How much broadband do I need?

MaudL

Hi,
I'm looking into moving from Sky broadband+phone to Three mobile broadband.
We have Three prepay for the mobiles and coverage/speed is very good at home.

The various packages, both prepay and bill pay are, per month: 1GB, 3GB, 7.5GB, 20GB, 60GB.

I don't know which one will meet my needs and was hoping you could help me estimate?

Connected devices: laptop, tablet, Chromecast, smartphone.
Usage:
- we only use Spotify, YouTube and Netflix via Chromecast for TV and music, and that's on pretty much constantly for 6-12 hours a day
- on the laptop/tablets, normal internet usage, nothing crazy. We don't download movies or any heavy files


What do you guys think?

Thanks for your help!

ED E

You'll need 300GB+

Use the prepay unlimited deal, not the broadband package. 20e/mo unlimited usage.

ElusiveHaggis

I've been on Three's all u can eat data prepay deal, 20e/month for quite a few months now. It's very good but it depends on your signal with speeds. If you get 4G you shouldn't have any probs - just setup your phone as a hotspot. I have no problems using youtube, although I'm not doing anything in hd. Spotify I use a lot, no problems there. No experience with Netflix, although I've been considering it.

I'm central in Letterkenny, although I only get 3G. During the afternoon I'd hit 50-300kB/s, late at night when there's less usage I've seen it hit around 1mB/s - which is awesome.

If you're using all those apps for 6-12hrs a day...60gB is probably the only option - but I would definitely check out 3's all u can eat data - no cap and no worries about massive bills (when you go over the cap on other deals they charge an insane amount of cash per mB).

Hope that helps.

MaudL

ED E wrote: »

You'll need 300GB+

Use the prepay unlimited deal, not the broadband package. 20e/mo unlimited usage.

wow, that's a lot of data.
How would I go about the 20e/mo unlimited deal? It looks like that's a sim only plan for phones. How would I get it to work for all my devices?

Atlantic Dawn

How many people is "we"? 2GB is not much between a couple of people if your watching Netflix, HD videos on Youtube etc.

ElusiveHaggis

If you're all on 3 already, effectively you could all be on the all you can eat data and just use you're individual hotspots. Sharing one could be a bit slow. The plus side for it, is when you top-up for the month, the credit doesn't go away. I use WhatsApp for calls, texts to other 3 users are free - my credit is building up in an insane way and I'm actually spending it via google play just to use it.

Setting up a hotspot is very easy, as long as your phone allows it. Depending on your phone, generally it'll be in the settings and it'll be called something like a 'Tethering & Portable Hotspot'

RossieMan

You cant officially tether with 3. They don't stop you doing it, but they can if they wish. Be careful going down this route.

ElusiveHaggis

RossieMan wrote: »

You cant officially tether with 3. They don't stop you doing it, but they can if they wish. Be careful going down this route.

However Three, on their website actually give you guidelines on how to do it...

*edit* Yeah tethering is connecting ur phone via a usb to ur pc, Three don't like that it seems, guess you get faster speeds? However I've only used it as a 'wifi' hotspot.

guil

ElusiveHaggis wrote: »

I've been on Three's all u can eat data prepay deal, 20e/month for quite a few months now. It's very good but it depends on your signal with speeds. If you get 4G you shouldn't have any probs - just setup your phone as a hotspot. I have no problems using youtube, although I'm not doing anything in hd. Spotify I use a lot, no problems there. No experience with Netflix, although I've been considering it.

I'm central in Letterkenny, although I only get 3G. During the afternoon I'd hit 50-300kB/s, late at night when there's less usage I've seen it hit around 1mB/s - which is awesome.

If you're using all those apps for 6-12hrs a day...60gB is probably the only option - but I would definitely check out 3's all u can eat data - no cap and no worries about massive bills (when you go over the cap on other deals they charge an insane amount of cash per mB).

Hope that helps.

How on earth do you not get frustrated even trying to browse boards with those speeds? That's absolutely shocking and crazy to advise someone to go down that route.

ElusiveHaggis

No cap. Also 50kB was a bit low shouldn't have said it, on average it jumps around 300kB/s during the afternoon. Shocking and crazy...h'okay.

Compared to bill pay, where you're stuck in a contract for a year or two and it costs on average 40e a month - it depends on the budget. But as a gamer I have had no problems with the deal I'm on. If you can get a better deal with faster speeds go for it - I'm just recommending this for ppl who can't get fiber optic bb into their home.

guil

You have to be taking the piss saying you're a gamer and using mobile broadband.

ElusiveHaggis

guil wrote: »

You have to be taking the piss saying you're a gamer and using mobile broadband.

I's not perfect, but I like a game or two of Chivalry. Why have you used the service? You seem to know about it?

guil

Yea I did for about six weeks last May or June. Was brutal service so I went back to Vodafone for my mobile.

ElusiveHaggis

guil wrote: »

Yea I did for about six weeks last May or June. Was brutal service so I went back to Vodafone for my mobile.

Ok, didn't work for you. Works for me. What were the reasons for it not working for you? What made you get shocked and crazy?

It also depends on 3's coverage. MaudL mentioned they have a good reception with 3.

Also, google 4g and look at the speeds that are possible.

ItHurtsWhenIP

guil wrote: »

ElusiveHaggis wrote: »

I've been on Three's all u can eat data prepay deal, 20e/month for quite a few months now. It's very good but it depends on your signal with speeds. If you get 4G you shouldn't have any probs - just setup your phone as a hotspot. I have no problems using youtube, although I'm not doing anything in hd. Spotify I use a lot, no problems there. No experience with Netflix, although I've been considering it.

I'm central in Letterkenny, although I only get 3G. During the afternoon I'd hit 50-300kB/s, late at night when there's less usage I've seen it hit around 1mB/s - which is awesome.

If you're using all those apps for 6-12hrs a day...60gB is probably the only option - but I would definitely check out 3's all u can eat data - no cap and no worries about massive bills (when you go over the cap on other deals they charge an insane amount of cash per mB).

Hope that helps.

How on earth do you not get frustrated even trying to browse boards with those speeds? That's absolutely shocking and crazy to advise someone to go down that route.

If ElusiveHaggis used the capitalisation to show Bytes (rather than bits), then 50-300KBps is 400Kbps-2.4Mbps and 1MBps is 8Mbps.

I have to live with 2-3Mbps and can browse boards fine. I don't game though so can't comment on that.

RossieMan

300 kbps is absolute awful. You couldn't game at those speeds on GTA or Fifa properly, you'd be lagging all over the shop.

3mbps would be the minimum you'd want really, not worth paying at any price for anything less.

guil

ElusiveHaggis wrote: »

Ok, didn't work for you. Works for me. What were the reasons for it not working for you? What made you get shocked and crazy?

It also depends on 3's coverage. MaudL mentioned they have a good reception with 3.

Also, google 4g and look at the speeds that are possible.

You might want to look at the huge threads with complaints in the three forum on boards. When I was with three I could have 5 bars of 3G signal and it just wouldn't work. Add to that the multiple times someone rang me and they would get a ringing tone but my phone wouldn't ring. Wasn't just me either, my partner and friends had the same problems.

I don't need to google 4G, I'm enjoying perfect 4G with Vodafone.

ElusiveHaggis

Ok...checking out Vodafone ;P Do they have a similar deal? No data caps?

I really have had no problems with 3...apart from their clunky website.

SpaceSasqwatch

ElusiveHaggis wrote: »

Ok, didn't work for you. Works for me. What were the reasons for it not working for you? What made you get shocked and crazy?

It also depends on 3's coverage. MaudL mentioned they have a good reception with 3.

Also, google 4g and look at the speeds that are possible.

ignoring playing games in the browser and your download speeds..whats your ping times?

ElusiveHaggis

In the EU probably hits 60-140, depends on the server and time. It is NOT ideal if ur a gamer and like CS, but might suit the casual gamer like myself. Ideally everyone should have fiber. I am just saying this service is quite good for those who can't get uber bb and are patient.

I've played Chivalry (which is very dependant on fps and ping), Borderlands 2, Guns of Icarus, etc on this hotspot...I wouldn't rely on it for fast action fps's or GTA...but we're talking about YouTube and Netflix.

ElusiveHaggis

Just to add. 8bit/s = 1Byte/s (Bytes are always used in downloads - bits are the advertising front to make it look better)

100kb/s = max download 12.5kB/s

so 1mb/s = max download speed 120.5kB/s

thus 10mb/s = 1.2 mB/s

So when they offer you 50mbs...work it out.

RossieMan...

legocrazy505

RossieMan wrote: »

300 kbps is absolute awful. You couldn't game at those speeds on GTA or Fifa properly, you'd be lagging all over the shop.

3mbps would be the minimum you'd want really, not worth paying at any price for anything less.

Have to disagree here, we play just fine with two people on about 150kbps. Utilising the bandwidth to it's fullest potential is the key. We have two of us playing online while also connected to a mumble server in Bristol and it all works fine. Now if someone else was to enter the loop then we'd have a problem.
The only games that would struggle would be at times games like BF4 or Battlefront where a lot of information is being sent and received. Or badly coded games of course.

ElusiveHaggis

I think the confusion with ppl is that whenever we download something - it's done in kiloBytes/s. The advertisers advertise in bits/s. It's very misleading for ppl. I keep saying that this is misleading information and is almost an offense for them to keep advertising this way...

B = Bytes
lower case, b = bits. I am getting very nerdy But it's like saying it's 100mm away, but convert it down - just 10cm.

ED E

ElusiveHaggis wrote: »

I think the confusion with ppl is that whenever we download something - it's done in kiloBytes/s. The advertisers advertise in bits/s. It's very misleading for ppl. I keep saying that this is misleading information and is almost an offense for them to keep advertising this way...

B = Bytes
lower case, b = bits. I am getting very nerdy But it's like saying it's 100mm away, but convert it down - just 10cm.

Eh no.

Networking has always been bauds/bits on a technological level. You'll never hear a network engineer talking bytes. So the products are sold as such.

Consumers are savy enough to know what horsepower means when buying a car, they're well capable of understanding what a byte is if they take the time to do their homework.

long_b

Three are the only mobile operator that will let you use 60GB+.
Personally I don't understand why anyone would want to to give up real broadband for mobile data.

MaudL

Right so, lingo aside...

there's two of us, one adult and one child. I'm the adult, and the only one on Three. I do the 20 euro a month pay as you go and get unlimited data on my phone. We do get 4G at the moment, but I wouldn't count on it as in a few months they'll make us pay extra for it; the idea here is to reduce unnecessary expenses.

So back to my original question, which of the Three broadband plans would you advise I go with?
I'd prefer one of these as I don't really want to be tied to a 12-18 months contract, but if these plans don't allow for enough data then I could always go with Vodafone's Simply Broadband plan...

Thanks!

ED E

Back on topic (srsly guys)....

Spotify, YouTube and Netflix via Chromecast for TV and music, and that's on pretty much constantly for 6-12 hours a day

Lets be conservative, say its 720p video, 0.8GB/hr. 6hrs a day. 4.8GB/day. Call it 5 with a bit of facebook and email.

12 days into the month you're done with any mobile broadband package. Use it anyways say for 24 days in 30 and you'd have €1200 of a bill (€0.05 x 1000 x 24). Being conservative.

So any mobile BB package is out. And you don't want to use the three 20E/Mo prepay (IMO your mad not to abuse it while it lasts, your neighbors certainly are). That leaves your with Vodafone and Sky which is EXACTLY where you are now.

Do nothing and you're sorted.

EDIT: Had my maths right, then edited and got it wrong. D'oh. x60(GB) not x24(Days) so its €3000 as I had it originally.

Scruff

ED E wrote: »

Back on topic (srsly guys)....



Lets be conservative, say its 720p video, 0.8GB/hr. 6hrs a day. 4.8GB/day. Call it 5 with a bit of facebook and email.

12 days into the month you're done with any mobile broadband package. Use it anyways say for 24 days in 30 and you'd have €1200 of a bill (€0.05 x 1000 x 24). Being conservative.

So any mobile BB package is out. And you don't want to use the three 20E/Mo prepay (IMO your mad not to abuse it while it lasts, your neighbors certainly are). That leaves your with Vodafone and Sky which is EXACTLY where you are now.

Do nothing and you're sorted.

not correct. If they wish to ease their conscience by not (ab)using three's €20/prepay they can stump up extra for a new 250GB 12/18 month package for €35/€70 per month (intro price/regular) that will cover 5Gb/day without having to worry about a gigantic bill
http://www.three.ie/eshop/broadband-plans/bill-pay-broadband/

or they can get unlimited mobile bb 12/18 month for €48/€58 per month with this crowd
https://www.ruralwifi.ie/

Their conscience will be eased, they will be paying much more than the prepay plan and the right kicker is they will still be on the same over congested Three network on all 3 options.

ED E

Interesting that they've done that, but from the OPs perspective still paying more than ADSL and getting less.

Scruff

ED E wrote: »

Interesting that they've done that, but from the OPs perspective still paying more than ADSL and getting less.

didnt spot that
madness going that way in the majority of cases, wired bb would want to be awfully quality.