Very general Broadband question

BravoGolf

Hi all.
Forgive me if this thread is very basic, but i've done my research and I know that the opinion of an actual user group is always valuable

A friend (to be known herein as Jim) and I are getting broadband between us. The way it will work (or at least we hope it will work) is that Jim (a.ka. the friend) will get Eircom telephone line installed, a broadband package and a wireless router. I shall then get a wireless adapter and we shall both share the connection.
Jim and I both know how to set this up, and have worked the last few years in an ISP that deals with broadband in the UK.
But since Ireland is so different, I would absolutely love to get some feedback from you guys.
Basically, we want a connection suitable for XBox Live and the occasional *ahem* download.

So what, in your opinion, is the best (and cheapest service provider) available that you'd reccomend?
Anything from 512K onwards would do!

Wanton

512 is as far as it goes here m8, unless ur one of the lucky ones who live in the slowly growing area of the capital that ntl have deemed worthy of faster broadband

tomk

UTV is the cheapest, but reportedly not the best for gaming. Esat/IOL would be next up.

Wanton

well all i can say bout gaming with utv is that i can can rarely think of many occasions where i had problems play xbox online, and i can count on one hand the amount of times i have had enought lag etc to stop me from playing. how it will cope with 2 or more xbox's thought i dont know

seamus

If you can get it, I would recommend you go for NTL's package. Otherwise, as the guy above me said.

tipperaryboy

UTV is NOT the chepest if you happen to live in Killkenny,Clonmel,or Thurles,where you can get it for just 29.95 per month with Chours.
Chours Cablenet Broadband www.chours.ie/cablenet

OfflerCrocGod

tipperaryboy wrote:

UTV is NOT the chepest if you happen to live in Killkenny,Clonmel,or Thurles,where you can get it for just 29.95 per month with Chours.

If you say so. Frankly NTL smoke the competition 1.5Mb for €50 a month? ye you can use Chorus if you want but I'll keep praying for NTL to wake up and upgrade my area.

Ripwave

tipperaryboy wrote:

UTV is NOT the chepest if you happen to live in Killkenny,Clonmel,or Thurles,where you can get it for just 29.95 per month with Chours.
Chours Cablenet Broadband www.chorus.ie/cablenet

Wow - a whole 4c per month cheaper!

kin9pin

Ripwave wrote:

Wow - a whole 4c per month cheaper!

which is 48c per year so you could say they give a free stamp.

BravoGolf

Hey guys (and gals).
Thanks for the repsonse

Connection would be in Waterford
I'll check out NTL and see what their coverage/connection is like.

Thanks again.

Wanton

ntl are only dublin i think.

Ripwave

BravoGolf wrote:

Connection would be in Waterford
I'll check out NTL and see what their coverage/connection is like.

NTL have a cable franchise somewhere in Waterford, but I don't think they're doing Cable Broadband down there just yet. (http://www.electricnews.net/news.html?code=9414408)

If you're close enough to Dungarvan, there might be something here for you.

BravoGolf

Darn.
No NTL Cable in Waterford at the moment, and CableSurf is too far away.

I guess it's a choice between Esat, IOL and Eircom then.

tipperaryboy

ahemm..ye cant be saying its only 4c cheaper then ntl i suppose ye mean cause eircom is wayyyy dearer,compard to eircom chours is much cheaper

j26

I'm down in Waterford and the IOL regularly keeps up a sustainable 60-70k per second (just downloaded a 2meg file in about 45 seconds - just to see). Works fine for me and it has a much bigger cap than Eircom, plus 3 months free trial and a fourth free if you actually do take up the subscription.

Ripwave

tipperaryboy wrote:

ahemm..ye cant be saying its only 4c cheaper then ntl i suppose ye mean cause eircom is wayyyy dearer,compard to eircom chours is much cheaper

Eircom? People who get their broadband from eircom either don't know any better, or have more money than sense. Either way, they're not going to be impressed by Chorus.

UTV Clicksilver is only €29.99/month. That's only 4c dearer than Chorus.