Advice on what broadband to get.

Dr Bolouswki

Ok - it's finally happened. Through begging, borrowing, stealing and the grace of credit cards, I now have a router, hub, ADSL modem - all I need now is a service to subscribe to!

I've heard good and bad things about every provider out there. Ideally i want an unlimited download. Irish Broadband can't gimme a line of sight so they're out of the picture. Netsource were my next choice but I heard a lot of bad things. So, I'm gonna try and let democracy guide me...

Please DON'T vote in the above unless you personally have subscribed to the service. Keep in mind also my main desire with Broadband is to share over a 3 machine network, download music etc. and internet gaming and general surfing. So although most ISPs advertise 512 I KNOW I'm not gonna get that - but enough to play games wihtout hassle would probably see me happy.

So - voting caps on people - and thanks for any advice!!

Note: Maybe my humour's too obtuse - but basically the first option for your BB service is you're happy with it - the 2nd option is you're NOT happy - thank you....

Mutant_Fruit

have you tried irishwisp? www.irishwisp.ie
they also offer an "unmetered" service. Basically there's a 12 gig cap, and if you go over they just limit your speed to something slower (maybe about 128k). they have a 256k, 512k and 1 meg line option, so its all good, but they're line of sight wireless too...

BKtje

Depends what you want to use it for. If its just for downloads then netsource is your man otherwise take your pick of one of the others i guess for better pings.

Im am not speaking from experience...yet. Personally am getting the Esat LLU business product. **** hot pings, unlimited downloads and all for only €110 :rolleyes:

Saruman

Originally posted by Mutant_Fruit
have you tried irishwisp? www.irishwisp.ie

Thats www.irishwisp.net actually and contrary to what their website says: "Broadband for the masses" they only cover a tiny area in South Dublin.

AREAS OF SERVICE:
Ballinteer, Sandyford, Leopardstown, Windy Arbour, Ballaly, Kilmacud, Goatstown, Stillorgan, Mt. Merrion, Windy Arbour, Churchtown, Rathfarnham, Foxrock.

MrPinK

It's looking like a one horse race

Dr Bolouswki

Its looking like netsource are the queens of the stone age....

I heard some bad things about them on boards a while ago - do they have all their probs orted out now? It certainly looks like they are quite the ticket though...

I'll have a look at Irishwisp too - I'm in Ranelagh which seems right on the border of their area...

nice one folks - keep it coming....

El_MUERkO

problems sorted, my connection is right on the limit of the line and i get 52/54kbps down and 10/11kbps up which is just super for my needs

Squall

Well if your looking for Capless then Netsource is your man but if you dont want that UTV is probably your best option(though you may have to wait awhile). Its very similar to Eircon and IOL's services though its a little cheaper than both (€47.50/month + €69 installation(with Modem). Theres a cap of 5 gigs and the price for going over is 1.5c per meg, cheaper than either of the others.

blueforest

I went with UTV if only because I'm not sure how sustainable Netsource's service is in the medium-to-long term. Plus they seem to have fairly regular periods of bad pings, even if they do eventually sort it out for another few weeks.

Netsource for the moment is good if you really need to download a lot though. For regular use, I'd go with UTV.

Dr Bolouswki

ahh - this place never fails to restore my faith in humanity - if only real communties behaved like this one - sharing knoledge and advice in such a giving way...

sob!!

shucks... thanks you guys....

UTV? I didn't even know they did broadband? though it was just some unlimited standard dial-up malarkey?

Man - I'm so close to ordering netwource I can taste it!

Third_Echelon

we got the 512 k service from netsource... it was a bit dodgy to start with but they have sorted out their problems and its been running with no problems for about 3 weeks now...

ive head that the utv service is pretty sh1t...

defo netsource is a good choice.... eircom are evil.....

best service overall though is esat..

Stormfox1020

I to am looking for a provider to go for, I want it mainly for Xbox Live and PC gaming, I dont download alot the odd map, or Mod, and i Surf occasionally, but thats all. I have heard Netsource have had Ping problems Due to lack of bandwith, so im not to sure about the pings now, so does anyone have any suggestions for me? Thnx

Mutant_Fruit

if i had gone with eircom i'd owe them over 800 eur for going over my cap.... do NOT go for a capped service if you are consiadaring downloading at all. You might think, all i do is download a few songs, a few game patches, and suchlike. but when you get broadband, you'll see a mod for your favourite game, and you'll want to download it, some mods can be in exess of 800 megs.... depending on game etc.

I know thats what happened to me. also, you never know when you want to preview that dvd before you buy it.... i can pull down a 2 cd rip in under 10 hours, 1.4 gigs worth. a capped connection just ain't worth it, its just changing clock watching to mb watching, and you get no real benefit.

On my 56k i got free internet at weekends, no charges at all, with NTL. I had that on for nearly the whole 48 hours every weekend, and i could pull down maybe 2.3+ gigs a month... thats nearly the whole eircom downlaod cap, and if you count uploads too i smashed 3 gigs.

theres my 2 cents

MrPinK

Originally posted by Stormfox1020
I to am looking for a provider to go for, I want it mainly for Xbox Live and PC gaming, I dont download alot the odd map, or Mod, and i Surf occasionally, but thats all. I have heard Netsource have had Ping problems Due to lack of bandwith, so im not to sure about the pings now, so does anyone have any suggestions for me? Thnx

Netsource sorted out their bandwidth problems weeks ago. The pings are excellent. If you're positive that 5 gigs a month is enough then I'd go with the cheaper options, UTV or IOL. With a fast connection, 5 gigs isn't an awful lot tho. You don't have to be into warez to go over that limit.

Fabre

If I hadn't discovered netsource so late, I would have subscribed with them instead of BT, That 5 gig cap is really a pain.

In 6 days I am already at 2 gig of data and I have highly restained myself.

Squall

ive head that the utv service is pretty sh1t...

From who?
Theres only a handful of ppl using it at the moment. Thats the only problem ive heard about it so far ie it takes ages to get, but im sure theyll have that sorted soon enough

Im on working day 12 i think and will most likely be waiting another week or two to get it. Thats not bothering me much, as much as ide like to have it right now im confident once i do get it itll be a great service

Stormfox1020

Hm so Netsource really seems the best option, with apparently good pings and no cap.

Jokah

I hope to be moving to Blackrock at the start of September. Is netsource available in that area?

Either that or I go with Eircom(hope not to) Esat (cos i always like their service). It will be a rented house so I would like to put up a satellite but i doubt id get permission....

Any thoughts or feelings?

XPTHINK

MrPinK

They just resell eircoms package, so anywhere that you can get dsl from eircom, you can get it from netsource too.

Jokah

Is netsource business or home only? what about NTL?

MrPinK

It's supposed to be business, but they don't really care anymore, just as long as you buy a domain from them anyway.

NTL have the best broadband package available in Ireland. Only available in a handful of areas tho.

Jokah

Im going to move to the blackrock area. I can't see it on any coverage maps from the various sellers of DSL so I am worried I wont be able to get it.......

Like the nick Mr.Pink. very resevoir dogs........everyone argues over who wants to be Mr. Black......

What are your experiences with BB and your user. Just from your own personal view....

MrPinK

I'm really really happy with netsource. When they started off, there were some problems with high pings, but I'm not an online gamer so I didn't really care. They sorted those problems out a good while ago anyway. It's a little bit more expensive than the others, but I think having no cap is definitely worth it.

suppafly

so from what i've read it sounds like Netsource and IOL BB r the way to go. I'm just wondering what the main differences r (aside from the no cap on the netsource one)? I would be using it mostly for gaming(cs or bf1942), and surfing and most probably d/l(but maybe not that much though). Also i'm wondering how fast would u use up the 5gig cap on the IOL BB. I would be using the net everyday about 4hrs on average and a bit more on the weekend. The usage would be gaming(at least and hour 1 or 2 a night) and then general surfing. so some advice plz

Jokah

excellent, thanks for your opinion......

Jokah

id be using it to download huge emails and stuff from work. hence the no cap and speeds.....surfing is important to.....

I haven't got broadband yet suppafly but check out the other threads in the boards......some good advice there........

El_MUERkO

One thing you have to remember is even in gaming there big files to download, patches demos, free games (AA:O and Enemy Territory), addons, extra maps and mods like DC and EOD for BF1942 will take 300meg a go now. I got Devestation in the Game sale and patched ont with a 109meg patch and Nolf2 with 1 patch and 2 map packs taking another 100megs. I use Netsource for gaming but I've still downloaded way more than 5 gigs in the 2 weeks its been active.

I'm not saying Netsource is the best in all areas but the whole notion behind broadband is sorta spoiled when you cant use it to its full extent.

Stormfox1020

Wut sorta pings do u get on UK BF servers with Netsource, say barrysworld or Jolt?

Dr Bolouswki

I ordered netsource today - woot! woot!

a mate of mine got the NTL styles in - €20 euro a month and no cap? Sounds like he's trying to big himself up to me..??

Still - seeing as NTL only cover about 5 gaffs between Clondalkin and Tallaght, unless you can force the current residents out I think Netsource is the only option...

suppafly

right so netsource is the way to go? I see on their site that its €45, but do u have to buy/rent a domain name off them to for €10 a month aswell??

Mutant_Fruit

i take it you're all out of range of IBB and IrishWisp? they're both wireless providers and are supposed to give nice low pings when the get the bugs and suchlike sorted, which they are in the middle of doing in the Tallaght tower.

the_syco

Are you saying the Irish market figured out how to regulate our downloads?
Last I heard, the cap was only there so if they ever figure out how to cap it, they won't be sued for imposing a cap. Hehehehe...

I'm pretty sure Esat or Eircom don't have the technology yet, but I could be wrong. At the moment I've a 56KByte (crap DSL, not copper wire). I can't say how I'm getting it (it may void the contract), other than it's a sweet line.
Ping is sweet even when I'm flying over Iwo Jima, versus 25 other people on-line, in Battlefield 1942.
So far I've dowloaded about 10GB's. No warez, just stuff from fileplanet.com, ausgamers.com, and a few others. I'm mainly playing games, but I downloading patches, mod's, etc.

Stormfox1020

Syco wut Provider do u have IBB?

MrPinK

Originally posted by the_syco
right so netsource is the way to go? I see on their site that its €45, but do u have to buy/rent a domain name off them to for €10 a month aswell??

Yup, and if you're not a business then there's VAT to be paid on that too

Originally posted by suppafly
I'm pretty sure Esat or Eircom don't have the technology yet, but I could be wrong

They already have a webpage to tell you how much you've downloaded and uploaded