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WISPs, Contention Ratio

  • 04-06-2020 3:04pm
    #1
    daraghwal
    Registered Users Posts: 944 ✭✭✭


    Has anyone here experience with WISPs Aptus Broadband (specifically their new 50 or 100Mb plans (are they actually providing near that speed close to that?) or Rocket Broadband?

    Also is 12:1 a good contention ratio for broadband?


Comments

  • #2
    Marlow
    Registered Users Posts: 14,555 ✭✭✭✭Marlow


    Eircom DSL used to be 48:1 for residential and 24:1 for business. They don't publish their contention ratios anymore.

    12:1 is a pretty good contention ratio.

    Any provider, that actually provides you with figures for their contention ratio, is at least upfront.

    /M


  • #3
    daraghwal
    Registered Users Posts: 944 ✭✭✭daraghwal


    Marlow wrote: »
    Eircom DSL used to be 48:1 for residential and 24:1 for business. They don't publish their contention ratios anymore.

    12:1 is a pretty good contention ratio.

    Any provider, that actually provides you with figures for their contention ratio, is at least upfront.

    /M

    I was surprised that both providers said straight away the contention ration is 12:1 on the phone and didn't have to get back to me etc. The wait time for an install from Aptus is 4-5 weeks but don't have a need for perfect broadband until college in September so hopefully they can get sorted. I'm finding it really hard to get reviews of Aptus but see only good things on their facebook and no news is good news I suppose!


  • #4
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,163 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Lets say its 150Mb sector, and your package is 50Mb. Thats 3 blocks at 12 users, 36 users for a full sector? Come off it.

    12:1 is probably on a CDR of 3 or 4Mbps. Not 50.

    What Eir/VFs is doesnt really matter as you don't tend to see much/any congestion at the access level on NGA/NGB (there are expections).


  • #5
    Marlow
    Registered Users Posts: 14,555 ✭✭✭✭Marlow


    ED E wrote: »
    Lets say its 150Mb sector, and your package is 50Mb. Thats 3 blocks at 12 users, 36 users for a full sector?

    Aptus is Cambrium, so the hardware is decent enough. All down to contention management and backhaul.

    Dunno about Rocket.

    36 users on a full sector is a high number. Most realistic operators would calculate with less depending on platform and obviously bandwidth provided by sector. Especially with the saturation we are seeing currently.

    I have no idea of the actual service levels of either provider though.
    ED E wrote: »
    What Eir/VFs is doesnt really matter as you don't tend to see much/any congestion at the access level on NGA/NGB (there are expections)

    There is such a high number of congested exchanges now, that OpenEIR now sends the operators regular congestion reports, matter of fact. Yes, the scale is easier to manage and the impact may not be as severe, when it happens, as it splits over much larger numbers. But it's not uncongested .. not by a mile.

    /M


  • #6
    daraghwal
    Registered Users Posts: 944 ✭✭✭daraghwal


    I was talking to someone on Rocket yesterday. They are on the 50Mb plan and consistently get 35-40. I might try aptus first anyway because rocket were pretty hesitant when I asked them about peak speeds etc.

    I cleared some trees yesterday and that has got my current provider (15/2) back up and running. It's pretty slow at peak times 3-4Mb but I tested at 6.30am this morning.

    I'm 8.9km from current mast and 10.1 from rocket/aptus mast location with clear line of sight after cutting trees to all masts from the chimney


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  • #7
    daraghwal
    Registered Users Posts: 944 ✭✭✭daraghwal


    I did a bit of digging on both. Turns out they both use Cambium. Cambium used rocket as an example of their network back in 2015

    I also found this info

    https://www.peeringdb.com/net/20197
    https://www.peeringdb.com/net/10029

    but have no idea how to interpret or know if it is in any way useful. I am trying to choose between Aptus and Rocket. Aptus say I am in a 100Mb area for them, while Rocket say they'll be able to offer me about 30-40Mb down (neighbour confirmed this is the speed they usually get). Both say a contention ratio of 12:1. As far as I know, both have a mast 10.1 km from me with direct line of sight from my chimney (masts on top of Sliabh bhui). Aptus are currently taking 4-5 weeks to get out to new customers to see if they can install (not an issue for me, only need better speeds by September) and it appears to be a 'it either works or it does not' black and white situation when it comes to installation but I am skeptical. Do they define a speed of 30Mb down on a 100Mb plan at my house as 'it works, let's install?'

    Would I be better off going with Aptus due to it being less popular? I know their service wasn't good a few years ago but technology has improved since then and they hadn't got the plans they have now. Surely they wouldn't have those plans if they didn't have pretty decent capacity and backhaul etc. to provide them.
    A very crude measurement of popularity, but Aptus have 2000 likes on facebook with Skytel/Rocket Broadband having nearly 8000.

    I can't find much reviews from either company recently but both are getting very positive feedback on their respective facebook pages.


  • #8
    Marlow
    Registered Users Posts: 14,555 ✭✭✭✭Marlow


    PeeringDB is a portal for the providers to identify, how they can interconnect with other providers and networks.

    It won't tell a consumer much about their network.

    /M


  • #9
    daraghwal
    Registered Users Posts: 944 ✭✭✭daraghwal


    Marlow wrote: »
    PeeringDB is a portal for the providers to identify, how they can interconnect with other providers and networks.

    It won't tell a consumer much about their network.

    /M

    Thanks. Does distance matter much for WISPs? I know line of sight is essential but does distance of e.g. 6km from mast compared to 10km have much of an effect on the subscriber?


  • #10
    Marlow
    Registered Users Posts: 14,555 ✭✭✭✭Marlow


    daraghwal wrote: »
    Thanks. Does distance matter much for WISPs? I know line of sight is essential but does distance of e.g. 6km from mast compared to 10km have much of an effect on the subscriber?

    Yes, it can. The longer the distance, it'll become less likely to get the faster packages.

    I know, that Airwire only do 100 Mbit/s up to 5km and 50 Mbit/s up to 10km. If it's more than 10km, you can't get the Jet service. Their older fixed wireless platform will do 20 km though, but you'd be at 10 Mbit/s max at that point.

    I'm not sure, how Cambrium performs with those distances in mind.

    /M


  • #11
    daraghwal
    Registered Users Posts: 944 ✭✭✭daraghwal


    I had a failed install for imagine last week due to trees that I have now removed. The trees really couldn't be any more in the way and I have clear line of sight now. Is there a way of predicting what imagine would be able to give me or would I be better off asking in the imagine thread what people 10km from mast are getting (max speeds off-peak, I know congestion varies from mast to mast etc.)? Would their technology differ a lot from Aptus/Rocket or be better at 10km distance?

    I'm sorry for obsessing over which provider to choose but the amount of time I have spent trying to get decent broadband is ridiculous. I am willing to pay install fees etc. for good service but need to find out as best I can which one to actually bite the bullet for and get installed.


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  • #12
    Slates
    Registered Users Posts: 334 ✭✭Slates


    daraghwal wrote: »
    Has anyone here experience with WISPs Aptus Broadband (specifically their new 50 or 100Mb plans (are they actually providing near that speed close to that?) or Rocket Broadband?

    Also is 12:1 a good contention ratio for broadband?

    I am with Aptus for over 5 years and could not recommend them highly enough. I'm on the 50 mb package and have been working from home all the way through Covid without any issues


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