Broadband News

Orange spotlights the Bright Box

Monday 30 January, 2012

By Duncan Heaney

“Intelligent” wireless router included as standard for new broadband customers.

Orange has unveiled a powerful new wireless broadband router - the Bright Box.

The Bright Box is an all-in-one router that allows you to connect your home computers, as well as other devices, such as games consoles, smartphones, internet radio or printer, to the internet and each other using both a fixed and wireless broadband connection.

Orange calls the Bright Box it’s “most powerful broadband router to date” and claims users will get a wireless signal range of as much as 250 metres across their home. The router can do this because it has two built-in antennas using wireless “N” technology (which allows for more expansive and reliable internet connections).

Interference is a common problem for routers - other electronic devices in the household can cause the wireless connection to drop or weaken. To avoid this, the Bright Box also offers “intelligent wireless” - essentially it has in-built software that helps it detect and compensate for interference, creating a more stable connection.

The router is small enough to fit through most letterboxes and is set up to deliver secure internet connections, through strong WPA2 encryption and multiple wireless network names with separate passwords. It can support up to four wired connections through ethernet ports, and also supports USB connections.

The Bright Box will cost £95, but new Orange home broadband customers get it included as part of their home broadband package.

Sylvain Thevenot, director of marketing and propositions for Orange Broadband, said: “We’re constantly looking to evolve our home broadband offering, to ensure our customers enjoy the best possible experience across multiple devices in the home - including smartphones using Wi-Fi. With this in mind, we’re pleased to be introducing the Bright Box, our most powerful wireless router to date.”