Irish Rail WiFi

bk

I've been just trying out the free Irish rail wifi on the Dublin to Cork train and I have to say it works very well. Pretty decent performance, no problems checking emails, reading websites, posting etc. Even did a little YouTube but that was pushing it.

Slows do a little bit in one or two places but nothing major, far better then using tethering to my 3G phone.

Also the iPad turns out to be an excellent comfortable device to use on the train, much easier then a bulky laptop.

Well done Irish Rail, I'm often very critical but you have done yourselfs proud this time. Just don't mess it up by charging for it, the ticket already costs too much and I see this a benefit that might stop me from switching to car on the nice new cork to Dublin road.

Posted from my iPad on the Dublin to Cork train via free wifi :-)

foggy_lad

bk wrote: »

I've been just trying out the free Irish rail wifi on the Dublin to Cork train and I have to say it works very well. Pretty decent performance, no problems checking emails, reading websites, posting etc. Even did a little YouTube but that was pushing it.

Slows do a little bit in one or two places but nothing major, far better then using tethering to my 3G phone.

Also the iPad turns out to be an excellent comfortable device to use on the train, much easier then a bulky laptop.

Well done Irish Rail, I'm often very critical but you have done yourselfs proud this time. Just don't mess it up by charging for it, the ticket already costs too much and I see this a benefit that might stop me from switching to car on the nice new cork to Dublin road.

Posted from my iPad on the Dublin to Cork train via free wifi :-)

i wonder will it be as good when/if it is ever rolled out in full and many more people are trying to use it?

jdonovan.dit

Does anybody know the trains that WiFi is on. Its only one train set on the route and that train seems to move around the schedule during the week. Any ideas where it will be on the 17th.

slinky2000

Used to be posted here but hasnt been updated in a while...

www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=700

Ive gotten the friday 9pm train from limerick to dublin changing onto the cork train for months now and never had wifi yet!

slinky2000

jackpot, it's on tonights train to dublin from limerick junction

hada

Fantastic - have been saying for ages that Irishrail really needed to get up to speed with free Wifi. Especially now that the likes of GoBus have had free wifi on their buses for the past two years or so.

Can one find out what specific trains it is on, or are they just always on the Dub - Cork train? May be getting the Dub - Lim train over the summer, so would be great to have some wifi!

coldwood92

bk wrote: »

I've been just trying out the free Irish rail wifi on the Dublin to Cork train and I have to say it works very well. Pretty decent performance, no problems checking emails, reading websites, posting etc. Even did a little YouTube but that was pushing it.

Slows do a little bit in one or two places but nothing major, far better then using tethering to my 3G phone.

Also the iPad turns out to be an excellent comfortable device to use on the train, much easier then a bulky laptop.

Well done Irish Rail, I'm often very critical but you have done yourselfs proud this time. Just don't mess it up by charging for it, the ticket already costs too much and I see this a benefit that might stop me from switching to car on the nice new cork to Dublin road.

Posted from my iPad on the Dublin to Cork train via free wifi :-)

cool!

slinky2000

I'm on it tonight right now, hardly fast.... but at least it's free for now.

Limerick Junction

slinky2000

Getting better closer to Dublin!! At Ballybrophy!

Either signal is getting better or someones stopped downloading movies!

slinky2000

Just getting off in Dublin now, never got any faster than that! usually sits about 30kb/s

BrianD

bk wrote: »

Just don't mess it up by charging for it, the ticket already costs too much and I see this a benefit that might stop me from switching to car on the nice new cork to Dublin road.

Posted from my iPad on the Dublin to Cork train via free wifi :-)

Surely they should be charging for it as it could be a handy revenue stream. Perhaps they can sell annual or season passes to make it cheaper for regular users. Free wifi is not going to make anybody switch from their car. You can't use an iPad if you are driving whether the internet access is free or not.

lord lucan

BrianD wrote: »

Surely they should be charging for it as it could be a handy revenue stream. Perhaps they can sell annual or season passes to make it cheaper for regular users. Free wifi is not going to make anybody switch from their car. You can't use an iPad if you are driving whether the internet access is free or not.

If at the moment i wanted to go to Galway for the weekend for example,and i wanted to bring my laptop with me for entertainment/Boards etc. i can get a Gobus far cheaper than the train and they offer free wifi. I know which one i'd be taking.

If IE start charging for it they're shooting themselves in the foot imo. It's a great opportunity to market train travel to those who travel with laptops/ipads etc. and normally use the bus.

oceanclub

lord lucan wrote: »

If at the moment i wanted to go to Galway for the weekend for example,and i wanted to bring my laptop with me for entertainment/Boards etc. i can get a Gobus far cheaper than the train and they offer free wifi. I know which one i'd be taking.

If IE start charging for it they're shooting themselves in the foot imo. It's a great opportunity to market train travel to those who travel with laptops/ipads etc. and normally use the bus.

We're thinking of opting for gobus to Galway rather than the train. Is there enough legroom/armroom to use a laptop on the bus though?

P.

foggy_lad

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=700

looks like they have started charging for their very limited wifi.

Alt_Grrr

foggy_lad wrote: »

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=700

looks like they have started charging for their very limited wifi.

Ready... Aim... FIRE! And IE shoots themselves in the foot...

I think if they brought this on for commuter lines and for free it would be great, I could start work as soon as I get on the train and not have to give vodafone a penny.

And a lot of others would do the same.... Those aren't crazy prices, but there a bit late hopping on the Wifi band wagon. when other whys to travel offer it for free...

foggy_lad

€3 forthree hours is quite a lot considering the lack of power points on the cork trains and also the availability of free wifi on all bus operators except CIE/Bus Eireann and a PAYG broadband dongle will cost less either daily or monthly! why cant irish rail offer this free on all trains it would not be too much to ask considering the poor reliability and puncuality record

Zapho

foggy_lad wrote: »

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=700

looks like they have started charging for their very limited wifi.

.....and thats my decision made up. I won't be switching back to taking the train to dublin from Galway, considering GoBus has free wifi and is 30 minutes faster.

Also why would I pay €1.50 for an hours worth of shared 3G internet when it only costs €1 for a days worth on meteor pre-pay?

You almost had the right idea, Irish rail, almost!

Cookie_Monster

It's simple.

By charging for it the 6 month testing phase will prove there is no demand and IE won't have to bother themselves putting it in across the rest of the fleet.

they're not as dumb as they look

:pac:

foggy_lad

Zapho wrote: »

.....and thats my decision made up. I won't be switching back to taking the train to dublin from Galway, considering GoBus has free wifi and is 30 minutes faster.

Also why would I pay €1.50 for an hours worth of shared 3G internet when it only costs €1 for a days worth on meteor pre-pay?

You almost had the right idea, Irish rail, almost!

there is no wifi on the galway service anyway:( it is only available on one train on the dublin-cork route and considering they have been rolling this out for over two years now i cant see it actually getting off the ground properly.

syklops

Does anybody know the trains that WiFi is on. Its only one train set on the route and that train seems to move around the schedule during the week. Any ideas where it will be on the 17th.

Only in Ireland would you have to ask "which of the trains is the one that has Wifi?".

Zapho

syklops wrote: »

Only in Ireland would you have to ask "which of the trains is the one that has Wifi?".

Exactly. How hard is it to buy a 3G wifi router, stick it on a train and put a couple of repeaters every 2 or so carriages?

martingore

Ya could'nt make it up the way Irish rail carries on .You'd swear they want to lose money ....ahh then again :rolleyes:

Alun

There are companies out there with ready-to-go ruggedized solutions especially for trains like Icomera ...

http://www.icomera.com

goingnowhere

Alun wrote: »

There are companies out there with ready-to-go ruggedized solutions especially for trains like Icomera ...

http://www.icomera.com

Its an icomera box on the Cork train.

Run_to_da_hills

Zapho wrote: »

Exactly. How hard is it to buy a 3G wifi router, stick it on a train and put a couple of repeaters every 2 or so carriages?

I have been using 3G on the Dublin Limk route and it still has a quite a few black spots particularly when it is away from towns or the main road, ie N/M7.

It would need a few boosters along the tracks to become anyway effective from the ISP and this could become quite costly.

Zapho

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

I have been using 3G on the Dublin Limk route and it still has a quite a few black spots particularly when it is away from towns or the main road, ie N/M7.

It would need a few boosters along the tracks to become anyway effective from the ISP and this could become quite costly.

True, but they're hardly sending the connection down the tracks? Its got to be some kind of 3G system right?

Run_to_da_hills

Zapho wrote: »

True, but they're hardly sending the connection down the tracks? Its got to be some kind of 3G system right?

3G relies on 3G mobile phone masts.

Most of the reception currently picked up comes from the road or nearest town.

I Doubt if CIE or any ISP is going to go out of its way to errect masts along the tracks unless there is something to be made from it.

Zapho

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

3G relies on 3G mobile phone masts.

Obviously.

But how else are they going to do it?

Run_to_da_hills

Zapho wrote: »

Obviously.

But how else are they going to do it?

They could use satellite but could you imagine trying to keep a a sat dish steady on top of MK4 :eek:

Ricky91t

I'd hate to think of the costs this would be, it seems they use every network along the route and on a basic contract most are 19.99 + and maybe have a 20gb limit which would be easily used in a month, that's 80gb a month for a train that runs everyday.. And that's only if they use all networks( I doubt they use meteor).. €3 for 3 hours isn't bad!

Run_to_da_hills

Ricky91t wrote: »

I'd hate to think of the costs this would be, it seems they use every network along the route and on a basic contract most are 19.99 + and maybe have a 20gb limit which would be easily used in a month, that's 80gb a month for a train that runs everyday.. And that's only if they use all networks( I doubt they use meteor).. €3 for 3 hours isn't bad!

Vodafone now offer "unlimited" broadband for e25 a month. The word unlimited of course carries its T&C's. more than likely one would get trottled if they get greedy as what happened on previous unlimited offers by Irish Broadband.

I would guess Iarnrod Eireann would have to get some commercial package, that would either be bombarded with commercials from its sponsors or else one would have to buy time on it through purchasing snacks. You don't get nothing for nothing in this day and age.

Either way I will still stick to my own connection which is not bad. .:)

syklops

Ricky91t wrote: »

I'd hate to think of the costs this would be, it seems they use every network along the route and on a basic contract most are 19.99 + and maybe have a 20gb limit which would be easily used in a month, that's 80gb a month for a train that runs everyday.. And that's only if they use all networks( I doubt they use meteor).. €3 for 3 hours isn't bad!

Well how does pretty much every other train and bus operator in Europe manage to cover the costs of this luxury?

I got the bus to Prague a few weeks ago. Free Internet, on-board movie, free refreshment, and the ticket only cost 8 euro.

Considering you pay 42 for the train from Dublin to Galway, I am sure they could find the money in there somewhere to pay for the internet.

Cookie_Monster

syklops wrote: »

Well how does pretty much every other train and bus operator in Europe manage to cover the costs of this luxury?

I got the bus to Prague a few weeks ago. Free Internet, on-board movie, free refreshment, and the ticket only cost 8 euro.

Considering you pay 42 for the train from Dublin to Galway, I am sure they could find the money in there somewhere to pay for the internet.

don't forget you have to take into account the massively over inflated cost of everything in Ireland, wages, fuel, broadband, refreshments etc :mad:

I.S.T.

Ricky91t wrote: »

I'd hate to think of the costs this would be, it seems they use every network along the route and on a basic contract most are 19.99 + and maybe have a 20gb limit which would be easily used in a month, that's 80gb a month for a train that runs everyday.. And that's only if they use all networks( I doubt they use meteor).. €3 for 3 hours isn't bad!

It's highly unlikely they would pay standard consumer costs. They should be able to negotiate a better deal if they are to roll it out across the network.

foggy_lad

Ricky91t wrote: »

I'd hate to think of the costs this would be, it seems they use every network along the route and on a basic contract most are 19.99 + and maybe have a 20gb limit which would be easily used in a month, that's 80gb a month for a train that runs everyday.. And that's only if they use all networks( I doubt they use meteor).. €3 for 3 hours isn't bad!

it is awful compared to every other transport company offering the same service free! also they are rolling this out for so long now i cant see it ever going nationwide on irelands rail network!

IrishSpeedTraps wrote: »

It's highly unlikely they would pay standard consumer costs. They should be able to negotiate a better deal if they are to roll it out across the network.

most people have already bought mobile broadband dongles or use their phones for broadband because of irish rails complete failure to move on this several years ago! it was stated that there was no market for it, but there was a market and people would have paid for a good service a few years ago, but now it is too late to try to rope in customers as they have gone elsewhere!

trellheim

This is an old thread but they have gone out to market to look at monetising the Wifi . theres a doc up on etenders at the mo http://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_s.asp?PID=82683

foggy_lad

trellheim wrote: »

This is an old thread but they have gone out to market to look at monetising the Wifi . theres a doc up on etenders at the mo http://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_s.asp?PID=82683

They might be looking again at charging for the wifi, they used to charge between €1 and €3 for it but nobody wanted to pay for it, or it might be looking for interested parties for an advertising banner across the top of the pages like Bus Eireann have.

trellheim

it will be likely watch an ad for 30 seconds like RTE Player

clunked

Adblocker will be your friend so!