The Day I thought would never arrive (well nearly)

DonegalMan

At long last, Broadband in Letterkenny!

Not that great - I'm too far from the from the exchange for the full service so I can only get the i-Stream Starter 256k package but its hell of a lot better than ISDN dialup and will save us about €300 per month.

(God Almighty, doesn't it show how pathetic Internet access is in this country when I get excited about getting a service that would be considered 'old hat' in most of the rest of the world!)

Few little wrinkles - our setup is 3 ISDN lines to give 6 telephone lines, one of these has to be downgraded so we lose a line, not a real problem as 2 of the original lines were dedicated to Internet access anyway. Strangely, only one of the lines passed the test and this wasn't even the most recent one installed.

Biggest problem is no static IP address - according to Eircom Sales, a static IP address can't be made available on the starter pack. Anyone (e.g. Muck ) know if this is true - I can't see any technical reason for this, if it's just lack of knowledge by the Eircom Sales people would it be worthwhile chasing this further? I am prepared to pay extra for this - it's standard practice with both BT and UTV Clicksilver with whom I have broadband in our Northern stores.

Interesting reflection on Eircom marketing, I have been anxiously seeking broadband for some time and was indeed an active member of IOFFL for a long time but I didn't know it was becoming available in Letterkenny until I saw a thread about it on this forum. When I rang Eircom, the Sales rep told me it wasn't available so I took great pleasure in telling her that IOFFL knows better:)

Eircom complain about lack of interest in Broadband but don't tell people when it is available - Doh

Martin Harran

dahamsta

Congratulations Martin, and about bloody time. I had to skip DSL and go wireless meself, and I swear to god I'll never look back -- and it's great not to be paying Eircom for the pleasure, directly or indirectly (actually there's a very indirect connection, but I'm working on that!). Anyway, I think Eircom is either bullsh1tting you or possibly it's a "policy". I'd imagine a little fuss would get them to change their mind pretty quickly.

adam

DonegalMan

Originally posted by dahamsta
Congratulations Martin, and about bloody time. I had to skip DSL and go wireless meself, and I swear to god I'll never look back ...
adam

Thx Adam

Would love to go wireless myself, everything I read about it suggests that it is the way for the future.

<excuse to show off> I'm going on a Round The World Trip next month </excuse to show off> including Singapore, Australia, Hawaii, Los Angeles, Toronto and New York, looking at the brochures for these places, wireless broadband is widely available so I'll be investing in a wireless card for my laptop

Martin

bizmark

going back to 56k after haveing 512kbs for the last week would be like cutting of one of my hand,s i just couldnt do it!

conqrats on finaly being able to get broadband im sure you will love it

Michael Collins

I'm using Netsource's RADSL service, which is basically the Eircom Starter package resold by Netsource, and I have a static IP.
Maybe you could get Netsource?

I'm a very happy netsource customer now, I'm not a gamer but my pings are quite low usually 20-40 ms.

...(actually there's a very indirect connection, but I'm working on that!)...

Which is ?

That's the reason I wanted to go with IBB at the start - didn't want to give eircom any more money...but sadly there were too many trees around my house :rolleyes:

bizmark

pesky tree,s standing in the way of human technology again !:p

Urban Weigl

Martin, if your line passed for i-Stream Starter you will be able to get ADSL from UTV in Ireland, Netsource and IOL as well.

I am not sure about UTV Clicksilver (their Irish product) and IOL, but I do know that you get a static IP address with Netsource at no additional cost.

You can find them at www.netsource.ie

Advantages over Eircom's ADSL product are friendly support, static IP address, no download cap and a domain name. Again, if you can get i-Stream Starter, you can get this, as they are merely reselling Eircom's service but adding their own IP addresses and backhaul.

Urban Weigl

Found the web site for UTV Clicksilver in Ireland:

http://u.tv/internet/services/clicksilverie/clicksilver.asp

The cost is 47.50 euros a month. I am not sure about the static IP address, though I would assume it would be the same as in the north. If they don't provide it here, your best bet would be Netsource as I already mentioned.

Whatever you do, DO NOT support Eircom by paying for their ADSL, as you have a CHOICE to work with a different provider. Eircom already have more than enough of your money!

oscarBravo

Originally posted by Michael Collins
That's the reason I wanted to go with IBB at the start - didn't want to give eircom any more money...but sadly there were too many trees around my house :rolleyes:

/oscarBravo makes chainsaw noises...

I actually did have that problem with my FWA, but I was able to cut a circular tunnel through the branches in such a way that you can't even tell from the ground, but from the antenna you can clearly see the Eircom mast.

PiE

Static IP's on UTV Clicksilver are an additional €5 per month.

Oh and congrats Martin :]

SkepticOne

Is it just for the business, Martin?

spongebob

netsource and utv for the fixed ip on the resold i-stream starter service

Martin, make sure the same lines pass/fail when the line test is 'done' by netsource and utv (by reading it off a database supplied by eircom). The results should be identical for both of them too. Get IOL to check as well......they will not supply a fixed IP though.

any crap, post here

M

Dustaz

Martin, try www.mine.nu . its what i use instead of a fixed IP. It works perfectly well for all applications i need.

DonegalMan

muck/Urban

Do you know if UTV and Netsource are offering BB on all Eircom enabled exchanges ?

I've checked all our numbers on UTV availability checker and I'm getting non-available responses but I'm wondering if there's a timelag in the Eircom database getting updated to other ISP's - wouldn't surprise me

Can't find an availability checker on Netsource, worth calling them Monday?

I've spoken directlly to Esat sales as I had already placed an order for Anytime, guy said that they aren't offering Letterkenny. Mind you, from past experience with Esat/IOL, I wouldn't believe anything that anyone within that organisation tells me, a supreme case of the the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing !

p.s. - muck Tried to PM you on this and getting message that your mail box is full and can't accept any more messages.


SkepticOne
Business only - I live in small village about 15 miles from Letterkenny so I reckon Broadband for home is long way down the road, if ever


Martin

SkepticOne

Originally posted by DonegalMan
muck/Urban

I've checked all our numbers on UTV availability checker and I'm getting non-available responses but I'm wondering if there's a timelag in the Eircom database getting updated to other ISP's - wouldn't surprise me

Can't find an availability checker on Netsource, worth calling them Monday?

Might be interesting also to let UTV know you pass for Eircom but not for UTV.

Urban Weigl

Originally posted by DonegalMan
Do you know if UTV and Netsource are offering BB on all Eircom enabled exchanges ?

When I called Netsource some weeks ago, they told me very clearly that they were offering it on all Eircom RADSL exchanges, including for example Castlebar (that was the one I was interested in). I asked a couple of times just to be sure I heard them right.

The guys at Netsource seem very friendly and seem to know what they're on about, so at the very least you won't waste your time calling them.

If for whatever reason you end up being stuck with i-Stream on a dynamic IP, I recommend getting a D-Link DI-604 broadband router. Plug this into your ADSL modem. This will allow you to bind a static hostname, something in the format of "youroffice.dhs.org" or similar, to your dynamic IP. It even does port forwarding and all that crap so you can use it to host applications on a dynamic IP address (I assume that's why you need a static IP).

DonegalMan

Looks like a bit of time on the telephone on Monday...God how I would love not to give my business to Eircom.

Martin

SkepticOne

Originally posted by DonegalMan
Looks like a bit of time on the telephone on Monday...God how I would love not to give my business to Eircom.

In fact, I believe, Eircom are not supposed to sell until they have made the database available to all the resellers. Could be wrong on this. Worth letting the ISPs know the situation.

elsoldemayo

Originally posted by SkepticOne
Might be interesting also to let UTV know you pass for Eircom but not for UTV.

I sent UTV a mail asking the same question i.e why does Eircom's site say I can have BB but UTV's says it is not available from my exchange. UTV's reply was they are using the latest database and can give no explanation as to why I cannot get their BB package.

Urban Weigl

Originally posted by elsoldemayo
UTV's reply was they are using the latest database and can give no explanation as to why I cannot get their BB package.

If this is true, as per my understanding Eircom are doing this illegally. Their wholesale division may not favor their retail division over UTV, or any other reseller for that matter.

At least that is the way it is in the UK, I would think it would be the same here.

After verifying that the above statement is correct, complain to ComReg. Make sure that UTV are aware of what is happening so that they may complain as well.

BigEejit

Even though €ircon are a shower of c*nts, I have to say they havent hassled me... in fact it was a reseller that let me know I passed the test...

I filled out an expression of interest form with IOL ages ago (when my line was not passing the DSL test) ... and out of the blue about a month ago I got a mail from IOL saying click on this link to apply for DSL ... WTF says I ... I checked the eircom online test thingy and sure enough I was passing ... not a word from Eircom yet

elsoldemayo

Originally posted by Urban Weigl
If this is true, as per my understanding Eircom are doing this illegally. Their wholesale division may not favor their retail division over UTV, or any other reseller for that matter.

At least that is the way it is in the UK, I would think it would be the same here.

After verifying that the above statement is correct, complain to ComReg. Make sure that UTV are aware of what is happening so that they may complain as well.

The exact mail I received is

Hi

I'm afraid I can't give you any more information on this apart from the fact that the database we use for our checks if the most up to date.

Charles McRobert
Technical Support Supervisor
UTV Internet

Gavin

Jaypers. This something that Comreg should be investigating. Eircom not passing lines for resellers is a fairly serious claim I would have thought.

Gav

DonegalMan

Looks like I have to go with Eircom.

It's an ISDN line that has to be downgraded, Netsource can't do this outside Dublin, I'd have to get Eircom to downgrade it first, then get retest, then apply to Netsource - too many things to go wrong and with all the f**king about with line tests that's been reported on this forum, I can't take the risk of ending up not getting BB.

UTV aren't an option for me because of their condition that you take on their telephony package which doesn't suit us as a business; I suspect anyway that I would have the same issue over the ISDN downgrade.

Got round the static IP issue. I had played around before with DYNU (an application similar to the ones suggested by other people above) and wasn't happy with it but I must have been doing something wrong cos it's wotking fine now


Martin

flav0rflav

This is a sticky situation. Eircom's line test database seems to be excluding ISDN lines. But of course one of the main potential customers of adsl are current isdn users. But if you contact eircom directly they will pass you for dsl?

SkepticOne

Originally posted by DonegalMan
Looks like I have to go with Eircom.

It's an ISDN line that has to be downgraded, Netsource can't do this outside Dublin, I'd have to get Eircom to downgrade it first, then get retest, then apply to Netsource - too many things to go wrong and with all the f**king about with line tests that's been reported on this forum, I can't take the risk of ending up not getting BB.

Once you have downgraded and you pass for Eircom, then you also pass for UTV and can choose UTV or one of the other RADSL resellers.

As flav0rflav asks, did Eircom assure you that your ISDN line would pass if it were downgraded? This would mean that they are not passing on this information to UTV and giving you the choice to which you are entitled.

De Rebel

I visited two of my clients sites last week, both currently ISDN users. In both cases (and with no prior contact regarding these lines) I phoned eircom, asked if the lines had passed the DSL tests, was told that they had and ordered DLS on the spot.

eircom do not need to downgrade the lines in order to test them.

From what you guys are saying it would therefore appear either eircom are not making the test results available to resellers, or the resellers are not interested in conversions from ISDN. In fairness to all concerned there is a bit more work involved in the migration from ISDN to DSL and an element of coordination. This may well cause the resellers to shy away.

SkepticOne

Originally posted by De Rebel
In fairness to all concerned there is a bit more work involved in the migration from ISDN to DSL and an element of coordination. This may well cause the resellers to shy away.

True, but I wonder what the purpose of the retest after downgrading is then. My guess is that that is the official test and the one that needs to be passed on.

DonegalMan

Originally posted by SkepticOne
As flav0rflav asks, did Eircom assure you that your ISDN line would pass if it were downgraded? This would mean that they are not passing on this information to UTV and giving you the choice to which you are entitled.

Didn't 'assure' me as such, sales rep just checked database and said that I passed ok.

Have to put business interests before personal distaste (kind word) for Eircom - I'm just worried that if I get Eircom to d/g the line and Netsource to connect me, it'll get screwed up somewhere and each will blame the other. Past experience has taught me to avoid any sort of development where 2 suppliers/competitors are both involved in the set-up

Reading the thread 'Did anyone get Clicksiver yet' plus the other stuff that has been posted about lines pasing then failing, I would be pretty sure that if I went down the Eircom downgrade/Netsource installation route, there would be a strong possibility of it getting screwed up. (Remember - just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you )

Martin

P.S. In regard to Eircom not passing all info onto other retailers, might be better for IOFFL to 'officially' speak to UTV about this - I think they (UTV) would react more quickly to something raised by the IOFFL committee than comments from individual users - sales reps might not even be passing the complaints onto senior management.

I would love to see Eircom caught with their trousers down over something like this.

De Rebel

Originally posted by SkepticOne
True, but I wonder what the purpose of the retest after downgrading is then. My guess is that that is the official test and the one that needs to be passed on.

I think it is ass covering TBH. I can only speak for the installation in my own place. There was no mention of a re-test beforehand, and the engineer never mentioned it on the day either. And I'd imagine that he would have, we got on quite well and he was happy to explain everything else as he went along.

De Rebel

Originally posted by DonegalMan
P.S. In regard to Eircom not passing all info onto other retailers, might be better for IOFFL to 'officially' speak to UTV about this - I think they (UTV) would react more quickly to something raised by the IOFFL committee than comments from individual users - sales reps might not even be passing the complaints onto senior management.

I would love to see Eircom caught with their trousers down over something like this.

Always best if a complaint like this is grounded in an actual case. It gives ComReg a lot more to bite into. I am in a similar position to yourself, can't recommend UTV in a business context because of the telephony bundling, Netsource don't appear interested ( I have spoken to them three times in relation to installations in the Cork area, and they don't even appear sure if they are doing "country" installs yet), and IOL/ESAT/BT don't figure on my radar.

And anyway, I totally concur with your opinion that a single entity managing the install is a joyous prospect, I've had far too many experiences of being the "integrator" between two installers, or as Muck might say, ending up as the "hang" in the sandwich.

This is really one that needs a solid example for either the IOFFL committee or one of the resellers to use as the basis of a complaint.