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Poor Wi-Fi on the train

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  • 27-04-2013 11:37pm
    #1
    n97 mini
    Registered Users Posts: 8,295 ✭✭✭


    Last weekend I travelled from Dublin to Belfast on the Enterprise. I'm with 3 for my mobile phone service.

    While the 3G coverage was patchy on my phone, from Malahide to Newry there was no coverage at all using the on board wifi. Even in Drogheda and Dundalk.

    Why is the wifi in Irish Rail so bad? Considering they are using 3, I would expect with antennae on the roof of the carriage etc they would get better coverage than I do, but it's not the case.


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    #2
    Con Logue
    Closed Accounts Posts: 277 ✭✭Con Logue


    n97 mini wrote: »
    Last weekend I travelled from Dublin to Belfast on the Enterprise. I'm with 3 for my mobile phone service.

    While the 3G coverage was patchy on my phone, from Malahide to Newry there was no coverage at all using the on board wifi. Even in Drogheda and Dundalk.

    Why is the wifi in Irish Rail so bad? Considering they are using 3, I would expect with antennae on the roof of the carriage etc they would get better coverage than I do, but it's not the case.


    Irish Rail and NI Railways can do better than that on the Enterprise, the only caveat I would add is that a significant part of the railway between Dundalk and Newry is in cutting and consequently sheltered fully or partially from any mobile network signal. Big chunks of the line south of the border also have had very poor mobile coverage for as long as I can remember.


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    #3
    Jamie2k9
    Registered Users Posts: 10,669 ✭✭✭✭Jamie2k9


    n97 mini wrote: »
    Last weekend I travelled from Dublin to Belfast on the Enterprise. I'm with 3 for my mobile phone service.

    While the 3G coverage was patchy on my phone, from Malahide to Newry there was no coverage at all using the on board wifi. Even in Drogheda and Dundalk.

    Why is the wifi in Irish Rail so bad? Considering they are using 3, I would expect with antennae on the roof of the carriage etc they would get better coverage than I do, but it's not the case.

    Irish Rail are not operating wifi on entreprise service, its NI railways.


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    #4
    donspeekinglesh
    Registered Users Posts: 1,861 ✭✭✭donspeekinglesh


    It's rubbish on the DART and intercity service too. I've tried it three times and never got decent service.
    Twice the speeds were so slow as to be unusable, and the third time I couldn't get an ip. All in the vicinity of Connolly.


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    #5
    Layinghen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,552 ✭✭✭Layinghen


    Barry Kenny from IE was on the radio in the last week or so and was asked about the poor wifi coverage on some parts of the rail system. He acknowledged the problem and said it was something they were very aware of and the network providers were looking at ways of sorting it out. Unfortunately some places nothing much could be done due to the geography of that particular location but other black spots could definitely be improved. Fingers crossed.


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    #6
    n97 mini
    Registered Users Posts: 8,295 ✭✭✭n97 mini


    What I don't understand is that my phone, inside the carriage, seemed to get a better signal than the onboard system, and both of us on 3.

    It's almost as if someone forgot to plug in the antennas to the onboard system.


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    #7
    galwayjohn89
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,930 ✭✭✭galwayjohn89


    donspeekinglesh wrote: »
    It's rubbish on the DART and intercity service too. I've tried it three times and never got decent service.
    Twice the speeds were so slow as to be unusable, and the third time I couldn't get an ip. All in the vicinity of Connolly.

    Not sure what it is like in Connolly but Dalkey to Pearse works a treat. Most days I am working on the DART and the speeds are fine for what they're designed for. Wouldn't be streaming videos but for emails and web browsing its perfect.


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    #8
    eejoynt
    Registered Users Posts: 264 ✭✭eejoynt


    I have used wifi on the Galway twice and found it ok . Ditto on the cork line, on the enterprise however the service is abysmal...non functioning south of portadown , the customer service provided by nomad is utterly useless

    Coaches on the enterprise are maintained by NIR.....


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    #9
    dowlingm
    Registered Users Posts: 5,309 ✭✭✭dowlingm


    Similar story over here on VIA Rail Canada - they thought it would be a profit centre but quickly realised people wouldn't pay for crap. Now it's free but streaming sites are blocked to give a fairer distribution of bandwidth. Wifi in VIA stations is much better because they have a hard-line backhaul rather than relying on mobile or satellite.


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