Which Provider? What Type Of Broadband? Broadband In My Area? !!POST HERE ONLY!!

roast · 16-05-2011 4:06am

sirreally wrote: »

Is there a general consensus on which company provides the best home broadband service? Work will be paying for it, so cost is not an issue. I live in city centre Dublin so I think I can access any service.

The main features I'm looking for are:
Speed

Reliability

Will be sharing wi-fi access so not mobile broadband

Reasonable download limits (can't imagine needing > 100Gb per month)

Not interested in bundling with phone or TV services, don't want line rental charges

Half-decent customer service

A friend of mine is an agent for UPC and Imagine, so I'll put the business through him if one of their packages is up there with the best of them.

Many thanks!

UPC. 100mb is the fastest package they provide. 500GB usage limit.

It ticks all your requirements, bar the "line rental". Theres no line rental with UPC, but there is a standalone charge if you don't take the phone or TV with it.
The only broadband services that don't have any kind of line rental or standalone charge would be fixed wireless, mobile midband or satellite. And all of those dont tick your boxes.

Some may say that UPC's customer service is shoddy..... I, on the other hand, haven't had any problems with them at all.

wicklow newbie · 18-05-2011 7:38pm

Hi people. Moving house in 2 weeks. location is 2.5 miles outside Wicklow town. The brother currently lives there, has broadband from eircom that takes 20 mins to download a you tube video. What is my solution to getting decent speeds when I move?

Timmaay · 04-06-2011 9:58pm

I'm 4 miles south of wicklow town, and was on IFA telcom and broadband for the last yr or so. They were ok, but anytime the phone line went down it took forever for eircom to come out and fix it, so we decided to switch back to eircom. Now a month later I am sick of the rubbish almost dialup speed that I am getting. Time to switch over to someone else again, who I don't know to be honest!

nicbel76 · 05-06-2011 10:36pm

Hi guys, im in the process of moving to Harcourt green in Charlemont street (Dublin 2) and desperately need to get a decent broadband (at least 8 mb)

As UPC is not available and i'm still not sure if there's an active phone line in the apt i'd be really grateful in anyone leaving around there could give me some tip on what's the best option to go for between Eircom, Digiweb, Magnet or Vodafone?

As i skype and watch a lot of sport in streaming is the Digiweb Metro Home plan wireless a reliable sevice?

roast · 06-06-2011 3:42pm

wicklow newbie wrote: »

Hi people. Moving house in 2 weeks. location is 2.5 miles outside Wicklow town. The brother currently lives there, has broadband from eircom that takes 20 mins to download a you tube video. What is my solution to getting decent speeds when I move?

At 2.5 miles, DSL broadband (through the phone line) is going to be slow. Maximum 3mb or so. You could check into the possibility of local Fixed Wireless suppliers. Other options would be Satellite or mobile midband, but these kind of things are slow and infuriating.

Timmaay wrote: »

I'm 4 miles south of wicklow town, and was on IFA telcom and broadband for the last yr or so. They were ok, but anytime the phone line went down it took forever for eircom to come out and fix it, so we decided to switch back to eircom. Now a month later I am sick of the rubbish almost dialup speed that I am getting. Time to switch over to someone else again, who I don't know to be honest!

What package are you on, and what speeds are you getting? Like I said to wicklownewbie, check to see if there are local fixed wireless suppliers in the area.

nicbel76 wrote: »

Hi guys, im in the process of moving to Harcourt green in Charlemont street (Dublin 2) and desperately need to get a decent broadband (at least 8 mb)

As UPC is not available and i'm still not sure if there's an active phone line in the apt i'd be really grateful in anyone leaving around there could give me some tip on what's the best option to go for between Eircom, Digiweb, Magnet or Vodafone?

As i skype and watch a lot of sport in streaming is the Digiweb Metro Home plan wireless a reliable sevice?

My first recommendation would be Magnet, then Vodafone, then Digiweb. Ignore Eircom. Those providers might be able to give you a lovely LLU connection. Also, try find out how close the apt. is to the local exchange. Depending on how close you are to it, you could get anywhere up to 24Mb over DSL.

nicbel76 · 06-06-2011 10:57pm

roast wrote: »

My first recommendation would be Magnet, then Vodafone, then Digiweb. Ignore Eircom. Those providers might be able to give you a lovely LLU connection. Also, try find out how close the apt. is to the local exchange. Depending on how close you are to it, you could get anywhere up to 24Mb over DSL.

Thanks a lot for your reply roast. Can i just ask if yours is a general rating on providers or it is specifically referred to the service in the Charlemont street area? many tnx

roast · 07-06-2011 3:17am

nicbel76 wrote: »

Thanks a lot for your reply roast. Can i just ask if yours is a general rating on providers or it is specifically referred to the service in the Charlemont street area? many tnx

General suggestions, to be honest. I've never been there in my life.

bradlente · 08-06-2011 11:21am

Hello everyone,Living on the outskirts of Wexford Town,At the foot of a mountain:eek:

From here it seems my only option is Eircom,I want a good sized download allowance though which is expensive with them.I've tried 3 mobile and vodafone so far but their unavailable.upc dosn't roll out here either.

I came across this site- http://www.rocketbroadband.ie/index.php?id=4
They look like good value but I'm just wondering if anyones had any experience with them?gna give them a ring now.

kerash · 08-06-2011 9:21pm

With 02 Hotshot Billpay with 15gig allowance. We've gone over the limit each month, probably because there are 2 users ( went over by 3gbs this month cost €60.) So 15gb isn't enough for us. I don't have a landline and would prefer not to get one. Something with unlimited download/fair usage.
Recommendations please?

seanbmc · 09-06-2011 2:18pm

What's with Eircom broadband speeds in Rush? My dad only ever gets about 1mb/s and Eircom said they can never do anything about it. Something to do with the line going somewhere else first :mad:

roast · 09-06-2011 2:39pm

bradlente wrote: »

Hello everyone,Living on the outskirts of Wexford Town,At the foot of a mountain:eek:

From here it seems my only option is Eircom,I want a good sized download allowance though which is expensive with them.I've tried 3 mobile and vodafone so far but their unavailable.upc dosn't roll out here either.

I came across this site- http://www.rocketbroadband.ie/index.php?id=4
They look like good value but I'm just wondering if anyones had any experience with them?gna give them a ring now.

Haven't had rocket broadband, I know very little about them, except for that they supply WiMax.
You could check with other DSL suppliers, such as Vodafone, Magnet etc. They would be reselling Eircoms lines, but they may have different download caps.

kerash wrote: »

With 02 Hotshot Billpay with 15gig allowance. We've gone over the limit each month, probably because there are 2 users ( went over by 3gbs this month cost €60.) So 15gb isn't enough for us. I don't have a landline and would prefer not to get one. Something with unlimited download/fair usage.
Recommendations please?

Unlimited download/dont want a landline..... not a combination that's going to work. Why don't you want a landline? Where are you based? Can you get UPC? Only other options would be fixed wireless, or midband satellite, all of which won't give you a decent usage cap.

seanbmc wrote: »

What's with Eircom broadband speeds in Rush? My dad only ever gets about 1mb/s and Eircom said they can never do anything about it. Something to do with the line going somewhere else first :mad:

How far from the town are you? Can you post your line stats, and we can have a gander?

kerash · 09-06-2011 5:44pm

roast wrote: »

Unlimited download/dont want a landline..... not a combination that's going to work. Why don't you want a landline? Where are you based? Can you get UPC? Only other options would be fixed wireless, or midband satellite, all of which won't give you a decent usage cap.

Doesn't have to be unlimited 25gb+ would be great. I don't want to add extra costs of having a landline installed and paying line rental every month + I'm unsure of how long we'll be living at this address and don't want the owner stuck with a landline they don't want!
We can get UPC in Rathfarnham afaik.

roast · 09-06-2011 6:28pm

kerash wrote: »

Doesn't have to be unlimited 25gb+ would be great. I don't want to add extra costs of having a landline installed and paying line rental every month + I'm unsure of how long we'll be living at this address and don't want the owner stuck with a landline they don't want!
We can get UPC in Rathfarnham afaik.

Then get UPC. Sufficient download caps for what you need, excellent speeds, and no line rental. If you sign up, you do so for a 12 month contract, but you can switch the service to another address if you move. If the new address has UPC availible, sorted, if not, then your contract is cancelled without penalty. Just call them to ensure that you can get it.

D'Peoples Voice · 10-06-2011 6:36pm

nicbel76 wrote: »

As i skype and watch a lot of sport in streaming is the Digiweb Metro Home plan wireless a reliable sevice?

the parents have this, and never have a problem with it, including with skype.
Okay the 5-year contract thing is a bitch, and the high initial installation costs or deposit, call it what you will,
but paying EUR 7.50 per month for a 2MB internet is grand (okay you pay it annually so EUR 90 per year).
But it is a hell of a lot cheaper than UPC's cheapest package.
http://www.digiweb.ie/home/broadband/metro/budget/index.html
If you want it for email and general internet browsing its perfect, including for youtube.

extra-ordinary_ · 14-06-2011 4:24pm

Hi...moved to Kimmage, no UPC...what's my best and cheapest option for broadband? Be using from home, so home or mobile is an option. I need 20GB a month and was hoping for 6 month or less contract. Any suggestions?

Elmidena · 14-06-2011 4:32pm

bradlente wrote: »

Hello everyone,Living on the outskirts of Wexford Town,At the foot of a mountain:eek:

From here it seems my only option is Eircom,I want a good sized download allowance though which is expensive with them.I've tried 3 mobile and vodafone so far but their unavailable.upc dosn't roll out here either.

I came across this site- http://www.rocketbroadband.ie/index.php?id=4
They look like good value but I'm just wondering if anyones had any experience with them?gna give them a ring now.

www.permanet.ie absolutely fantastic service! Ping around 29ms or so, no jitter, dl speeds depend on the package you go for but all reasonably priced imo. can get phone with them as well with free local+national irish calls and free uk landline calls. Deffo recommend them, very fast to come out to you as well!

extra-ordinary_ · 15-06-2011 3:11pm

Anyone?

It seems if you don't have the UPC option you're screwed.

Tried the vodafone and o2 mobile prepay but reached the download limit in a week. There's a phone line in the apartment though disconnected and I don't know who it was previously with. I need 20GB download a month. I don't mind signing a 12 month contract. Was going to go with 3 but now I'm after reading terrible reviews.

I'm hoping to get 20GB download a month with average speed for under €30.

Does anyone know if this is possible?

EDIT: Now I'm looking at Irish broadband 3MB 20GB €25 a month...anyone know if they're any use?

theangrypotato · 16-06-2011 9:29am

Anyone know who the most relaible provider in Enniscorthy would be? I was with BT before but would be dubious about going to Vodafone as the reviews for them are pretty bad. I'm thinking about Magnet or Vodafone if they don't work out. Has anyone good/bad experiences about either of them?

roast · 16-06-2011 11:37am

theangrypotato wrote: »

Anyone know who the most relaible provider in Enniscorthy would be? I was with BT before but would be dubious about going to Vodafone as the reviews for them are pretty bad. I'm thinking about Magnet or Vodafone if they don't work out. Has anyone good/bad experiences about either of them?

Generally most of the horror stories you read can happen to any provider. Remember that all the people you see writing bad reviews online are usually just a small percentage of that providers customers. In essence, all the happy customers are hardly going to go on a mission to promote the company in a good way.

Aaaannnnyway, to answer your question, If you're going to get DSL, I'd recommend either Vodafone, Magnet or Digiweb/Smart. Depending on your area, you may get an LLU connection depending on the exchange you will be connected to - nicer than standard Eircom Bitstream products. If you're calling those providers to get some info on the package, ask if you're going to be getting an LLU connection.

extra-ordinary_ wrote: »

Anyone?
It seems if you don't have the UPC option you're screwed.

Tried the vodafone and o2 mobile prepay but reached the download limit in a week. There's a phone line in the apartment though disconnected and I don't know who it was previously with. I need 20GB download a month. I don't mind signing a 12 month contract. Was going to go with 3 but now I'm after reading terrible reviews.

I'm hoping to get 20GB download a month with average speed for under €30.

Does anyone know if this is possible?

EDIT: Now I'm looking at Irish broadband 3MB 20GB €25 a month...anyone know if they're any use?

if you contact Eircom sales (just an example, any DSL provider can do this) they will be able to pop out to your address and test to line to check the number, in which case they can then offer you a package.

extra-ordinary_ · 16-06-2011 2:41pm

roast wrote: »

if you contact Eircom sales (just an example, any DSL provider can do this) they will be able to pop out to your address and test to line to check the number, in which case they can then offer you a package.

Looking at their website Eircom are offering 10GB download cap at €40 odd over the year? Seems like terrible value to me.

They're charging ~€50 for unlimited which is way out of my budget.

The line rental charge is crippling, that's why originally I was looking at Imagine or one of the mobile operators.

roast · 16-06-2011 3:07pm

extra-ordinary_ wrote: »

Looking at their website Eircom are offering 10GB download cap at €40 odd over the year? Seems like terrible value to me.

They're charging ~€50 for unlimited which is way out of my budget.

The line rental charge is crippling, that's why originally I was looking at Imagine or one of the mobile operators.

There is other providers which can supply over Eircoms networks (known as resellers) which provide better prices for better packages. Mobile "broadband" (midband) operators can only provide you with theoretical speeds - you'll never get near the "up to" limits. The ping times are shoddy and unreliable, and the usage caps are miserly.

ardyH · 17-06-2011 11:47pm

Hey all,

I am living in the South of Waterford, Ballinamona about five or so kilometres (I think?) out of the city and have been for a year or two now. I'm on Vodafone broadband, with their 8 mb package but, unfortunately, receive only about 3 mbps, at best, which ends up with a speed of around 1.5 mbps, on average. Apparently, the phone line we're using, a 30---- type, can't exceed that limit. Some of our neighbours are on a 39---- phone line, which, I have heard, tends to do better. The 39---- lines seem to be fully occupied and unless the phone company decides to add more, it doesn't look good in that department. I have been looking at alternative methods, such as UPC cable, but have been unable to confirm whether that service is available in my area or not. Any help at all, whether it be information on phone lines, UPC or anything adjacent would be very welcome. I am quiet unhappy with being six times slower than the average person in Ireland.

Kersh · 23-06-2011 1:06pm

Im moving to Naul soon. Im currently 3 months (of 12) into a Vodafone 'broadband/phone deal' and Im hearing that Naul doesnt have fixed broadband!

Anyone got any idea about the following -

-If and when its going to be available?
- What do I do with my Vodafone if its defo not available? Im certainly not continuing to pay it if they cant provide it and accomodate my move.

Any ideas?

roast · 23-06-2011 1:16pm

Kersh wrote: »

Im moving to Naul soon. Im currently 3 months (of 12) into a Vodafone 'broadband/phone deal' and Im hearing that Naul doesnt have fixed broadband!

Anyone got any idea about the following -

-If and when its going to be available?
- What do I do with my Vodafone if its defo not available? Im certainly not continuing to pay it if they cant provide it and accomodate my move.

Any ideas?

Is there already an active phone line in the house you're moving to? If you can get the phone number at that address, then you can ask vodafone if they can provide to that line.

Kersh · 23-06-2011 1:27pm

Cant get in til July 4th. Guess Ill just have to wait and see.

roast · 23-06-2011 4:34pm

ardyH wrote: »

Hey all,

I am living in the South of Waterford, Ballinamona about five or so kilometres (I think?) out of the city and have been for a year or two now. I'm on Vodafone broadband, with their 8 mb package but, unfortunately, receive only about 3 mbps, at best, which ends up with a speed of around 1.5 mbps, on average. Apparently, the phone line we're using, a 30---- type, can't exceed that limit. Some of our neighbours are on a 39---- phone line, which, I have heard, tends to do better. The 39---- lines seem to be fully occupied and unless the phone company decides to add more, it doesn't look good in that department. I have been looking at alternative methods, such as UPC cable, but have been unable to confirm whether that service is available in my area or not. Any help at all, whether it be information on phone lines, UPC or anything adjacent would be very welcome. I am quiet unhappy with being six times slower than the average person in Ireland.

If your speed is only 1.5mb and you're on a 3mb profile, you should definitely contact your ISP. Your SNR might be too low, hence the speed. Generally speaking, in most circumstances on a 3mb profile, you would probably usually get 2.5mb ~ if it is a stable connection.
Your other options would be Fixed wireless (line of sight) mobile broadband (slow, laggy, measly usage caps) or satellite (laggy, limited usage caps again)

Kersh wrote: »

Cant get in til July 4th. Guess Ill just have to wait and see.

Could you get in contact with the current owners/agents and see if you can get the number? Or even a neighbours number, purely to get Vodafone to test it.
Generally, ISP's will take a couple weeks to transfer the service.

Kersh · 23-06-2011 7:39pm

roast wrote: »

Could you get in contact with the current owners/agents and see if you can get the number? Or even a neighbours number, purely to get Vodafone to test it.
Generally, ISP's will take a couple weeks to transfer the service.

I ran the number of house next door on the Vodafone Line Checker and I got this -

'Unfortunately, broadband is not currently available on your landline

But have you thought about Vodafone Mobile Broadband?'

What am I gonna do now, I just recently signed up?

Thanks for your help roast

ardyH · 24-06-2011 11:25pm

roast wrote: »

If your speed is only 1.5mb and you're on a 3mb profile, you should definitely contact your ISP. Your SNR might be too low, hence the speed. Generally speaking, in most circumstances on a 3mb profile, you would probably usually get 2.5mb ~ if it is a stable connection.
Your other options would be Fixed wireless (line of sight) mobile broadband (slow, laggy, measly usage caps) or satellite (laggy, limited usage caps again

What is fixed wireless? And, are there no other options, such as cable and the like?

roast · 25-06-2011 1:12pm

Kersh wrote: »

I ran the number of house next door on the Vodafone Line Checker and I got this -

'Unfortunately, broadband is not currently available on your landline

But have you thought about Vodafone Mobile Broadband?'

What am I gonna do now, I just recently signed up?

Thanks for your help roast

In that situation, I'm not entirely sure. Check with your provider to see if there's any fees that have to be paid to cancel the contract. You might be able to get out of the contract free, seeing as your ISP isn't able to provide a service to you anymore.

ardyH wrote: »

What is fixed wireless? And, are there no other options, such as cable and the like?

Cable.... In your area, I doubt it would be available. Check with UPC. If you're five KM outside town, then its highly unlikely.
http://compnetworking.about.com/od/wirelessinternet/f/fixed-wireless.htm
Theres probably local companies in your area that provide it. Otherwise, check out Digiweb Metro.

justsomebloke · 30-06-2011 4:36pm

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone would know of any fixed wirelss providers in Belfast

Which Provider? What Type Of Broadband? Broadband In My Area? !!POST HERE ONLY!!

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