Clearwire?

piby

So I was thinking of getting Clearwire because it seems so handy from looking at their website:

• No need for phone lines, No wires, No software, No dishes.
  
• Just plug it in to your computer, it’s that easy! But if you like, we'll even set it up for you!
  
• Clearwire Broadband is completely portable – use it in any room in the house or take it anywhere there is Clearwire coverage

I'd be thinking of going for ClearFreedom (€30) or ClearPeformer (€40) and I use internet for all the usual stuff: downloading music etc., reading academic papers and I also use torrents a bit.

So has anybody any experience with Clearwire? Or are there any other providers people would recommend?

Cabaal

If your planning on using it for games or any P2P use forget about it,

devnull

It also has a 100 euro start up fee. 99 Euro for the set-up and modem (Which is only leased, you don't get to keep it) and 1 euro for the first month. Not the brightest bit of marketing if you ask me, however maybe they have problems with people not paying bills so they want it up front?

Clearwire low priorotise (Read: shape) P2P traffic etc in all but the quietest hours so you would be better off looking elsewhere. Clearwire is fine for basic web browsing and email etc, but for anything more power user, IE: Gaming, Peer to peer, Skype etc it's always better to look elsewhere.

FruitLover

piby wrote: »

because it seems so handy

Yeah, that's how they get ya. If you have any other choice at all, take that instead. I got clearwire because I didn't want to have to get a phone line. Now I piggyback off my neighbour's wireless connection more often than not, because my clearwire connection is so slow.

devnull

FruitLover wrote: »

Yeah, that's how they get ya. If you have any other choice at all, take that instead. I got clearwire because I didn't want to have to get a phone line. Now I piggyback off my neighbour's wireless connection more often than not, because my clearwire connection is so slow.

To be honest there is a lot of FUD about Clearwire on here that is totally incorrect, but at the same time some of it is correct.

The Fool

Clearwire? NO

piby

Thanks for the feedback so far guys. I think I'll give the old Clearwire a miss so

I'll look into a few others but I want to sort out ASAP! Are there any other wireless providers that are any use or should I just try sort out a phone line?

jor el

piby wrote: »

Just plug it in to your computer, it’s that easy! But if you like, we'll even set it up for you!

Nothing is that easy.

piby wrote: »

Clearwire Broadband is completely portable – use it in any room in the house or take it anywhere there is Clearwire coverage

Most people find that you must place the modem in a window, and that this window must be facing in the direction of their transceiver, otherwise you get nothing.

piby wrote: »

and I also use torrents a bit.

They tend to block a lot of ports, and hammer down all P2P. Also, P2P usage (even legal ones) are against Clearwire's T&Cs.

piby wrote: »

So has anybody any experience with Clearwire? Or are there any other providers people would recommend?

I'd recommend anything other than Clearwire, it's not broadband, and anyone I know who used it, said it was practically unusable. Mobile 3G would be better.

If you want actual broadband, then DSL, Cable or fixed wireless.

dub45

I had forgotten how bad Clearwire can be! Anyone thinking of signing up should definitely do a general search on boards.

In particular have a read of this thread:

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055095684

While I realise it happened a couple of years ago no company that could be so incompetent and totally careless deserves any support whatsoever!

Clarkey1904

To be honest my dad has clearwire "ClearFreedom" (2mb) and he never had a problem with it, I stick it into my Xbox when i drop up and it works ok, lag can be bad at peak times but still playable, I play Battlefield 1943 with matches up to 16players on at a time and all i get is lag now and again.
As far as i know minimum req for Xbox live is 2mb (Dont quote me on it) but im nearly sure.:rolleyes:

watty

Xbox live works on 1Mbps. Only the number of Xboxes on your own connection is relevant.

But you want < 100ms, ideally < 70ms ping to avoid getting shot before you see it.

Clarkey1904

1mb? hm, make broadband choosing easier knowing that, thanks Watty:D:D