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Frequently Asked Questions
SUBSCRIBING WITH WIFIRST
Stage 1: Connecting to the Wifirst network
Most of the time, connection to the Wifirst network is automatic. If it is not the case, double-click on the icon wireless network at the bottom right of your screen, and then click on the button "Available Wireless Networks". A new window opens which presents the various Wi-Fi networks in the vicinity. Choose among the networks whose name is Wifirst, the one having the best level of reception (indicated by the number of green bars).
Macintosh: If the AirPort icon is not available, contact our customer service.
Click on the AirPort icon and select one of the networks whose the name contains Wifirst.
Once connected, you will be able to create your free account on our site.
Stage 2: Creating an account
Just launch your favourite Internet browser (Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox...): Wifirst´s home page appears automatically.
If it is not the case, type the following address: https://www.wifirst.net/. If no page appears, please check out the section "Difficulties of connection" of this FAQ or contacts us at the customer service.
Click on the link "I want to create my account" to start the inscription.
Once the form filled, we send you your password by SMS to validate your identity. This procedure is compulsory because as an Internet operator, the identity of our customers must be confirmed. If you do not have received any SMS, consult the section "I do not have received my password by SMS".
Once the password received, your account is definitively created, you can return in your account by seizing your identifiers.
Stage 3: Buying time of connection
Once logged you arrive at the home page of your account, then it is possible to choose between several formulas of subscription or to purchase time of connection. These offers are presented below.
Stage 4: Connecting to the Internet
Your account is filled, it is now possible for you to reach the Internet. Go to your home page and click on the link "Connection".
A blue page appears with the message "We connect you to the Internet". After the loading of this page you are on the Internet.
How to connect and disconnect from the Wifirst Network
For all those who did not subscribe to the "Liberté" subscription, it is also very important to disconnect at the end of each use of Internet. Thus you are sure to use the maximum of your connection hours.
Once on the Internet there are 2 possibilities to disconnect you:
- At the home page of your account, a small box indicates the state of connection (connected or disconnected). Click on the "Disconnect" button in the top right of this small box to disconnect you.
- If your browser allows it, a window pops up at the time of connection and displays the same information as in your account. It is possible to disconnect via the "Disconnect" button from this window.
SUBSCRIPTIONS RELATED QUESTIONS
Which are the offers ?
Two types of offers exist: monthly subscriptions or time coupons constantly usable.
Subscriptions :
In the case of the subscriptions the payment is carried out automatically at each end of month for the next month. All subscriptions are WITHOUT OBLIGATION and thus terminable constantly.
- 50 hours/month: 14, 50 euros/month
After 50 hours of cumulated connection in the month, connection is stopped automatically, and you do not pay any additional payment.
If you wish to connect yourself more, you can buy coupons of connection.
- Unlimited: 19, 99 euros/month
You can connect yourselves to the Internet as long and as many as you want.
The volume of data downloaded or uploaded is limited to 8 GBytes per month. This limit relates to all the types of use of Internet and is largely sufficient for the majority of uses.
If the limit would be reached, you will be able to continue connecting by buying coupons (see below).
Coupons :
Tariffs: 1 Hour = 3 € - 5 Hours = 6 € - 10 Hours = 9, 90 € - 20 Hours = 14 €
The CAT "Tipi´s Access´s coupons" is available online or on place (according to the residences).
What is the period of validity of the coupons?
The coupons are usable in a range of two months starting from their first use: for example if you buy and activate immediately a 5 hour coupon on January 15, you can use these 5 hours of connection until March 15, in several times if you wish it.
How do I use a coupon?
The first step consists in buying a coupon on our site.
For that, go on the home page of your account, and then click on the icon "Buy a coupon". Once the coupon bought online, it is immediately activated.
Your account is credited instantaneously with the number of hours that you bought, and you can immediately surf on the Internet.
I do not receive my password by SMS
In order to validate your inscription on our site, you must fill the form with your mobile phone number to the format +33 6.xx.xx.xx.xx in order to receive your password by SMS.
If you do not have a mobile phone or if you do not have received this SMS in 5 minutes, contact the customer´s service.
How to cancel my subscription?
The cancellations are carried out at the end of the month. It is not possible to cancel in course of month. The request must be carried out before the 20th of the month in progress.
For example, to cancel for the end of April, it is necessary to send the request to us before the 20th of April.
To record your request for cancellation, we invite you to send a message by postal mail at the customer service, and do not forget to specify the following elements: cancellation date, login of your Wifirst account and reason(s) if it is possible.
It is also possible to cancel directly online on the web site of Wifirst at the following address:
https://www.wifirst.net/ by going into the "details of my account" section and by clicking on the Link "Cancel my subscription"; then follow the instructions: the procedure is simple and fast.
The cancellation of your subscription is FREE.
How to change my subscription?
It is possible to change of subscription before the 20th of each month. If you previously had an unlimited subscription, you must have exceeded the minimal period of engagement.
To change of subscription go on the banner page of your account, then click on the icon in the middle of the page: "Modify your formula of subscription".
The change of subscription will be taken into account at the beginning of the next month.
PAYMENT QUESTIONS
Which are the means of payment?
We accept the credit cards Visa and Eurocard MasterCard (except Electron, Maestro...).
We also accept the cheques and mandates accounts.
If you cannot pay by credit card, you can send us a cheque with the form of inscription at the Customer Service.
Go through the subscription process normally and select "Cheque" instead of "Credit Card" and follow the online instructions.
How to change my credit card for the payment?
It is possible to change your credit card directly on line in your account by going into your account details and selecting the "Change my credit card" link.
Which is the level of safety of the payment on line?
Our interface of payment uses the SSL in order to guarantee the safety of your data. Your payments on our sites are completely made safe, even if you use WiFi.
How much will I pay if I subscribe during the month?
If you subscribe before the 20th of the month, you will pay for the remaining days of the month. For example, if you subscribe the 10th of September, you will pay 13,99 euros.
If you subscribe after the 20th of the month, you will pay for the following month, plus the remaining days of the current month. For example, if you subscribe the 25th of September, you will 19,99 + 3,99 = 23,98 euros.
DIFFICULTIES OF CONNECTION
You do not see the hotspots Wifirst
First, be sure that your residence is well covered by our network: the name of the hotspots must look like: "Wifirst-..".
Make sure that your Wi-Fi equipment is well activated.
On the majority of the recent portable computers a present button on the computer makes it possible to activate/deactivate Wi-Fi. But make sure that this button is well activated.
Macintosh: If you use AirPort on your Macintosh, check that this one is well activated: click on the icon AirPort (most of the time on the top right of your screen), then on "Activate AirPort".
It is also possible that your Wi-Fi equipment does not receive the signals sent by our hotspots. It is mainly the case for computers bought in the United States and in Canada, where the Wi-Fi rules are not exactly the same as in France. If you have bought your computer in one of these countries and if you do not succeed in connecting, please contact us.
It can also be the case for some Wi-Fi equipments which were not correctly installed: during the installation of your Wi-Fi equipment (key USB for example), if you are asked in which geographical zone you are, indicate Europe rather than France: indeed, the French legislation changed in 2003, and certain parts manufacturers are not up to date.
If nevertheless you do not have managed to contact one of our Wi-Fi hotspots, we invite you to contact us at the customer service.
Impossible to connect to Wifirst
If you do not have managed to join the Wifirst Web site once connected to one of our hotspot, the following manipulations resolve the majority of the problems met by our customers. Do not hesitate to contact us if you need more help.
- Your network configuration has to be "variable ip". For that purpose go to the Configuration Panel. Open the Network Connections. Make a right click on "Connection for the wireless network" and choose "Properties". In the drop-down list, double-click on "Internet Protocol TCP / IP".
Mark the options " Obtain an IP address automatically" and " Obtain the addresses of the servers DNS automatically ".
- Verify that you have no activated Proxy. Open Internet Explorer, go to the menu Tools, and then Internet Options, tab Connections. Make sure that the option "Never Dial a connection " is marked. Click after that on the button " Lan Settings ": the option "Use a proxy Server" must be deactivated.
- In case of problems deactivate temporarily any firewall of your operating system. This software, after a simple automatic update by Internet, can change configuration and block the Wi-Fi signals. For example Norton Internet Security frequently blocks the Wi-Fi signals.
- Get rid of the protocol IPv6:
Open the Network Connections: click on Start, Configuration Panel, and then double-click on Network Connections.
Click with the right button on Connection to the Wireless Network, and then choose Properties.
Select Microsoft TCP/IP version 6 in the list of the installed components, then click on Uninstall.
In the dialog box Uninstall TCP / IP version 6 Microsoft click on "Yes". Click on "Close" to record the changes made at your network connection.
Macintosh: go to the menu "Apple", " Network Configuration " and select " Network Preferences ".
In the new window, click on "Configure" and go to the tab " TCP / IP ". Click on the button " Configure IPv6 " and select "no". Click on "Apply".
Slowness of navigation or frequent disconnections
The debit proposed by Wifirst is widely sufficient to allow a fast Internet navigation. If you experiment slowness, verify all of the following points:
- download, install and use a software of search and eradication of spywares such as SpyBot-Search and Destroy or Ad-Aware. Update the software then scan your hard disk.
- Verify that no peer-to-peer ( P2P) software is running during the failures of navigation, such as Kazaa, eMule, iMesh, BitTorrent, Ares and others. This kind of software can use the totality of the bandwidth and so prevent the connexion
- Indicate that you wish that Windows manages your Wi-Fi network. For this purpose go to network Connections: click on Start, Configuration panel, then double-click on network Connections.
Click with the right button " Wireless Network Connection " and choose Properties.
Choose the tab " Wireless Network Configuration " and mark the option " Use Windows to configure my wireless network ".
- If this option is not available, you will have to find and start the specific driver of your WiFi equipment, then find the option to deactivate it and let Windows manage the connection.
No navigation: no page displays
If you notice the following IP address: 123.123.123.123 at the bottom of the Internet Explorer window, this is a DNS problem. We invite you to contact us.
If you have an IP address of the type:169.xxx.xxx.xxx (where xxx is a number included between 0 and 255), we invite you to type the following commands:
- Go in the Start menu >> Execute, then type "CMD" and Enter. A new window opens, in which it is necessary to type " ipconfig /release "; then " ipconfig /renew ".
Macintosh: restart your computer
To verify if your IP address is now correct, type " ipconfig "; your IP address should look like 10.xxx.xxx.xxx (where xxx is a number included between 0 and 255).
Optimize your navigation
To insure you an optimal navigation on your browser do the following commands of reconfiguration:
Open Internet Explorer and go to the menu Tools, Internet Options.
In the General tab click on the button " Get rid of cookies " then validate by "Yes". It is the same thing with the button " Get rid of files " (this can take some minutes).
Open the tab Security. A button " Level by default " appears below to the right. Click this one when it is not active for each of the four categories appearing at the top (Internet, intranet premises, Reliable sites, perceptible Sites). When the button is activated, pass in the following category.
In the tab Connection select the option " Never establish connection ", click the button " Network Parameters " and verify that none of the compartments is marked on this window.
In the Advanced tab, click on the button " Parameters by default " and validate by clicking on "OK".
Error message: " you are connected on another tipi "
The problem, which you notice, is generally due to an identifiers´ connection sharing. Your identifiers are strictly personal and our system allows only a single simultaneous use.
If another person has been able to get himself your identifiers and use them, you cannot connect as long as this person will be connected.
Also watch to disconnect from Internet at every end of use or before every movement towards another Hotspot.
To resolve this problem we invite you to change your password (in the page " my account ", click on the link " my profile " then " change your password "), and verify your address email in the page " my profile ".
If the problem persists, please contact us.
The sending and/or the reception of e-mails does not work
If you use messaging software (like Outlook), we advise you to use the following parameters:
- In reception: mark the option " SSL " (in Advanced Options).
Use the pop server of your email box. Example: if you have an account of the type "martin@gmail.com", your pop server will be: " pop.gmail.com ".
- In sending: without identification. Without SSL. If your smtp server does not work, please contact us to receive another address and do not forget to clarify us the name of your residence as well as your building.
TO CONTACT US
To contact our team you have several possibilities:
Online: by sending us a question using the Help section in your Wifirst account.
By phone: 01.70.70.46.26
Hotline opening hours: Mondays to Fridays, from 9am to 9pm, and Saturdays from 9am to 1pm.
By mail: Wifirst - 11 bis rue scribe - 75009 PARIS
When you contact us, indicate us the following elements:
- your Wifirst's account name (that is your identifier, and not your password)
- The name of the hotspot WiFi in which you connect
- The name and the city of your residence
- The exact nature of your problem
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