Got My Broadband at Last

DonegalMan

Got my satellite system installed by Beam yesterday

Haven't had much chance to play around with it yet but first impressions are:

Browsing
Does not seem as fast as I expected but this is bit hard to judge as seems to take a long time to find the page but then downloads it very quickly so it may be a case of it perception.
Aslo, think this may be something to do with fact that I am running MS Small Business Server with ISA proxy; when the engineer ran it directly through his laptop yesterday, it seemed much faster. Would also like to try something like Net Accelerator - was never convinced about value of these programmes before but might be worthwhile on satellite.

Downloads
Fabulous !!!!!
As I'm writing this, I'm downloading a 289 mb MS service pack, averaging 20-25 KB/sec. Best I would expect from MS site on dial-up would be 6-8 on a good day, 2-4 on a bad day. Estimated download time is about 3.5 hours against 23 hrs 26 mins for 28.8 modem estimate on MS site. Read elsewhere on this forum that satellite downloads are even better when you use segmented downloading but I'm having trouble configuring GetRight to work through my proxy (any tips would be appreciated )

Note just started to download RealPlayer to try out streaming video - it's down loading at 12.5 KB/sec without affecting the speed of the MS download ! Cool.


Anyone in Letterkenny area interested in having a look at the installation should PM me.

Martin Harran

Saruman

The ping rate is very high on Satelite hence why connecting to a page takes longer than a modem.. but after that its much faster.

Your download speed is typical, i myself use Netsystem who i believe are cheaper. As for getright? never used it.. try DAP instead, no config needed for a firewall.

MDR

Whats happened to Beam's wireless broadband rollout in Letterkenny ?

oscarBravo

Originally posted by DonegalMan
Does not seem as fast as I expected but this is bit hard to judge as seems to take a long time to find the page but then downloads it very quickly so it may be a case of it perception.

Martin,

This could have a lot to do with DNS lookups. I have a Debian box running here with a local DNS cache - speeds up my browsing substantially. I don't know if you can do something similar with the satellite setup, but if you could it might help.

Chief

Originally posted by MDR
Whats happened to Beam's wireless broadband rollout in Letterkenny ?

It's doesn't exist. BEAM tried to get in there, but nobody bothered their arses taking them up on the offer (btw thats what I was told by BEAM). I'm just dying for them to come round to Buncrana with an installation.. there are literally TONS of people who want it!.. BADLY..

MDR

dunno how true that is, I set them up with 6 peeps in letterkenny.

spongebob

The cleared their message Boards about a month ago because of all the embarrasing questions about the general (non)availability of their service and the lack of answers thereto.

Seeing as the €30 a month service mysteriously vapourised (and I use that term advisedly) I trust you are therefore on the
c. €180 Euro a month service instead or is it €330 and do you pay the Installer AND the connection charge upfront?

Their site sez.
Service Price Connection £249.99 €413
Monthly fee (Single) £109.99 €182
Monthly fee (Multi) £199.99 €330
Installer's fee £149.99 €248 (standard installation)*

Phew! It'd wanna be good....I assume its that Gilat sat

M

DonegalMan

Just realised that, like Muck, you're talking about their wireless system.

Don't know story on that service, I'm finding them difficult to tie down about things like that.

I met with Mark Braxton in Letterkenny about 4/5 weeks ago and as he couldn't be precise about when the wireless system would roll out, I agreed to do a 2 week trial on satellite system.

To be honest, I had given up on them. Gave them a call last week to tell them that I was cancelling my pro-forma contract with them and going elsewhere; got a call back the next day to say engineer would be here this week.

He came yesterday and I was impressed by him and his knowledge about satellite though I couldn't get anything out of him about what is happening in regard to wireless.

They also did another satellite system in Letterkenny this week, I have spoken to the people concerned who are very haevy users and they are pleased so far.

Martin

spongebob

at roughly €330 a month including VAT....if you're a home user that is.

I had posted in their pricing from their own site actually.

In summary.

(UK150*.EuroRate1.59)=€238 ex vat

€238*1.21=€288 Including vat

I'd love to know how a €30 per month service can mutate into a €288 service in 3 months.......from the date of that ST article.

Then again Martin, if you lived a few miles away you'd get more or less the same service at Less Than Half what you pay in east Donegal. You may get a Grant to...ehem...put it in too.

Perhaps the B*** mob would care to explain in here, they've been quiet for a while.

Perhaps Eshat could explain why they don't offer similar here?

M

MDR

*MDR beats Muck with the 'stick of cynicism'*

DonegalMan

Originally posted by Muck
at roughly €330 a month including VAT....if you're a home users that is.

It's for business use, no way I could justify it for home use.

Actually more expensive than I wanted for business - €330 x multiple branches in the south is just not on - but I desperately needed an always-on connection with static ip address at our head office in Letterkenny.

Martin

spongebob

ta guele Rayzer

ProofWizard

Martin,
Good to hear that you seem pleased with sat connection.
Just wondering any particualr reason why you chose Beam over Digiweb?
I have been considering a Sat system, but finding difficult to know which way to jump.

DonegalMan

Originally posted by ProofWizard
Martin,Just wondering any particualr reason why you chose Beam over Digiweb?
I have been considering a Sat system, but finding difficult to know which way to jump.

Once I'm happy with system, I want to explore possibility of developing WAN from the satellite connection...discussed this with Mark Braxton few weeks ago and he was very amenable to the idea.

If it wasn't for this, I would have probably gone with Digiweb.

Martin

Paddy20

Martin,

Glad to read that your satellite is up and running. A bit out of my price bracket though.

Whats this about a Euros 30.00 per month broadband package?
and if beam are planning too introduce a service along those lines.

Then who can blame them for keeping their cards close to their chest in the current climate.

What about all these cross/border grant aid initiatives that are being "dished" out left right and centre throughout the Northwest. I should think that a cross/border (which has in reality vanished) business like yours must be entitled too some type of grant as you are creating jobs on both sides so to speak.

If that IDA office, is still on the Port Rd. They might be worth asking for a referral or guidance. Not that they have a good reputation for helping locals?

Good luck.

Yours,

paddy20

Paddy McLean, Ballybofey.

ProofWizard

Originally posted by paddy20

and if beam are planning too introduce a service along those lines.

business like yours must be entitled too some type of grant as you are creating jobs on both sides so to speak.

Paddy,
Please can you try to start using to in place of too everywhere.!
It really is starting to bug me now.
Sorry but .........

Paddy20

ProofWizard,

Are you a proofreader as well. This is a forum about the cost of the Internet.

Stick to the subject and do not tempt the devil in me. Or you will feel the lash of my venemous vocabulary.

You can PM me about any of my diction , but please when posting a message to me on this forum. Keep to the subject, you have been warned.

paddy20:mad:

Kensai

Originally posted by paddy20
ProofWizard,

Are you a proofreader as well. This is a forum about the cost of the Internet.

Stick to the subject and do not tempt the devil in me. Or you will feel the lash of my venemous vocabulary.

You can PM me about any of my diction , but please when posting a message to me on this forum. Keep to the subject, you have been warned.

paddy20:mad:

Shut up, who are you to warn him?

As for Beam, seems ridiculously overpriced for home use

DonegalMan

Originally posted by Kensai
As for Beam, seems ridiculously overpriced for home use

As already said, it's a business package, not a home package and while it is expensive, it is a lifeline to my business, no-one else except satellite providers are in a position to offer me always on with static IP in Letterkenny - futher reinforcement of how dire our internet situation is in Ireland.

Martin