What's available to me? / Best option?

AdamD

I'm currently in Churchtown (D14), on Eircom broadband getting 4-6 dl, 0.4 upload, and dodgy pings. Several people in the house use the internet and I play online games a lot, atm the service just isn't good enough. I can't get UPC and am looking into other options.

Tomorrow I'm going to ring the following companies to enquire about availability:
http://www.smarttelecom.ie/home_broadband.aspx
Smart telecom 24mb deal with 350GB allowance. Upload is 1mb (a lot better but still not amazing) not sure if available either.


http://www.digiweb.ie/home/broadband/ Digiweb 30mb broadband, seems to definitely be available (though still need to check), 100GB download limit isn't great though.

https://www.magnet.ie/ftth Magnet broadband if available the fibre optic seems to be the best out there, though not sure if it is or not. Good up/dl speeds. Normal broadband seems alright but my line atm (according to Eircom) can only take up to 12. Prices aren't great on their normal broadband either.

If anyone has any tips / good links to see whats available etc it would be much appreciated.

bk

Well Magnet FTTH is only available in a very limited number of places, mostly apartment buildings listed on that site, If your apartment isn't listed there, then you can't get it.

I'd only go with Digiweb as a last resort, the cap is very low and you would be better off with a slower DSL product with a higher cap. Digiweb is like having a Ferrari in a country where the max speed limit is 30km/h, pointless.

Smart is a good option, cheaper, however it works over the same line as the Eircom service, so you are unlikely to get much better speeds, but it might be a little better as Smart use their own gear. You can check if you can get Smart here:

http://www.smarttelecom.ie/line_checker.aspx

AdamD

https://www.magnet.ie/fibre/

When I click on the 'Dundrum' map, my Area is in green yet when I call them they say maximum 12mb dl 0.6 ul (eircom line)...

Digiweb - 30mb metro not available in area
Smart telecom - not available in area

Digiweb and Smart telecom are the same company so was talked through all their packages by one person and essentially they can't give me anything better.


edit: Dundrum exchange is green on the eircom 'fibre powered' map too..

iMuse

AdamD wrote: »

Dundrum exchange is green on the eircom 'fibre powered' map too..

As far as I know Magnet are using Eircoms fibre network so both are available in the same places on that map.

Your not left with too many other options if you can't get Fibre or Digiweb metro. DSL from any other provider will leave you with the same jump in pings from multiple users using the internet at the same time.
Maybe look at Irish Broadbands Breeze which is fixed wireless and Ive read on here that the pings can be better than magnets fibre.

AdamD

Eircom say my line can hold 12mb, does that mean if I change to the 24mb package ill get 12?

More expensive but if its 12 it would be double the speed..would the pings drop too as its faster?

bealtine

You should be able to get UPC there?

AdamD

bealtine wrote: »

You should be able to get UPC there?

The cabling doesn't go into my house and last time I tried to get their service it was a nightmare to get updates from them, everytime I called them they'd say something different and after about 2 weeks (including a couple of call outs which didn't happen) they said there was a leeway issue, at that point I just cancelled the order. Looks like I might have to try again

AdamD

Just a nice little update to this:

Phone eircom looking to bring my speeds up to the line maximum (12mb), they insist on a 12 month contract so I have to decline, the woman then transfers me over to tech support who she insists will be able to get me my full 8mb.

Tech support woman (who was ridiculously narky from the start) asks me to do a speedtest. I do the speedtest and say '135 ping, that's crazy high'
Tech support woman: 'That's fine'.
Me: 'Well it really isn't'
Tech support woman: 'I've seen a lot worse'.
Me: 'That doesn't make it fine though'.
Tech support woman: 'I never said it was fine'
Me: 'You just did two seconds ago'
She hangs up.

How can anyone have such twisted logic? Really annoyed now.

spurious

There is no comparison.
UPC is streets ahead of the rest. It's like they're in a different race.

AdamD

iMuse wrote: »

As far as I know Magnet are using Eircoms fibre network so both are available in the same places on that map.

Your not left with too many other options if you can't get Fibre or Digiweb metro. DSL from any other provider will leave you with the same jump in pings from multiple users using the internet at the same time.
Maybe look at Irish Broadbands Breeze which is fixed wireless and Ive read on here that the pings can be better than magnets fibre.

Irish broadbands website has been down for me everytime I've checked how do I view their packages?

Ping is driving me insane trying to play games: http://vvcap.net/db/Ycu1tzvbRsvLiBZm0aj6.htp