cheap broadband through connection sharing

quozl

I've been wondering why we don't see more of this. People banding together to get one decent
broadband connection and sharing it, and the costs between themselves.

I'm not talking about the end user connections, but those aimed at small offices. Eircoms 1mbit uncapped, 200+ a month, all leaps offerings, the business esat dsl packages.

These are all aimed at (and priced for) an organisation. So setup a small club with your friends and neighbours, and all contribute to the cost of the internet connection. They can be easily distributed via wireless (or if it's your neighbour, cat5). If there's 5 of you sharing a 200euro 1mbit connection, then it's only 40 a month for 1mbit dsl. Obviously if all 5 people are on at once downloading full speed, it'll only be 200kbit, but what are the chances of that. The majority of the time there'll be no more than 1 person downloading.

I know a number of people of DubWAN doing exactly this, but why is it so unusual? Presumably this forums users are the type of people who really want a decent connection, and are willing to go to a bit of effort to get one?

Oh, and I'd love to hear opinions from any representatives of isp's on this forum about this. I can accept that sharing the single user residential packages may be somewhat bold, but business ones are ment to be multi-user

Greg.

quozl

One DubWAN node in saggart has a 1mbit package from leap and is providing broadband to the saggart area. And it's the only way they'd be getting it for a long time to come.

Leap know about this and have been extremely helpful. I'd like to know what Eircom, Esat and IBB's atitude to this would be? I was (pleasantly) surprised at leap supporting this, and I'd like to know where the other isp's stand.

Greg

DSLinAbsentia

I love the idea of community networking but it might be worth checking the fine print on your contracts to make sure that there isn't a clause prohibiting use to one user - the bill payer. Sure, if they don't know they won't know but best to be safe.

Why do you think they don't like you to have modem/router/gateways?

Hey, it'd be one way to get around the exorbitant costs by having friends and neighbours sub you 5-10 euro a month!

Would be interested to learn more about what folks are doing!

Nitrox

This is indeed a good idea, i had the same idea, problem is that yes it is for Business use, but in a Business there is one who is paying and many who are using.
If you read the contract the above is fine, problem is when you start sharing the cost, this is considdered reselling and is not legal with Eircom.
So what you are saying is not in acordance with the contract, but if they do not find out i gues they wont make any fuzz about it.

iwb

First off, I believe many are doing it already and more and more every day. You might be surprised how many have already jumped on the bandwagon.
From a legal/regulatory perspective, once you resell, you are setting yourself up as a service provider. However, there are probably different rules if you belonged to your local broadband association and contributed a monthly or yearly membership. One of the fringe benefits might be a wireless connection to the network which also happens to have a connection to the internet. ComReg would need to be consulted but this might be a good approach.
With the exception of Eircom, I think the providers don't care. I asked EsatBT if they care if I share the connection and without qualification they said (verbally) that it is my connection to do with it as I please. Maybe in writing it would be different but I haven't gotten any further with it so I haven't pursued it.
ComReg told me a while back that they want to make it easier for these types of network to proliferate and are trying to make the licensing issue a non issue for small operators etc.
If I lived in an estate where I had line of sight to many other houses, I would go door to door straight away. Netsource at E60 a month shared ten ways would still give people an always on connection. Most of them would benefit from this hugely even without the super fast download speeds. Maybe it would be upgraded to a faster connection after a while as needs dictate.
iwb.

quozl

Originally posted by Nitrox
[B
If you read the contract the above is fine, problem is when you start sharing the cost, this is considdered reselling and is not legal with Eircom.[/B]

Yep, that's why I suggested setting up a small club with the others, and getting the connection for the organisation. Then you're not reselling the connection, you're just one member of the organisation that has bought the connection. If you're acting as an ISP selling net connects to the public you need a teleo license from comreg. But if you're just buying a net connection for your organisation, then just like any other organisation you won't require a teleco license to let your members/employees use the connect.

Originally posted by DSLinAbsentia
I love the idea of community networking but it might be worth checking the fine print on your contracts to make sure that there isn't a clause prohibiting use to one user - the bill payer. Sure, if they don't know they won't know but best to be safe.

Yep, that's why I'm suggesting doing it with the business packages, which are all multi-user. You're definately breaking your T&C's if you share a residential offering, but like someone mentioned ComReg are I think going to follow the UK's lead on this, and make it a right. Hopefully anyway.

Greg
PS I'm already doing this btw, and I'm pretty confident it's all allowed by my T&C's. My old isp told me it wasnt, so I didn't (IBB), but I've moved to leap (and part of the reason i chose leap over esat was because they have a sensible attitude to this and I didn''t have a clue what Esat's would be)

PPS Anyone in the donnybrook area want to share a 1/2mbit broadband connection

Da Man

I've toyed around with doing connection sharring with a satellite connection, as I can't get ADSL and neither can any of the houses in my vicinity I'm guessing. The thing with satellite is that the fixed costs are high so it's ideal for sharing. Unfortunately they tend to have usage caps so it's far from ideal from that point of view.

If I could get ADSL for €50 a month I don't think I would bother considering sharing the connection with somebody else. Too much work and potential unreliability to be worth it.