Yippee - Broadband in Castlefinn !!

DonegalMan

Never thought I'd see this day - I'm now on a broadband connection from my home in Castlefinn, Co. Donegal

NTR/StrabaneBroadband have just set up the connection. Although I'm about 7 miles LOS from the TV mast in Strabane where they broadcast from, I have perfect line of site and a near perfect signal.

My connection is 512/512 and the speed is excellent* I could upgrade to 1 Mg if I wanted but I don't need that at home so can't justify the extra cost.

I cannot praise the guys from NTR/StrabaneBroadband enough, there has been a fair bit of delay from I first spoke to them but they have explained the reasons to me and most of it was outside their control. I am just so pleased that they were able to sort me out when I had given up all hope of ever getting Broadband at home.

As well as broadcasting from the mast in Strabane, they are also broadcasting from Sheriff's Mountain in Derry.

If anyone in this part of Donegal wants to try there service, a rough rule of thumb is that if you can see the top four lights on the Strabane mast or the two white lights on the Derry mast, you are in with a chance, subject to distance.

I am about 7 miles from Strabane mast and they thought it was dodgy but came out to do a test. They use some sort of scale for measuring the signal where anything over 15 is ok, anything over 30 is actually too strong; I came in at 24 which they described as "near perfect" .

If you think it might work for you, I recommend you contact StrabaneBroadband

Martin (all excited today) Harran

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*Just did a test on IrishISPTest and I'm getting

Your current bandwidth reading is: 471.60 kbpswhich means you can download at 58.95 KB/sec. from our servers.

Paddy20

Delighted to hear that Martin. Nice to hear some good new's from Castlefinn. I feel sure this example of cross border co-operation deserve's further publicity in the media.

Here I am in Ballybofey, enjoying Clicksilver broadband thanks to another Nothern Ireland business initiative which is causing Eircom real headaches, and now you have a 'Wireless' broadband connection as well.

That to me is 'good new's' for all.

Have you considered informing Donal Kavanagh at the Highland Radio newsdesk, as it sound's like a first. That a lot of their listener's would be very interested in ?...

DonegalMan

Paddy20 wrote:

Have you considered informing Donal Kavanagh at the Highland Radio newsdesk, as it sound's like a first. That a lot of their listener's would be very interested in ?...

Yep, gonna do a media thing over next few days

damien

So right now the only way some people in Ireland can get broadband is to set up a wireless link to Northern Ireland ?

Paddy20

Damien,

Very good News Headline/Story hook that ?...exploit, exploit, thats my motto :eek:

IgnatiusJRiley

Excellent news! It's good to see places that Eircom are likely to ignore for the next fifty years get broadband and places like Lifford and Castlefinn are just such places!!

DonegalMan

damien.m wrote:

So right now the only way some people in Ireland can get broadband is to set up a wireless link to Northern Ireland ?

Feel free to use my story

damien

Oh don't worry I will

Paddy20

Yeah, IrelandOffline: The 'Newsbreakers' as well as 'Newsmakers' :cool:

HalfManHalfCook

Good news. Broadband available from my old home town, Castlefinn.

To add to the story: I live smack bang in Sandymount, Dublin and I cannot get access, either ADSL, cable or wireless (apart from Leap, but at business prices, I can't really justify the cost).
Irish Broadband, Eircom, Chorus, NTL etc. etc.

And I can see the top 45 lights from the RTE mast...

damien

Email me your story please.

research@irelandoffline.org

ednwireland

you make me sick a year from donegal town exchange been enbaled and i still have to make do with dialup - can't see the border thats my problem !

Just did a test on IrishISPTest and I'm getting
well lifes too short t o wait for the download actually

Paddy20

ednwireland,

Goodness, you have my sympathy, which is not exactly what you are looking for, is it !.

With a name like your's, are you sure you can not wire yourself up ?..

Anyone heard anymore, about that 'new' Donegal/North west based, Wireless broadband group that JWT was going to attempt contacting. I think they had their first meeting last night ?..maybe no one turned up.

Such is life.

decgal

DonegalMan wrote:

Never thought I'd see this day - I'm now on a broadband connection from my home in Castlefinn, Co. Donegal

NTR/StrabaneBroadband have just set up the connection. Although I'm about 7 miles LOS from the TV mast in Strabane where they broadcast from, I have perfect line of site and a near perfect signal.

My connection is 512/512 and the speed is excellent* I could upgrade to 1 Mg if I wanted but I don't need that at home so can't justify the extra cost.

I cannot praise the guys from NTR/StrabaneBroadband enough, there has been a fair bit of delay from I first spoke to them but they have explained the reasons to me and most of it was outside their control. I am just so pleased that they were able to sort me out when I had given up all hope of ever getting Broadband at home.

As well as broadcasting from the mast in Strabane, they are also broadcasting from Sheriff's Mountain in Derry.

If anyone in this part of Donegal wants to try there service, a rough rule of thumb is that if you can see the top four lights on the Strabane mast or the two white lights on the Derry mast, you are in with a chance, subject to distance.

I am about 7 miles from Strabane mast and they thought it was dodgy but came out to do a test. They use some sort of scale for measuring the signal where anything over 15 is ok, anything over 30 is actually too strong; I came in at 24 which they described as "near perfect" .

If you think it might work for you, I recommend you contact StrabaneBroadband

Martin (all excited today) Harran

---

*Just did a test on IrishISPTest and I'm getting

hi i'am in castlefin toand wondering how much you broadband cost ,did they charge for set up and how did you contact them .have you there phone number.
thanks dec

pointofnoreturn

DonegalMan wrote:

My connection is 512/512 and the speed is excellent* I could upgrade to 1 Mg if I wanted but I don't need that at home so can't justify the extra cost.

I cannot praise the guys from NTR/StrabaneBroadband enough, there has been a fair bit of delay......

It's great to hear that you've got access, but aleast for a proper roll out using a TV mast and the backing of NTR they could atlest give you a decent 1Mit or 2. 512 now a days is just not do able!

What's the cost?, Install, Monthly packages...

1huge1

^^ ahem
this was posted in 2004