Migrating from UTV to Smart Telecom broadband

gary_s

I'm based in Dublin and currently subscribing to UTV's broadband service @ €30/month (plus Eircom for line rental/calls at abour €20/month or so - i make very few calls).

I'm thinking of moving to Smart Telecom for just €35/month where I'll get "free line rental" forever, and "no monthly limits" (which is good since I usually hit the UTV 8GB limit every month), though I will have to change my number (which is okay, 'cause I generally don't receive many calls).

If I get Smart Telecom set up before finishing the UTV subscription I should hopefully minimise any downtime.

I know I could go for wireless broadband and scrap the phone line completely, but I do use it occasionally, so with free line rental from Smart Telecom, might as well hang on to it.

Is there any downside to moving to Smart Telecom i'm missing?

Drapper

gary_s wrote:

I'm based in Dublin and currently subscribing to UTV's broadband service @ €30/month (plus Eircom for line rental/calls at abour €20/month or so - i make very few calls).

I'm thinking of moving to Smart Telecom for just €35/month where I'll get "free line rental" forever, and "no monthly limits" (which is good since I usually hit the UTV 8GB limit every month), though I will have to change my number (which is okay, 'cause I generally don't receive many calls).

If I get Smart Telecom set up before finishing the UTV subscription I should hopefully minimise any downtime.

I know I could go for wireless broadband and scrap the phone line completely, but I do use it occasionally, so with free line rental from Smart Telecom, might as well hang on to it.

Is there any downside to moving to Smart Telecom i'm missing?

yes there is only a handful of exchanges enabled !! so look into that first

gary_s

Drapper wrote:

yes there is only a handful of exchanges enabled !! so look into that first

That's okay. It tells me I'm on the Beggars Bush exchange and covered.

pizzahead77

There are a few other downsides but not Smart's fault!

Currently you will need to cancel UTV broadband and then apply for Smart Broadband. This can take two weeks to go through to Eircom.

gary_s

pizzahead77 wrote:

There are a few other downsides but not Smart's fault!

Currently you will need to cancel UTV broadband and then apply for Smart Broadband. This can take two weeks to go through to Eircom.

I was hoping I could overlap the two to minimise downtime, i.e. order Smart and give one month's notice to UTV at roughly the same time, so that provided Smart get everything set up in a month or so, there'd be little or no downtime.

Are you saying this isn't possible, and the UTV service must be cancelled and completely stopped, before Smart can be ordered?

dub45

pizzahead77 wrote:

There are a few other downsides but not Smart's fault!

Currently you will need to cancel UTV broadband and then apply for Smart Broadband. This can take two weeks to go through to Eircom.

I have made this exact switch and it is nervewracking to say the least.

However you are lucky in that your telephony is still with Eircom or at least you should be lucky...........

If I get Smart Telecom set up before finishing the UTV subscription I should hopefully minimise any downtime.

You cannot do this unfortunately.


You have to give UTV a month's notice of cancellation. Make sure they follow up this cancellation they were slow to cancel mine and this caused me additional problems with Eircom. The dsl signal has to be gone from your line before Eircom will process the transfer to Smart. You need the cancellation number from UTV to pass on to Smart before they can apply to Eircom for you to transfer over.

kinaldo

let me know how it turns out cos i'm thinking of switching from UTV to Smart for the exact same reasons. I'm not sure if i could live for more than a week of downtime though.

gary_s

Some people mentioned in the past that there had been problems running P2P file-sharing apps on Smart Telecom broadband. Have these all been resolved?

kaizersoze

gary_s wrote:

Some people mentioned in the past that there had been problems running P2P file-sharing apps on Smart Telecom broadband. Have these all been resolved?

Thats down to a problem with the router they supply and they have a work around for it (firmware upgrade, bridge mode, etc.) Smart do not throttle ports to my knowledge.

Boston

It's true what they say about needing a months notice. UTV took 7 weeks notice to disconenct me. Smart seems really good, I'm well pleased with it. UTV used to constantly drop, while smart seems like a solid connection. I did have one or two problems with the supplied router however, but that was due to my own hardware. Apart from that no problems with p2p. Also I know it says 3mb on the site (at least it did when i got it) you actually connect at 3.5mb.

spurious

Argh!!!!..(ex) Boston you live on the road behind me and you got Smart without major problems?

I'm entering my fourth week with no telephone service, let alone broadband following the switch from UTV through Eircom to Smart.

UTV could not have been more helpful - got things really moving their end, took DSL off early and closed my account well within the month at my request, but then I hit the hell that is Eircom and their treatment of Smart.

Surely to God there is some law to prevent Eircom obstructing Smart getting into the exchanges to service their customers? They are stymieing them at every opportunity.

a_ominous

I'm in a similar boat: trying to move from UTV to Magnet.
I've been without broadband for 5 weeks and it's fecking up my studies/work.
UTV terminated the service within 30 days of receiving email, but I had also sent a letter.
Getting conflicting stories from MAgnet about why I've not been connected yet. One story is that UTV DSL still on the line, but I've managed to get the Eircon cancellation reference today dated in Feb. Other is that my exchange is available for DSL.
I contacted ComReg (F**k all use); they do not deal with broadband even when it's on PSTN. but they do deal with AnPost?
So it would appear Eircon are holding me over a barrel having their way with me and nothing I can do...
Bastids :mad:

Irish Broadband, here i come???

Boston

spurious wrote:

Argh!!!!..(ex) Boston you live on the road behind me and you got Smart without major problems?

Do I? who are you. Yes i had no major problems connecting ot smart.

btw, where I live two exchanges over lap, I'm on the one with least demand.