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Vodafone 3G service, a noticeable change between Smithfield, Dublin and Dundalk

  • 08-01-2009 10:57pm
    #1
    sprinklesspanky
    Closed Accounts Posts: 178 ✭✭


    Hi All,

    Just sharing my experience with the Vodafone 3G "Broadband" Modem service (using the Huawei E220 USB Modem).

    So, in Smithfield, Dublin I never gotten a download speed over 512k b/s. However, this week I have been in Dundalk in the Finnabair Industrial Estate and I have gotten some great speeds the best of which being 2373 kb/s.

    I always ping the London server available on speedtest.net, and I in both cases I have 5 full bars.

    I have no idea why I have gotten far better download speeds in Dundalk than in Dublin... but there you go.

    Cheers!


Comments

  • #2
    watty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    Each mast only serves a radius of 500m to 2km (approx).
    Each mast typically has 3 "pie/pizza" sliced shaped "Sectors".
    Each sector has a maximum speed of 0.4M, 1.8M, 3.6M or 7.2Mbps depending on installed equipment.
    All the phone calls and data connections on Phones and Modems in the area covered by the Sector share that speed.
    Worse, at the sides or outer edge of the sector the shared speed can drop to 1/10th.
    Even Worse, as users are added, the speed slows nearly twice as fast due to the technology used, thus sustained transfer for 10 users is NOT 3,600kbps, but at mathematical best can only be 360kbps. In reality more likely 200kbps. Once 24 or 25 users connect the next person may not connect at all. If the is a lot of phone connections that reduces speed & connections available for data.

    Thus even moving 2km your speed can change from nearly 3Mbps (empty sector near mast) to 150kbps (poor signal or perfect signal but 20 other users).

    Probably in the Industrial estate all the users have real broadband or else not using Internet. In a residential or mixed area it's more likely many people have it, not for mobile use, as alternative to real broadband.

    Whether it's O2, 3, Vodaphone or Meteor and make/model of Modem is pretty irrelevant. It's a technology developed for short bursts / short online time / mobile use, never intended for Fixed Always On Internet or Broadband replacement.

    It's time consumer agencies in UK and Ireland insist they remove the word "Broadband" in Marketing as that is misleading. "Mobile" is the important bit.


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