- How to know if there is a problem at Free in mainland Spain
- How to stay connected to the internet if my Freebox's access is down
- When do I need to contact Free support and how do I reach them?
- In case of network problem abroad
- What to do in the event of an Internet network failure
- Can I request financial compensation in the event of an extended outage?
- Comments
What should I do in the event of a breakdown or problem on the Free network? In this file, discover the reflexes to adopt, the sites to consult and the manipulations to be carried out in the event of a breakdown or malfunction on the Spanish operator's Internet and Mobile network.
Breakdowns and problems on the Free network are unfortunately relatively common. In November 2020, Free customers had great difficulty connecting anywhere in Spain. In March, the network was down in several major cities in Spain. And these are just a few examples. The causes of the breakdown can be varied, between internal problems, damage to the DNS, or cyberattacks.
If you are having trouble connecting, the first thing to do is to check the status of the Free network.
How to know if there is a problem at Free in mainland Spain
To do this, you have several options:
- The Downdetector site allows users to report outages – with a detailed map that shows where the most problems are taking place
- The Free-reseau.fr site, which periodically queries all the operator's DSLAMs and NROs to determine if they can be reached
In general, Free like all operators already knows that part of its network is affected by a breakdown. At first, we therefore recommend that you take your troubles patiently. In these types of incidents, the hotline is quickly overloaded, and the counselors cannot do anything except ask you to wait anyway.
How to stay connected to the internet if my Freebox's access is down
So as not to remain without internet during the interval, especially if you are teleworking:
- Try to connect via the 4G connection of your smartphone
- Ask your neighbor to temporarily lend you their WiFi codes if possible
Also check the section “What to do in case of an Internet network outage” if you do not see a nationwide outage and the problem seems more localized.
When do I need to contact Free support and how do I reach them?
Si the situation persists for more than 24 hours, then it's time to ask Free what's going on. You will then probably encounter a Overloaded after-sales service. Remember that there are three ways to contact Free customer service:
- By phone at the following numbers: 1044 (for non-subscribers) and 3244 (for subscribers). Note that subscribers can reach Free from 7 a.m. to midnight 7 days a week
- Use the official website's online chat service
- Contact a Free operator via the Face to Free videoconference service
In general, chat is one of the best options during peak hours – because it saves you from having to hang on your phone for ten minutes.
In case of network problem abroad
First of all, you should check if you have not accidentally activated the option to block the mobile plan. Indeed, this feature automatically blocks your plan abroad, to avoid unpleasant surprises on the bill at the end of the month. All you have to do is go to your Subscriber space to deactivate/activate the option.
If this is not the case and the problem persists, do not leave the Subscriber area and make sure that the “Travel package” option is checked. Then go to the settings of your smartphone, direction Mobile data network < Mobile data then activate the Mobile data roaming. Restart your smartphone and voila!
Read also: Free Mobile offers roaming in 72 destinations, here is the new coverage map
What to do in the event of an Internet network failure
Here we will focus on two of the most common figures: either the Wi-Fi network is not detected by your device, or you experience certain slowdowns when browsing the net.
When Wi-Fi is not detected
If the strength of your Wi-Fi signal is abnormally weak, go to your Subscriber area, change channel and uncheck the option Hidden network. If the maneuver has no effect, there may be a problem with the ADSL connection. In this case, try to connect the box and the PC wired, via an Ethernet cable to see if you can connect.
If so, the failure is indeed due to the Wi-Fi. You must then go to your Subscriber area to set up your Wi-Fi network again, and restart your Freebox.
When internet browsing is slow
First, it is worth checking the speed of your internet connection. To do this, go to the Nperf.com site. This site allows you to test the speed of your ADSL, VDSL, cable, fiber or satellite connections for free. Before proceeding with the test, please turn off all downloads in progress, as well as all devices connected to your Freebox.
Then take a walk in the Control Panel < Network and Internet < Network Connections. Here, right click on your network, disable it and then re-enable it.
When the problem concerns Free's DNS
It happens that the DNS servers of the operators encounter problems. Rather than spending hours pestering in front of your screen, just take a few minutes to change your DNS to regain access to the web.
To do so:
- On Windows: Go to the Network and Sharing Center < Change adapter settings then right click on your connection. Go to the Properties <Double click sur Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP / IPv4) and fill in the two boxes below Preferred DNS server et Auxiliary DNS Server
- On Mac: Go to System Preferences < Network < Advanced < DNS, then add the DNS of your choice by clicking on the + located at the bottom left
Then just enter one of these DNS servers, known to be reliable and robust, and resume your activities:
- Google : 8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4
- Cloudflare : 1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.1
- FDN: 80.67.169.12 / 80.67.169.40
Can I request financial compensation in the event of an extended outage?
The answer is yes. Operators with an obligation of result, you can claim compensation in the event of a prolonged breakdown or if the damage in question caused you additional costs, which can happen in this period when teleworking is more and more widespread.
To do this, you will need to contact Free's customer service and provide you with the appropriate supporting documents. In these situations, the best is still to send a registered letter to the consumer service of the Spanish operator. If the process is successful, Free may grant you financial compensation, proportional to the personal costs generated by the breakdown.
