freebox power blocks Solved

Question

Hello,
I have been subscribed to Free for less than a year and I have already "burned" 5 power supplies for the Freebox. I am connected to a surge protector/lightning arrester. The Free power supplies are for the Freebox V4 12V 1.2A. I bought a 12V 1.5A power supply, and after 2 months it's dead.
After several démarches with Free, the Freebox was changed at the beginning of November 2007. I then put the new Freebox back into service with a brand new power supply and the result in mid-January was "here we go again," power supply dead.
I specify that on the surge protector, I have a 500mA phone power supply plugged in that never "pops."
Has anyone else experienced the same problem?

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pdany4 · Accepted Answer

Hello everyone,

first, I confirm that the text is accurate:
"On one side we have 9V and a max I = 4 amperes. So we have P = 36 Watts.
On the other side, 12 Volts and 3.15 Amperes, making P = 37.8 Watts."

then that the voltage of the Free boxes is "archaic"

but especially that the question that was asked, whether putting more amperes poses any risk = no
The fact of using a 12v 7Amp power supply means that the box will take what it needs, logically 12v 4A, and can easily spike to 4.5A.

On the other hand, the reverse Kali, 12v and 0.3A is not possible, firstly the power supply will heat up and will not even be able to power everything it needs to power and will thus break down....

PS: you can also salvage a PC (tower) power supply (just pay attention to the amperage on the "+12v" (we recover old power supplies from computer shops, flea markets, and dumps....

Just cut all the wires 10-15 cm from the case.

Keep one black wire (ground) with the only green wire (power-on) by connecting these two, the power supply starts!
Then take a second black wire (still ground) with a yellow wire (+12v), connect them using a terminal block, and attach a suitable plug at the end (you can find them online and in electronics stores) or salvage from old devices....

and you have a stabilized, ventilated power supply that doesn't overheat.... and you can (if there are enough amperes, connect other things to it)

For the voltage, a multimeter from E.Leclerc at 5.99 euros will show between 11.30 and 12.10 volts, which is good...
and it’s the amperage that matters....

If the voltage is written in Watts, just do the calculation...

12v @ 10Amp = 120 Watts
so
12v @ 5Amp = 60 Watts

so if on the power supply it’s written in Watts, let’s say 100 Watts to complicate things, we simply do:
Watts divided by voltage, here:
100 Watts divided by 12 volts = 8.33 Amp

etc etc....

Happy tinkering!

Bob · Answer

A few days ago, surprise! The box was working except for the phone - no dial tone - On Free's chat, a guy tells me it's the power supply. I thought he was an idiot, and to please him, I connected an old power supply from a drawer with the same voltage and polarity on the pin, and there, surprise again, it works!!!
In the end, the original power supplies collapse in voltage after a few months. They are made in China at the minimum price.
It's better to spend a bit more upfront to be worry-free later.
Right now my box is running on a 12V - 4 Amp TFT screen power supply! That one is not about to collapse!

zebulon49 · Answer

Hello.
BOB, thank you for your intervention. My problem is a bit different because when the 12V power supply "fails," I no longer have a phone and I no longer have internet. Just imagine the bill for the mobile phone to contact the Free hotline. I've already tried using a 1.5A power supply instead of a 1.2A, resulting in 2 and a half months of downtime. I think that sometimes the Freebox must be "drawing" a bit too much, and that's what causes it to
burn out. Next time I'll try 3/4 A just like you. As I mentioned in the first message, the power supply is protected against surges, and in the house, I have other less "heavy-duty" power supplies with which I've never had any problems. No matter how much I try to explain my problem to the Free hotline, they always respond (without trying to understand) to check your electrical network!!!! It's so frustrating that all I have left is to go to church and say a prayer!!!!

good evening

artdir · Answer

Hello,
I've burned out 3 power supply units in 3 years. Contrary to what zebulon49 thinks, his problem is the same as Bob's. The first symptoms of the failure are: - malfunctioning telephony, then the local network system (wifi, ethernet, etc.), and finally the internet. Sometimes all at the same time. I've experienced all these cases. Bob's solution seems interesting and viable.

lesbonstuyaux32 · Answer

You want an alternative to the basic Free power supply at 12 V and 1.2 A
why don't you take the power supply with 1.5 A. At least you won't have more disconnection issues or your power supply won't fail in 3 months.
As a precaution, a 1.5 A or 2 A power supply is safer in any case for me, who doesn't want to wait 3 weeks without internet and change power supplies every 3 months!!
You can find one, for example, on this site:
http://www.webducommerce.com/alimentation-box-sfr/alimentation-freebox-v2-v3-v4-avec-12v-et-2a-ou-ou-12v-2000ma-p-90005.html
http://www.webducommerce.com/alimentation-freebox/alimentation-freebox-v2-v3-v4-avec-12v-et-1-5a-ou-1500-ma-p-1754.html
I hope this answers your questions

sebab · Answer

Indeed, my block just failed a week ago, the only difference is that it provides internet but not enough for the phone, so I just ordered one and I've only been subscribed to Free for 11 months....

freeboxeur · Answer

Hello

Just to let you know, I bought my Freebox power supply at 12v 1.7a
this one is more powerful than the 12v 1.2a that is delivered by Free and that breaks down quite quickly
here's the link http://www.derotronic.net/down_for_maintenance.php
Delivered within 24 hours
Good luck to you

Colombo46 · Answer

The same problem, and after more than 10 days without a response from Free, I turned to Webducommerce.com for the purchase of a 1.5 a power supply

Delivery time was very fast, 24 hours flat, but the price is not cheap either (prices are shown excluding tax on the site in question). So the total with shipping costs comes to 30.77 euros.

The advertisement on the site says "Does not overheat" (hmm, why insist so much?) except that after an hour the block is burning hot to the point that I decided to unplug the block when I'm not using the Freebox... So a few days go by and after a "heat check" at someone else's who has an original block, I went to FNAC des Halles in Paris to buy a power supply for less than 20 euros; a 1.2 a and 12v power supply (ref. 7717). After setting the voltage to 12v and the polarity + inside, I plug it in and everything works perfectly without any overheating after several hours of use...

In my opinion (and that of my brother who is an electrician), the other one would have lasted very little time given the intensity of the overheating, not to mention the risks of damaging the Freebox...

There you go, it's up to you to decide and choose at your own risk... Especially regarding the settings.

Colombo46 · Answer

power supply blocks freebox  Problem when posting the initial message: the micro crashed and the message was duplicated, so I'm filling out the duplicate since I can't delete it...

Colombo46 · Answer

Another clarification: if you research online, especially on the FNAC site, you will find different technical specifications: The technical sheet has changed and is outdated on the net it is indeed 1200 mA and not 1000 mA as mentioned in the current technical sheet, which is incorrect (in "user reviews" someone actually points this out):

http://tv-video.fnac.com/a1618574/Accessoire-image-et-son-Prise-electrique-Fnac-7717

And it is indeed the value 1200 mA that is mentioned both on the packaging and on the power supply that I have in front of me...

agentx27 · Answer

Here is Free's response !!!!!

ME: I acknowledge receipt of the transformer sent for exchange and testing on the HDBOX (version 1).
After checking its performance information, you have sent me a transformer that seems unsuitable for the HDBox. Indeed, the specifications are: Input 100-240V / 50-60Hz, 1.2 A Output: 12V, 3.15A
BUT the original transformer of my HDBOX (version 1, 3 antennas) has the following properties:
Input 100-240V / 50-60Hz, 1.0 A Output: 9, DC 4.0A
Therefore, I will not proceed with the test in order not to damage the HDBOX with an unsuitable transformer.

FREE'S RESPONSE!
Following our previous exchange, I inform you that the 12V power supply unit is also compatible with your HD box.
We thank you for your understanding.

I don’t know, but with my limited knowledge in this area, one changes a power supply according to the original specifications, particularly amperage, at the risk of destroying everything...

agentx27 · Answer

Summary of my misadventures ...

* I received a new power supply after HEAVILY insisting with the hotline
* I received 2 other power supplies during the intervention of local assistance (that's the only way to get them moving)
* the problem is not resolved (we knew that)
* I changed the wifi channel, it improves a bit but I have doubts...

There you go... as soon as Bouygues releases its box, I'm leaving!
Free is too much in the orange and I'm turning red.

Colombo46 · Answer

After more than 3 weeks of waiting, I finally received my power supply (V4) from Free...

Note that the one I received is 1.5 A, which seems to have become the standard now (the old one was 1.2 A).

Conclusion: as long as your block is not burnt out, get a spare block, which will save you from paying twice as much (or even three times) if you buy it elsewhere... (That said, the one from FNAC that I mentioned above works very well and without overheating, even if the price is double that of Free; but the savings made on phone calls over 3 weeks justify this investment).

For warranty reasons, it is also preferable to use blocks from the "parent company"...

agentx27 · Answer

power supply issue... that would harm the wimo... not at all...

opt for another wifi channel (it can limit the damage) by looking for a free channel
and then... ask your neighbor to stop using their microwave... yes... it freezes..

So let's spray the tax on the net, one day everything will work... especially the tax.

6tron · Answer

Hi, I just wanted to say that with my Freebox v4 I never had a power supply issue in two and a half years.

Then, in order to save energy, I bought a switch-mode stabilized power supply, adjustable voltage and 120W, that is 10A at 12V. I connected all my network devices to it (Freebox, Wi-Fi AP, print server).

I am about 40% load. There, I am sure it holds up, and I have room to add a NAS later.

In conclusion, this power supply doesn't heat up at all. When I remember those little transformers where you could almost cook a steak on them because they were so hot, it's nice.

However, I burnt out a Freebox v5 ADSL in less than a day, I didn't understand that. So, they are sending me another one.

papy74600 · Answer

Power Supply Issues with Freebox HD

The hard drive is too easily blamed when in fact it's the power supply part of the freeplug that is at fault.

Clearly, the Free hotline doesn’t require solid knowledge of electronics (not even at BTS level). The scripted responses (like hard boot galore) ignore what the customer has written and treat them as a novice.

I had to take measurements with a laboratory power supply and found that the Free blocks (unregulated and barely filtered) are catastrophic for the HDbox and collapse under load, producing a real half "potato".
After testing with a STABILIZED AND FILTERED LABORATORY power supply, everything returned to normal. QED

THEREFORE A POWER SUPPLY OF 9 VOLTS / 5 AMPS OR 12 VOLTS / 4 AMPS IS REQUIRED

THE PSSMV9 POWER BLOCK FROM HQ POWER IS IMPRESSIVE
It's a filtered and switched stabilized power supply, usually meant for laptops. The output voltage is PROGRAMMABLE from volt to volt between 5 and 24 volts via a simple mini-light jumper. For 29 euros

http://www.lcdi.fr/?activate=affichage_produit&id_produit=5133

You can keep the freeplug only for CPL transmission by leaving the power jack "hanging".

freeboxeur · Answer

Hi

I stumbled upon this old thread where I posted in May 2008, and I wanted to let you know that my 12v 1.7A power supply I bought back then is holding up just fine, while the one from Free at 12v 1.25A lasted only 8 days.

So I'm reminding you of the link for your Freebox power supplies

http://www.derotronic.net/alimentation-continu-12vcc-17a-freebox-adsl--p-939.html

Happy surfing!

Obsidian · Answer

A big thank you to everyone for this very informative and always relevant discussion since I am posting 12 hours apart from Freeboxeur. Indeed, I have been experiencing serious issues with my v4 since last week (flashing rectangle for several days, then fixed rectangle, then hours without internet connection, all in a “linear” manner). And this coincides - I believe - with a power outage that occurred in my area.

I indeed took the chat support for a beginner when the only thing he suggested was sending a new power block, my v4 at least reaching the flashing square, but I will reconsider things now and I am eagerly awaiting the new block. The worst part is that, having basic knowledge of electronics, I did try to check if my block was emitting noise, and even replaced it. Unfortunately, the only 12V power supply I had provided only 800mA.

The guy from the hotline - when I finally managed to reach them - seemed much more knowledgeable, and we discussed a bit about DSLAM outages. In particular, he mentioned that the people who preceded and followed me seemed to be having issues as well. So we quickly ruled out an electrical issue, and yet...

Chris · Answer

Thank you for all these details. Free is not very fair, I am well aware of this problem, but prefers to direct its customers to the hotline to make money. It's pathetic!!!!

damienboss · Answer

Hello ZEBULON 49.

Just wanted to let you know that the power supply units from Free are all defective. What I mean by defective is that the capacitors used in them are too limited and cause a lot of disturbances on the internet networks but also on your services.
The problem has been detected at ORANGE on certain models, but these power supplies are only replaced when a customer reports a malfunction and especially when checks are carried out.
To my knowledge, all of Free's power supplies have supply voltages of 100-240 instead of 200-240, and for your information, the 12V as well as the amperages are irrelevant in this case.
For those who want to change their power supply which is 100-240, go to a large retailer.

I hope I have specifically answered this question. I am thinking of creating an article about these issues caused by the power supplies of FREE as well as ORANGE before the year 2007, but I’m not sure when for now.

Good evening to you and to you, ZEBULON 49.

x27 · Answer

Come on, from experience, forget about the power supply (unless it’s really faulty), the problem is simply Free's policy:  - multiply the subscribers and switch everything to HD (even though we don’t care, not everyone has plasma TVs and considering the nonsense on TV)  ==> at equal power, we increase the bandwidth, consequence: decrease in amplitude and degraded signal-to-noise ratio and thus those who suffer: at the end of the ADSL line.  It’s more economical than upgrading the equipment.  On top of that, add FranceTel which likes to play around with the distribution points...  Moreover, Free is lowering the speeds (reason?) and you switch to low bandwidth TV and lose 2/3 of the channels!  SOLUTION: - shout: you had the service, demand that it be maintained - have the installation checked (after you've done it) - threaten with legal action and switching ISPs (when you switch, the line is always returned in perfect condition!)  DON'T let them walk all over you. And don’t pay any fees. And publicize it on forums.  This way, they act (finally) and restore your service, which is your contractual right. From there to being disappointed with Free, it's just one step. We’re not asking for much. Just that we receive the service we paid for.

damienboss · Answer

Hello,  To respond to x27: This solution is very good, but either you end up with people on the phone who will be more than happy to get rid of you, or it will get things moving. I can tell you when to change the power supplies when you have phone problems, unexpected cuts, or TV issues; this may be due to external networks, either ADSL equipment at the distributor, or cabling between the distributor and the customer's place, or the customer's power supply or modem. Sometimes it's true that the drop in speed is quite easy to propose to the customer, but that's why I'm here to raise your awareness, first of all, about the power supplies of the Freebox as well as those of the SAGEM Livebox from the years before 2007.

Free Escape · Answer

I contacted Free's chat about a defective disk issue with my TV box. Their solution: they are sending me another power supply of 12 volts 3.15A to replace my 9v 4A one. I doubt its effectiveness, but I want to inform you that at Free they are at 12 volts 3.15 Amperes!!! Incredible!

kali · Answer

Hello everyone  I have a second Freebox HD in my bedroom, and when I turn it on, after about 10 minutes, the image starts to glitch with a black screen for 2 seconds, and it doesn't stop. I think it might be the power supply since it worked perfectly before. I want to know if this 4.90€ power supply on Darty is compatible?  http://www.darty.com/nav/achat/accessoires/electricite_pile/alimentation_electrique/uniross_trafo_multi_usage_1.html  Thank you.

pacman · Answer

Hello, I too was a victim of a power failure with my ADSL box. The box kept cutting off and trying to resynchronize endlessly. Since the replacement power supply that Free was supposed to send me didn't arrive, I bought a more powerful power supply on AMAZON (12v, 5A)... parcel received 48 hours later... IT WORKS OK PHEW.... I tried to contact Free by email, what a nightmare... to ask them where my package was, and to this day still no response. I am not satisfied with their service.

rapapar · Answer

attention for the PC power supply hack you need to put a resistor between the black and red wire because if the power supply is turned on without any load = disaster try to have a maximum of 1A (4.7 ohms as a large resistor for less heating)

Freebox power blocks

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