Switching from Eircom to Smart

ric516

Hi, this is my first post in this forum!

I am currently subscribed to eircom's talktime and broadband bundle and the contract just ended last month. So I am seriously considering to switch to smart within this week. I am on Ship St. exchange.

I have a few questions about this though:

1. Do I need to cancel the services with eircom first?

2. Will I be able to keep my present telephone number?

3. I looked at smart's website and within the broadband pages it does mention voice services. Does smart provides offer packages (unlimited voice + broadband) like what I am having now?

4. What else do I have to be aware of before I make the order?

Cheers
Ricky

workaccount

You keep your line rental with eircom and then smart take that over so you have just the one bill. Ring them up...there staff are very helpful...

1800 718 555 - Residential sales number

ric516

I just rang them up and the lady said there won't be window period during the handover!

jor el

ric516 wrote: »

I just rang them up and the lady said there won't be window period during the handover!

Pretty sure that's wrong. There's a 15-21 day period where you'll be without broadband when getting Smart. Unless they've improved things (at eircom that is) and maybe now they start the process before your eircom broadband terminates. Even so, there'll still be some outage as they have to physically disconnect your line from the eircom equipment and connect to the Smart equipment in the exchange.

ric516

jor el wrote: »

Pretty sure that's wrong. There's a 15-21 day period where you'll be without broadband when getting Smart. Unless they've improved things (at eircom that is) and maybe now they start the process before your eircom broadband terminates. Even so, there'll still be some outage as they have to physically disconnect your line from the eircom equipment and connect to the Smart equipment in the exchange.

I think I will call them again to clarify this issue.

I have 2 other questions:

1. Can I keep the netopia wireless router from eircom (for free)?
2. Is the modem (model: 2247NWG-VGx) going to work if I am gonna connect the line straight from the wall to it?

azezil

ric516 wrote: »

I think I will call them again to clarify this issue.

I have 2 other questions:

1. Can I keep the netopia wireless router from eircom (for free)?
2. Is the modem (model: 2247NWG-VGx) going to work if I am gonna connect the line straight from the wall to it?

1. not entirely certain, its not free though, you get it as part of the package, but I *think* because you stayed with them for the year you should be fine.
2. not unless you reconfigure it with SMART telecoms settings and then any time you need to reset the modem the Eircom settings will be reapplied, personally I'd find that too annoying to bother with.

BlitzKrieg

I'd like to add a question onto this thread

been meaning to change my broadband provider from eircom to someone who bundles it with television.

I rang Smart a couple of weeks and the lady on the other end told me that I would have to pay my eircom fees and the smart fees...so if Smart were charging me 90 euro a month for broadband and tv etc i will have to pay the 50 euro on top of that for eircom line rental.

Now my friend says she must have been mistaken or misunderstood and my current attempts to ring them again have left me on indefinite hold..can anyone shed any light on this?

AlmightyCushion

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

I'd like to add a question onto this thread

been meaning to change my broadband provider from eircom to someone who bundles it with television.

I rang Smart a couple of weeks and the lady on the other end told me that I would have to pay my eircom fees and the smart fees...so if Smart were charging me 90 euro a month for broadband and tv etc i will have to pay the 50 euro on top of that for eircom line rental.

Now my friend says she must have been mistaken or misunderstood and my current attempts to ring them again have left me on indefinite hold..can anyone shed any light on this?

If you move to smart you don't have to pay any monthly fees to eircom. You may have to pay a cancellation fee though.

BlitzKrieg

no i am well over the 12 month limit with them.

AlmightyCushion

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

no i am well over the 12 month limit with them.

Well I'd ring them again and get her to confirm which fees she is on about and ask her why you'd have to pay eircom for line rental when you are going to be paying smart for it. She has most likely made a mistake.

ric516

do you guys know if the netopia 2247 modem can perfectly substitue the modem (non wireless) given by smart?

bk

BlitzKrieg wrote:

been meaning to change my broadband provider from eircom to someone who bundles it with television.

I wouldn't go with Smart (or any IPTV operator) for TV, stick with NTL or Sky.

Smart are excellent for BB, but the TV service leaves a lot to be desired.

BlitzKrieg

problem is i hear NTL is the complete opposite

and i rather have excellent broadband/average tv then good tv/poor broadband

AlmightyCushion

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

problem is i hear NTL is the complete opposite

and i rather have excellent broadband/average tv then good tv/poor broadband

Then get ntl tv and smart broadband.

BlitzKrieg

heh

19.99 for ntl monthly

55 a month for smart

might not be a bad idea.

AlmightyCushion

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

heh

19.99 for ntl monthly

55 a month for smart

might not be a bad idea.

You said the smart was costing you €90 above so you're saving a €15 a month. Eddie Hobbs would be proud.

lebowsky

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

problem is i hear NTL is the complete opposite

and i rather have excellent broadband/average tv then good tv/poor broadband

Smart have invested in new equipment for their IPTV service so maybe the problems are in the past. They're due to launch the new IPTV service to existing BB customers in the new year. Loads of nice features from what I've seen of the demo.

jor el

ric516 wrote: »

I think I will call them again to clarify this issue.

I've been on the Smart forums and it seems that now they have the number port-ability sorted, the line can be transfered in a day. There's still a wait for broadband though once your line is over with Smart.

AlmightyCushion

jor el wrote: »

I've been on the Smart forums and it seems that now they have the number port-ability sorted, the line can be transfered in a day. There's still a wait for broadband though once your line is over with Smart.

Very glad they have the number portability sorted. Roughly how long is the wait for broadband.

bk

lebowsky wrote: »

Smart have invested in new equipment for their IPTV service so maybe the problems are in the past. They're due to launch the new IPTV service to existing BB customers in the new year. Loads of nice features from what I've seen of the demo.

I'm a smart vision (TV) customer and I'd be interested to hear what these fancy new features are?

At the moment the TV service isn't great for the following reasons:

1) Channel line up is poor, no Sky one/news, no discovery network channels, no history channel, no film 4, many music and kids TV channels missing.

2) Can't have two STB's on one router, so you can't watch one channel while recording another.

3) Audio sometimes out of synch with picture.

4) Slow channel change when jumping to a channel (moving up and down a channel is fine and fast).

5) Slow EPG menu system

6) No DVR

7) No HD

8) Sky sports and movies very expensive

Also while I don't experience it myself, many smartvision customers complain that the TV service is basically unwatchable, with constant freezing and break up of picture.