Smart broadband!!!

blocparty

I live just outside cork city and for some reason i cant get eircom broadband or digiwebs metro! i came across smart broadband by chance really cause i thought they jusy used eircoms infrastructure but it turns out they can provide broadband in my area. so i was just wondering how good the service is, when will you be able to keep your existing eircom number while switching to smart for broadband.

and advice is appreciated. and appologies if there is already a thread for this

Sponge Bob

blocparty wrote:

I live just outside cork city and for some reason i cant get eircom broadband or digiwebs metro! i came across smart broadband by chance really cause i thought they jusy used eircoms infrastructure but it turns out they can provide broadband in my area.

many houses that 'fail' Eircom actually pass for Smart BB . Seems they are your only DSL choice and a good choice it is too.

so i was just wondering how good the service is,

as good as any DSL is , better because 2 Mbits from Smart is really 2 mbits while eircom cannot deliver their advertised speeds but about 90% thereof because the overhead is not counted .

when will you be able to keep your existing eircom number while switching to smart for broadband.

you can keep it by porting your number to the ultra cheap blueface (not smart) Smart will advise you on the timing of the port request , Blueface is a VoIP service with a porting arrangement . Eircom refuse to port to LLU operators like Magnet and Smart .

blocparty

[QUOTE=
you can keep it by porting your number to the ultra cheap blueface (not smart) Smart will advise you on the timing of the port request , Blueface is a VoIP service with a porting arrangement . Eircom refuse to port to LLU operators like Magnet and Smart .[/QUOTE]


so if i port to blueface what actually happens? my number will be the same right? but to get smart broadband you have to change to smart landline as well so im not sure how this solution actually works. do you have the url for blueface? what broadband company do you use?

paulm17781

Blueface is at www.blueface.ie they are a VOIP company so they will work with any BB company. You can move your number over to them to keep it. Maybe mail them for more info on it. They are excellent when it comes to customer support etc.

blocparty

thanks. can you use your regular phone with this service or do you have to use your computer? i doubt my parents would be able to manage without using a regular phone. thats really cool if it all works out cause the costs are next to nothing

steve-o

AFAIK if your line is being used for LLU (Smart/Magnet) then you cannot port your number anywhere. It's because Eircom claim they can't have the same number allocated internally in their systems to the LLU line while also routed elsewhere for calls.

The simple solution is to allocate a new number to the line and free up the old number for porting, but they refuse to do that in a reasonable amount of time (it's a "manual" process).

If it's that important to you and you are willing to go through the pain (probably some cost) you could try this: First get Eircom to change your phone number, keep the old one as a virtual number forwarded to your new one, then move your phone line to Smart/Magnet (getting yet another new number), then get the old number ported to Smart/Magnet/Blueface/whoever.

blocparty

ya keeping our current number is essential and its the only reason my dad is saying no to getting broadband. but how do you keep the number as a virtual number? surely eircom will do anything thing they can to screw me over to prevent me from moving to smart? the only way i can see as a solution to this is to get a new line which costs €125 which is very pricy but the only saving feature is the free line rental from smart. plus smart is cheaper for 2Mb saving €7 a month so in 17 months thime the cost of the new line will be paid back and plus there's no cap with smart compared to 16gb with eircom

paulm17781

Seriously, contact Blueface for more info. You have to get an ATA (99 euro with 6 months of free calls!) Effectively your number is put on to that (not literally). This is like a router for phone and data. It may not be practicle if you have more than one phone but see what Blueface think.

blocparty

but can u still use the existing phone?

ghostdancer

you might have to buy a new handset (blueface can provide a new one for you aswell i think), but you keep your existing eircom number, and you make savings on not just the calls, but not having to pay eircom for line rental. basically all you need to do is port your eircom number to blueface, and probably get a new handset, and that should take care of any of the parent's concerns about keeping the existing number.

Sponge Bob

blocparty wrote:

ya keeping our current number is essential and its the only reason my dad is saying no to getting broadband. but how do you keep the number as a virtual number?

Get eircom to allocate a new number on your line and put the old one in a 'Forward In The Exchange' configuration which costs €8 a month to rent on top of the normal €24 rental to eircom (as long as you are with them)

That 'Forward In The Exchange' number can be ported off .

paulm17781

blocparty wrote:

but can u still use the existing phone?

Yes. It plugs into the ATA.

have a look at http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=542

or mail Blueface support.

Blaster99

Sponge Bob wrote:

Get eircom to allocate a new number on your line and put the old one in a 'Forward In The Exchange' configuration which costs €8 a month to rent on top of the normal €24 rental to eircom (as long as you are with them)

That 'Forward In The Exchange' number can be ported off .

Is this something Biddy understands? It's a nice solution all the same. So Eircom could just charge €8 for the number port and everybody could move on and spare themselves court cases?

ghostdancer, there's no Eircom line rental to be saved by using Blueface as no Eircom line rental is payable.

Sponge Bob

'Forward In The Exchange' is the only bit that Biddy understands , the number will no longer be the unique identifier and may then be ported . Tell them you got crank calls on the old number and may wish to forward it to elsewhere .

ghostdancer

Blaster99 wrote:

Is this something Biddy understands? It's a nice solution all the same. So Eircom could just charge €8 for the number port and everybody could move on and spare themselves court cases?

ghostdancer, there's no Eircom line rental to be saved by using Blueface as no Eircom line rental is payable.

well yeah there is if he's considering getting another line just to keep his eircom number for their phone service.

blocparty

ok say i do get a new line in order to get smart broadband can i then change that line straight over to blue face or is there a contract with smart to stay with them for the phone line aswell as the broadband?

Sponge Bob

they may pairgain your existing line to give you a 'new' line which means no BB on either of them

blocparty

so its not worth switching the new line to blue face?

steve-o

I don't think anyone is recommending the idea of a new line. It will cost you money, and they will either tear up the driveway (your Dad won't be impressed) or use the same physical line (but charge you twice) making neither line usable for broadband.

What is being suggested is that because you cannot move the number off the line AFTER you move to Smart, you could try and do so beforehand, and temporarily point the old number to the line using Eircom's number diversion service. Then when you move your line to Smart you should be free to port the old number anywhere you want because the new Eircom number is what's tied to the physical line (but can't be called).

I don't know if anyone has tried this approach yet. The things you need to check out are:
Will Eircom change your phone number and forward the old one to the new one. How much will that cost.
Can Eircom release the line to Smart while it has another number forwarded to it. If not, then you'll have some downtime (a week or two at least) where the old number doesn't work.
Can the Eircom number diversion service forward to a Smart number (you'll need to do that temporarily before finally porting the number).
Can you port a number off Eircom to another provider if it's being used for their number diversion service (or just sitting in limbo).
And, if you want to move the number to Smart, can Smart accept it; how much will it cost, what will be the downtime.

If you can manage this then I think you'll have achieved something no-one else has done. And hopefully your Dad won't have kicked you out for wrecking the phone.

edanto

/subscribes to this thread

If this solution works, the wrinklies will be well happy to get rid of Eircom. I was fine taking a new Smart number for my place, but they've had the old one for 20 odd years and couldn't give it up.

Garfield - if you're around, would you be able to answer the questions above that relate to Smart?

blocparty

i know noone said to get a new line but i was onto smart and they said that that was the only option because porting wont be available for the foreseeable future.

id imagine if there was a way around it like youve suggested then smart would have offered me this advice as well cause its in their interest to encourage me to switch over.

if im wrong and it is possible to do this then is there anyone who has had success with this?

Sponge Bob

We said unto you:

1. Get a new number for the one line you have

2. Forward the old number 'from the exchange' to the new number , tell biddy you are moving across Cork (eg from north to south) but do not have the permanent new number yet coz you have not yet bought .

you now have 2 numbers and pay 24 rental (as now for line ) + 8 rental (for forward existing number) + calls from old to new at local rate

3. Move line with new number to smart, you lose the new number but get another new number again from smart but you can instantly change the forward in the exchange so it forward to new new number not the old new number by ringing 1901 .

now you pay smart 35 a month all in and eircom still get 8 + local calls forwarded .

4. Port old number to blueface , no more 8 per month to eircom or call forwarding at local rate charges

Simple. Ring 1901 and have a chat, when the machine answers say " Agent"

paulm17781

You need an Eircon account number to port. Will you still have this if you move to Smart?

dub45

blocparty wrote:

i know noone said to get a new line but i was onto smart and they said that that was the only option because porting wont be available for the foreseeable future.

id imagine if there was a way around it like youve suggested then smart would have offered me this advice as well cause its in their interest to encourage me to switch over.

if im wrong and it is possible to do this then is there anyone who has had success with this?

I doubt if Smart would offer this advice to any potential customer simply because virtually all of the dealings with the 'old' number are out of their hands and with Eircom. And guess who would get the blame if the thing does not work? Yep Smart!

Sponge Bob

paulm17781 wrote:

You need an Eircon account number to port. Will you still have this if you move to Smart?

yes because your forwarded number is still being paid for. however the number tied to the physical line is the new one eircom gave you .

you should execute steps 1 and 2 in my process above yourself THEN contact the LLU operator such as Smart or Magnet once you have safely parked the Eircom number that Eircom want you to lose for leaving them

blocparty

Sponge Bob wrote:

We said unto you:

1. Get a new number for the one line you have

2. Forward the old number 'from the exchange' to the new number , tell biddy you are moving across Cork (eg from north to south) but do not have the permanent new number yet coz you have not yet bought .

you now have 2 numbers and pay 24 rental (as now for line ) + 8 rental (for forward existing number) + calls from old to new at local rate

3. Move line with new number to smart, you lose the new number but get another new number again from smart but you can instantly change the forward in the exchange so it forward to new new number not the old new number by ringing 1901 .

now you pay smart 35 a month all in and eircom still get 8 + local calls forwarded .

4. Port old number to blueface , no more 8 per month to eircom or call forwarding at local rate charges

Simple. Ring 1901 and have a chat, when the machine answers say " Agent"

ok have you dont this yourself? is there anytime that youll be without a phone during the change overs? so you pay €8 every month or what?

Sponge Bob

blocparty wrote:

ok have you dont this yourself? is there anytime that youll be without a phone during the change overs? so you pay €8 every month or what?

You will have some outage during the port while your old number 'disappears' off eircom and 'reappears' on Blueface. The duration of the outage is controlled by Eircom .

blocparty

see i dont think ill be changing to blueface! if it was my house i def would but i doubt my parents would go for it really!

have you done this or do yopu know someone who did or are you just super intelligent on this subject?

Sponge Bob

I know a few who did as they moved offices across town or from the centre to the edge .

I am not in LLU territory and can quite happily 'lose' my number anyway .

When company x moves from city centre to business park that is how they keep their number when they cannot move it off the exchange they were previously on . They forward in the old exchange .

Blaster99

You will of course need to sign up with Blueface also and will incur some extra equipment cost even if it is somewhat hidden in offers and bundles.

You'd think Smart should be able to change their phone numbers, so you could port your forward-in-exchange number to them. Is that possible, does anyone know? This would be cleaner than having to involve Blueface, unless you want a VoIP solution of course.

Sponge Bob

Blaster99 wrote:

You'd think Smart should be able to change their phone numbers, so you could port your forward-in-exchange number to them. Is that possible, does anyone know?

I _THINK_ that a 'forward in the exchange' number can be ported to Smart or Magnet or BT (the 3 LLU operators) but not a number tied to a phone line .

Only Smart can answer that though.