whats the best broadband option for someone in a remote area

maradona10

whats the best wireless broadband option for someone in a remote area.

is a broadband modem from any of the mobile networks an option for someone with a pc or are they only suitable for laptops?

do they reach all areas of ireland?

thanks for all replies

watty

There are 5 kinds of Wireless services. They vary hugely in speed, reliability, latency (important for games & VOIP) Apart from Mobile they all use an ethernet interface:

Mobile (USB, Expresscard or PCMCIA Modem, works with Laptop, PC and some specialist Routers). Coverage in isolated areas tends to be only 70kps GPRS (Vodaphone) or 240kbps EDGE (O2, Meteor). The higher speed 3G/HSDPA (100kps up to 3600kbps depending on signal and number of users) is limited coverage (O2, Vodaphone & "3"). There is also the higher performance Digiweb Mobile (not phone network based, but it's still on Pilot area. National Rollout "soon").

Nomadic: IBB Ripwave and Clearwire. About 240kbps. Sometimes faster. Limited range and Areas.

WiFi related/ Licence Free: Vary from 100kbps to 5Mbps depending on supplier. Smaller companies and self help groups. May be very unreliable or perfect, depending on supplier, range and location.

Fixed Wireless: Vary from 250kbps to 10,000kbps systems. Vary in range, contention, speed, quality according to supplier, location and technology. Includes IBB Breeze, Digiweb Metro, Permanet and others. Usually very reliable.


Two way Satellite Entry level is about 512k down and 100k up, slowing a lot in upload in rain. May have very very high contention (> 200:1). Expensive buisness class services may be 3Mbps down, 512k up and DSL style contention (<48:1).

All systems can be used with PC or laptop. WiFi / Router can be added too to work ANY wifi or ethernet gadget (inc games consoles). You usually have to buy your own WiFi router


Only Satellite is available everywhere. You need to check all the suppliers to see what is available in your area. Some need Near Line of Sight (3.6GHz), or Line of Sight (5.6GHz, 10.5GHz). The mobile systems are most forgiving of terrain, especially GPRS/EDGE/Digiweb at 900Mhz approx. Some GPRS / EDGE is 1800MHZ (not so good) and all 3G/HSDPA is 2100MHz (poorer).

All the Fixed Wireless is 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz (unlicenced or registered) and 3.6GHz or 10.5GHz (licenced). All less good on trees / bumpy terrian. The 10.5GHz you really need to actually be able to see the mast.

A PC can use PCMCIA or Express card Modems via a router or via PCI card that adds the laptop type slot. USB is same for Laptop and PC.

Anything else needs WiFi or Ethernet (often via a router that connects via ethernet (to the Radio/Modem) or has USB, PCMCIA or Express Card slot for the Modem). Some are two parts, an outdoor radio cabled to an internal Modem. Some outdoor use a Mesh Dish, Flat panel with radio inside, vertical pole or even a Miniature TV style aerial.

Some modems with integral aerials can take an external aerial for better signal, but the the E220 USB EDGE/3G/HSDPA modem has no aerial socket.

maradona10

thanks for taking the time to do that watty.

its not for me actually. its for a friend who lives in the remotest part of clare. theres a lot of info there to take in.

is there somewhere that she could call into for advice. Im not up to explaining all that

will the spec of the pc she has matter when it comes to choosing provider

Hank Scorpio

maradona10 wrote: »

thanks for taking the time to do that watty.

its not for me actually. its for a friend who lives in the remotest part of clare. theres a lot of info there to take in.

is there somewhere that she could call into for advice. Im not up to explaining all that

will the spec of the pc she has matter when it comes to choosing provider

specs dont matter but u shud have a half decent pc not some 15 year old junk :pac: any pc in the last 5 years even more would be fine. Obviously he wont be able to get dsl so a NIC(network card) wont be needed, all other equipment for wireless wifi etc would be provided by the ISP.

check isps websites etc for coverage to her area and is the best way to find out what she can get! gl

GerardKeating

maradona10 wrote: »

its not for me actually. its for a friend who lives in the remotest part of clare. theres a lot of info there to take in.

Your friend might try Radiowave / LightHouse Networks. They provide wireless broadband for Mayo/Galway & Clare.

saram

I think the O2 Mobile Broadband Option is the best. I live in a remote part of Kerry and I can get Internet access at 7.2MBPS.. The other adavantage is you can move your laptop (if you have one) around very easily..The modem is very small and very mobile..(as the name implies).

It is 15 euros a month for three months and 30 thereafter. There is also a start up fee of 89 Euros..

There is a 30 day Happiness Guarantee too so if you are not happy with it you can return it and it womnt cost you anything! I know I wont be returning it..

I never had any problems with it and is it straight forward to get going.

PogMoThoin

nuxxx wrote: »

Obviously he wont be able to get dsl so a NIC(network card) wont be needed, all other equipment for wireless wifi etc would be provided by the ISP.

Incorrect, All fixed wireless is delivered through the network port, not wirelessly. Don't know of any wireless ISP that provide a wifi router either. Its only wireless to the point of access, its delivered to the pc by cable.

watty

I'm sure I suggested this.

watty

saram wrote: »

I think the O2 Mobile Broadband Option is the best. I live in a remote part of Kerry and I can get Internet access at 7.2MBPS.

Thats the capability the modem is reporting. It's very unlikely.

My VPN will report 1Gbps. That's just my LAN speed, not the actual internet speed. Do a speed test or download a Linux ISO from heanet.

GerardKeating

watty wrote: »

Thats the capability the modem is reporting. It's very unlikely.

My VPN will report 1Gbps. That's just my LAN speed, not the actual internet speed. Do a speed test or download a Linux ISO from heanet.

That is the actual speed, it's 3.5G (HSPA ???). Not common in outside major urban areas.

GerardKeating

saram wrote: »

I think the O2 Mobile Broadband Option is the best. I live in a remote part of Kerry and I can get Internet access at 7.2MBPS.. The other adavantage is you can move your laptop (if you have one) around very easily..The modem is very small and very mobile..(as the name implies).

It is 15 euros a month for three months and 30 thereafter. There is also a start up fee of 89 Euros..

There is a 30 day Happiness Guarantee too so if you are not happy with it you can return it and it womnt cost you anything! I know I wont be returning it..

I never had any problems with it and is it straight forward to get going.

OK for eMail or Surfing, but the 10GB cap is not good for "other" uses...

smellslikeshoes

GerardKeating wrote: »

That is the actual speed, it's 3.5G (HSPA ???). Not common in outside major urban areas.

Not 100% sure if O2 has upped their hspda to 7.2mbit yet, but thats definitely just what the modem is capable of, even if they upped the speed you aren't ever really going to get 7.2mbit.

craichoe

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Incorrect, All fixed wireless is delivered through the network port, not wirelessly. Don't know of any wireless ISP that provide a wifi router either. Its only wireless to the point of access, its delivered to the pc by cable.

Not specifically true, Nova Networks were doing a box with USB and Cat5 option on it.

briman1983

permanet if he's in the loop head area of clare as the mast is over the water in kerry and has 30 mil radius

PogMoThoin

craichoe wrote: »

Not specifically true, Nova Networks were doing a box with USB and Cat5 option on it.

My point being that, telling the OP they definitely don't need a network port is bad advise as the majority of wireless providers do.

watty

craichoe wrote: »

Not specifically true, Nova Networks were doing a box with USB and Cat5 option on it.

But ethernet (CAT 5) needs no driver install* and works with DOS, Win 3.1, Win 9x, Linux, Solaris, NT, Vista, Mac OS, OS/2, UNIX, routers, etc etc. USB almost always needs a driver installed and can sometimes be slower than your Broadband speed.

Several ISPs do supply modems with USB AND ethernet. If you want easy install, or a router, or more than one device/PC or WiFi you need ethernet.

The USB / express card/ PCMCIA Mobile "phone" and Digiweb Mobile modems can fit onto a router for 4 ethernet ports and WiFi.

Any other USB only Modem can use a PC running Windows as a Firewall/Router using ICS or Wingate (better) to allow adding more ethernet or WiFi.

The small operators using "WiFi like" gear is not direct to laptop or PC either. It's on the roof/outdoors and ethernet to PC or a separate Router/WiFi in the house.

Form point of view of security, not being a Skype supernode and able to add more than one device, a ethernet router (always includes NAT and Firewall) optionally with WiFi should always be added by the user if not included.


(*Some OS can't do PPPoE or PPPoA on ethernet and need either addon driver or simply use an ethernet + WiFi router, they all have PPPoE etc option for "WAN").

maradona10

Thanks for all the help lads but Im bamboozelled with the techno talk. can someone summarise what the options are and what if any extra cards or routers are need. friend is in spanish point so dont think radiowave cover there going by their site.

do permanet require cable connections?

i checked getbroadband.ie and no packages for spanish point or milltown mallbay were available

watty

Permanet is Fixed Wireless. Outdoor Radio unit. Cable to modem in the house (most of Permanet, they have a 2nd kind of system I think). The Modem likely uses ethernet. Probably you want to buy an ethernet Router with WiFi for it.

Is the Donkey Sanctuary still running?

GerardKeating

smellslikeshoes wrote: »

Not 100% sure if O2 has upped their hspda to 7.2mbit yet, but thats definitely just what the modem is capable of, even if they upped the speed you aren't ever really going to get 7.2mbit.

Have gotten 7.2mbit connections in Raheny and Oranmore.

Marlow

GerardKeating wrote: »

Have gotten 7.2mbit connections in Raheny and Oranmore.

You must be lucky then to be the only one online at that time in that cell. Because 7.2 mbit is the total in the cell and only really available, if you nearly at the mast.

What 3g device are you using ?

/Martin