Metro Users: Are you Happy with your Service? Post Here Please...

Adey2002

Looks like I'm one of the lucky ones. No, I don't mean my Metro service is working and reliable. I mean I have an icecomms connection also. Metro hasn't worked for me for weeks. In fact, I'm going to be cancelling the direct debit and putting in a small claim for the refund of the installation fee and service charges.

Metro = IBB under a different name by the looks of it. Especially after Chaz's last post, of (paraphrasing) "yeah, we knew you couldn't get a decent service, but we thought what the hell, lets put it up and charge you anyway, maybe you won't notice how ****e it is and we'll get away with it."

lucernarian

Adey2002 wrote:

Looks like I'm one of the lucky ones. No, I don't mean my Metro service is working and reliable. I mean I have an icecomms connection also. Metro hasn't worked for me for weeks. In fact, I'm going to be cancelling the direct debit and putting in a small claim for the refund of the installation fee and service charges.

Metro = IBB under a different name by the looks of it. Especially after Chaz's last post, of (paraphrasing) "yeah, we knew you couldn't get a decent service, but we thought what the hell, lets put it up and charge you anyway, maybe you won't notice how ****e it is and we'll get away with it."

How did you draw that conclusion??? I was thinking to myself that it was a credit to Digiweb that an employee of theirs would suggest disconnecting a customer's service despite loss of revenue.

IBB would never do that for anyone who had problems with Breeze. They would likely say, "Screw the service, so long as the DD isn't cancelled".

All Chaz was saying that Sparky's install should not have gone ahead if it cannot be fixed.

Adey2002

You're right TBD. Credit to digiweb for admitting they got caught trying to screw some one over. Is Sparky going to get a full refund of installation charges and monthly charges since the install, as they have admitted that it should never have been put up in the first place because they knew that the service would be crap?

Sparky

well, my only question is that i have seen 2 metro installs in kimmage which are behind me, so futher west of 3 rock, their service must be really bad so.

back before christmas ciaran and paul came out and adjusted the aerial left and right with powers between -32 and -25 he tried i think horizontal but got -48 on that, he then changed the CPU and installed a new modem.

Service is ok, there used to be loads on packetloss at stages especially the evenings.

Granted there is a tree close by, but on closer inspection a week ago there is no branches in the way of LOS.

The installers didnt want to get on to the apex of my roof where it would be higher and atleast on my property.

TBH if i had the time i would of done it myself but as i dont have the equipment to make sure its on full signal i wouldnt do it, and the fact that if i tampered with the aerial as it is any faults would be directed at me.
If i had a second CPU to install in my spare time on my roof i would do it to see if it would work better and if it didnt atleast be able to reconnect the installed CPU back up.

RF Parameters
Downstream
Frequency Power -21 dBmV
Signal to Noise Ratio 21 dB Modulation QAM64
Upstream
Frequency Power 55 dBmV
Upstream Data Rate 5120 Ksym/sec Modulation QPSK

a pic i took after ciaran was out http://images.sparky-s.com/various/DSC00131.JPG

Adey2002

All I know is, i've been down for over 24 hours. I've called Metro and they are "looking into it" and I can see this turning into another IBB.

It seems no company in Ireland is capable of providing a wireless broadband service. Even though the technology is there to surpass a fixed line service. It appears the only way you can actually get a constant service is by going to Eircom! No wonder they are still a monopoly with this ****e that's supposed to be competing!

Adey2002

Sparky-s wrote:

well, my only question is that i have seen 2 metro installs in kimmage which are behind me, so futher west of 3 rock, their service must be really bad so.

back before christmas ciaran and paul came out and adjusted the aerial left and right with powers between -32 and -25 he tried i think horizontal but got -48 on that, he then changed the CPU and installed a new modem.

Service is ok, there used to be loads on packetloss at stages especially the evenings.

Granted there is a tree close by, but on closer inspection a week ago there is no branches in the way of LOS.

The installers didnt want to get on to the apex of my roof where it would be higher and atleast on my property.

TBH if i had the time i would of done it myself but as i dont have the equipment to make sure its on full signal i wouldnt do it, and the fact that if i tampered with the aerial as it is any faults would be directed at me.
If i had a second CPU to install in my spare time on my roof i would do it to see if it would work better and if it didnt atleast be able to reconnect the installed CPU back up.



a pic i took after ciaran was out http://images.sparky-s.com/various/DSC00131.JPG

Well, as Chaz has said. They knew at install that you wouldn't get a decent service. You need to demand a full refund of all charges for their "service" and try another supplier. If there is no land options, I would go with icecomms.

damien

Adey2002 wrote:

You're right TBD. Credit to digiweb for admitting they got caught trying to screw some one over.

Someone's got an agenda!

watty

Sparky-s wrote:

SNIPPPP
Granted there is a tree close by, but on closer inspection a week ago there is no branches in the way of LOS.

The installers didnt want to get on to the apex of my roof where it would be higher and atleast on my property.

TBH if i had the time i would of done it myself but as i dont have the equipment to make sure its on full signal i wouldnt do it, a

Well it isn't hard to align if you move the aerial to a better spot. Point it in genearl direction of transmitter and wiggle slowly till the Internet light stops flashing and goes steady, then when the PC link etc have lit, keep refreshing the Web Status page (Get someone to do this and shout the Rx level every time) as you slowly move the aerial left / right. Fine Tweek up/down.

Nearby building edges or branches not OPTICALLY obscuring the mast can cause diffraction and loss of signal.

Really your signal level is right on edge of working / not working.

watty

Adey2002 wrote:

It appears the only way you can actually get a constant service is by going to Eircom! No wonder they are still a monopoly with this ****e that's supposed to be competing!

No that is not as reliable as Dialup for some people I know on Eircom ADSL and even one office on actual Esat lines (rare as hens teeth). I suppose now BT lines.

zoro

Since the hardware fix 2 weeks ago, there's been little or nothing to complain about with the Metro package here for me (Phibsboro, Dublin City)
My issues from last night have been sorted out, much to my satisfaction, and I'm now another happy customer.

Yes the service has been questionable at up until fairly recently, but credit where credit's due - The staff in there are second to none, everyone from the tech support level up to management.

As for the Metro == IBB comments, I'd disagree. They're a new service so teething problems are quite possible. That said, most of those problems appear to have been ironed out by now.

Sparky

watty, i would love to cut the tree away , if it was mine

Blaster99

Adey2002 wrote:

Even though the technology is there to surpass a fixed line service. It appears the only way you can actually get a constant service is by going to Eircom! No wonder they are still a monopoly with this ****e that's supposed to be competing!

I don't think wireless is generally considered to be a superior service to anything else. It's not a common technology out there and it's usually used in rural areas where customer density is low. The reason it's popular in Ireland is presumably because it happily bypasses eircom and county councils (when digging up roads). If Metro has access contention of 40:1, I'm positively surprised it works at all. Time will tell, I suppose.

watty, I don't think it's all that wise to recommend that people start to fiddle with their aerials. That's going to turn into a complete support nightmare for Digiweb. Let them worry about it.

Adey2002

damien.m wrote:

Someone's got an agenda!

I'd like to know what agenda you think I have, apart from warning people of the crap they will have if they are unlucky enough not to be able to get a decent internet connection through any medium. I can't actually get eircom (or any rebranded derivative). Smart hasn't enabled my exchange yet and won't be for at least a year, I can't get NTL (although i wish I could) so I'm stuck with the wireless crowd.

I've done irishbroadband - some thing don't work without lines - (like us) nuff said.

Where I am, I'm stuck between 2 choices. Icecomms and Digiweb. I actually have both and they are pretty much an equal on "quality" and I'm sure I have a yoyo round here somewhere that stays up longer than either.

My point is, I never see any one complaining about the actual service of eircom. The price, the cap yes people complain but the service gets complained about rarely, so tell me wheres this hidden agenda, because if theres another company I'm missing please tell me, I'll give them a go.

dub45

Adey2002 wrote:

I'd like to know what agenda you think I have, apart from warning people of the crap they will have if they are unlucky enough not to be able to get a decent internet connection through any medium. I can't .....................

My point is, I never see any one complaining about the actual service of eircom. The price, the cap yes people complain but the service gets complained about rarely, so tell me wheres this hidden agenda, because if theres another company I'm missing please tell me, I'll give them a go.

I have to agree with you on the Eircom point. I am certainly no lover of theirs by any means and they charge a high price for their service but it is rare on here to find complaints about the actuall bb service or their billing.

Anybody I know that has Eircom bb is very satisfied with it and sadly it is becoming increasingly more difficult to recommend any other dsl company other than Smart who will only be available to a minority. UTV appear to have an increasingly self destructive urge in their behaviour towards customers (while their service seems to be pretty consistent to judge by the absence of complaints on here) while I could not in conscience recommend to anyone to sign up to Esat while their billing remains a lottery even though their actual service seems as consistent as Eircom's.

When you think about it with their negative image and their high prices Eircom are a sitting duck for a really good innovative and efficient isp but when you stand back and look at the competition..................

watty

Blaster99 wrote:

watty, I don't think it's all that wise to recommend that people start to fiddle with their aerials. That's going to turn into a complete support nightmare for Digiweb. Let them worry about it.

I had misgivings about that afterward. I spend too much time in Satellite Forum, where aerials (dish) have about 1 to 1/2 degree beamwidth and you have to "hit a target" 22,500 miles away. In comparison Terrestrial Wireless is easy.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=55


If it works don't touch it. But if it a case that you don't actually have LOS due to an installer being asleep, really Digiweb need to send out someone to move it.

If you HAVE succesfully aligned satellite dishes regularly then it might be an option.

Blaster99

Sorry, I didn't mean to go all sanctimonious on you.

It's good that Digiweb's kit gives you the SNR readings. That stuff is not user accessible in IBB's happy world of imaginary broadband. Then you can at least make a half-intelligent stab at whether the problem is at your end or at Digiweb's end.

watty

Well on rip wave signal is by a single LED chaning colour:
Green = maybe work
Orange = maybe won't
Red = forget it.

A simple system

kaimera

broadband service is fine here but phone service is bad.

every call, incoming || outgoing, is affected by a loud beeping noise that can be heard both ends that cuts in in the first few mins of a phone call.

any ideas?

zoro

Not sure if it's contention, but pings seem to quadruple between 4/5 and 12(midnight)/1

Does anyone else on the basic package, and on the 3 rock transmitter, notice this?

*edit*
erm ... I'm getting a download/upload of 400k/500k ...

persian

yeh m8,i have metro,dunno what mast im on(live in dublin8 s.c.r)and the latency is highly unstable,i use their broadband mainly for ps2 online,the pings from 12am to 5pm is pretty consistent with the exception of a few 100+s but after 5 the pings are rarely under 50ms which is a bit of a joke,this is to do with contention ratio,i have complained many times and i have now been told the latency issues will be resolved in around 2 weeks as they are changing theyre main links which will increase capacity,they are aware of theyre latency problems apparently,hope this new link works

persian.

Adey2002

Day 5 of no Metro internet...
No. of responses to my telephone call: zero
No. of responses to my email: zero

zoro

Same again here - 400 down, 400 up.

I'll be calling in the morning methinks

Sparky

zoro wrote:

Same again here - 400 down, 400 up.

I'll be calling in the morning methinks

500down 1.3mb up for me

zoro

And you're on the plus package??

Sparky

zoro wrote:

And you're on the plus package??

yeah, im down now because of the rain, BT to the rescue.

persian

yo zoro and sparky,could you ping this site for me,just wanna know if its just me with the sh*t latency,if you could just ping it for a minute or two that would be great
nad-diag.online.scee.com
thanks

watty

Only lost about 1dB RX, but TX power went up by 3dB


I finde Boards.ie very erratic performance, but BBC site fast.

Sparky

persian wrote:

yo zoro and sparky,could you ping this site for me,just wanna know if its just me with the sh*t latency,if you could just ping it for a minute or two that would be great
nad-diag.online.scee.com
thanks

Target Name: nad-diag.online.scee.com
IP: 217.18.19.250
Date/Time: 13/02/2006 23:36:22

1 18 ms 12 ms 27 ms 12 ms 29 ms 12 ms 23 ms 13 ms 12 ms 15 ms 11 ms 12 ms 9 ms 24 ms 9 ms 10 ms 28 ms 11 ms 9 ms 11 ms 12 ms 12 ms 16 ms 10 ms 12 ms 9 ms 12 ms [83.147.165.1]
2 57 ms 63 ms 118 ms 42 ms 68 ms 55 ms 57 ms 52 ms 544 ms 775 ms 946 ms 55 ms 67 ms * 57 ms 57 ms 60 ms 64 ms 416 ms 56 ms 58 ms 74 ms 65 ms 62 ms 60 ms 56 ms 58 ms gi-0-0-61.dub-deg-br2.net.digiweb.ie [83.147.163.161]
3 52 ms 55 ms 30 ms 36 ms 59 ms 73 ms 63 ms 55 ms 51 ms 58 ms 52 ms 71 ms 62 ms 65 ms 57 ms 52 ms 55 ms * 56 ms 54 ms 50 ms 432 ms 290 ms 132 ms 54 ms 50 ms 58 ms gi-0-3-44.dub-deg-br1.net.digiweb.ie [83.147.163.34]
4 70 ms 56 ms 33 ms 38 ms 61 ms 59 ms 57 ms 76 ms 62 ms 52 ms 46 ms * 69 ms 65 ms 60 ms 58 ms 58 ms 55 ms 49 ms 56 ms 57 ms 82 ms 58 ms 68 ms 63 ms 61 ms 56 ms [194.168.62.123]
5 72 ms 58 ms 46 ms 60 ms 63 ms 81 ms 56 ms 71 ms 63 ms 66 ms 62 ms 79 ms 76 ms 71 ms 60 ms 65 ms 59 ms 53 ms 60 ms 64 ms 56 ms 72 ms 72 ms 74 ms 69 ms 71 ms * so-4-1-0.bbr1.London1.Level3.net [4.68.128.113]
6 -32764 ms -32764 ms 47 ms -32764 ms 60 ms -32764 ms 67 ms -32764 ms 59 ms -32764 ms 55 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms -32764 ms 64 ms * 68 ms 73 ms 78 ms 68 ms ge-10-1.ipcolo2.London1.Level3.net [4.68.116.74]
7 68 ms 73 ms 47 ms 57 ms 60 ms 75 ms 52 ms 78 ms 76 ms 76 ms 54 ms 88 ms 80 ms 57 ms 68 ms 65 ms 76 ms 66 ms 60 ms 66 ms 57 ms 60 ms 74 ms 68 ms 67 ms 75 ms 74 ms nad-diag.online.scee.com [217.18.19.250]

Basically avg 72 Curr 78

zoro

Sparky - could you ring up and let them know that you're having this problem as well please?
I'm just off the phone with Mark, and he hasn't heard of anyone experiencing this problem at all - so it'd be useful to show that it's not just me!

Gigiwagga

Jeez, I'm getting dial_up speeds here in Cork today 66kbps, it's been getting progressively worse over the last few couple of weeks, but today is just the pits. I decided a couple of weeks ago NOT to transfer my phone over to Metro because the service quality is unacceptable, now I'm seriously begining to wonder about their entire service. I am not pleased, and have not felt comfortable with the quality of service since it was installed 7 weeks ago.