New Eircom customer: problems

TGE

We started our Eircom Home Plus connection on Wednesday morning. Since we signed up before 2nd April, we got a free Netopia wireless modem, and we decided to buy their USB adapter for the PC so that we wouldnt need a cable (the phone socket and PC are in different parts of the house). We had previously been a BT Broadband Plus customer for about 4 years, but had many problems with their modems (they had to replace the modem 3 times in the last year) and inconsistent connection, whether via the PC or via a laptop. We had been running a 7m ethernet cable through the house, and this is also why we decided to try a wireless modem.

The problem is, the Eircom connection is extremely inconsistent too. Better than when we were with BT, by far, but still not acceptable. When no browser is open, the Internet light on the modem is permanently red (meaning there is no connection unless a browser is open), and it rarely loads a webpage quickly (for example, it takes up to 15 seconds to load www.bbc.co.uk, but after that, any page on the BBC website loads instantly), yet downloads through BitTorrent and loading photos are extremely fast at times, and extremely slow at others. BitTorrent speeds change constantly, from 180kb/s to less than 10kb/s and back up and down again.

The connection strength is inconcistent. The communication between PC and modem is 'excellent', but the actual connection to the internet is extremely start and stop.

I'm asking here because, first, it's better. Secondly, because their helplines are impossible to get through to quickly and cheaply.

Thanks,
Fionn

dub45

I suspect that you have a dodgy line. What speed are you on with eircom?

Have you any extras attached to your line?

There is a figure for line quality available in the Eircom router on the main set up page if you access the router http://192.168.1.254 it should be on the main page and look something like 50/15.

Could you post that here? what speed do you get from say www.irishisptest.com

TGE

Line Attenuation
58/31 dB


Download speed: 1.75Mbps
Upload speed: 153 kbps

Are they the things you wanted?

Thanks for your help!

dub45

TGE wrote:

Line Attenuation
58/31 dB


Download speed: 1.75Mbps
Upload speed: 153 kbps

Are they the things you wanted?

Thanks for your help!

Your line attenuation is very high unfortunately have a look here:

http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/linestats.htm

The speed you got seems ok all things considered. It is hard to know what contribution the wireless connection is making to the problems. Have you got your usb wireless dongle directly into the computer or on an extension lead? Having it on the extension lead can give you more positional options.

By the way there is an option somewhere in the router configuration to keep the connection alive do you have this ticked? (I cant tell you exactly where as I dont use that router)

Do you have anything extra on your telephone line? lots of extensions or cordless phones sky boxes kitchen sinks or anything:)

kaizersoze

dub45 wrote:

By the way there is an option somewhere in the router configuration to keep the connection alive do you have this ticked? (I cant tell you exactly where as I dont use that router)

Do you have anything extra on your telephone line? lots of extensions or cordless phones sky boxes kitchen sinks or anything:)

Follow Dubs advice and remove everything connected to the phone line and see if the attenuation figures drop and the SN Margin rises. Your line may only be suitable for a 1 meg connection rather than the 2 meg that you're on now.

To set the Netopia to "Always on" do the following:
Access the router config page (http://192.168.1.254).
In the left hand menu click "Expert mode".
Click "Yes, Enter expert mode" on the main page.
In the left hand menu click "Configure" then "Connection".
On the main page near the bottom you'll see "Connection type". In the drop down box select "Always on".
At the bottom click "Save changes".
You'll be asked to restart router. Click "Yes".

Now your internet should always be green.:)

TGE

Thanks for the 'Always ON' assistance.

My connection has always been confusing. With BT, we had perfect connection, even when they upgraded their speeds on Broadband Plus from 1mb to 2mb, but the problems started when they upgraded to 3mb. The connection became inconsistent. We could have a perfect connection for several months, then almost nothing for weeks, then suddenly back on again. Until the middle of 2006, when it became extremely weird. We used their standard Zyxel modem, and it started to ONLY work through Ethernet when we had a laptop plugged into the USB port of the modem at the same time. They replaced the modem, and it was exactly the same. Nobody had a clue what was going on.

dub45

TGE wrote:

Thanks for the 'Always ON' assistance.

My connection has always been confusing. With BT, we had perfect connection, even when they upgraded their speeds on Broadband Plus from 1mb to 2mb, but the problems started when they upgraded to 3mb. The connection became inconsistent. We could have a perfect connection for several months, then almost nothing for weeks, then suddenly back on again. Until the middle of 2006, when it became extremely weird. We used their standard Zyxel modem, and it started to ONLY work through Ethernet when we had a laptop plugged into the USB port of the modem at the same time. They replaced the modem, and it was exactly the same. Nobody had a clue what was going on.

The fact that the problems started when you went up to the 3Mb would suggest that your line is simply not up to the 3Mb speed. 58db is very high and is going to give you problems.

Any chance of borrowing a modem from a friend to see if a different brand would make a difference?

TGE

dub45 wrote:

The fact that the problems started when you went up to the 3Mb would suggest that your line is simply not up to the 3Mb speed. 58db is very high and is going to give you problems.

Any chance of borrowing a modem from a friend to see if a different brand would make a difference?

I've tried that too. Everybody I know is either using Irish Broadband, Clearwire, BT (thus using the old modem I already have) and Eircom (the modem I'm currently using).

Is it worth contacting Eircom? Do they fix these problems, or tell you they know nothing about it, like BT?

TGE

Bump. Thanks.

I am having the exact same problem. I moved back to my parents house and got the 3 meg line in. We used to have the 2 meg BT line. But this Eircom connection is horrible. I can download a torrent at 300 kps but i disconnect when using MSN or a web page ! I am using IBB to type this .

dub45

Dre as in Dray wrote:

I am having the exact same problem. I moved back to my parents house and got the 3 meg line in. We used to have the 2 meg BT line. But this Eircom connection is horrible. I can download a torrent at 300 kps but i disconnect when using MSN or a web page ! I am using IBB to type this .

Firstly you have the same line - you just changed your supplier and your speed. Your line may not be up to the 3Mb speed have you checked your line stats as per the intructions in previous posts?

dub45

TGE wrote:

I've tried that too. Everybody I know is either using Irish Broadband, Clearwire, BT (thus using the old modem I already have) and Eircom (the modem I'm currently using).

Is it worth contacting Eircom? Do they fix these problems, or tell you they know nothing about it, like BT?

All Eircom are required to do is provide you with a line that is suitable for telephone calls. It is most unlikely that they will look at your line. Have you considered dropping down to the 2Mb line because based on your line stats your problems are not going to go away.

Iago

when your attenuation is as high as yours you will always struggle on higher packages. Your modem will keep dropping off and losing sync before recalibrating itself and re-connecting.

Your best bet is to drop down to the 1Mb service as it's likely that your router will continously stay synced with the exchange at that level. To be honest you'll never have a really good experience on a 2Mb product with attentuation that high.

Your attentuation is a combination of things by the way, it could be as simple as being too far from the exchange.

I checked with Eircom and they say that my line is fine for the 3 meg and that the line can handle it. so i dont know whats happening

Sponge Bob

They are wrong

58db is even marginal for 2mbits . I have seen 2mbits working on about that noise level at 3 miles distance but with quite a few crc errors as well.

Have you disconnected your internal wiring to see if the db drops ??

How far are you from the exchange, 58db is a good line at 3 miles or so or a crappier line closer in .

Yeah still have this problem here. What is strage is its timing , from 8 30 pm it constantly drops untill about 10, its geting to be very annoying. Eircom told me that it was my internet explorer 7. I told them that it wasnt as i use the xbox 360 on it too when the computer is off and it still drops.