Ardmore Wireless

Azhrei

Has anyone had any dealings with this crowd? Back in February, I got broadband from them in the form of a 2mb connection via an antenna on the roof to across the harbour in Aghada (I'm in Cobh) for €29. As there is a fair distance between my house and Aghada, I had no problems with their warning that the 2mb advertised speed might not be 2mb, as I was delighted at the chance to finally, after seven years of waiting, to get broadband. There was no download cap, which was fantastic, though there as a fair usage policy. Several other people in the area signed up to this service also.

This connection was plagued with problems early on, but they straightened them out eventually, and the connection was stable and fast, often averaging around 1.3mbps at speedtest.ie. Now, I'm studying film-making in college and as such I tend to download a lot of short films. I'm aware that any downloading affects everyone if it's constant, heavy downloading, but I download late at night only, from around 2am to 6am in the morning. Ardmore didn't like it, however, and cut the speed of not only my connection, but everyone's in the area. I rang them up and told them I did not want to be responsible for cutting everyone's speed, but they told me that I was not the only one downloading too much - a lot of people are, apparently. I was told of a business option whereby they would move me to a single line so that I would have truly unlimited downloads, and I would not affect anyone else.

I heartily agreed to this option, but the general manager told me to wait, that they would have a meeting about it and see if they could see a way around this without my having to pay more. I agreed, and he told me to wait a week or so. In the meantime, the connection speed would remain cut to 236kbps for everyone in the area. I waited. I rang and rang and they would always either promise to resolve the situation or say they would pass on the message to the manager, who I knew by name at this point. It's been nearly two months. A few days, I managed to get in contact with the manager again. He told me that they had the meeting, and that he was going to speak to an engineer that very day and then get back to me. I said okay, hung up, and waited. Typically, he did not get back to me - he has never, not ONCE returned my calls. I rang again today and was told for the umpteenth time that he had "stepped across the street for a moment". I explained the situation to the person on the phone, who was helpful, and promised me to speak to the manager personally and get him to return my call and talk to me about how this could be resolved. Guess who didn't return my call again?

I am so, so sick of Ardmore. The connection was fantastic when it was working, and I was more than ready to pay their extortionate €70/month fee to upgrade to the business line, but all they have done, and the manager in question most of all, is stall and stall and never give me a straight answer. My brother and I cannot play a single game of WoW or Battlefield 2 because the connection is so bad - tonight it's horrible, and a friend on the same service just told me it's very bad for him, too. I am going to ring Ardmore tomorrow for the last time, demand to speak to the manager, and demand an explanation and to resolve this issue tomorrow, or I am cancelling the service and moving to UTV's broadband. I signed up for a year with them yet they told me they would cancel my account (before the option of the business line came up), so if they complain, I will complain right back. For nearly two months my supposed 2mb line has been at 236kb - it's almost like being back on dial-up again. Though, I don't remember dial-up taking this long to load a single page of Gmail :mad:

Ardmore's site has been the same for nearly a year now - a flash message will tell you they are redesigning the site. Therefore, customers cannot see their download usage, cannot see their connection speed unless they use a third-party option such as speedtest.net or speedtest.ie. We do not receive messages on server downtime or anything like that, or connection status. They have sent me one or two receipts via e-mail, and one via normal mail, and nothing else... this is unprofessional, surely? Ardmore has really annoyed me now, so much so that I would almost prefer to go back to my 56k modem rather than deal with them again.

eoinok

Azhrei, try the guy below. He is more or less in the same spot that Armore have their mast (on a house) over in Saleen. So, you if can see where Ardmore is, you will be able to connect to Malcom.

I could tell you a few stories about Ardmore and that particular AP they have over in Saleen. Such as the cardinal sin of any wireless network, have 3 sectors up and then go and put them all transmitting on the same channel/frequency..... fatal. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

http://www.eastcork.net/

Azhrei

Thanks for your reply and suggestion Eoin, but their coverage map just misses Cobh. I'm pretty sure that Ardmore's transmitter is in Aghada - the one I connect to, at least.

tech

sorry I have have made a incorrect statement

eoinok

Tech, you are wrong. They are still in operation and only connected up someone I know of 2 weeks back.
You need to get your facts right before coming on here saying things like that as it can do serious damage to a company.

Azhrei, I may have the name of the location where their AP is, incorrect. It could technically be Aghada alright. I would put it down as Saleen personally myself...... anyway, where eastcork have their mast is up on the prodestant church in Aghada/Saleen. This is about 200 yards away from where Ardmore have their mast up on a house.
I should know, as I was up there one evening with Malcom looking at both locations.

Drop him a mail. One thing that could come against you is water. 5.8Ghz doesn't behave too well sometimes travelling across water. Ardmore use 2.4Ghz so it is less of an issue...... but then not entirely legal for outdoor use......

bushy...

eoinok wrote:

You need to get your facts right before coming on here saying things like that as it can do serious damage to a company.


Drop him a mail. One thing that could come against you is water. 5.8Ghz doesn't behave too well sometimes travelling across water. Ardmore use 2.4Ghz so it is less of an issue...... but then not entirely legal for outdoor use......

Since you are accusing Ardmore of operating illegally you/mods might want to remove that post in case they get upset and take legal action against boards,ie

eoinok

bushy. Have a read off this. http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/odtr0216.pdf

I know it is quite an old document but 2.4Ghz is still limited to 100mW EIRP in a more recent document that I viewed. Trying to dig stuff out of the commreg site can be a job in itself.

Recently, the 5.8Ghz spectrum was upped to 2W EIRP http://www.comreg.ie/publications/submissions_to_consultation__reservation_of_spectrum_for_the_nbs.683.102707.p.html

Now here is the deal. Anyone using 2.4Ghz for outdoor use is probably contravening commreg regulations. It is simple as that. There is loads of operators using 5Ghz and they are also exceeding the allowed power.

What does commreg do about it? Shut down everyone who is exceeding the allowed EIRP?? As a consequence then, end up disconnecting most of the country who are connected with WISPS? I think not!

Apologies if I was precieved to "pick" on Ardmore. I was meerly making a point that any operator using 2.4Ghz, is "probably" breaking commreg regulations, but I am not saying that any on particular operator is.......:)

bushy...

Yip , I wasn't having a go at you but it does look like you were accusing Ardmore and these boards can do without more hassle.
Anyway , i've been messing with this stuff for a good while , have seen some funny stuff too...

Had a guy ( who runs a Wisp btw) try to convince me one night that the opensource drivers could make CM9s put out 50dbm.

eoinok

"could make CM9s put out 50dbm." :eek:

Max, and I mean max, is 30dbm, and that is assuming that the eproms are correctly programmed. Run them at 30dbm, and you wont be long burning out the card.
Default "safe maximum" for CM9's is 18dbm.

Azhrei

I spoke to the general manager again of Ardmore, who told me that the speed for everyone in the area wouldn't be brought back up again for a few months. He said that the engineers were monitoring downloads and were unsure of how to proceed. He actually told me that it would be better to look elsewhere for broadband, despite the twelve-month contract I signed with them. I thanked him, hung up, and applied for UTV's 3mb broadband deal (we're already using their phone service). This was on Tuesday.

I had planned to continue to use the connection with Ardmore until UTV installed the new connection, which should be late next week or early the following week. I was gone all day yesterday, up in the city, from ten in the morning, and didn't come back until seven in the evening. When I turned on the computer, I couldn't access the 'net. I turned off the modem, and reset the router. Nothing. A friend who also is connected with Ardmore, and who is also suffering from the huge speed decrease, rang me to ask for the address of some site. After giving it to him, I asked if his connection was still working, and he said it was. I rang Ardmore, but they were closed.

Convinced that I'd been cut off, I rang again today. Either they are closed for the weekend, or they just refused to answer to my number, as I rang three times. An aunt of mine up in Conna told my mother that some broadband company in Waterford that they were setting up an account with is either in deep trouble or has gone under. I'm pretty sure Ardmore is in Waterford. I'm waiting for that same friend to come online so I can ask again about his connection. Has anyone heard anything?

tech

well I posted the same statement, but was told they were still in operation.

I know customer of them who have wireless links, are have been advised the same....

eoinok

If they are about to go under, then I am amazed on one hand, not surprised on the other hand......

Amazed as in the current climate of demand for Broadband, it is not as if you are trying to push something that nobody wants. I equate it as "like trying to shoot fish in a barrel". You cant miss.

Not surprised as in I know the way they operate (locations for installing AP's etc) and the equipment they use. It is something we played around in the "early days" when we 1st started out and were learning our trade as a community WAN (and still are), but we quickly learned and moved on as we saw that it would not be able to sustain future growth, and quite simply, was just not good enough.

Time will tell I suppose.

cianclarke

eoinok wrote:

If they are about to go under, then I am amazed on one hand, not surprised on the other hand......

Amazed as in the current climate of demand for Broadband, it is not as if you are trying to push something that nobody wants. I equate it as "like trying to shoot fish in a barrel". You cant miss.

Not surprised as in I know the way they operate (locations for installing AP's etc) and the equipment they use. It is something we played around in the "early days" when we 1st started out and were learning our trade as a community WAN (and still are), but we quickly learned and moved on as we saw that it would not be able to sustain future growth, and quite simply, was just not good enough.

Time will tell I suppose.

Bad news, but I've also heard they've gone under.

Dummy

Hi,

Does anyone know which company has gone under?


D

Azhrei

Well, Ardmore is still going for the moment, at least, no sign of them going under that I can see other than their asking people to leave their service.

ihateardmore

Party time!! It could not happen to a more deserving company!! Liars and general bullsh*tters please take note what is happening to your kin:D

As they say you will always reap what you sow.......

From the Sunday Business Post:

Ardmore Technologies, a leading broadband provider [ha ha!!!!], has asked the High Court to appoint an examiner after running into cashflow difficulties.

The Waterford-based company petitioned the court last Thursday and is now seeking fresh investment in an effort to save the business.

Ardmore provides broadband to customers in the south and southeast, and employs 15 people. Neil Hughes, managing partner of accountancy firm Hughes Blake, was appointed examiner and will attempt to draft a rescue plan over the next 70 days.

The court was told that the company had a reasonable prospect of survival if it could secure fresh funds and negotiate a deal with its creditors. The company has liabilities of €2 million, although it has physical assets matching that amount.


Signed

One of many Ardmore's hate filled public...

Marlow

bushy... wrote:

Had a guy ( who runs a Wisp btw) try to convince me one night that the opensource drivers could make CM9s put out 50dbm.

Sounds like somebody misreading the output on the older madwifi drivers, where it said "50mW" instead the dBm value. The default in madwifi-ng drivers is actually been put down to 16 dBm.

Anything above 27 dBm on a Wistron CM9 gives you huge performance break-in's and the factory rating for CM9's (100mW rated cards) is 17 dBm. Run them at anything over 17 dBm with an slightly electrically unbalanced antenna, and you get permanent damage on them in no time.

/Marlow

jbkenn

ihateardmore wrote:

Party time!! It could not happen to a more deserving company!! Liars and general bullsh*tters please take note what is happening to your kin:D

As they say you will always reap what you sow.......

Signed

One of many Ardmore's hate filled public...

Jaysus, somebody must have really pissed on your parade, hopefully Ardmore will be able to put a rescue package together and trade out of their current difficulties.

jbkenn

Dummy

jbkenn wrote:

hopefully Ardmore will be able to put a rescue package together and trade out of their current difficulties.

jbkenn

I completely agree with you jbkenn. There are 15 people working in Ardmore which means that 15 families are depending on this to put the bread & butter on the table.

ihateardmore

Dummy wrote:

I completely agree with you jbkenn. There are 15 people working in Ardmore which means that 15 families are depending on this to put the bread & butter on the table.

It is indeed sad that a few decent hard working folk may lose their jobs. However that does not excuse the shabby, dishonest operating practices of this company. I hope the captain of this ship loses his shirt and shoes. He FULLY deserves all that comes. I think a good few people will know who I am referring to.

Ardmore take first prize over all others when it comes to putting the paying customer last - a total joke.

I repeat - you will always reap what you sow.

For decent internet access try airwave - http://www.airwaveinternet.net

Sponge Bob

Funny how airwave and ardmore compete with each other ( and only with each other) in the East Cork and West Waterford areas all the same .