Rural Wifi / Satelite Broadband

MeMe1

Hi all!

Interested in reviews positive/negative on those that have used these.

So I live in Clare in a broadband black spot. Unfortunately I cannot get Eir, Vodafone, Virgen so I have to look for an alternative.
I can get 3G on my own mobile phone and if I go outside the front door 4G! I'm currently using this for general browsing but now want to sign up to be able to download etc. I would not be into gaming or viewing movies or that it would really be for browsing and maybe let the kids watch the odd youtube cartoon.

First post so hoping this is the right thread and all that, thanks for any help!

Ultimanemo

I have Rural Wifi in Galway, unlimited, for 2 years. speed is around 30 most of the day, down to 10 to 20 during peak times, with a router in the attic, very little signal elsewhere, never had a problem with them, never contacted them.
"They use Three network"
You can check the three coverage below
My house is in outside coverage only for 4G

http://www.three.ie/explore/coverage-checker/

Ultimanemo

MeMe1

Thank you Ultimanemo for this information. Did you take the unlimited package with Rural Wifi?

Ultimanemo

MeMe1 wrote: »

Thank you Ultimanemo for this information. Did you take the unlimited package with Rural Wifi?

Yes Unlimited
But the speed would be the same regardless of the package you choose

axe2grind

I'm also with Rural Wifi. I'm on 250 GB plan, but was assured that if I reached limit the service would stop, rather than run into excess and I could upgrade to unlimited. The 100GB plan may do you.

Rarely notice any slowdown.

Ultimanemo

That is 1 am speed, doesn't reflect the average.

Ultimanemo

axe2grind wrote: »

I'm also with Rural Wifi. I'm on 250 GB plan, but was assured that if I reached limit the service would stop, rather than run into excess and I could upgrade to unlimited. The 100GB plan may do you.

Rarely notice any slowdown.

If he only needs 150 G or less, Vodafone would be a better option, faster

colm_mcm

Lightnet might be a good option depending on what part of Clare you're in.

TimHorton

Would be interested to see speed tests done between 5 PM & 10 PM

MeMe1

Hi

I tried Lightnet, Vodafone, Imagine, Virgen Media, Sky but they could not provide a service. I had also been with Eir and boy did I suffer a turbulent service & a horrendous time with the so called customer service.

I am now signed up to Rural Wifi with the last 2 week & its working really well for us! Delighted finally to have a normal connection. I will need to find out after the first month what our usage is and decide if I need the unlimited. I only picked 250 GB plan to see if it actually worked.

So for anyone else in a black broadband spot I would highly recommend giving Rural Wifi a trial. Yes its only early days but the customer service & the connection are very good.

Ultimanemo

TimHorton wrote: »

Would be interested to see speed tests done between 5 PM & 10 PM

will do

Ultimanemo

Ultimanemo

Ultimanemo

Ultimanemo

Axwell

Is their modem only suitable for indoor use? Is it possible to connect it to an antenna on the roof for a better 4G signal? We have very bad signal here in the house, i need to check what its like on the roof but assuming its better then would need to be able to place an antenna there and wire it back to the modem.

From what i have read i see i can buy a modem on amazon and use it with a three sim on ayce but wondering is this another option?

axe2grind

I have good signal, but thought I had bad signal, but this was at least partly due to phone's bad antenna. I bought a Huawei B315 thinking of 3 ayce option and I got an external antenna as well. Decided to go with Rural Wifi and with the modem they supplied got reasonable signal and the external antenna did not help. Then tried the B315 and the signal was much better, then I attached the little ariels that came with the Rural Wifi supplied modem to my B315 and the signal and speed improved again, speed about twice as fast compared with TP link modem they supplied.

My experience is that the tiniest movement of the modem can dramatically change the signal strength. I got lucky as the first part of my house that I tried it with was almost the prime location. Certainly worth spending time on this, and perhaps an external antenna may not be needed.

Daz_

Guys can I ask a question on this . The network is with Three. Do they give a certain speed and usage ability specifically to Rural WiFi customers ? Or if I get the Three Sim and router myself would I get the same service ? Not sure if Three can determine the different type of user ? Thanks

Marlow

Daz_ wrote: »

Guys can I ask a question on this . The network is with Three. Do they give a certain speed and usage ability specifically to Rural WiFi customers ? Or if I get the Three Sim and router myself would I get the same service ? Not sure if Three can determine the different type of user ? Thanks

There would be no difference apart from that they deliver a complete solution and can offer higher caps.

Even though 3 seems to have gone mental recently and offer 750GB on their 30 EUR plan for a promotional period. The norm would have been 30GB on that.

/M

Ultimanemo

Daz_ wrote: »

Guys can I ask a question on this . The network is with Three. Do they give a certain speed and usage ability specifically to Rural WiFi customers ? Or if I get the Three Sim and router myself would I get the same service ? Not sure if Three can determine the different type of user ? Thanks

I have both, same speed same contention, sometimes I forget which is which, and I have to txt the Three number to know it.

Orad

Hi,
Regarding "RuralWifi" service (based on Three network).
...has anyone used it for gaming?
Is 3/4G stable enough for that?

I have no broadband options in my area....might give rural wifi a trial (nothing to lose I suppose...and they do a an unlimited package).

Daz_

Orad wrote: »

Hi,
Regarding "RuralWifi" service (based on Three network).
...has anyone used it for gaming?
Is 3/4G stable enough for that?

I have no broadband options in my area....might give rural wifi a trial (nothing to lose I suppose...and they do a an unlimited package).

Or just get the Three Broadband package directly . 14 days cooling off period if not happy with it . That’s what I did recently . Don’t use it for gaming but the speeds are good

DamoCork

So is rural WiFi better than imagine ?

rayfitzharris

DamoCork wrote: »

So is rural WiFi better than imagine ?

Hi Damo, only if you can get better than 3meg after 6pm and weekends.. imagines peak time speeds are abysmal.

DamoCork

rayfitzharris wrote: »

Hi Damo, only if you can get better than 3meg after 6pm and weekends.. imagines peak time speeds are abysmal.

Hi ray are you in cork - imagine are guaranteeing min speed of 40mb...

rayfitzharris

DamoCork wrote: »

Hi ray are you in cork - imagine are guaranteeing min speed of 40mb...

No Damo, I'm in laois. I'm in a battle with them since the new year. So far they have claimed it's a wifi problem then a pc problem, blamed the network cables, blamed the router, then the lte radio. All while I can get 70mb during the daytime.

They only guarantee 40mb at install time which they will probably get, as it will be done between 9 and 5. Come 6pm, for me anyway it falls to <5mb.

Mine was fine until just after Christmas, they must have added a few heavy users to my mast. It's guaranteed that as they fill up the mast sectors the speed will plummet. My advise is to avoid if you have any alternative altogether.

Having said that I wouldn't be fan of 3 either.

Balmark

Rural Wifi is disgraceful.. their backend is Three Mobile.

I've paid for their top service, unthrottled unlimited internet, I get great signal strength but the congestion on the three network with rural wifi is a disgrace.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/7445790379

Rural Wifi stay clear unless you don't want to use the internet during the evening.
At 2am+ it's brilliant until about 5pm .. then it's shockingly bad

The problem is .. you're in contract.. I want to leave, but it'll cost me 100% of my monthly fee until the end of the contract

Ultimanemo

Balmark wrote: »

Rural Wifi is disgraceful.. their backend is Three Mobile.

I've paid for their top service, unthrottled unlimited internet, I get great signal strength but the congestion on the three network with rural wifi is a disgrace.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/7445790379

Rural Wifi stay clear unless you don't want to use the internet during the evening.
At 2am+ it's brilliant until about 5pm .. then it's shockingly bad

The problem is .. you're in contract.. I want to leave, but it'll cost me 100% of my monthly fee until the end of the contract

Three destroyed them by € 20 PAYG sim card, unlimited and same speed as Rural Wifi, cheap and no contract

Wquirke1234

Ultimanemo wrote: »

Three destroyed them by € 20 PAYG sim card, unlimited and same speed as Rural Wifi, cheap and no contract

Are rural wifi standalone routers they sell unlocked??

Ultimanemo

I don't know sorry, I only tried them with Three sim card and they work with that.

Wquirke1234

Ultimanemo wrote: »

I don't know sorry, I only tried them with Three sim card and they work with that.

How are you finding the router. And which one do you use now. I'm in the same boat as you

Wquirke1234

Ultimanemo wrote: »

I don't know sorry, I only tried them with Three sim card and they work with that.

How are you finding the router. And which one do you use now. I'm in the same boat as you

Ultimanemo

I use unlocked Huawei B-525 I bought from Amazon

Ultimanemo

Wquirke1234 wrote: »

Ultimanemo wrote: »

I don't know sorry, I only tried them with Three sim card and they work with that.

How are you finding the router. And which one do you use now. I'm in the same boat as you

If you are talking about Rural Wifi router, it is very good.

Balmark

Rural Wifi is shockingly bad ... you can get good speeds OFFPEAK but try to do anything in the evening time and you're tough out of luck.

I'm waiting to get out of contract to break contract its 100% of the cost of the remaining
They should be embarrassed reselling this crap.

Ultimanemo

Rural Wifi used to be good, they use Three network for the unlimited plan and Vodafone for tightly capped plans, then Three screwed them by the € 20 PAYG sim card and € 30 750G plan, now Three network went down the drain flushing Rural Wifi ahead of it

Balmark

Ultimanemo wrote: »

now Three network went down the drain flushing Rural Wifi ahead of it

Yeah .. avoid Ruralwifi like the plague.. if three/ruralwifi is your only choice .. then go with the payg because being with ruralwifi will do nothing for apart from tying you into a contract you cant get out of for the period while overpaying for the same service