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My broadband story

  • 17-08-2011 9:44pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭


    Hi

    I got a lot of help here earlier in the year and kinda need a bit more hence my post.

    Living halfway between Craughwell and Clarinbridge.

    Currently get a 2/1 (contention ratio of 16/1) connection from airwire, aerial is up quite high on the chimney of two storey house. Very happy with the service so far although live streaming can be pretty poor but voip is ok.

    I wanted to go with Eircom as they provide us with a phone line however from what I gather the line was split and then they paired it to see if the line was capable of handling bb it turns out there was no more room at the exchange in Kilcolgan (about 4 miles away from it). I got all this from Tony over in the ask Eircom forum.

    Looks like I will soon be able to work from home which is great as it reduces the commute and time spent in traffic. However I'm not sure if my current connection will be good enough for remote logging in and being able to do a full day from home.

    Airwire's fastest package is 5m but that costs €250pm excl vat.

    I've tried other fixed wireless providers, lighthouse networks came out but they could not get a clear line of sight and bay networks (my next door neighbour is with them) just couldn't be arsed. None of the others would even come out to check.

    I've tried testing mobile "broadband" however the signal for all providers in our area is fairly poor so it's not really a goer unless I get inventive like some other boards posters however I don't fancy messing about on the roof.

    I've looked at satellite broadband however there seems to be lots of issues around poor monthly allowance and high latency so again that alternative looks like a non starter.

    I guess my question is what can I do to get Eircom to open a slot for me at the Kilcolgan exchange or is there other options I am missing?

    Many thanks for reading


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 4,919 ✭✭✭long_b


    You don't need much of a signal to get decent speeds from mobile operators.
    I'm not saying it's your best option but you should at least try a PAYG SIM from each operator in different parts of your house.


  • Registered Users Posts: 296 ✭✭pat13wx


    funnyname wrote: »
    Airwire's fastest package is 5m but that costs €250pm excl vat.
    Many thanks for reading

    There are much cheaper options than that!

    Even Satellite will get you 25 Gigs monthly download allowance for around 120-130 euros with 10 Meg download speeds.

    http://www.digiweb.ie/home/tooway/packages/index.php

    If latency isn't a concern it might be an option.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    funnyname wrote: »
    I guess my question is what can I do to get Eircom to open a slot for me at the Kilcolgan exchange or is there other options I am missing?

    Nothing, you can't get eircom to do this. Even if you could, I'd doubt it would be worth your while. At 4 miles from the exchange, you are unlikely to get much better than 1M/128k. If you're worried about 2M/1M being an issue, then eircom's broadband will be worse.

    2M/1M should be fine for home working, but it probably depends on the nature of the work. It's about as good as you'll get outside of cable, which you're never going to get.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭funnyname


    What does the future hold for those of us in rural areas?

    Is it fixed wireless, mobile broadband, Eircom upgrading their infrastructure, UPC, satellite broadband?

    With fixed wireless, do this depend on line of site directly to the mast or are there additional relay points? Will the digital switch over be off any benefit for this form? Is contention manageable?

    Will mobile broadband only improve with more mobile masts?

    Are Eircom only worried about going after the urban market to get market share back from UPC and it'll be a long time before they look at the rural market?

    Where I am the density of houses is fairly high, is there any way UPC would ever think of providing a service to this market if the majority of all households in the area wanted to sign up for it?

    Is satellite broadband going ever going to be able to overcome latency and download limit issues?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    funnyname wrote: »
    What does the future hold for those of us in rural areas?

    Is it fixed wireless, mobile broadband, Eircom upgrading their infrastructure, UPC, satellite broadband?

    I'm afraid that whatever is available now is just about all you'll ever get. UPC are never going to expand into rural settings, so forget that. eircom have done all they are ever going to do now too.

    Fixed wireless is probably the best bet for rural settings, but investment into this area is slow to come, and not very widespread. The NBS should have been fixed wireless, not 3G, but it's too late for that now. The amount of money for the NBS was way to low to implement a widespread fixed wireless network anyway.


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  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    funnyname wrote: »
    Is satellite broadband going ever going to be able to overcome latency and download limit issues?
    Not with geosynchronous satellites anyway, the latency is due to the fact the signal has to travel 35,780km to the satellite and then the same distance back. So you're talking a ~72,000km round trip.

    It may be possible to reduce latency with low earth orbit satellites but the equipment to receive it on the ground would be prohibitively expensive, requiring motorised tracking dishes.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,016 ✭✭✭✭vibe666


    tere might be some hope if super-wifi ever gets off the ground, but who knows really.

    (waits for watty to come along and shoot down super-wifi for a very clever and valid technical reason that i wasn't aware of). :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭funnyname


    Anybody know what's the best I can hope for from fixed wireless in the future. Will the extra spectrum available once the digital switchover is completed be made available to this market?


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    Lighthouse Networks may operate in that area as well as Airwire.

    eircom is bankrupt and never gave a crap for rural areas, start installing fibre if you want a future.

    The area you live in ( near that super Turlough I presume ) is miles from Kilcolgan and Craughwell...but a tad nearer Craughwell from what I remember, Craughwell serves to near the national school somewhere.

    If a nearby neighbour is on the Craughwell exchange you can ( in extremis) run a telephone wire from their house to yours and simply extend the DSL signal that way. I did it for people in the past.

    You may have to get a new line installed in their house and ensure the service is paid for by you.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    You can see exchange boundaries in Google Maps.

    1. Go to maps.google.ie
    2. Paste this entire link into the location search box > http://www.nextgenerationethernet.com/exchanges.kmz <

    Google will then overlay exchange boundaries on the map.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭funnyname


    I had lighthouse networks out earlier in the year but they couldn't get a clear light of sight. Do they need to directly connect with the mast or do they have relay stations about the place to deal with the local terrain?

    The speeds offered by Airwire and Lighthouse don't go above 10mb however a friend in Donegal who is about to get fixed wireless from NWE said they're offering speeds up to 50mb and for a cheaper price. Hopefully that'll happen soon down this way.

    Looks like our road is a good few hundred metres inside the Kilcolgan exchange area so that option is out.

    I think in future (~2040) we'll have local group broadband schemes like the group water schemes so that eventually most areas will get fibre broadband but they'll have to organise it and pay for it out of their own pocket.


  • Registered Users Posts: 919 ✭✭✭jbkenn


    funnyname wrote: »
    I think in future (~2040) we'll have local group broadband schemes like the group water schemes so that eventually most areas will get fibre broadband but they'll have to organise it and pay for it out of their own pocket.
    Sorry funnyname, we already had the Group Broadband Scheme between 2004 and 2005, see here http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Communications/Communications+Development/Group+Broadband+Scheme unfortunately, as usual, the DCENR made a bollix of it, but attempted to fix it with the National Broadband Scheme, see here http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Communications/Communications+Development/National+Broadband+Scheme.htm €78.2 million later they made a bollix of that too, fear not, they have the next hairbrained scheme ready to roll... the Rural Broadband Scheme see here http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Communications/Communications+Development/Rural+Broadband+Scheme/ and rest assured they will make a bollix of that too.
    That should bring you up to speed on the current broadband situation in rural Ireland, hope it helps.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭funnyname


    I was thinking more of individuals clubbing together and paying to have the necessary infrastructure installed privately rather than waiting for an incompetent government to get it right.

    It wouldn't take long for this machine to bring cable to the back of beyonds!

    http://www.cwmags.com/cw-1-9/basic/page33.php

    I say UPC for everyone!


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,046 ✭✭✭bealtine


    funnyname wrote: »

    I say UPC for everyone!

    More like fibre for all...


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭funnyname


    Indeed but am I really being that naive to think that we can get to fibre for all (~97.5% of the country's population) within 20 years?


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,046 ✭✭✭bealtine


    funnyname wrote: »
    Indeed but am I really being that naive to think that we can get to fibre for all (~97.5% of the country's population) within 20 years?

    That's why groups like IrelandOffline exist to campaign for decent services for all.
    Not midband or satellite they are only stopgap measures (yes even LTE)


  • Registered Users Posts: 14 davrac


    Hi Funnyname.

    Im living in the same area as you between Craughwell and Clarinbridge.Kilcolgan, out the killeeneen road, near the turlough.

    I have eircom DSL with crap line attenuation just below 60DB. i cant get above 3mb/384 with the real speed being a fraction of that.

    I have checked out all the providers, Lighthouse were the only company who took the time to do a survey, and no line of sight.

    I live in a two story house on high(ish) ground, and would be willing to pay a premium for a good service. I work in IT as a network engineer, and would even be willing to start a local scheme if enough people would commit to a service, the backhaul is available at a High cost, than when spread around would be OK.

    Does anyone in this area have an interest? if so PM me.

    David


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    See if Lighthouse will locate on your high site, they have plenty of bandwidth but few high sights in Craughwell etc....it being kinda flat and that.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭funnyname


    I'm surprised that Airwire did come out and do a LoS test for you, two of my next door neighbours are also with them as they left bay networks due to signal issues.

    I'll drop you a pm soon.


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