Home Alarm/Internet Conflict

cozski

Hello

We recently switched our ISP from O2 to Vodafone at home. It was apparent immediately that we were not getting the kind of connection rates we were promised(6-8Mb). After contacting Vodafone they suggested it might need time to 'settle'. We gave it another week but we're still consistently getting connections rates around 1Mb-2Mb. This is both on Wi-fi and Ethernet.

After contacting Vodafone again they said the problem was at our end and may be due to a technical fault on the phone line. We got an Eircom Engineer out yesterday and he looked at the set up. He said the issue was that the line was also being shared by the Alarm Monitoring system and that he'd have to apply a filter to it (cost 125E) or disconnect the Alarm from the line completely. We thought it was odd that the problem only appeared when we switched providers... speeds with O2 were as promised (5Mb).

So I just wanted to inquire about what this actual problem is and why it needs a filter? The engineer didn't quite explain it in a way I could grasp. Also, should we not have been asked by Vodafone if there was a Monitored Alarm system also using the line, because according to the Eircom Engineer this is a reasonably common problem he's encountering, so presumably Vodafone are aware of it too... any thoughts, experience of this or work arounds appreciated. Thanks.

White Heart Loon

The filter cost €125 or the engineer callout cost that. Everything connecting to your phone line must be filtered to prevent interference if you have a dsl service on the line, this includes Sky boxes etc
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSL_filter

cozski

White Heart Loon wrote: »

The filter cost €125 or the engineer callout cost that. Everything connecting to your phone line must be filtered to prevent interference if you have a dsl service on the line, this includes Sky boxes etc
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSL_filter

The cost of putting the filter in I think. He didn't show me any particular piece of hardware/kit that he was going to install. A guy at work has just said he had the same problem and someone told him to purchase a DSL Splitter and simply connect the Router through that and to to the phone socket but I fail to see what difference that makes. We don't even have a phone and there is also no TV services coming in through this line... just the Alarm and the Internet connection.

White Heart Loon

cozski wrote: »

The cost of putting the filter in I think. He didn't show me any particular piece of hardware/kit that he was going to install. A guy at work has just said he had the same problem and someone told him to purchase a DSL Splitter and simply connect the Router through that and to to the phone socket but I fail to see what difference that makes. We don't even have a phone and there is also no TV services coming in through this line... just the Alarm and the Internet connection.

Not a dsl splitter, a dsl filter splitter which separates and filters phone and internet. Did you never get any of these? You get them with your modem but they cost about a fiver if you have to buy them. You may not have a phone, but your alarm is using the phone service. I think you were charged an engineer callout fee of €125 which sounds about right, the problem was inside your house, not Eircoms problem (or Vodafone or O2)

cozski

White Heart Loon wrote: »

Not a dsl splitter, a dsl filter splitter which separates and filters phone and internet. Did you never get any of these? You get them with your modem but they cost about a fiver if you have to buy them. You may not have a phone, but your alarm is using the phone service. I think you were charged an engineer callout fee of €125 which sounds about right, the problem was inside your house, not Eircoms problem (or Vodafone or O2)

Sorry, meant DSL Filter... yeah I'm very familiar with them and even have a few floating around... so is it just a case of using one of these? If so why would he have charged an additional 125E to put one on? We've already paid an initial call out fee and what he said needed doing was additional to this. Also, any idea why it didn't affect the previous ISP set up? Thanks by the way.

White Heart Loon

cozski wrote: »

Sorry, meant DSL Filter... yeah I'm very familiar with them and even have a few floating around... so is it just a case of using one of these? If so why would he have charged an additional 125E to put one on? We've already paid an initial call out fee and what he said needed doing was additional to this. Also, any idea why it didn't affect the previous ISP set up? Thanks by the way.

Did he fit a new master socket with a filter built in? Google tells me the filter for an alarm is slightly different as there are slight differences in the frequencies it filters but it shouldn't be expensive. Someone with experience in installing phone alarm systems would know better tbh

ScumLord

cozski wrote: »

If so why would he have charged an additional 125E to put one on?

That's the cost of the engineers time, the bits and bobs cost nothing next to the cost of sending a trained professional out in a van for 2 - 3 hours (including travel time).


You can buy the filters yourself and just plug them in.


I've had those Eircom guys out, they fixed a line fault (I'm also with Vodafone) and replaced phone sockets. They never charged me though, I always figured Vodafone covered the cost as they were essentially eircoms customers.

Vodafone modems can be dodgy too I've found. The first one I got overheated to the point of making the vents brown with heat damage and eventually broke down after weeks of poor connection problems. I bought my own which worked well up until Vodafone upgraded my line from 7mb to 24mb. Then My old modem could not go above 7mb and they sent me out a new fangled one (free) that could get the full 24mb.

cozski

White Heart Loon wrote: »

Did he fit a new master socket with a filter built in? Google tells me the filter for an alarm is slightly different as there are slight differences in the frequencies it filters but it shouldn't be expensive. Someone with experience in installing phone alarm systems would know better tbh

He didn't fit anything... he did run a bit of new wire because the other stuff is old and he left it 'ready' in case we decided we wanted him to come back and fit the filter.

White Heart Loon

ScumLord wrote: »

That's the cost of the engineers time, the bits and bobs cost nothing next to the cost of sending a trained professional out in a van for 2 - 3 hours (including travel time)

They've said they paid the callout fee and this was extra

cozski

ScumLord wrote: »

That's the cost of the engineers time, the bits and bobs cost nothing next to the cost of sending a trained professional out in a van for 2 - 3 hours (including travel time).


You can buy the filters yourself and just plug them in.


I've had those Eircom guys out, they fixed a line fault (I'm also with Vodafone) and replaced phone sockets. They never charged me though, I always figured Vodafone covered the cost as they were essentially eircoms customers.

Vodafone modems can be dodgy too I've found. The first one I got overheated to the point of making the vents brown with heat damage and eventually broke down after weeks of poor connection problems. I bought my own which worked well up until Vodafone upgraded my line from 7mb to 24mb. Then My old modem could not go above 7mb and they sent me out a new fangled one (free) that could get the full 24mb.

Okay, so it would seem reasonable at this point to just try a DSL Filter ourselves and see if this makes any difference?