IBB vs IrishWAN

fatherdougalmag

Hi all,
Mulling over getting wireless installed. I know that IrishWAN are a professional bunch of guys and all that. Probably more knowledgable than anyone else in this area for that matter.

I'm looking at IBB's Breeze offering (20:1/512/512/€35pm) and wonder how it would compare with the service that I might get with an IrishWAN connection.

Can anyone comment on d/load speeds and service/connection status?

Cheers

SkepticOne

Originally posted by fatherdougalmag
Hi all,
Mulling over getting wireless installed. I know that IrishWAN are a professional bunch of guys and all that. Probably more knowledgable than anyone else in this area for that matter.

Worth checking out their forum here.

AFAIK, they don't themselves supply internet access, but you may be able to arrange to share someone elses.

fatherdougalmag

Thanks for that SkepticOne.

I made enquiries a good while back with a local rep in IrishWAN who could supply an Internet service. My concerns are that, over time, the contention ratio would be a problem. At least IBB seems to openly commit to 20:1. At the time I made my enquiry, the price the IrishWAN rep was offering was in and around the €35/€40 mark so there's not much in it price-wise. I'm really more interested in people's experience with IBB and IrishWAN as ISPs.

Thanks again

Dustaz

I think your talking about IrishWisp not IrishWan.


IrishWisp is a wireless ISP who charge for wireless internet access. IrishWan is a group of smaller wans run by enthusiasts who do not charge for access to their network.

fatherdougalmag

Some IrishWAN members do offer Internet access and charge a minimal adminstration fee for doing so.

raeGten

I don't have any experience with any of the companies or organisations mentioned above. It seems to me though that you'ld be better off sticking with a company like IBB or Irishwisp. If you went with an internet connection off IrishWAN you'ld probably just be piggybacking off another members net connection. If they were only asking a teener a month for the privallege it might be woth it but if the price is close to the market price I wouldn't go for it. You wouldn't have any garauntee of service or contention ratio.
I KNOW that eircom or Esat or NTL or IBB can all let you down as well but at least this is their line of business...this is what they do. There's just more security.

bkehoe

First of all, Irishwan has nothing to do with the sharing of internet connections by members of the wan. No Irishwan reps exist either - Irishwan is just here to coordinate the wans around the country with the website, forums, etc, and to set out plans like IP ranges so if 2 wans link there wont be any ip address conflicts, etc. Use of any wan affiliated with Irishwan is free, and there is usually an internet connection (or more) on each wan (in your case the Dublinwan) towards which members have the option of contributing towards the monthly cost and in exchange get a share of that connection.

The source connection, number of users, etc, is all managed by the owner of whatever node it is you'd be connecting in to. As you're in Saggart, I'd say it'd be Steve Reader, who, iirc, has 2 1mbit leap connections. As a result, unless you know someone actually on his node or using his connection, the speeds by another dublin/wexford/midwest wan member cant be compared to it as they'd be using a different connection with a different person managing it.

fatherdougalmag

Hi Brendan,
I realise that IrishWAN's primary service is not one of Internet service provider. Didn't mean to stir up any suggestions that IrishWAN are an official organsiation when I used the term 'rep'. I know that Steve (and indeed other node ops) do trojan work for that particular network.

I feel guilty about going with the likes of IBB when I could be contributing to the furtherment of the IrishWAN/DublinWAN network. At the same time, if something goes wrong, I'd rather be a paid up customer of a company upon which there is an onus for support.

Thanks again for the info.

bkehoe

Many node operators can be very dedicated to providing a good service and support..just because you pay someone doesnt mean they're going to give you a great service & support. Talk to someone on Steve's node and see what they think.