eircom €29.99 package

esperanza

this package offers 128k upstream.

what exactly does upstream refer to? how quick it takes to attach docs by email and send?
is it possible to view videos and listen to the radio with 128k?

Foxwood

esperanza wrote:

this package offers 128k upstream.

what exactly does upstream refer to? how quick it takes to attach docs by email and send?
is it possible to view videos and listen to the radio with 128k?

Upstream is the speed from your computer to the internet. 128K is 4 times as fast as a good dialup connection (even a 56K dialup connection only provides 32K "upstream").

Large e-mail attachments (4 or 5 meg photos, for example) will still take a minute or so to upload, but that usually happens in the background, so it's not a big problem.

Unless you expect to be doing significant amounts of uploading, the 128K upstream isn't likely to be a problem.

By the way, are you aware that you can get the same package for as little as €20 from a number of resellers?

esperanza

Foxwood wrote:

Large e-mail attachments (4 or 5 meg photos, for example) will still take a minute or so to upload, but that usually happens in the background, so it's not a big problem.

Unless you expect to be doing significant amounts of uploading, the 128K upstream isn't likely to be a problem.

I'll be uploading word documents, never photos.and i also need to watch videos.

Foxwood wrote:

By the way, are you aware that you can get the same package for as little as €20 from a number of resellers?

yes, but that's not much of a difference. I think the eircom package works out the cheapest and they can deliver in 2 weeks, whereas other isp providers would have to pass through eircom first (i think) and then connection would take longer. i also don't have much of a choice in the area i live...

Foxwood

esperanza wrote:

I'll be uploading word documents, never photos.and i also need to watch videos.

"Need to watch"? Most streaming video sites will work on a 1MB service, but be aware that if your DSL line is in any way marginal, you won't actually get 1MB. Your "upstream" won't make much difference for watching videos. But what sort of videos are you talking about? You're not going to get full screen streaming videos on a 1MB service. If you're talking about video conferencing, you'll be able to do basic video conferencing with a 128k upload, but the video and audio quality may not be the best.

yes, but that's not much of a difference.

Spending the €29.99 with a different provider and getting 2MB instead of 1MB will make a difference, if you're not worried about the cost.

I think the eircom package works out the cheapest and they can deliver in 2 weeks, whereas other isp providers would have to pass through eircom first (i think) and then connection would take longer. i also don't have much of a choice in the area i live...

The eircom package is the most expensive DSL service available. Connection shouldn't take significantly longer (the problem with eircom being slow about connecting 3rd party DSL connections is long resolved), and you can get DSL from any resellers in any exchange that eircom DSL is available from. (Smart and Magent aren't eircom resllers, so they have limited availability, but all of the other DSL providers can provide service anywhere that eircom can).

esperanza

Foxwood wrote:

"Need to watch"? Most streaming video sites will work on a 1MB service, but be aware that if your DSL line is in any way marginal, you won't actually get 1MB. Your "upstream" won't make much difference for watching videos. But what sort of videos are you talking about? You're not going to get full screen streaming videos on a 1MB service. If you're talking about video conferencing, you'll be able to do basic video conferencing with a 128k upload, but the video and audio quality may not be the best.

I don't need video conferencing, but i need to watch videos for my job, they don't have to be full-screen, but i need them to run smoothly and quickly.

Foxwood wrote:

The eircom package is the most expensive DSL service available. Connection shouldn't take significantly longer (the problem with eircom being slow about connecting 3rd party DSL connections is long resolved), and you can get DSL from any resellers in any exchange that eircom DSL is available from. (Smart and Magent aren't eircom resllers, so they have limited availability, but all of the other DSL providers can provide service anywhere that eircom can).

They offer a free modem, and the once-off connection fee is free if you order online. sounds ok...

and apparently, the only other provider in my area is UTV, and their website is absolutely useless, i can't get the technical details on their offers, not very transparent like esat bt! they want me to sign up without even having seen all the details.

Foxwood

esperanza wrote:

I don't need video conferencing, but i need to watch videos for my job, they don't have to be full-screen, but i need them to run smoothly and quickly.

If the videos are being streamed, you should check with whoever is setting up the videos what rate they are being streamed at - if they are planning to make them available to you over a DSL connection, be aware that they will be limited by their "upstream".

If the videos aren't streamed, and you'll be downloading them off a file server instead, then the only difference that your DSL connection will make will be how long it takes to download them. If you're going to be doing this a lot you need to know how big the files are, as you may exceed your "download allowance".

They offer a free modem, and the once-off connection fee is free if you order online. sounds ok...

I'm pretty sure everyone provides a free modem. With Digiweb the €7 you save in the monthly fee will pay the connection fee in 4 months. With Imagine, the €20 you save on the monthly fee will pay the connection fee in 2.5 months (the Imagine package involves switching your calls to Imagine too).

and apparently, the only other provider in my area is UTV, and their website is absolutely useless, i can't get the technical details on their offers, not very transparent like esat bt! they want me to sign up without even having seen all the details.

The UTV FAQ is pretty comprehensive. And if you can get DSL from UTV and eircom, then you can get it from Digiweb, BT, Imagine, Perlico, Gaelic Telecom and probably one or two others that I don't remember.

esperanza

Foxwood wrote:

If the videos are being streamed, you should check with whoever is setting up the videos what rate they are being streamed at - if they are planning to make them available to you over a DSL connection, be aware that they will be limited by their "upstream".

If the videos aren't streamed, and you'll be downloading them off a file server instead, then the only difference that your DSL connection will make will be how long it takes to download them. If you're going to be doing this a lot you need to know how big the files are, as you may exceed your "download allowance".

Yes, the videos are streamed. I will need to watch such videos as the news on the BBC and RTE.

Foxwood wrote:

I'm pretty sure everyone provides a free modem. With Digiweb the €7 you save in the monthly fee will pay the connection fee in 4 months. With Imagine, the €20 you save on the monthly fee will pay the connection fee in 2.5 months (the Imagine package involves switching your calls to Imagine too).
The UTV FAQ is pretty comprehensive. And if you can get DSL from UTV and eircom, then you can get it from Digiweb, BT, Imagine, Perlico, Gaelic Telecom and probably one or two others that I don't remember.

Have just called UTV and like eircom they say they can connect in 2 weeks. so, none of the above providers have to go through eircom to connect the customer, is that what you mean?

Btw, the utv modem costs €29.99! (sign-up fee is included in this). The clicksilver package offers quicker upload times - 256k .
So, it actually works out quite expensive: † €17.99 for the first 3 months then €31.99 for each
month thereafter. It is actually cheaper to take the UTV talk + clicksilver package. Free evening and weekend calls, sounds like a good deal! Not sure how that works out billwise when making the phone calls though ...

Foxwood

esperanza wrote:

Yes, the videos are streamed. I will need to watch such videos as the news on the BBC and RTE.

You should be fine for that.

Have just called UTV and like eircom they say they can connect in 2 weeks. so, none of the above providers have to go through eircom to connect the customer, is that what you mean?

No, all the resellers rely on eircom engineers in eircom exchanges to "turn on" the service. But the engineering orders are all handled pretty much even handedly (at least there haven't been any complaints about this in quite some time). Most of the 2 week delay is purely administrative - they're just covering themselves, and it's not unusual for new users to receive the hardware in 3 or 4 days and to be online in a lot less than 2 weeks.

Btw, the utv modem costs €29.99! the clicksilver package offers quicker upload times - 256k - though for the same monthly price! i think i'll go for that! i just hope i can be connected at the latest by 3 september!

The quicksilver 2MB package has a €14/month discount for the first 3 months, which will pay for the modem.

http://www.utvclicksilver.com/clicksilver.asp

esperanza

thanks a million for your advice, foxwood. i'm signed up now for the utv talk/clicksilver package.