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Looking to get broadband

  • 20-04-2004 11:22am
    #1
    Goblin_insane
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37 ✭


    Hey I'm a broadband newbie and I am looking to get it connected at home.
    I just bought myself a laptop which has wi/fi and bluetooth. What should I be looking for in broadband?
    Who should I suscribe with ? (have been looking at the companies but not sure what I should look for.)
    Do the companies charge flat rate or varying rates?
    Sidenote:
    what is the difference between wi/fi and Bluetooth?


Comments

  • #2
    ASTRACLUB
    Registered Users Posts: 434 ✭✭ASTRACLUB


    try www.digiweb.ie


  • #3
    Ripwave
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,188 ✭✭✭Ripwave


    Originally posted by Goblin_insane
    Hey I'm a broadband newbie and I am looking to get it connected at home.
    I just bought myself a laptop which has wi/fi and bluetooth. What should I be looking for in broadband?
    Who should I suscribe with ? (have been looking at the companies but not sure what I should look for.)
    Do the companies charge flat rate or varying rates?
    Just as a matter of principle, don't get it directly from eircom. They'll end up getting most of the revenue from the service anyway (unless you live in an area with a wireless or cable internet provider), but we all benefit by having more than one provider.

    There's an up to date list of the current DSL offerings here.
    Sidenote: what is the difference between wi/fi and Bluetooth?
    For the purposes of a discussion of PC networking, Bluetooth is pretty much irrelevant. It's a standard designed for short range communication between devices and isn't really used much (or likely to be used much) for PC-PC communication. Wi-Fi isn't all that relevant either, though if you want to shell out an extra €100 euro, you'll be able to use your laptop anywhere in your house (so will your neighbours if you're not careful, so it's not worth doing unless you really want the flexibility. If you only expect to work with your laptop in a single location in your home, stick with wires).


  • #4
    alleepally
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,027 ✭✭✭alleepally


    http://www.broadband4ireland.com

    is easier to use than the ireland offline site which seems to be out of date with it's list of broadband offerings.

    Also, check out my "Diary of a New Broadband User" for my take on digiweb.


  • #5
    Goblin_insane
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37 ✭Goblin_insane


    Thanks this has been a bit of help. But what should I be looking for in a package? what does 48:1 mean?
    thanks for the help.


  • #6
    alleepally
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,027 ✭✭✭alleepally


    48:1 refers to "contention ratio"

    This refers to the max number of users sharing the bandwidth (i.e. the amount of space to carry your data) between your local exchange and the Internet Service Provider. 48:1 would mean you will not have to share bandwidth with more than 47 other users. Lower contention ratio is better but you generally pay more for it.

    Everyone is going to have a different opinion on which service provider to go for but for me it was dictated by how much per month I was prepared to pay.. I think you get a per month budget figure into your head and then whittle down the list from what is on broadband4ireland.


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