Good news for ISDN peeps

sutty

Ok, as some people seen in the post I put up earlyer about the leixlip exchange. I was told that shortly ISDN lines will be tested and upgraded to ADSL in one go. I was on the phone there 3 minutes ago to a woman in eircom sales(number listed in the sticky)
I asked her could she confirm thst statement for me. She could do better.

As from today Eircom will be able to test your line (ISDN) and if it passes they will downgrade it to PSDN at no extra cost to your-self and actavate the ADSL connection then. Now all you have to do is pass the test.....

shabbyroad

I called 1-800-512-128

they did the test....
....and....
it completely failed.

I'm in Castleknock D.15 and the Exchange is in Blanchardstown - I have no idea where.

They confirmed that it's an ISDN line that they're testing and they're able to test it.

So I have to wait and see what I can get when the rDSL package is announced....

sutty

The thing you have to remember is that its not as the crow flys, its how the wireing is layed out. Take snaga, he's about 600/700 meters from the exchange in lixlip....

LFCFan

Originally posted by shabbyroad
I'm in Castleknock D.15 and the Exchange is in Blanchardstown - I have no idea where.

The exchange is in the Blanchardstown Centre. Where all the €ircon vans are across from Currys.

BKtje

Will esat also be able to test isdn lines? After seeing the good ping times from esat at my exchange im hoping

LoGiE

Great news that:) I've been waitin for over a month for this to happen. Currently have 3 line goin into house at the mo 1 Pots and ISDN. The POTS line passed no problem so I gather the ISDN will also pass. (All 3 installed at the same time) So now I'm wondering will they disconnect the ISDN when they install the ADSL splittler in the house? (And take away the Eircom Box) or will I still have to wait a couple of weeks with a down graded line till they sort out the ADSL. As ISDN is aimed towards business users working from home it wouldn't do to have people hanging around with their arses in the breeze.

MagicBusDriver

When I had a ISDN line and a PSTN line, the ISDN line when downgraded failed and the PSTN line passed. If you have several lines in your house, some of them may pass and others may fail.

LoGiE

They where told all the lines would be used for Business so hopefully should work.Well won't know untill I ring them tomorrow:) . I'm more concerned with the time it will take to convert an ISDN Line to an ADSL line. Anyone have any experience with this

MagicBusDriver

Well, it takes about a week to change from ISDN to PSTN and 2 weeks to install ADSL

ando

Originally posted by LoGiE
Great news that:) I've been waitin for over a month for this to happen.

good on ya! I've been waiting 2 years :rolleyes:

LoGiE

Originally posted by ando
good on ya! I've been waiting 2 years :rolleyes:

Alllrigghty then....
I was told when I rang for a line test 1 month ago when they tested my POTS line(See post above) that they couldn't test my ISDN line. Now that they can your damn right its goodnews. I don't have to pay a cent to see if it will work on the line used for business purposes.

Thanks MagicBusDriver for the useful comment:)

m1ke

great news,

I rang up and they tested my isdn line and passed it(on the cabra exchange). They said I could order anytime - but i'll hold out for this residential dsl in a few weeks or even better irishbroadband if I can pass an LOS and signal test. Finally a few broadband options after years of waiting.... hopefully at least one of them will come through.

David C

Fail, Fail, Fail.. On Roachestown exchange in S.E. Dublin

Oh well.. maybe the RADSL test will pass when it is launched.
No intention of signing up until UTV come out with a more reasonable DSL resale product anyway!

santalives

Logie, i would suggest getting the DSL on your PSTN line that has already passed, then when dsl is actually installed on it downgrade your ISDN line to an PSTN if you want it as that.

GillyS

I rang up on Tuesday and enquired about getting ADSL, and the girl told me that they would need 2 days to test my ISDN line. Rang back again today and they said the test was 'inconclusive'.
She hadn't got a clue what 'inconclusive' meant (apart from the obvious) .

She then told me to ring back again next Wednesday, when they should be able to give me a 'conclusive' answer. I have a feeling I'll be making lots of calls to Eircom over the next couple of weeks

BTW I'm in the Malahide area.

Gilly

Practical

Me: Hello I was wondering if you could test my line for asdl , I live in Leixlip blah blah blah

Women : Ok could you please wait a moment Sir

3 minutes later.....

Women : Hello , well your line failed Sir

Me: How can that be? I have a nextdoor neighbour who rang up yesterday and passed..

Women: Its your line Sir

Me: Whats wrong with it?

Women: Its your line Sir

vac

Eug if your nextdoor neighbour passed and you failed, it could down to line quality for you, unless your copper takes a different route to his and you're too far from the exchange.

Venom

Rang today to get my ISDN line tested and was told that the line failed but the ports passed. She then told me a diffent test/process was going to be used Starting Monday next and this would extend the distance the user could be from the exchange.

She also told me the cost break down for the various services.

Standard version is €45+vat for 4GB cap.
Solo version comes with a 6GB cap.(Cant remember price).
Business version has a 10GB cap. (Again price slipped my mind).
Enchanced Business Version is €204+vat and is uncapped.

Line rental of €17 is charged as well and these will all be available from 16 April.

Will ring them again on Monday and see what the story is.

LFCFan

Originally posted by Venom
Line rental of €17

More Like €21

Ardmore

Originally posted by Venom
She also told me the cost break down for the various services.

Standard version is €45+vat for 4GB cap.
Solo version comes with a 6GB cap.(Cant remember price).

An interesting way to differentiate the existing Solo product. Especially if, as eircom originally suggested, most Solo users don't even exceed 3G :-)

... and these will all be available from 16 April.

That's a Wednesday. Seems an odd day for a launch (though I suppose it might be counted as 21 working says after the agreement with ComReg.

spongebob

According to the Data Protection Commission Eircom do not have a database in which.

1. They may periodically and at will and uninvited inspect or query the equipment you have on your line. They will not repair your line to international standards if you fail. The information is not gathered and stored to improve their service to their customers.

2. They then classify your line accordingly in a database (unregistered)

3. Said database holds data on your line which can adversely affect your financial position eg

a) If you boss tell you to get DSL for work and you cannot, what then? If you are let go can you sue Eircom who KNEW your line was inadequate by international standards

b) If I make my purchase of your house conditional on a pass and your line fails .....how much do you suffer financially? Me? I'm gone , sale fell through. Eircom knew your line was inadequate.

4. Where is the mechanism where a person may correct erroneous data on this mysterious database, periodicity is no defence in Data protection ?

5. Who else has access to the line test database? The Police ? ISP's ? Telcos ? The Marketing Institute of Ireland ? and Why? and for what purposes ?

6. Finally , if your line is sh1te AND Eircom gather the data for quality purposes ...not because they will go out and fix it...... AND Eircom have it in a database integrated into their billing system then WHY do Eircom not print the result on your next Bill from Eircom , even if only to save you time looking for a pass you will never get , are you not entitled to be told for Quality Puposes ?

Conclusions!

The first person who fails a line test because of the Database will get Compo off Eircom

The first person who failed and then passed has a brilliant case because the data on the database was obviously wrong and they can therefore 'quantify' their loss . Compo

Do it soon (early next week) before Eircom can claim that the line test has been changed.

Eircom were warned about 'proportionality' a month back when the Data Protection Commissioner made a speech in which Telcos were warned about TRAFFIC DATA retention. Theis is QUALITY DATA retention which can tell what/when is hooked to your line. It is intrusive in the wrong hands. The Commissioner had this to say about the responsibility of Telcos

In the ideal world once the bill is paid such data should be deleted though aggregate or annonymised detail can be held. Of course it is personal data and communications whether by post , phone or e-mail are meant to be confidential unless otherwise regulated by law.

Personally I think that a system, testing my line, discovering it to be sh1te, logging said fact and DOING nothing about it is not anonymised, it points a long crooked copper finger at my premises where the line is, and at all who live there.

If Eircom claim that they have changed the line test then they are illegally trawling for customers by increasing the line test pass rate WHILE in a 21 day cooling off period for new products as mandated by Comreg. One email to Comreg and its compo time again, that is a clear Comreg issue

Everyone on an ADSL enabled exchange has a case by the way, if you are not on an ADSL enabled exchange you have no case because they will not have tested your line and logged the data. No Compo, like poooor me..

Don't ring 1901, Biddy thinks that Data Protection is a form of contraceptive and will not discuss it with you. Try 1800512128 instead or any ADSL section number from This page.

M

dahamsta

It's dataprivacy.ie Muck.

Pimp Ninja

Muck I dont understand what youre saying...

If I get it, and I'm sure I dont then..

I am on an enabled exchange.
My line failed, according to biddie yesterday.

I have a data protection case against Eircom????

How is this possible??

Ardmore

Originally posted by Muck
According to the Data Protection Commission Eircom do not have a database in which

It's not your line. It's eircoms line. You only rent it from them. They can have all the databases they like about their own equipment.

spongebob

Originally posted by Pimp Ninja
Muck I dont understand what youre saying...

If I get it, and I'm sure I dont then..

I am on an enabled exchange.
My line failed, according to biddie yesterday.

I have a data protection case against Eircom????

How is this possible??

If you ASKED for a test and THEN failed thats one thing. Most results are already on a special database where the tests are carried out in the dead of night, thats how they can tell you straightaway if your line is OK.

She didnt ask you to get off the line, did she?, so how did she know it was safe to test it?

M

spongebob

Originally posted by Ardmore
It's not your line. It's eircoms line. You only rent it from them. They can have all the databases they like about their own equipment.

God Ardmore!

Of course it is 'your' line...or actually your premises' line .

You'll be saying next that call logging and snooping is legal because every bit and byte that goes across your line is.......using Eircoms Electricity or something , of course Eircom can moniotor their own electricity usage because they pay the bill to the ESB for it.

Haruummpppph

Ardmore

Originally posted by Muck
God Ardmore!

Of course it is 'your' line...or actually your premises' line .

No, it's not. It's eircoms line, terminating in your premises.

You'll be saying next that call logging and snooping is legal because every bit and byte that goes across your line is.......using Eircoms Electricity or something , of course Eircom can moniotor their own electricity usage because they pay the bill to the ESB for it.

Now you're being silly. Call logging and snooping is about your privacy. The quality of the line between your premises and the eircom exchange isn't, by any stretch of the imagination, a privacy issue.

OHP

Originally posted by sutty
As from today Eircom will be able to test your line (ISDN) and if it passes they will downgrade it to PSDN at no extra cost to your-self and actavate the ADSL connection then. Now all you have to do is pass the test.....

Bah! after going from John to Billy to Nora to Dennis then back to Nora and once again back to Dennis I was finally passed to a guy called Mick who said there and then my ISDN line failed the test
but to try again in a few weeks where RADSL might work?.
I just did it for the Craic. Even if it did pass I would still wait for UTV.

OHP

Yes I am totally Anti Eircon

NóMur

I got a similar reply from €ircon as OHP.

Does this mean that on the 11th of April that the parameters for the line test will be changed again?

GillyS

Just to give an update I've been on to Eircom again, now they are saying the test is coming back with 'Combination not recognised' and the reason they said was that my phone number is not linked to my account number in their database. What this has got to do with ADSL I have no idea!

The girl also told me that its taking 4 weeks to test ISDN lines.

Anyhow, they have promised that someone will call me back ASAP.

Gilly

Sticky

I just phoned €ircom and they told me that my line had passed. But they said that they could not offer the 'starter self-install' package to ISDN customers as they would have to send a technician out to me (to take the NT1 off the wall), and that I would have to go for the 'starter' package with it's more expensive connection fee.

I thought this was a bit nuts, given that I could just downgrade to a PSTN and then order the self starter package. I'd have to put up with 2 weeks of PSTN but save about €100.

Then they told me that they could not promise that the line would pass when it was converted to PSTN! Does this make any sense to anyone - it's the same piece of copper wire, why the hell would it not pass?

Anyone takled to them about the same scenario, or have an explanation for this?

spongebob

I fail to see why you cannot remove the NT1 and put an RJ11 box in its place.

Of course....Eircom want to collect it and want your to pay tem to do so . They lost a load to lightning recently.

M

Sticky

I am pretty sure I could do the job of hooking up the local end by myself once they sort out the exchange end. Anyone know what is involved in the 'self-install' option?

LFCFan

Originally posted by Sticky
Anyone know what is involved in the 'self-install' option?

AFAIK, you just plug a splitter into the phone jack and connect up the ADSL modem to your machine.

spongebob

....after they take out the ISDN box and put the phone jack (RJ11 socket) in its place.

its easy to sdo yourself but Eircom won't admit it and want to get their ISDN Network Termination Unit (be it an NT1 or a Highspeed Box) back for re-use.

Ultimately there is a horrible financial implication in the whole business for Eircom, namely that Josephine Punter could easily self install ISDN.

They make easy money from ISDN installations (plugging in an NT1 instead of an RJ11 socket when they could easily run it OUT of the RJ11 socket.....most ISDN installs being an upgrade of an existing analogue line with RJ11 in situ.

The Eircom connection charge is €120 including VAT for 1 hours work including travel.....in a typical case.

M

shabbyroad

AFAIK there is a hefty voltage coming down that ISDN line (more than an analogue line).
Probably why they don't want people cutting those wires.
I'm sure most technically-able folks on the boards would be able to do this without frying themselves or shorting the line but can you imagine some of the muppets out there with a scissors and screwdriver ?

OHP

Originally posted by shabbyroad but can you imagine some of the muppets out there with a scissors and screwdriver ? [/B]

Damn I didnt thing anyone saw me doing it


OHP

APM

Could everyone 'failing' line tests have anything to do with Eircom not wanting too many ppl using ADSL and more continuing (or having no other option than to use dialup). To be it seems like it their last block against everyone moving straight off it.

I live in Raheny and also failed the line test and was suggested insted to get ISDN...........typical.


Any comments on this?

A.M

Horsefumbler

I think yur right. I think its costs them more to run the adsl or something and they can make more money off the isdn. They still send out leaflets to my dad about eircom hi speed (their isdn) but never seem to advertise i-stream. When u think about it isdn is an inferior product that will probably cost u more per month aswel and they're recommending it to you. In this day and age anything other than Broadband is old hat when are they gonna cop this? They go on about isdn as if its the 'latest thing' to happen to the internet. Makes ya sick doesn't it? :rolleyes:

BKtje

Well they can't really send out leaflets with a very high amount of people applying failing now can they? They'd get done for false adverstising or at least in joe soaps head they would.

Not defending them tho cos people shouldnt be failing!