co. Limerick: Ice Broadband vs BBNet

MichaelR

Hello,

I am moving into a house near Adare, co. Limerick, and need broadband. I would like to have 1M upload so DSL won't suit me.

The available wireless options are Ice broadband and BBNet. I actually have ordered Ice Broadband (but not installed yet and signed nothing so probably can cancel), and now I see some bad opinion on Ice here.

So, should I pick BBnet or Ice? Advice appreciated. Thanks!

Maskedgameguru

OK matey i am form Galway.
But a lot of my family live there lovely spot may i add.

I don't no about thos company but i no eircom works OK there.

And sure it's wireless too.

I recommend try them.

the drifter

im with BBnet for neavrly 2 years now...one issue in 2 years...engineer came out...logged me onto a new access point job done. Im a network engineer myself and have had some special requirements for my house BBet have been more than helpful with the likes of static IP's etc... any other queries drop me a pm mate..

Falconire

We have a customer on bbnet and I have to say the connection is very good

Here is a ping test to rte.ie

Pinging rte.ie [89.207.56.140] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 89.207.56.140: bytes=32 time=49ms TTL=51
Reply from 89.207.56.140: bytes=32 time=39ms TTL=51
Reply from 89.207.56.140: bytes=32 time=48ms TTL=51
Reply from 89.207.56.140: bytes=32 time=41ms TTL=51

Ping statistics for 89.207.56.140:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 39ms, Maximum = 49ms, Average = 44ms

MichaelR

Thanks for all the feedback!

BBnet seem to have a 10GB limit on the reasonable price plan... do they actually enforce it?

And, is Three a reasonable alternative?

watty

Three don't have a Broadband network. They have a 3G phone Network with Mobile Internet Access.

BB Net
Satellite
Ice
2 channels ISDN
O2 (3G HSDPA and EDGE)
Vodaphone (3G HSDPA and GPRS)
Meteor (3G HSDPA and EDGE, but only EDGE right now in Limerick)
Three (3G HSDPA HSPA. No EDGE)
Analogue dialup.

jor el

MichaelR wrote: »

BBnet seem to have a 10GB limit on the reasonable price plan... do they actually enforce it?

Given that they have unlimited packages, for more money, it would not make sense for them not to enforce the 10G limit. If you want 1Mbps upload, with unlimited data, you're going to have to pay a premium for it.

I_am_the_one

I am with BBnet in Shannon, I regularly exceed the 10gig limit by many times and have never been penalised. I asked them once and was told that they have never enforced it.
They get my vote any time.
Heard lots of bad things about ICE, but wouldn't repeat them here though.

watty

However given the T&C and current climate best to assume that ALL ISPs will enforce Cap/T&C/FUP/FUD etc Eventually. sooner than later.

I_am_the_one

More like the other way around, any business should be happy to gain a customer and or keep him.

daveyjoe

watty wrote: »

Meteor (3G HSDPA and EDGE, but only EDGE right now in Limerick)

Meteor have HSDPA HSPA, at least they do in Cork anyway, connected to it at the moment.

jor el

daveyjoe wrote: »

Meteor have HSDPA HSPA, at least they do in Cork anyway, connected to it at the moment.

Cork and Dublin only for the moment. 3G is not really a viable broadband solution, and should not be anyone's first choice.

daveyjoe

jor el wrote: »

Cork and Dublin only for the moment. 3G is not really a viable broadband solution, and should not be anyone's first choice.

It's the *only* option if you don't want to be tied down to a 12 month contract.

watty

Still not Broadband though.

Non-Contract 3G Mobile could cost €1500 in one day.

PAYG excess of Cap on 3 Ireland is €490 a Gigabyte. We have on occasion used over 3Gbyte here in a day, though 0.6Gbyte a day is more normal (= €290 on 3 PAYG).

A 12 month contract paid up front even used for only 3 months can work out cheaper in some situations.

Also many non-Contract mobile have a Cap of how much you can get PAYG in one month, i.e. if you use up your 30 cap PAYG in 5 days, and buy more it is used up at excess price, the regular usage value does not apply till the 30 days are used up.

Non-Contract Mobile is only for very occasional on-the-go usage.

MDR

At the risk of sounding biased .... DO NOT USE ICE BROADBAND .... and no I am not kidding, I am deadly serious. I am ex-committee of IrelandOffline, if you need validate my creds.

I am currently in the process of identifying an alternative provider to ICE.
I have had ICE for the last eighteen months and service has been entertaining at best. I won't bore you with the details of it, but it has been un-usuable for long periods during the last eighteen months.

I think most representative of their service has been the past month, I have had no service for three out of the past four weeks. I get daily text updates informing me they are working on the problem.

Dardania

daveyjoe wrote: »

It's the *only* option if you don't want to be tied down to a 12 month contract.

BT do a 6 month contract - why I went with them tbh, as I am just waiting (hoping) for UPC to become available to me

jor el

daveyjoe wrote: »

It's the *only* option if you don't want to be tied down to a 12 month contract.

If you want broadband, then a contract term is something you have to accept. PAYG broadband doesn't exist, and it probably never will.

bonnieprince

a member of my extended family has ice bb and it is rubbish.

MichaelR

Thanks for all the feedback. I now have BBNet. Started a thread on it: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055630122