Unsure if I can connect to Smart Broadband

melw

Hi guys, this is my first post so please bear with me on this.

I'm having no luck in getting broadband in Cork City. I'm in Ashmount, Silversprings and I'm constantly failing all cable broadband checks. I also can't get wireless because Montenotte is in the way! It's blocking the IBB mast on R&H Hall and the city centre and Collins Barricks masts for Metro.

I signed up for Smart Telecom phone and broadband months ago but as my exchange (Wellington Road) was not live the broadband was forgotton about. I'm having no problems whatsoever with the phone service. When I use the online check for Smart Broadband I get:

Your phone number 214504864 is in the exchange WELLINGTON ROAD.
Congratulations, Broadband is available to you!
Would you like to avail of this amazing offer?

When I use any other online checks I get a fail.

I phoned Smart about and enquired about getting broadband and mentioned that I fail all other online checks and I was told that it should be fine, as Smart are able to provide broadband to customers that other providers cannot. This is all well and good if it can be guaranteed that i will be connected but the problem is that because I am an existing Smart Telecom customer:

1. I have to cancel my account with Smart Telecom;
2. I then have to reconnect to Eircon;
3. I then have to change from Eircon back to Smart again and get a new phone number in the process.

Now, I was initially against the phone number change but if I could be guaranteed that broadband would work I think I would accept it at this point.

My main question is, is there any way I can be guaranteed that Smart can provide me with broadband before I go through all the hassle in swapping back and forth? The last thing I want is to go through all the changes mentioned above to discover that I still cannot be supplied with broadband.

If it's not possible, I'll be stuck on 56k for a long time as I'm not going satellite!

What's really depressing is that my sister has broadband in Dingle and I can't get it in the second largest city in the country!

paulm17781

You wont have to change your number if you can't get broadband. Going back to Eircom is straight forward (though painful). Once changed back contact Smart and they'll get you sorted.

dub45

Do you have anything on your line? Sky box answering machine?

Is there by any chance a pair gain involved?

melw

paulm17781 wrote:

You wont have to change your number if you can't get broadband. Going back to Eircom is straight forward (though painful). Once changed back contact Smart and they'll get you sorted.

That's what I'm trying to avoid. No point in doing this if I still can't get broadband afterwards!

dub45 wrote:

Do you have anything on your line? Sky box answering machine?

Is there by any chance a pair gain involved?

I have a Sky box connected but usually disconnect this before a line test.

Not sure about the pair gain. I did not know what it was before reading this on Wikipedia, but after reading about it, it's quite possible. There is a big unit just inside the estate entrance similar to what's mentioned in the article, and one day I was talking to an engineer who was working on it and he referred to it as an "exchange". He was not sure about broadband into the estate as he was not the usual engineer working in the area and was just brought in to upgrade the "exchange".

How can I check this out?

If it is a pair gain, is this bad? And what could I do?

Cheers,
Mel

Blaster99

You can safely ignore the Eircom test. First off it's complete cack and you can most likely get broadband from Eircom & crew, and secondly Smart will make sure you will get broadband whatever Eircom thinks. The thing is that these products are rate adaptive so even if you have a poor line you may get less than 2Mbps but you will still get broadband.

If you have a pair-gained line, that's bad. But I wouldn't worry about it. Worst case Smart won't be able to offer you broadband and you can change back the voice to them again.