Consistantly crap WiFi service around college

charlie_says

Has anyone else been experiencing the crap WiFi service around college?

Takes ages to get to the login page, brutally slow. My phones 3G connection is nearly always faster than the wifi.

For instance I arrived in Smokeys this morning at about 7:20 am, no other students or staff in sight. I would be confident in saying that the wireless access point I connected to had no other users connected to it, or very few.

It took several minutes to get to the login page, then several more to access my gmail account. When there is little to no congestion this is what we have to put up with. I could go to one of the suites but by the time it takes to walk to one and the epic login times they sport what is the point?

I thought it was bad last year, but this is terrible.:mad:

ethernet

It seems they did something to it over summer. Tried using it once since I got back. Could connect to the access point (also near Smokey's), put in authentication details but the frigging thing just timed out.

Will also be sticking to 3G connection. It's like the situation is the library is spreading.

I'd gladly bind myself to using a more reliable cable if access points were provided and were the network to be opened up to allow it.

RolandIRL

i thought you could plug a ethernet cable in the routers and use the network that way...my brother does it in the reading room especially at peak times, but i suppose where can you see the routers in most places? :rolleyes:
wonder do the classrooms on the concourse have routers in them that you could hook up to?

i usually head over to the IT building for WiFi. fastest there.

charlie_says

I put a ticket in with the ISS help desk. will report back.

Fionn MacCool

It's awful. I just take the ethernet cable out of a computer and stick it in my laptop. You're probably not meant to, but then again they're probably not meant to increase our registration fees while offering a piss poor service.

meeka

Huh, I haven't noticed anything so far, has been grand for me in the library and the bialann - dunno about anywhere else yet though, I suppose time will tell..

Vurnon San Benito

charlie_says wrote: »

Has anyone else been experiencing the crap WiFi service around college?

Takes ages to get to the login page, brutally slow. My phones 3G connection is nearly always faster than the wifi.

For instance I arrived in Smokeys this morning at about 7:20 am, no other students or staff in sight. I would be confident in saying that the wireless access point I connected to had no other users connected to it, or very few.

It took several minutes to get to the login page, then several more to access my gmail account. When there is little to no congestion this is what we have to put up with. I could go to one of the suites but by the time it takes to walk to one and the epic login times they sport what is the point?

I thought it was bad last year, but this is terrible.:mad:

It's pretty bad from a mobile device indeed!
But more to the point, what the hell were you in at 7.20 for? :eek::eek:

Carsinian Thau

charlie_says wrote: »

For instance I arrived in Smokeys this morning at about 7:20 am, no other students or staff in sight. I would be confident in saying that the wireless access point I connected to had no other users connected to it, or very few.

There's one problem for you.

The WiFi around Smokey's has always been woeful. Best move to a better location. It won't be spectacular but it is better than nothing.

challengemaster

Yeah, seeing as I can't even pick up a wifi signal on my iphone for around smokies, I can't see it being the best of locations to pick...

charlie_says

Carsinian Thau wrote: »

There's one problem for you.

The WiFi around Smokey's has always been woeful. Best move to a better location. It won't be spectacular but it is better than nothing.

I had no issues last year with the same laptop in Smokies. Also when they were doing a site survey for the wireless access points they would have not left out a large public area like Smokies, this is reflected in the full bars of reception I get there.

7:20 was early for me even Usually there an hour later.

Carsinian Thau

That's very unusual.

I've always had problems there, no matter what device I used. As have any of the friends I've asked*.

I'll admit to having tried it on the iPod more often so maybe laptops are better and I just coincidentally got bad reception whenever I've tried it...

*=This is highly unscientific as I can only recall about three occasions when I would have ever discussed this so it's so very far from reliable.

charlie_says

A laptop WiFi antenna is much better than any iWhatever or phone.

TheCosmicFrog

Most of the time I don't even get a single bar with my laptop in Smokey's. Really frustrating.

Carsinian Thau

charlie_says wrote: »

A laptop WiFi antenna is much better than any iWhatever or phone.

Not really the issue at hand tbh but I was already aware of that and it is why I included this:

Carsinian Thau wrote: »

I've always had problems there, no matter what device I used.

You were previously able to get WiFi in Smokey's. Good for you! :rolleyes:
I maintain (having tried it recently on laptop) that the signal strength still leaves rather a lot to be desired and stand by my original advice to try elsewhere.

NewApproach

Its fine for me.

charlie_says

It's only in certain locations that it is bad even though it reports a full or strong signal.

Mikey23

I miss the previous setup, prior to the Cisco login we use now. Granted, there was a bit of bother in registering a device with Computer Services, but you didn't need to login all the flippin' time afterwards.

charlie_says

Mikey23 wrote: »

I miss the previous setup, prior to the Cisco login we use now. Granted, there was a bit of bother in registering a device with Computer Services, but you didn't need to login all the flippin' time afterwards.

Yeah, I preferred that also. The IT staff have fobbed me off all last week, still haven't seen anyone yet.

challengemaster

From the cafe in the IT building

RolandIRL

from the physics comp suite :P:P

Bazzo

I've been on the wifi in the library a few days a week for the last couple weeks with no speed/connection problems.

charlie_says

I met some nice network admin type staff and discussed my problems with them. I identified the areas with the poor/flaky connection

Cairns lecture hall next to BOI
Arts Millennium Building
Smokies cafe

There is no access point near the Cairns lecture hall, she showed me the realtime map of the access points (cool management interface, impressive).

The Arts Millennium Building only has one access point to cover the three large lecture halls due to cabling problems. The middle on has one so the coverage is very patchy in the other halls.

Smokies cafe , apparently someone has been maliciously removing the network cable from the access point from the access point so you get full signal but nothing out on to the rest of the network/internet.

Fionn MacCool

Doesn't seem to be any signal in St Anthony's either. You really would expect in this day and age for there to be coverage pretty much all over campus.

Vurnon San Benito

I average 20megs wirelessly anywhere in the IT building, and a good 15 throughout the Concourse. Kirwan, O'Flaherty etc..

Dan_Solo

Clinical Sciences Institute (on NUIG network) has woeful WiFi. You get a few bars signal strength on your laptop mobile, and by the time you've hit connect it's gone again. How can the signal strength vary so much?

Bummer1234

Doocey wrote: »

I average 20megs wirelessly anywhere in the IT building, and a good 15 throughout the Concourse. Kirwan, O'Flaherty etc..

Do you have lectures in IT 125G by any chance??

TheCosmicFrog

Bummer1234 wrote: »

Do you have lectures in IT 125G by any chance??

Agreed. No signal in IT125G. Filed a ticket to ISS about it.