UTVip Usage?

dahamsta

Out of curiousity, how are people are using UTVip's service? Do you find yourself slipping back into the perma-connections of "NoLimits" days, or are you behaving yourselves? I don't think there's a need to be coy about this, if you're doing it they're gonna know anyway, so...

Me, I was very careful my first month, just in case, but I find that even now I don't bother leaving it connected unless I'm downloading something. And I have to confess that my decision to perma-connect to NoLimits befuddles me now. It didn't really achieve anything, bar notifying me when new mail comes in. I guess I'm a weenchy bit more patient these days!

It could be because I have more respect for UTV than I had for EsatBT I guess, but I think I'm far too shallow for that.

adam

PiE

Using UTV since... hmm, September I think. Was very careful for the first one or two months, watched the timer every day etc. Can't be arsed checking it anymore and I think I've gone over 150hrs twice since then, but not by much.

Pretty sure I've gone over it already this month too :f

Valentia

Don't even think about it anymore. I get the odd dart and put the phone on call divert over the weekend when I want a few tunes. I wonder would it be different if I was doenloading at 512. I'll have to wait (a long time) to see.

pete

I don't really think about it in terms of "behaving" myself, and I don't see what's to be coy about - if i choose to go over 150 hours a month (and I usually do), then I pay for it.

That's the deal I signed up for, and that's the way it is - 150 hours of off peak access. Any excess and UTV get more cash from me.

Everyone's a winner.

NoLimits on the other hand was sold on the basis that it had "no limits"...... but we don't need to revisit that little debate, do we?

bizmark

well i have esats 125 hour package and i use that plus maybe 30 more hours every month for the last 5 months (or so) and all i do is pay a extra 20 euro every 2 months in per min charges

not sure if its the same in utv

dahamsta

I don't really think about it in terms of "behaving" myself, and I don't see what's to be coy about - if i choose to go over 150 hours a month (and I usually do), then I pay for it.

Fair point. I guess I meant that I wonder if people are actively trying to push their connections out to that limit, or couldn't give a toss. From experience here, some people expend an enormous amount of energy getting what they "deserve". I couldn't give a toss really.

adam

c0y0te

I did the UTVIP "Lite" option, of only 30 hours off peak usage per month and its grand.

I used to have a cable 256K connection 24/7 (until Chorus took over cablenet and f**ked it!), and I'm waiting on either DSL or cable to become available from ANYONE BUT EIRCON in my area before changing off UTVIP.

Have to say its a grand option for only 10.99 a month, and I don't worry about largish MS Updates / Anti-Virus downloads any more since I can leave it running knowing I won't pay more than the 10.99

c0y0te

sceptre

Still on NoLimits so pretty OT for this discussion (hopefully a mod won't slap me) but I do use it well over 150 hours (or 75 for that matter). I have my timer permanently in the bottom right of the screen so I know exactly how much time I'm using each month. It wouldn't be a question of me using what I "deserve" but I'd be more restrained on UTV if I had it (partly because they've been open with the limit/allowance and partly because they've been very fair with all of us from the beginning)

Mr. Fancypants

Wouldnt go near the 150hrs to be honest. I am closer to 100 hours a month on average, certainly dont feel the need to check the timer at any stage but its nice not to have to worry about phone bills etc.

dahamsta

Still on NoLimits so pretty OT for this discussion (hopefully a mod won't slap me)

<dahamsta slaps sceptre with a rolled-up newspaper>

I'd be more restrained on UTV if I had it (partly because they've been open with the limit/allowance and partly because they've been very fair with all of us from the beginning)

Ok, follow-up question: That's a noble sentiment, but will it make a difference to UTV in the wider marketplace? That is, they'll probably get a lot of respect from us, but will the mainstream really care? Yes, they should, but will they? And what does UTV have to do to get their philosophy out to the mainstream? And should they!

(I feel like I'm doing the Monty Python sketch now. TWO QUESTIONS! THREE QUESTIONS!)

adam

gandalf

As I was never on no limits I can't comment on leaving the connection open all the time. Since UTVip I have been able to connect when I want to offpeak without worrying about the cost as I know what it is. Therefore its taken the grief out of my internet use.

I can't wait for the FRIACO product or DSL from UTV. The customer service even when they are having technical issues is an example to alot of other companies in Ireland, keep up the good work lads (and lassies!).

Gandalf.

Jorinn

I go a bit over the limit, I actively use 150 hours pretty easily on my own, of course others in my house also use it, I don't even download much, it's motsly web-games, IRC and browsing with the odd 10-50 meg update download. MP3's I don't even bother downloading except something I'm finding hard to get or isn't released over here..

ButcherOfNog

During October 2002 you spent 149 hours 40 minutes on UTVip
During November 2002 you spent 174 hours 38 minutes on UTVip
During December 2002 you spent 252 hours 34 minutes on UTVip
During January 2003 you spent 203 hours 40 minutes on UTVip
During February 2003 you spent 133 hours 10 minutes on UTVip

dum de dum *cough*

ando

I spend a lot less time on utvip than I originally taught I would. 80 or 90 hours a month :rolleyes:

oscarBravo

Without bothering to look it up now, I've drifted fairly close to the 150 hours most months (except the couple of weeks out of the country in February).

I don't bother too much about it. I certainly don't have a timer running. I log on most evenings, spend an hour or two keeping an eye on some stuff. Weekends I occasionally leave it on overnight for things like a Debian upgrade or big download. On very rare occasions I forget to disconnect so I have Debby set up to automatically hang up at 7am on weekday mornings.

Tell you what though, it's sheer luxury not having to worry too much about what online time is costing. Roll on true FRIACO, and where's me feckin wireless broadband??

hamster

Well... I come close to the 150 hour limit. I normally use the ISDN I have for it but sometimes the line is noisely (even though EirCON say it' fine... despite the fact I hear a 'tick' on it every 10 secs or so...) so I use an anologue 56k modem for the rest of the time.

I really appreciate UTVip solution to the problem since I like to visit and spend some time on many sites like this for example. When wouldn't be possible under a crazy per second billing system. When on-line I tend to make sure I'm using the time to do a download like an .mp3 or a redhat update. In the meantime I can read and write on-line knowing that I'm not wasting any time.

I come close to the 150 Hr limit every month but I make sure I don't exceed it. I use logtime and DUMeter. DUMeter is handy as you can export your times to a spreadsheet afterwards.

Calibos

Originally posted by ButcherOfNog
During October 2002 you spent 149 hours 40 minutes on UTVip
During November 2002 you spent 174 hours 38 minutes on UTVip
During December 2002 you spent 252 hours 34 minutes on UTVip
During January 2003 you spent 203 hours 40 minutes on UTVip
During February 2003 you spent 133 hours 10 minutes on UTVip

dum de dum *cough*

How did you get hold of my usage figures ButcherofNog??:D

Mine are around the same as Butchers.

I'm averaging about €70/m with UTV. Thats €140 + €80 line rental bi-monthly = €220. Compare that to the €400-€500!!/bill I was paying Eircon!!

sceptre

Originally posted by dahamsta
Ok, follow-up question: That's a noble sentiment, but will it make a difference to UTV in the wider marketplace? That is, they'll probably get a lot of respect from us, but will the mainstream really care? Yes, they should, but will they? And what does UTV have to do to get their philosophy out to the mainstream? And should they!

Ultimately, I fear it won't make much difference in the marketplace. UTV will themselves be aware that it's a lot easier to lose one customer (actually more than one - all their friends as well) if service is bad than to gain another if service is excellent. I'm sure any UTV customers who frequent boards are well aware of the good reputation they've made for themselves and are probably getting the word out. It's pretty hard to convince friends that one service is better than another based on experience of CS and a particular company actually giving a damn if the products are the same (which at the moment, obviously they're not). What can UTV do to get their philosophy out to the mainstream? If I knew that I'd probably be starting my own company in the morning. Given that from everything I've seen they actually do give a damn about the customer, I wish I knew as they're one of the few companies I've seen that I'd let in on my little secret if I had it.

mike65

I've been on UTVip since they kicked off. As I write this
I've clocked up 98 hrs 28 mins and 36 secs this month
I usually have a good 35-40 hours left over at the end of each month. Pity it can't be added up and "given" to me as a free month every six months or so

Mike.

dahamsta

Well said sceptre. I don't know if UTV will use their CS reputation as a sales pitch, but if there's one company that should succeed with it if they try, it's UTV. If they ever want a reference from an arrogant, loudmouthed ex-IrelandOffline PRO, I'd be only too delighted to shout it at them from Cork.

adam

andrew163

ive been with utvip since about last october and as far as i know, the highest I've gone is about 110 hours (average about 80-100 hours), mostly for online gaming and downloading oerating systems......not much i know but if i did that on NoLimits (which I was using until I got utv), they'd send out a sales rep to hit me with a special wooden stick.....and then send a snotty letter.......

i know lots of people have probably said this before, but ill say it again anyway: if anyone here is considering getting utv, get it now.

El_MUERkO

During October 2002 you spent 94 hours 50 minutes on UTVip
During November 2002 you spent 127 hours 18 minutes on UTVip
During December 2002 you spent 52 hours 17 minutes on UTVip (they lost half my bill )
During January 2003 you spent 168 hours 31 minutes on UTVip
During February 2003 you spent 181 hours 31 minutes on UTVip

Got Neocron (MMORPG) in january and went a bit nuts

Raskolnikov

My experience with UVTip closely mirrors that of ButcherOfNog's, for the first month or two I was sure to log the times and get exactly ( or as close as I could ) 150 hours. Recently though, I've found myself only using 80-120 hours a month. So now I've found myself completely free from time constraints I can go online whenever I feel like it, secure in the knowledge that I'm only going to get charged €30 for it.

My only real peev ( and I am really scraping the barrel with this one ) is that I'm only getting a slightly smaller saving on my telephone bill as opposed to the bills I used to get from Eircon.

OHP

I've not gone over the 150hr limit (at home) as of yet btbh I really dont mind if I do. The call costs are still cheaper than Eircon. The savings that I made on my phone bill's alone since joining UTV in Sept managed to buy me a nice new outboard engine for my boat. (but dont tell the wife ok)


OHP

corkie

Well my first month of usage is nearly up 23:30 on the 31st may at the time of writing. I have aprox 4 to 6 hours of surf timing un used of the 150.

Can not give if exact figures because there was one or two times I connect during the day leaving my timer running.

And may not have had the timer runnning during off peak hours.

Got the phoneline reconnect to eircom on 19th April.
Switch to UTVip on 30th April.

First and only bill from eircom for Internet calls came to
EUR 20 (excluding vat) for approx 22 hours of calls.
( 3 hours of day time usage).

Finding the service on utvip to be good with the odd disconnection.

As with the other post, I don't see the problem of going over the 150 hours, if i do I will pay for it.

Until we got the letter from esat noboby knew that we should have been watching how long we stayed connected or that it was a limited service.

Best regards.
John.
P.S. Now that I am back online, If I can be of assistance to Irelandoffline in Cork. Please let me know.

Creamy Goodness

that timer thingy would be awful handy for me where might i get one?

corkie

Thanks for asking I was using an old version of ISPTIMER


Just download the newer version for next month.

Have to go offline now and install the new one.

Best regards,
J