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3G Wireless Broadband vs Digiweb DSL: a few questions

  • 08-10-2010 3:33pm
    #1
    Amtmann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,093 ✭✭✭


    I am located south of Cashel in Co. Tipperary and use 3 wireless broadband. The service has improved a lot in the past six months and is very usable now, in terms of using Skype, Youtube, etc. Downloading large files, however (e.g. 500mb TV shows), can be problematic and take several hours. In addition, with 3 I find that the connection speed varies a lot and that every so often the service is interrupted due to "congestion" in the mast.

    I have been thinking of choosing a different broadband provider. In Cork I used Smart Telecom and was very happy with the service. This is not available where I am at the moment, however, and Smart recommended that I use a company called Digiweb, which I'd never heard of before.

    The package I am interested in is this one, with a 7MB download speed. My questions are:
    • In what way would this differ technologically from my current 3G wireless broadband system?
    • Is DSL run off a cable or is it wireless (possibly a very stupid question, but I don't know anything about broadband)? If it runs off a cable, does this make the connection far more reliable than the service offered by 3?
    • How likely would I be to achieve consistent download speeds of 7MB with Digiweb given that I am approximately 6km away from the nearest town?

    Thanks!

    Edit:

    Just to demonstrate the variability of my current connection, here is a speed test result I did a few minutes ago
    982797228.png

    ...compared with one I did half an hour ago:
    982743503.png


Comments

  • #2
    watty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    At 6km you will not get 7Mbps.

    DSL uses the phone cable. But you can have a WiFi Router to be "wireless" in the home/Office (usually built-in on the DSL modem).

    Comparison here. http://www.techtir.ie/comms/mobile-vs-fixed

    Basically even if the DSL is only 1Mbps, it will make the 3G Mobile look like rubbish.

    This is why 3G Mobile is so variable and mostly gets worse.
    http://www.radioway.info/comparewireless/

    and also http://www.techtir.ie/comms/fixed-wireless-broadband-better

    Digiweb is one the larger ISPs with one of the biggest independent National Infrastructure. They own Smart.

    I've had Digiweb Metro about 5 years (A fixed Wireless Link system)

    983003721.png

    12.5km from Mast

    Board.ie actually runs in Digiweb datacentre. They are one of the largest Hosting companies in Ireland too. All the links on 3G & DSL above are on Digiweb Hosting.


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