Comments on: Broadband choices and options in Ireland (Updated July 2007) http://www.mulley.net/2006/02/09/broadband-choices-in-ireland/ Invisible people have invisible rights Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:46:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Michelle http://www.mulley.net/2006/02/09/broadband-choices-in-ireland/#comment-908396 Michelle Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:43:39 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=938#comment-908396 Hi there. Just came across this website - very informative. I have recently moved to Wicklow Town and am trying to decide on the best broadband package to get. Here at work we are on Eircom, which in general is very reliable, but I am aware that is as a business customer. I don't presently have a landline in my flat, and am not that pushed on getting one and paying the line rental. Can anyone recommend the best option? Is wireless broadband without a phone line reliable, or am I best to opt for broadband via a fixed line? Hi there. Just came across this website - very informative. I have recently moved to Wicklow Town and am trying to decide on the best broadband package to get. Here at work we are on Eircom, which in general is very reliable, but I am aware that is as a business customer. I don’t presently have a landline in my flat, and am not that pushed on getting one and paying the line rental. Can anyone recommend the best option? Is wireless broadband without a phone line reliable, or am I best to opt for broadband via a fixed line?

]]> By: Sharon http://www.mulley.net/2006/02/09/broadband-choices-in-ireland/#comment-872742 Sharon Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:38:57 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=938#comment-872742 Hi Mollie. How come you still need to have a phone line? Isn't the whole premise of satelite internet that you don't need landline? If you want to keep your old number try just renting it from the exchange and putting a divert on it to the new number that NBB give you. I used to do similar when I had my business landline number diverted to a mobile when I moved house a few years ago. Then you could cancel your connection to house. As far as I remember it cost about €15 per bi-monthly period and of course, there was no line rental to deal with. I am also sussing out NBB as it goes. Am moving to a rural location where I think I'll have to resort to satelite. Sounds like might not be good option to go with the TV bundle? Pity, so annoying to have to put up seperate sky dish also. Would love to hear how you got on with NBB, I'll let you know if I find out anything more myself. Hi Mollie. How come you still need to have a phone line? Isn’t the whole premise of satelite internet that you don’t need landline? If you want to keep your old number try just renting it from the exchange and putting a divert on it to the new number that NBB give you. I used to do similar when I had my business landline number diverted to a mobile when I moved house a few years ago. Then you could cancel your connection to house. As far as I remember it cost about €15 per bi-monthly period and of course, there was no line rental to deal with.

I am also sussing out NBB as it goes. Am moving to a rural location where I think I’ll have to resort to satelite. Sounds like might not be good option to go with the TV bundle? Pity, so annoying to have to put up seperate sky dish also. Would love to hear how you got on with NBB, I’ll let you know if I find out anything more myself.

]]> By: molie http://www.mulley.net/2006/02/09/broadband-choices-in-ireland/#comment-821147 molie Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:30:52 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=938#comment-821147 Hi me again. Just worked out phone line will remain the same but nbb give you a new phone number and use the existing line. So therefore you have to stay with them to keep your landline! The new number belongs to them and you cannot transfer it. (difficult if you change address in the future for the next occupant). I guess this must mean that they buy the right to the phone line from eircom for a set time. Any one know any more? Thanks for the vodafone info re 3g I still haven't renewed mine yet as Im still trying to find an affordable replacement to it. One more thing worth mentioning nbb offer 200 or 300 free minutes per month but no international numbers. Hi me again. Just worked out phone line will remain the same but nbb give you a new phone number and use the existing line. So therefore you have to stay with them to keep your landline! The new number belongs to them and you cannot transfer it. (difficult if you change address in the future for the next occupant). I guess this must mean that they buy the right to the phone line from eircom for a set time. Any one know any more? Thanks for the vodafone info re 3g I still haven’t renewed mine yet as Im still trying to find an affordable replacement to it. One more thing worth mentioning nbb offer 200 or 300 free minutes per month but no international numbers.

]]> By: Penny http://www.mulley.net/2006/02/09/broadband-choices-in-ireland/#comment-816957 Penny Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:37:25 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=938#comment-816957 WARNING: I've had VODAFONE 3G broadband for over a year now so contract should be able to be cancelled, but I've done all they told me to do to get it cancelled. Of course I had to send it in writing. I've rang and e-mailed, no response. They are still charging me. I haven't used the internet in a couple of months, I don't even live in the country anymore. I don't know what to do. No matter what, don't ever do direct debit with any company. I thought Vodafone was a serious company, but it's all a scam. 40 euro a month is expensive for internet anyway, but especially when you're not using it. Very upsetting! WARNING: I’ve had VODAFONE 3G broadband for over a year now so contract should be able to be cancelled, but I’ve done all they told me to do to get it cancelled. Of course I had to send it in writing. I’ve rang and e-mailed, no response. They are still charging me. I haven’t used the internet in a couple of months, I don’t even live in the country anymore. I don’t know what to do. No matter what, don’t ever do direct debit with any company. I thought Vodafone was a serious company, but it’s all a scam. 40 euro a month is expensive for internet anyway, but especially when you’re not using it. Very upsetting!

]]> By: Iarfhlaith Kelly - Code agus Craic » Blog Archive » The Ultimate Consumer Power http://www.mulley.net/2006/02/09/broadband-choices-in-ireland/#comment-805210 Iarfhlaith Kelly - Code agus Craic » Blog Archive » The Ultimate Consumer Power Tue, 27 May 2008 12:57:23 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=938#comment-805210 [...] mortgages, etc.). Using different metrics makes it impossible to directly compare each product. The same goes for broadband. It’s hard to directly compare pricing [...] [...] mortgages, etc.). Using different metrics makes it impossible to directly compare each product. The same goes for broadband. It’s hard to directly compare pricing [...]

]]> By: molie http://www.mulley.net/2006/02/09/broadband-choices-in-ireland/#comment-784895 molie Sun, 18 May 2008 00:21:25 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=938#comment-784895 Hi again, another question if anyone has the answer. Were interested in the nbb option together with the phone deal. However suddenly thought if we decide not to take the triple option for b/band phone and tv, and just had b/band and phone does this mean we would have to keep our phone line just for sky? Someone probably thinking why not have the tv option too but there wasn't too much info on the site on what channels you would receive. Also would we have to pay to have the phone disconnected? Probably will. Anyone out there with any answers. Cheers Hi again, another question if anyone has the answer. Were interested in the nbb option together with the phone deal. However suddenly thought if we decide not to take the triple option for b/band phone and tv, and just had b/band and phone does this mean we would have to keep our phone line just for sky? Someone probably thinking why not have the tv option too but there wasn’t too much info on the site on what channels you would receive. Also would we have to pay to have the phone disconnected? Probably will. Anyone out there with any answers. Cheers

]]> By: molie http://www.mulley.net/2006/02/09/broadband-choices-in-ireland/#comment-780276 molie Thu, 15 May 2008 16:18:11 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=938#comment-780276 Hi anyone heard of nbb.ie re satellite broadband. We also live in an area where phone lines are so bad we dont use it. We currently have vodafone 3g modem but cant get 3g signal gprs only and it is very slow. The 12 month contract is almost up so Im wondering where to go. Have been looking at satellite for a while now 2way and digiweb look very expensive so the nbb was around 500 euro to connect up and about 40 - 50 per month. Would love some advice. cheers Hi anyone heard of nbb.ie re satellite broadband. We also live in an area where phone lines are so bad we dont use it. We currently have vodafone 3g modem but cant get 3g signal gprs only and it is very slow. The 12 month contract is almost up so Im wondering where to go. Have been looking at satellite for a while now 2way and digiweb look very expensive so the nbb was around 500 euro to connect up and about 40 - 50 per month. Would love some advice. cheers

]]> By: Chris http://www.mulley.net/2006/02/09/broadband-choices-in-ireland/#comment-776666 Chris Tue, 13 May 2008 18:29:26 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=938#comment-776666 Just to echo warnings about Clearwire. My recent experience with them has confirmed to me that the service is unreliable, the customer service is ineffective and deceptive, their finance team are unscrupulous and their sales team is just ignorant. I suffered twenty rounds of back and forth, (being told I needed to fill out this form and email it to X address, wait for a reply and then contact them again, etc...) and still ended up being retroactively charged for two months of service, three months after cancelling! This was despite the fact they agreed my connection never attained the minimum bandwidth that my 49.99 euro/month plan supposedly guaranteed. I will take this matter up with various consumer rights organisations in due course. My main reason for posting is to tip you off about a practice they employ with testing bandwidth. Basically, they send you to http://www.irishisptest.com to test your connection speed. Everytime you run a test you get stellar results within the minimum guaranteed by your Clearwire plan. I got suspicious though and tested the connection using lots of different sites and always got poor results. I challenged Clearwire on this and they said other sites were unreliable since they weren't based in Ireland. This is a complete lie. Bandwidth is measured by sending packets of information back and forth from your computer to the speed testing server. Geographic distance (at least between 1st world nations) only adds milliseconds to the time, which amounts to very, very little difference in bandwidth measurement. I have now switched to NTL, because I don't want to pay a standing charge for a phone line. NTL have equally terrible customer service, but at least the bandwidth is satisfactory. Just to echo warnings about Clearwire. My recent experience with them has confirmed to me that the service is unreliable, the customer service is ineffective and deceptive, their finance team are unscrupulous and their sales team is just ignorant. I suffered twenty rounds of back and forth, (being told I needed to fill out this form and email it to X address, wait for a reply and then contact them again, etc…) and still ended up being retroactively charged for two months of service, three months after cancelling!

This was despite the fact they agreed my connection never attained the minimum bandwidth that my 49.99 euro/month plan supposedly guaranteed. I will take this matter up with various consumer rights organisations in due course.

My main reason for posting is to tip you off about a practice they employ with testing bandwidth. Basically, they send you to http://www.irishisptest.com to test your connection speed. Everytime you run a test you get stellar results within the minimum guaranteed by your Clearwire plan. I got suspicious though and tested the connection using lots of different sites and always got poor results. I challenged Clearwire on this and they said other sites were unreliable since they weren’t based in Ireland. This is a complete lie.

Bandwidth is measured by sending packets of information back and forth from your computer to the speed testing server. Geographic distance (at least between 1st world nations) only adds milliseconds to the time, which amounts to very, very little difference in bandwidth measurement. I have now switched to NTL, because I don’t want to pay a standing charge for a phone line. NTL have equally terrible customer service, but at least the bandwidth is satisfactory.

]]> By: Fran http://www.mulley.net/2006/02/09/broadband-choices-in-ireland/#comment-761970 Fran Tue, 06 May 2008 18:18:55 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=938#comment-761970 Perlico came out and sorted the line last week, must have been a fault on it. At least now I can email 10mb files, the service doesn't break up the way it used to. I rang up all sorts of technicians from different companies who say that the Rathgar/Rathmines/Terenure area is never going to be fast broadband-wise unless they lay new fibre optic cables under the roads because currently the area is using old fashioned lines and there's too many houses logging into them. So don't waste your money on what you think is 3mb broadbband in these areas, no matter what they say, its not, line contention and ancient wiring is holding it back around here. Perlico came out and sorted the line last week, must have been a fault on it. At least now I can email 10mb files, the service doesn’t break up the way it used to. I rang up all sorts of technicians from different companies who say that the Rathgar/Rathmines/Terenure area is never going to be fast broadband-wise unless they lay new fibre optic cables under the roads because currently the area is using old fashioned lines and there’s too many houses logging into them. So don’t waste your money on what you think is 3mb broadbband in these areas, no matter what they say, its not, line contention and ancient wiring is holding it back around here.

]]> By: Morgan http://www.mulley.net/2006/02/09/broadband-choices-in-ireland/#comment-761857 Morgan Tue, 06 May 2008 17:14:03 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=938#comment-761857 I'm also freelance telecommuting and have to upload about 300-400MB a day and I can't find anything decent in Rathmines. I'm desperate to find a solution asap - any suggestions? I can't believe NTL doesn't have cable broadband here, and I don't want to work with the Eircom land line hassle. I’m also freelance telecommuting and have to upload about 300-400MB a day and I can’t find anything decent in Rathmines. I’m desperate to find a solution asap - any suggestions? I can’t believe NTL doesn’t have cable broadband here, and I don’t want to work with the Eircom land line hassle.

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