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Sky Broadband Contention

  • 23-05-2013 12:34pm
    #1
    underpants
    Registered Users Posts: 213 ✭✭


    I was just on the phone to Sky about signing up for a broadband package and I was told that their "Unlimited" package has "Unlimited" contention!

    Is that even possible?

    And has anyone any experience with Sky's Unlimited broadband package? What kind of speed are you getting with it?


Comments

  • #2
    Flibbles
    Closed Accounts Posts: 724 ✭✭✭Flibbles


    underpants wrote: »
    I was just on the phone to Sky about signing up for a broadband package and I was told that their "Unlimited" package has "Unlimited" contention!

    Is that even possible?

    And has anyone any experience with Sky's Unlimited broadband package? What kind of speed are you getting with it?

    Up to 24mb/s on an unlimited contention plan.


    Assuming there's 500,000 sky broadband users, you'll be getting 4.8^10(-5)mbp/s. Or 0.000048mbp/s.


  • #3
    SolvableKnave
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,470 ✭✭✭SolvableKnave


    underpants wrote: »
    I was just on the phone to Sky about signing up for a broadband package and I was told that their "Unlimited" package has "Unlimited" contention!

    Is that even possible?

    And has anyone any experience with Sky's Unlimited broadband package? What kind of speed are you getting with it?

    Who's your current broadband with? If it's Eircom or one of the companies that use the Eircom phone line, Sky wont be any quicker than what you are getting at the moment.


  • #4
    Kristopherus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,907 ✭✭✭✭Kristopherus


    underpants wrote: »
    I was just on the phone to Sky about signing up for a broadband package and I was told that their "Unlimited" package has "Unlimited" contention!

    Is that even possible?

    And has anyone any experience with Sky's Unlimited broadband package? What kind of speed are you getting with it?

    Did you ask them to test your line? If not, get back on to them again and ask them. Their line test will tell you the max capacity of your line. Sky will try to give you a download as near as they can to that max. They may or may not succeed. I was told my line could take 24mbps, and I am getting over 16mbps consistantly. What your line can take will depend on distance from exchange, type of line, age of line, etc.


  • #5
    MrO
    Registered Users Posts: 193 ✭✭MrO


    Flibbles wrote: »
    Up to 24mb/s on an unlimited contention plan.


    Assuming there's 500,000 sky broadband users, you'll be getting 4.8^10(-5)mbp/s. Or 0.000048mbp/s.

    AFAIK the SKY 'unlimited' refers to download caps not bandwidth. Contention is where a number of users share the same available pipe e.g. 48:1 @ 24Mbit/s so worst case everyone one of the 48 hammering their connection would results in half a meg available to each user...

    The pipe in question is usually dimensioned from the DSLAM over a transport network to a BRAS - this is where the contention (if in place) is implemented.

    Like someone said - if you are using eircom infrastructure (regardless of who your service provider is) - it's likely that the service is pretty much eircom all the way to the BRAS (and beyond in some cases).


  • #6
    Flibbles
    Closed Accounts Posts: 724 ✭✭✭Flibbles


    MrO wrote: »
    AFAIK the SKY 'unlimited' refers to download caps not bandwidth. Contention is where a number of users share the same available pipe e.g. 48:1 @ 24Mbit/s so worst case everyone one of the 48 hammering their connection would results in half a meg available to each user...
    underpants wrote: »
    I was just on the phone to Sky about signing up for a broadband package and I was told that their "Unlimited" package has "Unlimited" contention!

    Assuming unlimited contention = ∞ : 1


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  • #7
    MrO
    Registered Users Posts: 193 ✭✭MrO


    Flibbles wrote: »
    Assuming unlimited contention = ∞ : 1

    Haha, fair point - unlimited contention, quite the selling point :D


  • #8
    Sean1975
    Registered Users Posts: 107 ✭✭Sean1975


    I was promised up to 15mbs download speed and i have not never got over 10 sky promise everything and break a lot of their own hype. I recommend u check your bills if u do change. I am in the middle of removing sky totally due to their poor customer relations quality


  • #9
    Kristopherus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,907 ✭✭✭✭Kristopherus


    Sean1975 wrote: »
    I was promised up to 15mbs download speed and i have not never got over 10 sky promise everything and break a lot of their own hype. I recommend u check your bills if u do change. I am in the middle of removing sky totally due to their poor customer relations quality

    The important part is "up to 15mbps." If you are getting anywhere near 10, then you should'nt have much to grumble about.:pac:


  • #10
    yllw.ldbttr
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,670 ✭✭✭yllw.ldbttr


    Considering a switch as I could save around 20 per month, so if Sky BB is decent it's worth me making the move.
    I'm currently with Eircom, on the NGB up to 24mb package, getting around 17-18 pretty much at all times.

    If I switch does anyone know if I can expect the same speeds, or is the service that Sky are offering an inferior product/ technology?

    My exchange wont be fibre enabled until at least 2015.

    No UPC in this area.


  • #11
    robk24
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 318 ✭✭robk24


    Worst thing i ever did was move to sky, was on 3mb with Eircom but it was always 3mb night or day, getting 7mb with sky but ever since moving to them i may as well not download anything between 7pm and midnight its so slow...

    Downloading an update to project cars at the minute (140mb) been running since 9pm and only downloaded 60mb of it so far... getting about 50-100kb average download rate, its a total joke...
    Really don't care if its only a tenner a month, with speeds like these EVERY night I'd rather pay Eircom the 40 odd euro for 3mb and know it will just work as expected...


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  • #12
    yllw.ldbttr
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,670 ✭✭✭yllw.ldbttr


    robk24 wrote: »
    Worst thing i ever did was move to sky, was on 3mb with Eircom but it was always 3mb night or day, getting 7mb with sky but ever since moving to them i may as well not download anything between 7pm and midnight its so slow...

    Downloading an update to project cars at the minute (140mb) been running since 9pm and only downloaded 60mb of it so far... getting about 50-100kb average download rate, its a total joke...
    Really don't care if its only a tenner a month, with speeds like these EVERY night I'd rather pay Eircom the 40 odd euro for 3mb and know it will just work as expected...


    Was that NGB with Eircom, or standard contented DSL? From what I understand people with NGB enabled exchanges have not had issues since switching but other have? It's hard to find concrete information on it but a saving of 300 per year is worth looking into for me.


  • #13
    robk24
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 318 ✭✭robk24


    It was just standard DSL but not once did I ever suffer a slowdown or disconnect, Its daily with sky...
    I'm in Kill just outside the Naas catchment area but on the upside my contract with sky ends in January 2014 and that's when Eircom are upgrading the area to fiber so I'll be moving back to them without a shadow of doubt...


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