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Switching to Smart Broadband

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  • 24-06-2009 10:06am
    #1
    Dacelonid
    Registered Users Posts: 1,112 ✭✭✭


    Hi,
    Currently I am with BT and have very little to complain about, but now that Smart is available in our small village I am seriously tempted to switch over. However I would need to know if my line could even support the 7.6Mbit speeds that Smart are offering.
    My Stats at the moment are SNR 18dB and Attenuation 18dB.
    So my question is, in the opinion of all the geniuses here, would it be worth it switching over to Smart, or is my line already at its limit.
    Thanks
    Dace


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    #2
    Spear
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 25,294 CMod ✭✭✭✭Spear


    Dacelonid wrote: »
    Hi,
    Currently I am with BT and have very little to complain about, but now that Smart is available in our small village I am seriously tempted to switch over. However I would need to know if my line could even support the 7.6Mbit speeds that Smart are offering.
    My Stats at the moment are SNR 18dB and Attenuation 18dB.
    So my question is, in the opinion of all the geniuses here, would it be worth it switching over to Smart, or is my line already at its limit.
    Thanks
    Dace

    An attenuation of 18 dB gets you nearly 20 megs if it were available. 7.6 meg isn't an issue.


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    #3
    dub45
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 12,448 Mod ✭✭✭✭dub45


    Also Smart are very good via their forums at helping each customer to get the maximum out of their line.


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    #4
    Dacelonid
    Registered Users Posts: 1,112 ✭✭✭Dacelonid


    Thanks for the replies. I was pretty sure my line was ok, but I needed to check with those more knowledgable than I


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    #5
    machalla
    Registered Users Posts: 1,523 ✭✭✭machalla


    If you are planning on doing a lot of downloading be aware that smarts claims that they offer "unlimited" downloads is not true. They apply a fair usage policy which they do not make clear to end users.

    Also take into account at the moment that they are potentially going bust sometime in the near future.

    http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2009/06/14/story42423.asp


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    #6
    Liam Byrne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,163 ✭✭✭✭Liam Byrne


    machalla wrote: »
    If you are planning on doing a lot of downloading be aware that smarts claims that they offer "unlimited" downloads is not true. They apply a fair usage policy which they do not make clear to end users.

    Also take into account at the moment that they are potentially going bust sometime in the near future.

    http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2009/06/14/story42423.asp

    Bit of a biased post there, methinks.....

    Whatever about the stability of the company as reported, and the negotiations that are ongoing, the "which they do not make clear" and "potentially going bust" smells a bit like the crap that eircon pulled a few years back in order to try and kick Smart out of existence.

    Recap :

    eircom refused to comply with LLU, despite repeated calls by "the regulator" to do so; changing to Smart involved changing your telephone number

    Smart owed eircom money, but didn't pay, partially because of the above blocking tactic

    eircom disabled all calls either to or from Smart numbers - including business calls and 999 calls - without telling anyone

    eircom sent out letters to Smart customers telling them Smart were gone and to "come back to eircom"

    As someone who spent a couple of very satisfied years with Smart (before I moved and had no choice but to "choose" eircom, due to the fact that no-one could tell me whether the line was good enough for broadband unless I first signed up with eircom for a year) I found the above despicable, and I still think it did untold damage to a company that was providing a damn good - and good value - service.

    I nearly cried when I was told that the place I was moving to meant I'd have to double my bill in order to have half the speed, not to mention contention.

    Hence my need to reply to a post that seems to be biased along the same type of tactics.

    My philosophy - and my reply to eircom at the time - was "if and when Smart go and I have to switch, I'll do so. Until then, I'll continue to enjoy the best and best value broadband service around".


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    #7
    machalla
    Registered Users Posts: 1,523 ✭✭✭machalla


    Liam Byrne wrote: »
    Bit of a biased post there, methinks.....
    My philosophy - and my reply to eircom at the time - was "if and when Smart go and I have to switch, I'll do so. Until then, I'll continue to enjoy the best and best value broadband service around".

    I am currently a smart customer by the way... I have been since they started offering BB. I used to evangelise them but I can't do so anymore. The company looks to be on its way out based on media reports. I'm not the editor of the Sunday Business Post just in case you think I may have biased them too!

    It seems only fair to mention that there is a risk of them disappearing in the very near future. If people get some benefit out of them in the mean time then good luck to them.

    They have started implementing capping on their BB as of now which would seem to imply they are cutting back on their infrastructure. They previously always claimed there was no contention issues due to their network being having massive capacity as I understood it.

    I think you will find I am no fan of Eircon either. Due to the state of the copper in my area I can't get any more than 2mb of speed at best out the appalling phone line that has been provided. Anyway I'll leave the ranting about Eircon for some other time..


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