ISP with a freephone access (1800)

rikili

Hello all,

I was wondering if any of you knows an ISP which offers flatrate internet and provides a free phone number (1800 number) to access the net.

I'm asking for that, because of the nature of my Job, I have to change/move home evry 3/6 months, so I cannot subscribe with UTVip or others.

Thankx in advance.

G

I doubt you'll get anything with 1800, that's free phone prefix. Think you mean 1890... try Oceanfree: 1890 923 204

UTVip is connected to your phone calls as well as internet and they charge you 4 cent connection every time you pick up the phone, even if you don't get through.

bk

Originally posted by G

UTVip is connected to your phone calls as well as internet and they charge you 4 cent connection every time you pick up the phone, even if you don't get through.

Not true, you are charged the 4 cent connection charge after you successfully dial a number. What you are probably thinking of is that you are still charged the 4c even if the number is engaged. You are obviously not charged for incoming calls or if you just pickup the handset.

BTW UTVip only have a 3 month minimum contract, so you could go with them and change every few months. UTVip XL - 180 hours per month for EUR 25 or UTVip LITE - 30 hours per month for EUR 10.

viking

Originally posted by bk
What you are probably thinking of is that you are still charged the 4c even if the number is engaged.

This is not true.

viking

pepsiman

Originally posted by bk
BTW UTVip only have a 3 month minimum contract, so you could go with them and change every few months. UTVip XL - 180 hours per month for EUR 25 or UTVip LITE - 30 hours per month for EUR 10.

When I moved house all I did was email them telling them I'm moving, from Eircom account/phone no. this to Eircom account/phone no. that. No problems whatsoever and no cancellation or new contract needed :-) The 10 work days-rule kicked in though - but it only took three or so days for my new no. to be CPS'd to UTV (tested dialling 0111222333).

/T

rikili

Yes G,
I meant 1800 number, a free number...

That's what I think a Flat rate ISP should offer... You pay for certain amout of hours monthly, and then you can login from any where you want... and what you paid for will include of course the phone call price.....

May be I'm creazy ????:rolleyes:

bk

Originally posted by rikili
Yes G,
I meant 1800 number, a free number...

That's what I think a Flat rate ISP should offer... You pay for certain amout of hours monthly, and then you can login from any where you want... and what you paid for will include of course the phone call price.....

May be I'm creazy ????:rolleyes:

Yes, you are crazy, it doesn't work that way at all. UTVip et al have to buy ports at a certain exchange for you, you can't just move around, that would make the system way to open to abuse.

bk

Originally posted by viking
This is not true.

viking

Could you clarify this.

Here on the UTVip website it says:

No min call charge, 3.87c inc VAT setup charge applies to all calls

Páid

No min call charge, 3.87c inc VAT setup charge applies to all calls

....when the call is connected.

You never pay for a call that results in a busy tone.

niallb

bk wrote:
No min call charge, 3.87c inc VAT setup charge applies to all calls

On the UTVip pages they clarify this!
You only pay the setup charge on calls after the 180 hours.

For usage over 180 hours per month, our standard local call rate of 0.95c inc VAT (offpeak) and 3.8c in vat (peak) will apply. Chargeable calls have a fixed setup fee of 3.87c per call. UTVip XL rates

DMT

Originally posted by niallb
On the UTVip pages they clarify this!
You only pay the setup charge on calls after the 180 hours.

They're talking about all phonecalls.

Busy tone = no setup charge as a connection wasn't setup.

zz03

Originally posted by bk
Yes, you are crazy, it doesn't work that way at all. UTVip et al have to buy ports at a certain exchange for you, you can't just move around, that would make the system way to open to abuse.

Why crazy? If you are paying EUR 25 per month for n hours access and move from A to B - the entire operation should be seamless and immediate. In the scheme of things there will be other people moving from B to A. The ports that UTV 'buy' in each POP area are a bank of ISDN numbers which are addressed via translation of "short code" numbers. Individual subscriber movements have no material bearing on the capacity.

The numbering used is irrelevant. It might be 1800 or 1893. All that matters is that one isn't billed anything on the eircom account for accessing the port.

The subscriber should be able to move from one number to another on a self service basis using a simple web form - with no delay or manual intervention.

This is just another example of pig Irish inefficiency and lack of thought when creating services. Unfortunately it is not an isolated case, and is replicated across every element of the country's infrastructure. :mad:

zz..

Páid

ZZ03, UTV and Esat use CLI (Caller Line Identification) to authenticate the user dialling in.

If you dial in from another number or with CLI turned off, you are assumed to be someone else.

Its not inefficiency, they are just making sure that the whole country don't dial in using the same username / password combination. Whats to stop a thousand people from dialing in and only paying one subscription fee (and no phonecalls)?

rikili, you don't really have any options unless you talk nice to Utv or (God forbid) Esat and ask them to let you change your registered phone number every so often.

G

Sorry, when I said "pick up the phone" I meant when you dial a number. I used to be a UTVi subscriber... I had a flick through my bill one day and noticed all these 4 cent charges for calls to numbers that hadn't connected. At that stage I had no idea what the 4 cent setup charge was (because it's only written in one very hard to find place on their site) so I rang up support and after 2 seperate discussions I found out that the sneeky bastids charge you as soon as you dial a number.

When you dial in a phone number your call runs off to the exchange, goes onto UTV's network and they charge you immediately. Engaged tone? Still charged. No answer? Still charged. I cancelled immediately.

It's obvious that a lot of you UTVip heads aren't aware of this - it's only a good service if you only use it for off-peak internet access, otherwise you're getting ripped off.

zz03

Originally posted by Páid
ZZ03, UTV and Esat use CLI (Caller Line Identification) to authenticate the user dialling in.

If you dial in from another number or with CLI turned off, you are assumed to be someone else.

Its not inefficiency, they are just making sure that the whole country don't dial in using the same username / password combination. Whats to stop a thousand people from dialing in and only paying one subscription fee (and no phonecalls)?

rikili, you don't really have any options unless you talk nice to Utv or (God forbid) Esat and ask them to let you change your registered phone number every so often.

CLI blinkers off please! It is only a tiny element in the overall system.

They could and should provide a webform for subscribers to update their account details. One of the elements would be one's phone number and address from where the subscription is accessed.

Each subscriber would still restricted to specifying one phone number - so there is no risk of subscribers giving out their details to friends and getting a "free ride".

It is inefficiency and they haven't thought it through from a customer service perspective. They appear to be driven by security issues - rather than taking security on board in the design of the service.

Chances are when people move house or get a new phone line installed in their study or change to ISDN - they will dump any ISP that takes ten days to perform this simple task.


zz..

bk

Originally posted by G
Sorry, when I said "pick up the phone" I meant when you dial a number. I used to be a UTVi subscriber... I had a flick through my bill one day and noticed all these 4 cent charges for calls to numbers that hadn't connected. At that stage I had no idea what the 4 cent setup charge was (because it's only written in one very hard to find place on their site) so I rang up support and after 2 seperate discussions I found out that the sneeky bastids charge you as soon as you dial a number.

They aren't really sneaky bast***s, Esat do this also (on their regular package, not on their Advantage service). This is Eircoms fault again, Eircom charge UTV/Esat for the use of the line even if the phone is engaged/unaswered. The money doesn't go to UTV/ESAT.

I have Esat and even with the call setup charge, my phone bills are still much cheaper then when I was with Eircom. Anyway for me it is calls to mobiles that really add to my bill. It is crazy that a phone call to the US is cheaper then a phone call to a mobile here in Ireland, it is a complete scam.

Michael Collins

A freefone number should definately be possible. I remember talking to a friend in the UK a few years ago and he had a freefone number for internet access. Not only could he move house anytime, he could simply bring his laptop with him to any hotel and still get use of the free number. He even used to dial up on his mobile - all for a flat free of around £20. I think he was on freeserve, not sure though.

Come to think of it, could Vodafone offer a FRIACO type package?

Malcolm

Originally posted by G
Sorry, when I said "pick up the phone" I meant when you dial a number. I used to be a UTVi subscriber... I had a flick through my bill one day and noticed all these 4 cent charges for calls to numbers that hadn't connected. At that stage I had no idea what the 4 cent setup charge was (because it's only written in one very hard to find place on their site) so I rang up support and after 2 seperate discussions I found out that the sneeky bastids charge you as soon as you dial a number.

When you dial in a phone number your call runs off to the exchange, goes onto UTV's network and they charge you immediately. Engaged tone? Still charged. No answer? Still charged. I cancelled immediately.

It's obvious that a lot of you UTVip heads aren't aware of this - it's only a good service if you only use it for off-peak internet access, otherwise you're getting ripped off.

To clarify on a call set-up fee:-
For all voice calls you only get charged the set-up fee when a call is successfully connected - at no other times (busy, engaged, out of service etc) do you get charged;
For data calls the call set-up is effective whenever you get connected to the modems as that is a successful connection and therefore a call is active. This fee, on all calls within your monthly limit, is borne by UTV Internet (as we get charged a wholesale call connection fee) and is only charged to the customer after they have used their total monthly hours and are being charged on a per call basis.
Therefore, on voice you only get charged on a successful call and on data you only get charged when you are over your monthly limit.

bk

I stand corrected, thanks Malcolm