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best broadband package at this time

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  • 30-09-2008 9:29am
    #1
    pwd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,284 ✭✭✭


    Hi,
    I'm looking to get broadband after just renewing the lease on our flat.
    What are the best options at the moment for a place with no phone line currently installed? I thought upc was supposed to be very fast and reasonably priced but I've seen a couple of thread titles on this forum recently suggesting it's not so good these days? One other factor is that it would be effectively more expensive for us than usual because we get free cable at the moment, but it's analogue - I guess this would need to be changed to digital to get the broadband (and therefore we'd have to pay).

    I'm in Limerick near the city centre. I'm pretty sure upc is available there. The flat would not have line of site anywhere (except to other flats or a car park you see). I've tried mobile solutions and found we got poor speeds.

    So what packages would be worth considering.

    Thanks


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    #2
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,490 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    If you get UPC broadbnand you can have analog or digital but they'll realise its been free and start charging you from then on.

    To be honest most of the best options require a phone line to be installed.


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    #3
    pwd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,284 ✭✭✭pwd


    Yeah we can get a phone line installed if that seems the best option - though the effective price of the bb would include the line rental. (Then again the effective price of the cable option would include the cable tv I guess).

    I was looking at some of those threads about upc problems Does anyone know how the service is in limerick; are the problems just in dublin at the moment?


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    #4
    expatoz
    Registered Users Posts: 57 ✭✭expatoz


    keep well clear of upc/chorus/ntl it doesn't do what it says on the tin


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    #5
    pwd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,284 ✭✭✭pwd


    how about smart?
    I'd be looking for something costing not much more than 50 euro a month including line rental or cable tv costs or whatever.
    reliability would be a significant factor; speed and latency also significant factors


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    #6
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    If you want reliability, speed, good latency and low pings, then Smart is a good choice. I get 7Mbps for 55 a month incl line rental. The prices and speeds are different now, but in the same range. They also do a 1Mbps upload for an extra tenner.

    If there's already a line in the flat, then re-activation is simple and only takes a day. Cost should be about 25euro. For a new line install, it's about 120euro, and could be as quick as 1 week (was for me in Raheen last Christmas). Had Smart on it within 7 days of that too.


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    #7
    pwd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,284 ✭✭✭pwd


    I think I will go with smart. Emailed them and got a response within the hour about whether it is available at my address. I'll leave it until tomorrow and see if I change my mind or come across any horror stories or whatever.
    Thanks for the replies


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    #8
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,490 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    Don't think you#'ll find many horror stories with smart....besides maybe delays with ordering but thats about it. Smart appears to do exactly what it says on the tin.


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    #9
    Hank Scorpio
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,631 ✭✭✭✭Hank Scorpio


    smart = best isp in ireland full stop "." ;)


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    #10
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    Cabaal wrote: »
    Don't think you#'ll find many horror stories with smart....besides maybe delays with ordering but thats about it.

    The only major problem I've ever seen with them was about 2 years ago when they were nearly run out of business, by eircom. That had many people without phone and Internet for a while, but apart from that, it's always been fairly rock solid.

    The only other issue that people have is that it's not available to them, so if you can get it, then do.


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    #11
    pwd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,284 ✭✭✭pwd


    jor el wrote: »
    The only major problem I've ever seen with them was about 2 years ago when they were nearly run out of business, by eircom. That had many people without phone and Internet for a while, but apart from that, it's always been fairly rock solid.

    The only other issue that people have is that it's not available to them, so if you can get it, then do.
    Smart were 6 months or more in arrears in their account with eircom. All eircom did was stop providing a service that was not being paid for. They could have done it sooner tbh. One of the first things Smart did when it set up business here was to poach a good number of staff from eircom too.


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    #12
    supervixen
    Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭supervixen


    I am on a 6 MB/ 45 Euro Smart deal...

    perfectly happy, and 6 MB is fast enough for me, wouldn't pay extra for more :)


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