ADSL as support, like HD television (1080p), video recording with timeshifting capabilities, digital radio and free telephony (via one or two RJ11 according to models). Because the use of english terms seems smart in french, such "box" is said to be a "triple play box" (internet, phone, TV).
The Freebox is lent to the subscribers, its value being 190 Euros according to the operator. It is delivered with a remote control, a multimedia box equipped with a 80GB hard drive and accessories (cables and filters). According to [http://www.vnunet.fr/actualite/telecommunications/services_et_contenus/20050908005 this article], at the end of first semester 2005, more than 1.1 million subscribers were equipped with the Freebox. According to Company official's results publication, the 2 million of freebox were reached on September 2006.
== V6 generation, Freebox Revolution ==
The sixth generation of the box is called Freebox Revolution or V6 (Version 6). It has been launched on the market in the beginning of 2011. It is composed of a pair of devices: the ADSL modem/router and the IPTV set-top-box/media-center. The design of the boxes is by [[Philippe Stark]].
[[File:1280pxFreeboxRevolutionAndFreeboxTV.jpg|thumb|The Freebox Server on top and the Freebox TV]]
[[File:FreeboxRevolutionRear.png|thumb|Rear of the server (up) and the Freebox TV (down)]]
===The Freebox Server device===
The Freebox server is at the same time the DSL modem, a router, a Wi-Fi hot spot, a NAS (250 GB hard drive), a DECT base with up to 8 connected DECT phone sets and a digital recorder for TNT (Terrestrial Numerical Television) or TV over internet. As the firmware is updated, its functionalities increase. Most notably:
* An external hard drive can be connected to its USB and/or eSata port and the HD format is quite wide in range, supporting format from Window, Mac OS X or Linux. Note that some channels cannot be recorder to an external hard drive.
* The server automatically detects file sharing through uPnP and can read videos from any computer of the local network with some limitations in file formats (mp4, H264, mp2...) though firmware updates may increase the number of readable file formats.
* The server's hard drive is available from the local network for Macintosh, Linux and Windows computers. It can be available from the outside it the password is strong enough.
* TV over IP is available in real-time to any computer on the local network, if the bandwidth is large enough. However, some channels are not available (the same that cannot be recorded on an external hard-drive).
* The server can be configured either as an ethernet router or a simple modem (so an ethernet with device should be used)
* The server can handle 2 Wi-Fi networks: a private Wi-Fi network (possibly hidden) and a so-called "FreeWifi" network which allows for any Free user to connect to the internet from a computer, a smartphone, etc.
* The server can be managed through its built-in web server. Also, TV recordings can be managed from the outside.
* Because of the changes in the hardware and capabilities, the monthly fee increased by 5€ (ca. 6.5$ at the time of writing) which includes:
** Free calls to any mobile phone in France (calls to any landline phone in France was already included before).
** Free calls to any phone in France from any internet connection worldwide.
** Free calls to 104 countries (as of writing) as if was before.
** Renting the Freebox Revolution Server and its TV box.
* You do not need a DECT "base" phone set as the Freebox Server can do it. You can buy some low-cost so-called "additional" phone sets as the Freebox Server will act as the base.
* You can access internet and email from the box either with the remote control (which include gyroscopic control) or from a USB-plugged keyboard.
* Games are available from the Free-Store.
* You can plug in a USB key with photos or music files.
===The Freebox TV device===
The Freebox TV device is the second part of the "Freebox Revolution" offer. It is connected to the Freebox Server via [[Power line communication|PLC]] or by a direct ethernet cable if both devices are close enough. It is possible to rent another Freebox TV device if one wants to connect another TV set in another room.
The Freebox TV device has:
* One Blue-Ray/DVD player (Blue-Ray playback requires HDMI connection) and an optical sound output.
* One USB (on the front) and one eSata plugs to connect hard drives (or joystick or keyboard for the USB part).
* One TNT plug.
* One remote control. By contrast with most concurrent devices, the remote control uses Wi-Fi instead of infra-red. This allowed for several softwares to control the Freebox TV from a smartphone or from a computer and specifications are available on the internet.
* Every external device connected to the Freebox TV is available to that device only but the devices connected to the Freebox Server are available to every Freebox TV connected.
== V5 generation ==
[[Image:Freebox_V5_rear.jpg|thumb|Freebox V5 Multimedia element]]
[[Image:Freebox_V5_adsl_rear.jpg|thumb|Freebox V5 Network element]]
The Freebox version 5 was released in April 2006 and expanded the possibilities of the modem. It is now divided into two boxes connected together via high-speed Wifi [[MIMO]] or [[Power line communication|PLC]]: the first box provides Internet access, Wifi connection and a phone line; the separated box is a [[digital video recorder]], with advanced TV features like timeshifting, or [[video on demand]]. It also supports Video Games, either specifically designed for the Freebox or using emulation of discontinued Video game systems (Master System, GameGear, GameBoy).
The multimedia element is able to read HDTV adsl streams and includes a Terrestrial Numerical Television demodulator, can serve as a home A/V broadcasting station, includes a 40Gb hard-drive for recording and time-shifting, and a load of A/V ports.
The Network element is an Ethernet Hub and a wifi Hotspot.
The two elements can be linked via Ethernet, wifi or High-Speed Networking Over the Mains.
The telephony offer via the Freebox offers various services such as free calls between Freebox and towards the fixed numbers in Metropolitan France and also free over 100 abroad countries (USA, Canada, UK, Spain, China, India, South America etc...).<ref>http://www.free.fr/adsl/pages/telephone/tarifs-telephonie.html</ref>
According to Alexandre Archambault from Free, the Freebox is "nothing other than the return to the fundamentals of the DSL", whose initial objective was "to connect via a single support several types of terminals, therefore several types of services: telephone (telephony), microcomputer (Internet access), television set (television transmission, video on demand, pay per view...), hi-fi system (radios, etc.)".
Therefore, it is much more than a simple ADSL modem, which can only make the interface between a computer and the Internet. Free general conditions describe it as "an electronic instrument being used as interface between the data-processing and or audio-visual equipment of the user and the network of Free Telecom".
== Technical features ==
[[Image:Freebox dos mieux.jpeg|thumb|Freebox V4]]
The box, designed by Free, uses a 32 bits RC32355 processor and is managed by an operating system using a derivative of the Linux kernel. It has many interfaces:
* An [[Ethernet]] port 10/100 Mbit/s full/half duplex;
* A [[Universal Serial Bus|USB]] 2.0 port;
* An [[HDMI]] port;
* An [[RJ11, RJ14, RJ25|RJ11]] jack for the ADSL connection;
* An RJ11 jack for phone equipment (two jacks on versions 1 & 2 but only one active);
* A [[SCART]] (Péritel) socket
* A digital audio output [[RCA]], or optical [[S/PDIF]] starting from version 3;
* An extension port of the [[Serial ATA]] standard on versions 3 and 4 and Parallel ATA standard on versions 1 and 2;
* A host USB port on version 4;
Since version 3, the Freebox can be configured to act as a router. The Freebox version 4 appeared mid-2004 and includes a chipset compatible with the ADSL 2+ standard, as well as a USB port, which will allow, in the long term, the addition of functions such as videoconferencing.
The Freebox OS uses [[BusyBox]].
Now with the v3 (and next), it also provides a Videolan client in order to get the movies (in any format read by [[VLC]]) stored on the computer and watchable on TV through a playlist selector. This functionality is named Freeplayer.
In the same way, the Freebox (v3 and upper) is able to broadcast TV channels to one or more computer.
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.free.fr/ Official website]
* [http://www.free.fr/adsl/ Freebox]
* [http://dev.freebox.fr/ Official dev blog]
{{CATV}}
[[Category:Modems]]
[[Category:Digital video recorders]]
[[fr:Freebox]]All content in the above text box is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license Version 4 and was originally sourced from https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=117482147.
  This site is not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by the Wikimedia Foundation or any of its affiliates. In fact, we fucking despise them.
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