Anyone go for 2 lines before Changing from eircom to Smart/Magnet?

cramp

Ok i have read here all the bad stories about Changing from Eircom to third parties like Smart/Magnet, 6 weeks back a friend of mine went with a Magnet "step up" package this is package that they give before the WHOLE package is in your area........anyway after siging off from Eircom 6 weeks back...he still aint connected, now it seems that incompetence from Magnet and a bit of help from eircom seem to be the blame.......
Magnet are in my area and want my business.... they say that there is a 10 working day delay in connecting me....
So what i am thinking of doing is ordering a 2nd line, this would then give me NO downtime....i know that i would have to pay for the line installation.....but if the changeover takes 1-2 months it must be worth it....am i mad or has anyone done this!!!??

cramp

Xterminator

Cramp,

I am not kidding, when i say it took 4 months + to get me up and running with Smart.

6 weeks is only scratching the surface.

Eircom have them by the short and curlies, and theres nothing they can do.

X

cormac_byrne

I think it's much easier to get Smart / Magnet onto a line that has no broadband already on it, as opposed to either Eircom or other reseller either live or recently cancelled.

I got a full Magnet package in Feb on a newly reconnected Eircom line (no broadband). It did go through in about 2 weeks, much to my surprise

Blaster99

Is the user without broadband during the setup phase of the Magnet "step up" package?

cramp

Yes he without BB , signed off from Eircom, and is still waiting and he just found out today that Eircom have refused to release the line, Magnet today are saying that they are going to Sue Eircom and that he has to get onto Eircom himself today......so even if thats sorted he will have to wait another 10 working days...so that will be approaching 8-9 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2nd line is sounding more and more like the only way forward to get away from eircom without interruption!!!

Onthebus

problem is that you are still relying on eircom's cooperation to install a new line

dont hold your breath

there seems to be a definite policy of non cooperation towards anyone moving to smart or magnet (when eircom have the trauma of unplugging their system to allow a competitor in - this doesnt happen with esat who just resell the eircom stuff, like a broker)

jor el

I was thinking of the exact same thing to switch from BT to Smart. If Eircom were doing the free line install offer at the moment, which they were a while back, I'd already have my order in. I'll wait and see do they offer that again though.

I'm not looking forward to the fun and games with cancelling BT so I'd be as well to have a second line in place.

Current price for a new line install is about €120-130 I think. Even that makes sence to avoid pulling your hair out and all the mess with months of downtime. Eight months on Smart will have that money made back for you in the savings anyway.

Sconsey

Have a look at this thread, I was thinking about the same thing.....
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054939307

MOH

cormac_byrne wrote:

I think it's much easier to get Smart / Magnet onto a line that has no broadband already on it, as opposed to either Eircom or other reseller either live or recently cancelled.

I got a full Magnet package in Feb on a newly reconnected Eircom line (no broadband). It did go through in about 2 weeks, much to my surprise

Good point. I've gotten Smart broadband in twice now at different addresses, each time it only took under two weeks, but there was never any BB on the line before

cramp

well Iam still thinking of getting the second line!!!!
My m8 from the above post has just got connected to magnet after 10 weeks or so, their technical support has a lot to be desired , from what i hear!

cramp

steve-o

jor el wrote:

Current price for a new line install is about €120-130 I think. Even that makes sence to avoid pulling your hair out and all the mess with months of downtime. Eight months on Smart will have that money made back for you in the savings anyway.

Several months unnecessary line rental takes it to about €200. That's a lot of money to pay just because Eircom are twats.

BTW, doing the two line thing would also allow you to transfer your old Eircom number to Smart.

cramp

Yeah well at present Iam paying Eircom 54euro a month for a limited line at 3mb/40gb,i dont have the option of Smart in my area, so all i have is Magnet which are offering me 4mb/100gb for 54euro(thats including line rental) at present iam dloading 40-60gb on eircoms line...

cramp

cramp

Just thought that i would update this thread...
My m8 finally got connected to Magnet after 9 WEEKS with out BB, and Eircom seemed to be 80% of the problem ...
So i decided last week to install a 2nd line, Eircom rang yesterday to tell me the line will be installed Monday... only 9 days to install a new line !!! go figure, guys are reporting from 2 weeks to 4 months for eircom do to somthing in the exchange to enable 3rd parties to supply BB...anyway my journey is only beginning, when the line is LIVE , i have to contact Magnet and then starts my BB wait.... but at least i will still have BB on my main line.....

cramp

dingding

steve-o wrote:

BTW, doing the two line thing would also allow you to transfer your old Eircom number to Smart.

How???

steve-o

dingding wrote:

How???

The reason you can't transfer an existing number to Smart is because Eircom still use the old number for managing the line. They claim it's beyond their abilities to assign a new number to the line and release the old one to Smart. And Comreg is too useless to force them to do it.

If you get a second line in like jor el mentioned, Eircom will assign a new number (that you'll never use) to the new line. Smart will immediately assign a different number to it, and then when your BB is up and running, you can get rid of the old line and transfer the old Eircom number to Smart (but it would probably take several months).

The downside is that if you ever want to say byebye to Smart and want to keep your number, you'll be forced to transfer the number back to Eircom first no matter what provider you want to transfer to (even if you want to transfer it to a VoIP provider like Blueface). Good old Comreg.

byte

I had Eircom broadband, and I signed up to Smart's broadband package on a Monday, had a new number on Thursday, and my router arrived on the Friday, and was live from when I plugged it in! It possibly would've worked on the Thursday if I had the router, but it was still very quick, compared to the horror stories I see on these threads!

Of course, I was just lucky!

CuLT

byte wrote:

Of course, I was just lucky!

Either that, or a normal transfer. I think we'd be seeing a lot more hullaballoo about it than a few irritated posters now and then if it was a big problem.

byte

CuLT wrote:

Either that, or a normal transfer. I think we'd be seeing a lot more hullaballoo about it than a few irritated posters now and then if it was a big problem.

Yeah, in the grand scheme of things, you're probably right. Many threads are related to problems only.

spurious

I was left without any sort of phone connection (or Net access) by Eircom in their fumbled transfer of me to Smart.
With Smart now, and have to say the pain was worth it.

philologos

I tried to switch to magnet, they held me off for 2 months saying it was down to eircom... rediculous

cramp

Just an update on this....
Eircom came out last Monday and installed the 2nd line, rang Magnet last tuesday and ordered BB from them , they called me on Friday to say eircom said that the Ph number and account dont match....turns out Magnet got my 2 phone numbers and accounts mixed up......
magnet have now foned me today and said all is accepted and ready and modem will arrive tomorrow..............ONE WEEK!
Well see if its ready to fire up when the modem arrives!!

cramp

cramp

last update me thinks,
all went fine, modem arrived when promised and the line was live for dsl..........Magnet tech support is really BAD!!!
The 3 com modem/router instructions clearly state that the modem can be used by Ethernet/usb/wireless, i chose USB and after a good while fiddling couldn't connect, i rang Magnet...they couldn't help as the guy seemed to be reading from a script, but he kept referring to Ethernet, i told him i would ring him back after i tried Ethernet......everything worked fine with Ethernet...they surprisingly rang me back.. i then asked is Ethernet the only way to connect and his response was YES....... this should be clearly stated on set up , and from Tech support..
The Sales/tech staff are very friendly at Magnet but ain't that informed...also u don't get left waiting for phones to be answered,
This package is a 4mb/100gb...download speed seems a strong 4+mb.....more testing to be done but all seems fine, total install time from ordering 2nd line to live was 2 weeks.... i still have Eircom Bb on the other line but i will be canceling that in the next day or so.....what i set out to do was have no Downtime..this was achieved , but at the price of a 2nd line install @ 130euro, but this will be recouped over the year as this package costs 29.99euro a month.............

cramp

jor el

Well that was quick, by Eircom and Magnet. One question, did you need your eircom account number for Magnet and did Eircom give you this as soon as the line was activated or did you have to wait a bit? I'm very interested in doing this if it's going to be that quick and easy.

cramp

The day the line was installed i rang Eircom and they said that they couldn't give that number over the fone and it would be posted out in the next 10 working days!!!!!!!!!
I rang back the next day and told them that i wanted to set up a direct debit and needed the acc number and then they gave it to with no hesitation...... even over this 2 week period from ordering the 2nd line from eircom and going live with Magnet..Magnet fooked up the order for the 1st 4 days as they got the 2 accounts and numbers mixed while contacting Eircom... Magnet contacted me last friday to say that the account and fone dont match, they recontacted eirom on the same friday with the matching acc and fone number,Magnet rand on the following tuesday to say everything was fine...
You would really wonder what the problem is when ordering BB on a line that already has BB , even though its ceased...

cramp