Meteor Announce Mobile Broadband Trial

Decaydub

Monkey, it shows up alright, and usually reports as 'limited connectivity' or 'local only' although it did work for about 10 minutes last night, which, if anything, is even more frustrating.

I've disabled anything that might cause a problem (spybot, AVG, Windows firewall etc) but no joy as yet. Messed around in the registry based on this (not even sure if it's related) http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928233/en-us but still nothing.

I also got the latest software from Huawei's site and installed that but it's several months old (although at least it gives you control over profiles etc).

If Meteor can't come up with a fix, I'm getting out of this trial, it's too much damn hassle - Vista may be a piece of **** but I'm not installing a new OS just to help Meteor iron their bugs out.

Dave

Jonathan

Decaydub wrote: »

Monkey, it shows up alright, and usually reports as 'limited connectivity' or 'local only' although it did work for about 10 minutes last night, which, if anything, is even more frustrating.

I've disabled anything that might cause a problem (spybot, AVG, Windows firewall etc) but no joy as yet. Messed around in the registry based on this (not even sure if it's related) http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928233/en-us but still nothing.

I also got the latest software from Huawei's site and installed that but it's several months old (although at least it gives you control over profiles etc).

If Meteor can't come up with a fix, I'm getting out of this trial, it's too much damn hassle - Vista may be a piece of **** but I'm not installing a new OS just to help Meteor iron their bugs out.

Dave

Did you try installing the drivers i posted earlier in the thread and connect manually?

Decaydub

jmccrohan wrote: »

Did you try installing the drivers i posted earlier in the thread and connect manually?

No, sorry, missed that post, found it now, will try it later and report back....

Cheers,

Dave

Ron DMC

I never ended up receiving any new sim card in the end. Just tried it with the original sim card now and it's working perfectly. Meteor must have provisioned the sim at some stage.

Jonathan

I got a call from TNS/mrbi earlier..

I only went through with the call to give them negative feedback on the crap software and the prices...

Fresh Pots

i got a call too. I told them how it was. They need to make major improvements to their 3g network before they launch broadband and they need to introduce better value plans. Otherwise it will fall flat on its face. Simple as.

RobertFoster

jmccrohan wrote: »

I got a call from TNS/mrbi earlier..

I only went through with the call to give them negative feedback on the crap software and the prices...

Oh, that's who have been calling me and leaving blank voice messages. I knew they were telemarketers/surveyors, but I didn't make the connection with Meteor.

none

OK, finally I got my hands on it If I thought installing on Win2K was a challenge, Vista turns out to be even more problematic. Just installing drivers on Win2K took about 3 hours and even now I have to reinstall it every second time I plug the modem in. Meteor's statement that it's compatible with Win2K seems a bit of an exaggeration. But Vista is not capable of detecting the modem at all. Fighting it for more than 3 hours by now and about to give up. It's not that I really care as I don't use Vista anyway and don't plan it in the nearest future. But if they fail to provide a software that seamlessly works with the mainstream OS (however crappy it might be), it doesn't look good. So on Vista I couldn't even install the drivers (I tried it independently from the main Mobile Partner setup which invokes driver installation at some stage, after extracting SysConfig.dat, to be more specific). Installing Mobile Partner on Win2K was also tricky but I did find some workarounds. Anyway, just after 19:00 when I first got online (from Win2K), the speed wasn't impressive [800/350]. Later it did improve considerably to [2111/300] which is not too bad. I connected with both native client (Mobile Partner) and MWconn and the results were similar. Obviously, not going to buy anything so when this daily pass expires, that will be it
By the way, would it be possible to keep using the SIM after the trial? I'm actually very interested in keeping it as a normal Meteor number for voice calls but at the moment voice function seems to be disabled as both incoming and outgoing calls fail. But the free web texts are available after the online registration

pjproby

got it-had problems with sim card-replaced sim card-it worked literally straight out of the box-using vista 32-had call today from tns which lasted about 15 minutes-far too long

none

An hour or so later, after several install/uninstall operations I did manage to make it working on Vista. Only to find out that my day pass expired That's disappointing how they lie about it, really. Since I first connected only on Saturday, December 6th after 7 p.m., I believed that I can use it until the end of Sunday, December 7th, as Meteor claimed. Alas! I was told on http://www.meteor.ie/zerobalance/ I need to top up. And it's only after the end of Saturday, December 6th :cool:

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

ozymandius

Just to counter some of the nay-sayers here. I have, with no issues, installed the Mobile Partner software on three Vista machines (Home Prem. and Business, all SP1) and one XP-Pro SP3 machine. Also Ubuntu 8.10 just works. I'm not saying there aren't issues since some are obviously having them, but maybe work with Meteor rather than just dissing them. You weren't forced into taking the modem.

One thing I would say is that the install of the Windows software takes too long. Looks like it's hung for a while.

mad-mike - whilst I agree the price-plan is currently uncompetitive, what's so wrong with the 3G network? Certainly it was explained to me that the 3G service has only been rolled out to Cork and Dublin at this stage and no guarantee of 3G outside of that.

Reminder: this is a trial, 3G is still being rolled out. Give feedback, preferably constructive

drunkmonkey

ozymandius wrote: »

this is a trial

If it's a trial it should be free, Once you start charging consumers for a service it's no longer a trial....€30pm is hardly a trial price..
Meteor are selling a service, ...it's clever marketing, that's what it is....

Decaydub

Finally got it working the other day, even using the Mobile Partner software but for some reason can't get 3G at all, only EDGE. Having done the SIM swap (which was another ordeal 'cos the PC in the shop couldn't activate it, had to call customer service at the shop's suggestion and they basically didn't have a clue what I was talking about) I'm thinking it's SIM related.

Had the phone call from TNS too, agree with earlier post that it went on a bit too long.

I know it's only a trial but an email I sent to the specific address for the trial is still unanswered over a week later....

Jonathan

Meteor need to get rid of this text add on BS.

A simple webpage is all that is required where you can select what price plan you want.


I wont be using the crap software, but that leaves me unable to choose the 30day add on.

7.Ronaldo

drunkmonkey wrote: »

If it's a trial it should be free, Once you start charging consumers for a service it's no longer a trial....€30pm is hardly a trial price..
Meteor are selling a service, ...it's clever marketing, that's what it is....

This product is not for sale. It is only available for a select few who are aware that they are part of a trial. They get a free modem worth €80 plus a days free usage and €50 credit applied to their account at the end of the trial.

There is no requirement to pay €30 per month. That depends on the individual user.

Random

Anyone still using this? I topped up and used it for 30 days .. while having some problems with my home DSL. Over all it did the job but nothing special. Bit of a delay for pages etc to start to load too.

My logic at actually paying for 30 days was that they were giving me €50 at the end of the trial anyway ... but that's gone to sh!te now that I've moved to Vodafone !

The cost really doesn't appeal though still and it will remain a backup solution for me (a handy one at that though).

long_b

Have been using it on the train.
A bit patchy still around Dublin - definitely won't be paying another 30 euro for it.

Jonathan

Haha i kinda forgot i had this. I took it out of the box, used the free trial, and placed it back in the box since.

I just use my phone as a hsdpa modem.

Jonathan

Random wrote: »

My logic at actually paying for 30 days was that they were giving me 50 at the end of the trial anyway ... but that's gone to sh!te now that I've moved to Vodafone !

i'll take the credit if you have no use for it.

Fresh Pots

I'm a bit confused. Do we have to top it up by €30 to get the free credit at the end or do you get it regardless?

long_b

We get it regardless.
I don't think the best minds in Meteor were in on this trial somehow

Fresh Pots

thanks longb, thats me not topping up for another while then, we get it the end of January yeah?

Random

mad.mike wrote: »

thanks longb, thats me not topping up for another while then, we get it the end of January yeah?

I thought Feb?

weekends

Ive been using the service for a few weeks now and its better than your blog standard DSL connection at 1Mb or 2Mb. Coverage is still patchy but if they are honest about that then i'd buy it. Not sure if they will give out the €50 free credit if you dont use it - I think they said that to me when I signed up.

drunkmonkey

weekends wrote: »

Ive been using the service for a few weeks now and its better than your blog standard DSL connection at 1Mb or 2Mb.

How is mobile broadband better than a Nailed up DSL connection? Is meteor mobile BB that Good

alig

I'm getting a solid 4mbps (down) in south lucan since the start of the trial. It certainly beats the 0.6mbps I get from my fixed eircom dsl.

drunkmonkey

alig wrote: »

I'm getting a solid 4mbps (down)

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D Yea!

mk6705

drunkmonkey wrote: »

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D Yea!

Looks to me as if you're jealous that 3 can't do that.;). To be honest though it'll drop when it becomes congested, but the performance doesn't look that bad this far into the trial, even with more congestion than the start, so we'll see how it goes...

It would help if someone could upload an updated speedtest chart so we can see how it's performing at this stage of the trial, and how the speeds compare with the start...

dmcg90

How do youjoin this trial?