Last Mile Broadband (Wireless)

Seanie M

Has anyone here used Last Mile Wireless at all? I have just moved to Daingean in Offaly in the last 2 weeks, and I was looking forward to getting broadband. But the only service provider is Last Mile. For €40 (inclusive of VAT) per month, you get a 512K down/128K up connection. But when I asked them about the contention ratio in the area, its 40:1!! At peak operation, that gives me, what, 12/13K connection? Absolutely NOT worth the €40 a month! I am not far off that on the eircom net anytime that I purchased to get me by in the meantime.

I am also pretty disgusted that eircom has no intention of bringing the area up to speed untill the end of 2006,so that rules out Smart etc etc... I don't know of any other providers in the area...

Seanie.

SkepticOne

"At peak operation, that gives me, what, 12/13K connection? Absolutely NOT worth the €40 a month! I am not far off that on the eircom net anytime that I purchased to get me by in the meantime."

The basic DSL packages of Eircom and their resellers, BT, UTV etc. operate at 48:1. In practice it works out far better than 12/13k, or in the case of the 1 meg services, 24/25k. These sorts of speeds would more likely indicate a technical fault rather than a problem with the contention.

Seanie M

SkepticOne wrote:

These sorts of speeds would more likely indicate a technical fault rather than a problem with the contention.

What do you mean a technical fault? If you read my post wrong, its just the maths (512/40 = 12.8).

Seanie.

steve-hosting36

I think the point is whats the liklihodd of last mile actually having 40 customers connected to your node, and all of the going like the clappers at the same time?

Bogger77

My experinces in trying to deal with this company, they have been nothing short of amateurish.

For example, they got the group broadband scheme contract for Ferbane, in Offaly. Ferbane dips in the the middle, as it's built in a valley with a river running through. Where did they pick to place their antennae? The lowest part of the village ! I’m based a couple of miles outside of the village, and asked about connecting, so I could telecommute, and basically the reply was “Pee off, we only want business users (i.e. Vat numbers)”. They’ve now gotten contract for Belmont, very close to my house, but I’ll sign up with the devil before I deal with them. I’m going to wait until there’s a wimax provider somewhere in the area from Ballinasloe to Tullamore, Mullingar to Birr, as I’ve got pretty much LOS to all these areas for Wi-Max, if I need broadband at home full-time before then I’ll got satellite.

Ronan|Raven

I find about 2am the best time to enjoy such testing tasks on the network like play a damn online game with a ping of less that 200ms or brosw the web...

Eurorunner

@Ronan - Have you tried VOIP on it at all and if so, does it run ok on their service? I should be getting a connection when I move in about a month or so. My plan was to run the phones via VOIP and do without the landline.

Whilst the basic package is affordable at €25/month - I would imagine it to be hard to stick to the 5GB limit. You wouldnt happen to know what the next package up costs? (i forgot to ask them when i rang them up to send out the forms).

Ronan|Raven

It is around the 45euro mark with a 10gb limit if memory serves me. VOIP is ok at times it tends to break up a bit.

Rattlehead_ie

so that rules out Smart etc etc.

Not so. Although its still unlikey to get BB any time soon, Smart Telecom are rolling out THEIR own network so might get there before Eircom, dont give up.

jwt

Ronan what type of pings do you get with your lastmile service?

Pinging boards.ie [82.195.136.36] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 82.195.136.36: bytes=32 time=60ms TTL=56
Reply from 82.195.136.36: bytes=32 time=53ms TTL=56
Reply from 82.195.136.36: bytes=32 time=60ms TTL=56
Reply from 82.195.136.36: bytes=32 time=68ms TTL=56


Pinging jolt.co.uk [82.133.85.65] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 82.133.85.65: bytes=32 time=81ms TTL=50
Reply from 82.133.85.65: bytes=32 time=76ms TTL=50
Reply from 82.133.85.65: bytes=32 time=84ms TTL=50
Reply from 82.133.85.65: bytes=32 time=68ms TTL=50


Note Lastmile route out through packetexchange.net in the uk so pinging .ie servers probably isn't a fair test.

Tracing route to boards.ie [82.195.136.36]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms LOCAL FIREWALL
2 33 ms 31 ms 22 ms 1127433596. [83.245.40.10]
3 45 ms 64 ms 47 ms lvl3gw.thn.packetexchange.net [212.187.197.193]
4 49 ms 56 ms 55 ms so-1-3-0.gar2.london1.level3.net [212.113.3.29]
5 56 ms 55 ms 55 ms ge-9-0.ipcolo1.london1.level3.net [212.187.131.147]
6 74 ms 70 ms 112 ms 80.253.124.21
7 68 ms 72 ms 72 ms corerouter1.hosting365.ie [82.195.128.7]
8 75 ms 80 ms 71 ms boards.ie [82.195.136.36]

Trace complete.

Tracing route to jolt.co.uk [82.133.85.65]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms LOCAL FIREWALL
2 38 ms 31 ms 29 ms 1127433806.229 [83.245.40.10]
3 52 ms 63 ms 55 ms lvl3gw.thn.packetexchange.net [212.187.197.193]
4 57 ms 48 ms 47 ms so-1-2-0.gar1.london1.level3.net [212.113.0.114]
5 59 ms 95 ms 38 ms ge-0-3-0-0.bbr1.london1.level3.net [4.68.128.121]
6 117 ms 104 ms 63 ms as-1-0.bbr1.frankfurt1.level3.net [212.187.128.62]
7 73 ms 64 ms 55 ms ge-6-0.core2.frankfurt1.level3.net [195.122.136.46]
8 68 ms 63 ms 55 ms telia-level3.level3.net [195.122.136.250]
9 64 ms 55 ms 64 ms ffm-bb2-pos7-3-3.telia.net [213.248.65.37]
10 74 ms 71 ms 79 ms prs-bb2-pos7-0-0.telia.net [213.248.65.117]
11 73 ms 79 ms 95 ms ldn-bb2-pos7-0-0.telia.net [213.248.65.113]
12 81 ms 79 ms 79 ms ldn-b3-pos9-0.telia.net [213.248.64.50]
13 105 ms 79 ms 72 ms pipex-110586-ldn-b3.c.telia.net [213.248.100.30]
14 80 ms 79 ms 80 ms lon1-9.nildram.net [84.12.224.14]
15 81 ms 103 ms 79 ms jolt-gw.nildram.net [195.149.20.214]
16 81 ms 71 ms 79 ms jolt.co.uk [82.133.85.65]

Trace complete.


Is it just me or does it seem a bit weird that the route goes off to frankfurt?


John

jwt

*bump*

7aken

last mile wireless = last mile monkeys


these guys have to be the worst thing to happen to wireless broadband ever. first we had eircom holding the communication system in this country back 20 years, now these muppets. foolish me for thinking that wireless broadband would make it easier to communicate and do business. make no mistake, these guys have massive coverage in the midlands, but ask them for a connection and you become worse than scum. talk about horrific customer service

Seanie M wrote:

I am also pretty disgusted that eircom has no intention of bringing the area up to speed untill the end of 2006

Seanie.

on this note i think its about time these last mile monkey's were brought up in front of comreg, they have been getting governmet grants to bring broadband into areas but where are they??? by my guess, if they are investigated and kicked sideways now and made to connect 'joe bloggs' you should stand a pretty good chance of getting broadband way before late 2006. until comreg get involved though, i wouldnt touch last mile with a barge pole

Sponge Bob

If you are saying .....as I think you are....that LMW are taking government money to enable parish x or parish y and then not fufilling that obligation for which they have received a grant of public money then you chould contact either

1. www.gbs.gov.ie , the part of the DCMNR that funded them

or

2. http://www.audgen.gov.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/home.asp who oversees funding generally and ensures that it is spent properly

or both

Do remember that LMW cover many areas from their own funds and not because of Government funding. If your area, think parish here, is not on the list of phase one and phase two areas listed on the first of those links I inserted above then you are in a normal commercial area of theirs . There may be sound technical reasons why they cannot connect you in a commercial area so tough......although they should tell you clearly why not as a matter of courtesy and good customer service .

If you lived in the middle of an esker field in Offaly there could be problems....lots and lots of problems

Comreg can only intervene effectively if they are frequency squatting in the 3.5Ghz band and then only really to recycle that spectrum to someone who will use it .

Frankly I don't know what your case against them is but if there is one it should fall into the categories I described above if it is to be consider 'a case' .

HTH

7aken

im going by whats reported (media and online) about last miles grants. the point im making is that while they appear to be getting lots from the governmet to supply broadband, why are there so many people being turned away by them. i'm sure they are in these area's for which they have grants, but im not convinced their giving everyone a fair chance at getting connected. i dont know what you mean by frequency squatting but they do operate in the licensed bands, hence comreg have authority. im not screaming for a judge and jury here, im just saying that its not fair. taxpayer money to do a job that isnt getting done???????????

jwt

AFAIK at one point in LastMiles life they were going to be a commercial operation only, and I'm talking at least 18 months ago or more when I heard that.

Currently I know of a multitude of people (private individuals) connected to LastMile in GBS funded towns.

I have never heard of lastMile turning down a private individual in a GBS funded area for a connection barring the more obvious reasons such as Line of Sight etc. (doesn't mean it hasn't happened , just I've never heard of it happening)


If you are aware of ANY discrepancies drop me a PM or mention it over at IOFFL board. Any ISP abusing GBS funding to further their own infrastructure while refusing to provide the very connections they received funding for needs to be brought to light immediately.

Outside of GBS funded areas, LastMile are like any other ISP, and if they dont want to provide a service to customer X just because they don't like the sound of their voice, so be it. Although it would be incredibly stupid of them and I dont see them turning down business just for the fun of it. But there again this is Ireland and I've seen some weird commercial strategies in ISP land.


And for what its worth I have found their Customer Service to be reasonable so far. (minus points for 9 to 5 office hours only, minus some more for no customer support areas on their website, plus points for having someone who actually answers the phone GASP!, plus points for replying to CS emails within 3 working hours always, minus points for not actually telling you they fixed it )

John (Committee member Ireland Offline)

Sponge Bob

7aken wrote:

why are there so many people being turned away by them. i'm sure they are in these area's for which they have grants, but im not convinced their giving everyone a fair chance at getting connected. i dont know what you mean by frequency squatting but they do operate in the licensed bands, hence comreg have authority.

Name the area(s) they 'refuse' to provision will ya , otherwise I fear you are only indulging in a rant . Check tham against the GBS areas too !

You understand what a licenced band is I see.

SkepticOne

Seanie M wrote:

What do you mean a technical fault? If you read my post wrong, its just the maths (512/40 = 12.8).
Seanie.

steve-hosting36 wrote:

I think the point is whats the liklihodd of last mile actually having 40 customers connected to your node, and all of the going like the clappers at the same time?

Yup, that is the point.

7aken

im going by what i see and hear. i know of 4 people around ferbane and two on the roscommon side of lanesborough who were refused. one guy in lanesboro was refused point blank, without a survey. surely this isnt good practice? personally ive never had to use them, but it doesnt help my reputation when i suggest for my clients to use them and this kind of stuff happens........

i also know of people who are happy with the service... so this is by no means a rant... simply an observation

Sponge Bob

Last Mile got no GBS funding for Roscommon / Longford in Phase One

Ferbane was described as a partnership with Ferbane Business & Technology Park Ltd. Last Mile Wireless FWA" . Have you contacted these "Ferbane Business & Technology Park Ltd." people in Ferbane about it ??????????? . Your contacts may be miles away form the technology park !

In phase 2 these are the areas where LMW is grant aided in Roscommon and Longford and I also include their local partners who should know where the coverage should be

Roscommon

Ballintober, Ballymoe, Castleplunkett, Ballinagare, Tulsk, Co. Roscommon


Ballintober Development Association


Last Mile Wireless

Roscommon

Frenchpark, Fairymount Co. Roscommon

North West Roscommon CDP

Last Mile Limited

Roscommon

Kilbride, Termonbarry, Co. Roscommon

Termonbarry Development Association

Last Mile Wireless

Roscommon

Kiltoom & Athlone West, Co. Roscommon

South Roscommon Community Forum

Last Mile Wireless

Roscommon

Roosky, Co. Roscommon

Roosky Development & Social Inclusion Association

Last Mile Wireless

Roscommon& Leitrim


Keadue, Ballyfarnan, Cootehall, Arigna, Drumshambo, Arigna, Leitrim

Drumboylan Community Forum

Last Mile Wireless

Longford


Ballymahon, Edgeworthtown & Keenagh


Ballymahon Chamber of Commerce


Last Mile Wireless

Longford


Drumlish,Ballinalee,Killoe, Co.Longford


Killoe Broadband


Last Mile Wireless


NO MENTION OF LANESBORO is there ?????

The only publicly funded scheme in Lanesboro is supposed to be run by the ESB not LMW

It was funded pre GBS schemes , 2 years back by the BMW assembly , see both

http://www.bmwassembly.ie/news/press/Chairmans%20Address.doc

and

http://www.pobail.ie/en/PressReleases/2003/July/htmltext,3555,en.html

The local end of it is the Lough Ree Area Development Co-operative Ltd. in association with ESB Telecoms and Agtec Ireland Ltd. Tell your mates to contact the ESB or else the local partner. You should contact the local partnership in any case like this to find out what the story is and whether LMW or the ESB are compliant or otherwise.

If the Operator is compliant then don't bother coming in here to generally rant about it. It is quite obvious to me that you did not follow the links in my earlier post to the GBS funding and that you were totally unaware of the ESB being involved in an early proto GBS

Eurorunner

i know of 4 people around ferbane and two on the roscommon side of lanesborough who were refused. one guy in lanesboro was refused point blank, without a survey.

Assuming you got through to someone who was familiar with the local geography - its quite likely that they can tell you point blank that the proposed connections you put forward were non starters.
no line of sight = no connection.


I just noticed from the DCMNR website that Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo has been approved under the latest phase of the group broadband scheme. Seeing as Digi-West/Last Mile Wireless are already setup in the town - and were funded via the BMW assembly, surely they wouldnt provide more public funding via the GBS..
unless theyre extending the reach of the existing setup?

Anyone got any more info on this?

Sponge Bob

Eurorunner wrote:

Anyone got any more info on this?

Well there is a local partner in Ballyer . Have you contacted them yet to get a copy of the submission for GBS funds which has coverage maps and rollout targets and stuff ?

Money does not drop from clouds, it must be applied for. Follow the paper trail

Eurorunner

Sponge Bob wrote:

Well there is a local partner in Ballyer . Have you contacted them yet to get a copy of the submission for GBS funds which has coverage maps and rollout targets and stuff ?

Money does not drop from clouds, it must be applied for. Follow the paper trail

Got the forms for signing up to the existing digiwest/lmw service alright - dunno what the story is with the GBS approval (yet).

<EDIT> The DCMNR site proper (as opposed to the press release) gives a bit mroe info alright;
Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo/Doctors Rd Community Group/Digiwest Communications Ltd/FWA
</EDIT>

Longfordian

Last Mile will be doing our GBS scheme in Killoe, Longford. I'll keep you guys updated on our progress. So far they have been very responsive.

Bogger77

Eurorunner wrote:

Assuming you got through to someone who was familiar with the local geography - its quite likely that they can tell you point blank that the proposed connections you put forward were non starters.
no line of sight = no connection.

I contacted them, on several occasions. I said simply that I was in the Ferbane area, and wanted to connect to the service. I was told "We're only interested in businness customers" I believe I still have that reply on my pc at home. I'd sent the email from my work address, one of the major telecoms companies (not Ericssons).

Secondly, geography of the area, like I've said in this thread, they've installed thier mast in the lowest location in the town/village. They had loads of other possible locations. The current mast is on the Offaly CC depot, the council also own the Fire station on the Athlone road, which is at least 50/60 meters higher than the current location. They also had the possibility of placing a mast on the water tower, from the top of the tower most of West Offaly and all of Ferbane would have line of sight. The mobile fone operators have cells there, for that very reason.

They've got GBS approval for Belmont, what's the chances they'll place the transmittor on tv aerial at the back of Kelly's pub. In the area round the village, I know of no one approached to have the mast placed on their land. We have a TV mast up on small hill, which has line of sight to Ballyclare in Ferbane to High Street Church on east/west axis, and to the Canal bridge looking south, based on my experiences with LMW, I'll refuse them if they asked,