Aptus Broadband Speeds

Dunne_bkill

Hi,

I'm currently 8 months through a 1 year contract with Aptus Broadband, based in Laois near Abbeyleix.

I currently have a package which consists of 30mb broadband with unlimited downloads (throttled after 20gb per day) @ €60 per month.

I've been having an issue with my speeds. They are really inconsistent. I rarely hit anything over 20mb unless it's very late at night or very early in the morning. I'm generally getting between 8mb & 11mb during peak times (late afternoon/evenings).

This really isn't good enough for the price I'm paying and it's affecting my TV viewing. I'm getting less than half the speed of my package 90% of the time. I haven't called them yet but I'm just wondering does anyone else experience the same issue in regards to speeds dropping? What would be my best option available to me?

I really feel their speeds should be a bit more consistent. I would accept 20mb consistently, no problem. But 8mb in the evenings when I'm paying for 30 is a bit too much.

westyIrl

Is Aptus a wireless broadband supplier? Any other broadband suppliers available in your location? Pretty sure there is VDSL in Abbeyleix IIRC. How far are you from Abbeyleix?

Check:
https://switcher.ie/broadband/ and
http://irelandoffline.org/map/#/home

Fiber passing your door maybe? http://fibrerollout.ie/rollout-map/

Paying same as you for a 2mb Eir ADSL connection but nothing else available to me.

Jim

Dunne_bkill

westyIrl wrote: »

Is Aptus a wireless broadband supplier? Any other broadband suppliers available in your location? Pretty sure there is VDSL in Abbeyleix IIRC. How far are you from Abbeyleix?

Check:
https://switcher.ie/broadband/ and
http://irelandoffline.org/map/#/home

Fiber passing your door maybe? http://fibrerollout.ie/rollout-map/

Paying same as you for a 2mb Eir ADSL connection but nothing else available to me.

Jim

Yeah Aptus is a wireless provider. There are some other suppliers but none as good as Aptus for this area. Imagine LTE is available but I don't fancy that...

I'm a few miles away from Abbeyliex. Unfortunately there's no fibre connection available in my village yet. "Within 1 year" is what Eir are saying, I presume that could mean 10.

Am I right in saying Wireless broadband is a shared connection? More traffic = less speed?

I feel bad for complaining if you're paying the same for a 2mb connection!

westyIrl

Dunne_bkill wrote: »

Yeah Aptus is a wireless provider. There are some other suppliers but none as good as Aptus for this area. Imagine LTE is available but I don't fancy that...

I'm a few miles away from Abbeyliex. Unfortunately there's no fibre connection available in my village yet. "Within 1 year" is what Eir are saying, I presume that could mean 10.

Am I right in saying Wireless broadband is a shared connection? More traffic = less speed?

I feel bad for complaining if you're paying the same for a 2mb connection!

So are you covered under the Eir FTTH rollout? That means by end 2018 or so they promise. Definitely have a read through and post yourself on this thread as it may be your very best hope. They (Eir) are making really good progress in some areas:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057499489

Wireless is indeed a shared connection and the more peak-time use the more crap everyone's speed/ping times get. This is one of the reasons that no one wants to see it being used in the National Broadband Plan. It doesn't scale Another good read if your up to it, and some very knowledgeable people;

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057332672

So quite simply, to answer your query, it will always be a challenge on mobile/wireless broadband where congestion is an issue (as appears to be so in your case). If there really is nothing else available (that is better of course) your only option to hold out for fiber or possible VDSL if you're in a village. If you're a few miles from Abbeyleix (which i assume is your local exchange) then you may just have to wait as fixed line wouldn't improve your situation much.

Don't feel bad.... that 2mb connection is far better and reliable than any of the alternatives.

good luck

Jim

Dunne_bkill

westyIrl wrote: »

So are you covered under the Eir FTTH rollout? That means by end 2018 or so they promise. Definitely have a read through and post yourself on this thread as it may be your very best hope. They (Eir) are making really good progress in some areas:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057499489

Wireless is indeed a shared connection and the more peak-time use the more crap everyone's speed/ping times get. This is one of the reasons that no one wants to see it being used in the National Broadband Plan. It doesn't scale Another good read if your up to it, and some very knowledgeable people;

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057332672

So quite simply, to answer your query, it will always be a challenge on mobile/wireless broadband where congestion is an issue (as appears to be so in your case). If there really is nothing else available (that is better of course) your only option to hold out for fiber or possible VDSL if you're in a village. If you're a few miles from Abbeyleix (which i assume is your local exchange) then you may just have to wait as fixed line wouldn't improve your situation much.

Don't feel bad.... that 2mb connection is far better and reliable than any of the alternatives.

good luck

Jim

Thanks Jim, will have a read through them threads. Very helpful reply.

We will get there someday!

Marlow

westyIrl wrote: »

Wireless is indeed a shared connection and the more peak-time use the more crap everyone's speed/ping times get. This is one of the reasons that no one wants to see it being used in the National Broadband Plan. It doesn't scale Another good read if your up to it, and some very knowledgeable people;

Any residential connection is contended. Doesn't matter if it's wireless, DSL, FTTC/VDSL or FTTH. (Yep .. Eir's FTTH product is based on GPON with up to a little less than 4:1 contention. They install max 2.5 Gbit/s for each GPON distribution point, that services 8 homes).

Wireless scales the same way as any other broadband product, if done right.

And it can't be sold uncontended for the price it's sold for. The problem is when the providers offer more than their network can handle.

The speeds for the Aptus package sound ok. The problem is, that bandwidth usage has gone through the roof in the last 2 years and people are hitting the limits far more often than they think.

As for watching online TV, it really is necessary to dial the resolution down, especially if other stuff is using the broadband. Unless you have 70 mbit/s+ that is. Put it to 720p HD, it should only be using 3-4 mbit/s max.

/M

ED E

Marlow wrote: »

Any residential connection is contended. Doesn't matter if it's wireless, DSL, FTTC/VDSL or FTTH. (Yep .. Eir's FTTH product is based on GPON with up to a little less than 4:1 contention. They install max 2.5 Gbit/s for each GPON distribution point, that services 8 homes).

Wireless scales the same way as any other broadband product, if done right.

And it can't be sold uncontended for the price it's sold for. The problem is when the providers offer more than their network can handle.

The speeds for the Aptus package sound ok. The problem is, that bandwidth usage has gone through the roof in the last 2 years and people are hitting the limits far more often than they think.

As for watching online TV, it really is necessary to dial the resolution down, especially if other stuff is using the broadband. Unless you have 70 mbit/s+ that is. Put it to 720p HD, it should only be using 3-4 mbit/s max.

/M

Gpon is 31:1, not 4:1. Nothing is installed to the DP.

xDSL products are actually uncontested on the first leg.

Marlow

ED E wrote: »

Gpon is 31:1, not 4:1. Nothing is installed to the DP.

xDSL products are actually uncontested on the first leg.

Depends on the GPON Product. In the case of Eir/OpenEir, it's 8 connections per DP and up to 2.5 Gbit/s bandwidth allocated per DP. But that's not the point here.

The point is, that NO residential product is uncontended. It can't be, when you have to buy the bandwidth at 1-4 EUR/Mbit/month at whole sale and ex VAT from Tier1 and Tier2 providers and then also haul it from Dublin to wherever you are ... which adds cost.

Simple basics.

/M

tsue921i8wljb3

Marlow wrote: »

Depends on the GPON Product. In the case of Eir/OpenEir, it's 8 connections per DP and up to 2.5 Gbit/s bandwidth allocated per DP. But that's not the point here.

The point is, that NO residential product is uncontended. It can't be, when you have to buy the bandwidth at 1-4 EUR/Mbit/month at whole sale and ex VAT from Tier1 and Tier2 providers and then also haul it from Dublin to wherever you are ... which adds cost.

Simple basics.

/M

Pretty sure ED E is right. Here is a presentation eir gave at the FTTH conference in 2016. 1:32 splitter architecture using a cascaded two stage design.

https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/FiberPlanIT/ftth-deployment-in-ireland-eirs-experiences-workshop-ftth-eu-conference-2016

(page 37)

Marlow

Whitney Ugly Log wrote: »

Pretty sure ED E is right. Here is a presentation eir gave at the FTTH conference in 2016. 1:32 splitter architecture using a cascaded two stage design.

https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/FiberPlanIT/ftth-deployment-in-ireland-eirs-experiences-workshop-ftth-eu-conference-2016

(page 37)

It's still not the point. The point is, that NO residential product is uncontended. If you want to know more about my figures and their source, that I stated, you can PM me.

/M

tsue921i8wljb3

Marlow wrote: »

It's still not the point. The point is, that NO residential product is uncontended. If you want to know more about my figures and their source, that I stated, you can PM me.

/M

If you could post your information in the rural FTTH thread that would be great. It has been the received wisdom there that the split is 1:32.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057499489

Marlow

Whitney Ugly Log wrote: »

If you could post your information in the rural FTTH thread that would be great. It has been the received wisdom there that the split is 1:32.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057499489

Looking at the slide you pointed me at, you can see 1:8 at Stage 1. So with the 1:4 Split at Stage 2, it's 1:32 at that point. 2.5 Gbit/s feed is at Stage 1.

Checked with my source and that's correct.

Pretty crummy, if you ask me, but then you have to consider the pricing. SIRO is max 6% contention at the POI handoff to the provider.

/M

ED E

You misunderstand the tech if you think the split ratio at any one point matters. Its not FDM there. Whether I have 5 splitters between me and the OLT or none, my ONT still RXs the full 2.5Gb but can only decode my allocation. Thus there is 2.5Gb at every part of the glass between each sub and the OLT. The splitter reduce light power only, not b/w.

(Upstream is a little different)

SoupyNorman

Dunne_bkill wrote: »

I haven't called them yet ...

I hope you did/do call them. I have Aptus and I'm on the same package. When it was first installed the speeds were horrendous and I was just going to call and cancel the whole thing but they said they can assure me it can be fixed and fix it they did. Bar the first couple of weeks I've have 30mb consistently day and night.

Call them, if you havnt already.

Dunne_bkill

Consistent Speed with Aptus all day today. Zero technical aupport at the weekend, can't get anyone on the phone at all. Absolute disgrace.

Not just me either, 4 other homes that I know of who are with Aptus are the exact same. In Laois area.

Marlow

Dunne_bkill;105173540Consistent Speed with Aptus all day today. Zero technical aupport at the weekend, can't get anyone on the phone at all. Absolute disgrace.

Not just me either, 4 other homes that I know of who are with Aptus are the exact same. In Laois area.

--
Do Aptus promise you support on weekends ? 

Any provider, will look after their network 24x7 .. but responding to customer request 24x7 is another bill entirely. If you expect your provider to take your call every time of the day, all day long, than the price for your broadband will be quite a bit more than residential broadband pricing. Like 200+ EUR/month. Support is the biggest cost in providing broadband.

Having said that, if there is a problem with speed: drop them a mail, give them at least a few hours, worst case to the next workday to respond with a time to fix ... that's reasonable. They could have a network problem. Things happen.

If they do not respond or don't fix it within a timeline that their terms and conditions state .. then your complaint would be valid.

(I pay over 400 EUR/month for 10 Mbit/s business enterprise connectivity ... hence I'm allowed to complain 24x7 .. and no, that's not with Aptus, but you get the picture).

/M

9726_9726

Marlow wrote: »

Depends on the GPON Product. In the case of Eir/OpenEir, it's 8 connections per DP and up to 2.5 Gbit/s bandwidth allocated per DP. But that's not the point here.

The point is, that NO residential product is uncontended. It can't be, when you have to buy the bandwidth at 1-4 EUR/Mbit/month at whole sale and ex VAT from Tier1 and Tier2 providers and then also haul it from Dublin to wherever you are ... which adds cost.

Simple basics.

/M

Cogent are offering 20 cent per meg now

9726_9726

Dunne_bkill wrote: »

Consistent Speed with Aptus all day today. Zero technical aupport at the weekend, can't get anyone on the phone at all. Absolute disgrace.

Not just me either, 4 other homes that I know of who are with Aptus are the exact same. In Laois area.

Are you throttled? Did the throttling get stuck from yesterday/not clear at midnight?

Marlow

9726_9726 wrote: »

Cogent are offering 20 cent per meg now

If you take 10Gbit/s or more and are in a data centre in Dublin. Then you have to buy another connection to bring it to you. By the time it's in Galway you're at 3-6 EUR Mbit/s.

Also, no decent provider relies on just one upstream. And Cogent is not a reliable solution. So that adds extra cost.

So.that pricing hardly compares to anything you buy as a residential consumer.

/M

SoupyNorman

9726_9726 wrote: »

Are you throttled? Did the throttling get stuck from yesterday/not clear at midnight?

I broke the 20gig daily limit on many days and didn't seem to get throttled at all.