Eircom iStream Starter Launched

LFCFan

Originally posted by Muck
256k as far as the DSLAM in your local exchange, contended from there to the rest of the world.

They guarantee it in the sense that the Line Test will not pass you if it senses that your will be unable to sustain at least 256k .

As there will be up to 48 users on the DSLAM, all sharing the single 512k out the back, you could say that you are guaranteed 1/48th of the lowest possible connect speed.

256/48 = 5.33 Kil0BITPerSecond

Guarantees 0.66k KiloBYTE that is , per second, arithmetically of course.

For only €75.65 a month including Line Rental and Vat

Yummy , I'll have loads of that

M

That's grand for the likes of yourself Muck with infinite knowledge of all things techy but for the average Joe Soap in the street when he sees 'guarantees' of 256kb/s then he is going to expect at least 256kb/s at all times. This won't be the case so €ircon can't actually guarantee 256kb/s at all times.

Regnak

Oops,

Nope the Eircom lady didn't say you HAD to buy their modems, I just asked what the 2 they offered were and she gave me the prices. I wasn't sure if they would refuse to help you later if you didn't use their modems, I had a feeling it might be a problem. I was obviously wrong and made an assumption in my earlier post. Sorry !

Looking at the replies to my post it doesn't look like an issue to use your own ADSL modem & that's great and thanks for clearing that up ! I'd like to get an Ethernet / Wireless enabled one for around the house and I can get 'em Much cheaper from Seg etc than from Eircom. So if I go for a self install and get it right at least the initial outlay doesn't have to be too much.

I'd better start clearing my credit card before 11th April !!! I presume they will bind you to a 12 month contract ?

Mike

crawler

1) 256k is the guarnateed speed
2) 48:1 is the contention
3) about 20% seemingly will get the full 512k service - but to be honest they done seem 100% on this
4) May be some issues on "marginal passes"
5) till uses bit interleaving ( bad pings & added latency but better reliability
6) I dont think there is a 12 month contract
7) You can provide you own modem ( netgear internet ADSL gateway is good - also a wireless version ) at a much lower cost
8) The reality is it extends the reach by about 1km over standard DSL
9) RADSL speeds can fluctuate - beware split lines
10) Muck - you really are painting the worst possible case on your old example there

50Cent

hey guys,

I passed the test. I dont know how i did because i live in Cabinteely and didnt hear of an exchange near here. Where can i find out the areas which have gone ahead with the exchange? Also, do you guys think that the service by Eircom istream will be truly not up to scratch? Is there anyway of finding out about speeds certain areas will get? I dont want to get Istream if there only going to give me 256k...that would suck...but i may have to resort to Eircom due to the fact its the only company that can suit where i live

reyner

To Regnak and Muck:

I don't know what is goin on with Eircom people then. I received a call today from one of the internet guys and he told me twice that the modem is part of the package and unfortunately I can't have my own, have to buy either their USB one for €176 or the ethernet one for €242.

So then who the hell is telling the truth here? I can't believe they
are so motherf$*^s that will lie to you just like that. Can anyone share his/her experiences on this matter?

Also said that everything counts towards the cap, even browsing web pages. Is that true?

eth0_

Originally posted by reyner

Also said that everything counts towards the cap, even browsing web pages. Is that true?

Of course it's true. As is checking your email. It all counts as "downloading".

Eircom CANNOT force you to take the hideously overpriced modems they're selling. As someone said previously, comreg forbid this. The only thing about buying your own modem is, they don't guarantee to support it.

That's not to say you can't get the very same modems they're bundling with the radsl much cheaper by yourself.

MagicBusDriver

Muck, Your input is unhelpful in my opinion. I would nearly guarantee contension will not be a issue. Most people will get 512k for the vast majority of the time. Muck, You are making out that it will be slower than a modem. Do you honestly believe that?

dahamsta

I received a call today from one of the internet guys and he told me twice that the modem is part of the package and unfortunately I can't have my own, have to buy either their USB one for €176 or the ethernet one for €242.

I've heard several reports of this too. I'll give you the same advice I gave others: If you didn't get a name, ring them back and get one, then report them directly to ComReg. (This isn't a customer service issue, it's an explicit breach of their regulatory requirements.) If possible, submit the complaint in writing. Something like this should do it:

Dear Comreg,

Recently I enquired about getting DSL from Eircom, and the salesperson, Norm Chuckmeat, told me explicitly on the phone that I was required to purchase a DSL modem from them if I wanted the service. I have been informed on the IrelandOffline forum that this is a breach of Eircom's regulatory requirements and would like to lodge an official complaint against them for this breach. Please confirm receipt of this complaint and I would appreciate if you would keep me informed on the progress of your response on this matter.

Yours sincerely,
Flange Duffhorks

And you can send it to this address:

Commission for Communications Regulation
Block DEF, Abbey Court
Irish Life Centre
Lower Abbey Street
Dublin 1

Go on, it'll only take a couple minutes and a stamp!

adam

Lex_Diamonds

I keep hearing about these wonderful adsl modems that one can get "much cheaper" than what Eircom are offering. Sadly, I cant seem to find one in any of the (irish) online shops I have looked at.

I saw one for 110 euro from Elara which isnt "much cheaper" in my book. Can anyone provide a link?

Many Thanks.

spongebob

Originally posted by reyner
To Regnak and Muck:

I don't know what is goin on with Eircom people then. I received a call today from one of the internet guys and he told me twice that the modem is part of the package and unfortunately I can't have my own, have to buy either their USB one for €176 or the ethernet one for €242.

So then who the hell is telling the truth here? I can't believe they
are so motherf$*^s that will lie to you just like that. Can anyone share his/her experiences on this matter?

Also said that everything counts towards the cap, even browsing web pages. Is that true?

The last bit is true. The cap includes uploads and downloads together.

If Eircom lie to you about having to take their overpriced DSL modem then why should you believe that a Guaranteed 256k product is a 512k product in reality. Complain to Emily the supervisor on 1800512128, her staff are crap and she is responsible for that.

Their misrepresentation is really designed to leave you with a modem which is hard to share rather than an integrated modem/hub/wireless access point/firewall and intrusion detection system which may be purchased for €200-€250 or so, and which can be shared among as many pc's as you like. Have a look at this Page Here to see the choice available around the €150 mark once you include VAT .

This gizmo Here is well worth the €280 or so it can be bought for. Eircom would have a canary if ADSL users realised that these things can be set p in 5 minutes by not very technical people. Their own yoke would take as long to set up anyway.

Complain to Comreg, its important that Comreg know that Eircom are selling teh product before the 11th of April when they are allowed to do so. Their own resellers such as Via are not allowed to order the thing yet. Eircom were directed to allow consumers choose their own equipment (DSL Modem) last September.

Eircom carefuly chose the words "Up To 512k" for their PR material and as Crawler said some 20% will get it anyway, probably more than 50%. in reality. They will all share one measly 512k pipe out the back ....irrespective of whether it is 256 or 512.

My figures pointed out what happens at the outer edge of the contention ratio of 48 users sharing one 512k pipe.

M

exiztone

Hmmm, just curious, this is an always on product right?
Hence although with that disgusting cap I can use it hassle free peak and off-peak and get decent pings for my games?
The price is quite steep, but compared to what I have now, I'd almost consider it, I'll wait untill the summer to see what other people bring out first though.
I'd have to move back to Eircom if I got this though right? May not be worth the hassle hahah.

Dasilva94

Try www.komplett.ie
they seem to have a good number of DSL modems/routers.

echomadman

whaddaya know, one of my lines passed the online test

now to wait for someone else to offer DSL in this backwater burg.
I'll be deep in the cold cold grave before i give another penny to the rat that i dont absolutely have to.

OHP

This is just an idea. But could there be a thread set up as a sticky for people all over Ireland that have had their lines tested and passed or tested and failed Eircon's ADSL / RADSL line test and to also say what area they are in? Or maybe even broaden that idea to include other details?



OHP

spongebob

they wont test you if your exchange is not enabled.

if your exchange is enabled and you fail, complain to Comreg....forcefully.

bk

Originally posted by Lex_Diamonds
I keep hearing about these wonderful adsl modems that one can get "much cheaper" than what Eircom are offering. Sadly, I cant seem to find one in any of the (irish) online shops I have looked at.

I saw one for 110 euro from Elara which isnt "much cheaper" in my book. Can anyone provide a link?

Many Thanks.

Lots on www.amazon.co.uk here are a few examples:

Dynamode PCI ADSL Modem - £29.99 - EUR 43.8403 - Cheap Internal PCI Modem

D Link DSL-200 ADSL USB Modem - £54.99 - EUR 80.3924 - Equivalent to Eircoms EUR 145 USB Modem

D-Link ADSL Ethernet Modem - £69.49 - EUR 101.584 - Equivalent to Eircoms EUR 242 Ethernet Modem !!

D Link DSL-504 ADSL Remote Router with 4 Port Switch - £99.49 - EUR 145 - Excellent ADSL modem with 4 port 10/100 router and firewall, way better then anything Eircom offer.

Unfortunately Amazon don't yet have the excellent looking D-Link DSL-604 Plus Wireless ADSL Router that Muck pointed out.

BTW delivery from Amazon to Ireland is - £3.94 - EUR5.76

Lots of DSL modem reviews and where to get them can be found at http://www.adslguide.org.uk/hardware/reviews/

Woden

i have to say i don't see peoples problem with paying line rental on top of the adsl pricing, as in most peoples case they have a phone line already which they are using for phone calls and they still pay line rental, the adsl is a service on top of this, i'd say the amount of people getting a phone line in just for broadband is small.

Piliger

Originally posted by dahamsta

Done and sent.

The actually extremely pleasant Margaret was the one who told me this today.

Lex_Diamonds

I thought the cap was only for data downloaded. Well, if its for both then its pointless getting it, sharing on p2p programmes will NUKE the cap.

Frank Grimes

Originally posted by Lex_Diamonds
I thought the cap was only for data downloaded. Well, if its for both then its pointless getting it, sharing on p2p programmes will NUKE the cap.

Well, according to their site it is,

eircom i-stream starter self-install
For a single user, on a single computer

The product has both a USB or Ethernet option
Speeds 512Kbps downstream/128Kbps upstream*
Connection fee is 81.81 excl. VAT - Monthly fee is 45 excl. VAT
Additional equipment required ADSL USB modem 120 excl. VAT or ADSL Ethernet modem 200 excl. VAT.
The monthly download allowance is 4GB**

**eircom reserves the right to charge 3c ex VAT per MB for material downloaded over and above the stated monthly allowance.

Nitrox

And you can send it to this address:

Commission for Communications Regulation
Block DEF, Abbey Court
Irish Life Centre
Lower Abbey Street
Dublin 1

Go on, it'll only take a couple minutes and a stamp!

adam [/B][/QUOTE]

If the above is the address of COMREG it means that me living in IFSC 5 min. walking away from COMREG still according to Eircon can not avail from RADSL? I wonder if COMREG even have more than 56K
With all the stuf the Americans bring to war i am sure Bagdad will soon have better access to the internet than Dublin, how is that for progress.... :mad:

LFCFan

have you heard the latest ad on the radio for €ircons broadband. It is directed at businesses but mentions the 'half price' product as a business solution. Also, they are not allowed to sell this service until the 11th of April. Surely this ad goes against all sorts of advertising standards?

Woden

i wouldn't say so its kinda like a preview as to whats to come, going by your logic you wouldn't be able to advertise a film until it was released.

MarVeL

I could be wrong but I thought the ad did mention available from April 11th. Not sure if that gives them an out though my legal studies were a long time ago :-)

LFCFan

what I was really trying to say was, they can't advertise it as a business product because what business could use a 48:1/4 GB Download limit product?

Woden

theres no reason it couldn't be a business product, depends on the business size i suppose, but wasn't eircom's typical business product only on a 1mb connection?

andrew163

i no everyones probably already finished talkin about this...but...

theres a fairly-average-prices set of adsl modems and routers available at marx computers (click the logo, then click Modems)

and they all say "Suitable for eircom ADSL line" beside them.

they also have excellent customer service.:)

Wanton

Hey, in carlow town, a big college town and no use at all inregards when its out here!

Piliger

Originally posted by dahamsta


I've heard several reports of this too. I'll give you the same advice I gave others: If you didn't get a name, ring them back and get one, then report them directly to ComReg. (This isn't a customer service issue, it's an explicit breach of their regulatory requirements.) If possible, submit the complaint in writing.

Can you clarify this ? Someone on ie.comp says this is simply not true and that it is nothng to do with COMREG !

Is there a reference on the COMREG site ? is this a competition authority issue instead ?

is there anything we can use when Eircom demand we use their modem ?

Ro

Originally posted by Muck
Eircom carefuly chose the words "Up To 512k" for their PR material and as Crawler said some 20% will get it anyway, probably more than 50%. in reality. They will all share one measly 512k pipe out the back ....irrespective of whether it is 256 or 512.

Is that true Muck or is it an example? I can't understand the logic of installing an ATM connection if it's only 512k. Do they have different PVCs for each of the products?

Contention ratios won't work if an exchange has 48 users and there is only a 512k pipe for all of them. There needs to be a 2Mb or 4Mb pipe before the contention doesn't interfere with the end user. I don't understand the logic of only installing a 512k line at this stage either as there isn't much of a cost saving to Eircom if they install an E1 or an E3 - they own the cable.