Broadband Speeds/ Contention

**Macy** · 03/03/2008, 9:49 AM

Dial up and the wait for bloody eircom to upgrade our exchange are wrecking my head, so looking at other options. Also work becoming stricter and stricter. The mobile companies don't seem to be making it up the mountains anytime soon, so I'm left with either one way Satellite or the regional broadband wireless option.

Now the wireless option seems expensive enough tbh, but at this stage I'm prepared to pay it. However, the contention rate is concerning me a little. It's 30:1, but apart from knowing it'll mean a lower speed, I don't know what the actual effect will be.

Can any of the techies give me the dummies guide? It'd mainly be general surfing and music downloads really, not into gaming. So many websites are geared towards broadband users at this stage, even general surfing is becoming a pain now.

**paul_oshea** · 03/03/2008, 10:30 AM

it depends what you mean by a guide, basically it means you will be "fighting" or "sharing" ( if you would rather look at it that way

) it out with 30 other users for your 2mb speed for example. It basically means the users ( at max capacity ) to speed.

Here is a far better but longer explanation:

http://www.broadbandwatchdog.co.uk/contention.php

**Macy** · 03/03/2008, 11:04 AM

Thanks, pretty much what I thought. Found a thread on boards.ie that is saying that my local exchange is upgraded and they're just waiting to put in the cable to there, so might not have to go that route afterall...

**paul_oshea** · 03/03/2008, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by Macy

Thanks, pretty much what I thought. Found a thread on boards.ie that is saying that my local exchange is upgraded and they're just waiting to put in the cable to there, so might not have to go that route afterall...

Eircom told us ( at home ) we could get broadband, then sent us out the kit, and we couldn't, so I told them at home to try esat, and it worked. I dont know whether its a case of the modem that was sent out with esat could work off weaker signals or what, but it worked. Its worth a try, as on the website, it said that we wouldn't be able get broadband due to living too far from the exchange. The general max distance is about 5k I think. Anyhow it might be worth a try.

Basically I learnt from that experience that no one working in this area ( at home in Ireland ) really has a clue....

**noby** · 03/03/2008, 11:16 AM

Ours got upgraded a couple of months back. We're about 4K from the exchange. When we rang eircom they were a bit non-committal about our chance of connection and speed. They sent out the bits'n'bobs, though, and said if we weren't happy to just send it all back for a full credit. We've had no problems*, and according to speedtest seem to be a lot faster than my brother in Dublin.

Am I right in assuming that 30:1 is worst case scenario, and you have to look at the likelihood of another 30 houses (living in your area, which I guess is remote) on BB for that to happen?

*no specific bb problems that is.

**Macy** · 03/03/2008, 11:38 AM

Distance from the exchange isn't the problem, it's the fact that the exchange isn't enabled. Apparently the exchange has the equipment, but the line to the exchange the other side has to be upgraded.

You have to wonder about the mobile operators - they could've made a killing on their broadband options by concentrating on the areas that didn't have other options. Seems to me the urban area's have multiple options whereas the rural area's a left with jack.

btw our broadband coverage shows the absolute folly of the eircom privatisation.

**paul_oshea** · 03/03/2008, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by noby

Ours got upgraded a couple of months back. We're about 4K from the exchange. When we rang eircom they were a bit non-committal about our chance of connection and speed. They sent out the bits'n'bobs, though, and said if we weren't happy to just send it all back for a full credit. We've had no problems*, and according to speedtest seem to be a lot faster than my brother in Dublin.

Am I right in assuming that 30:1 is worst case scenario, and you have to look at the likelihood of another 30 houses (living in your area, which I guess is remote) on BB for that to happen?

*no specific bb problems that is.

Ya thats right noby. Nobys bits and bobs

**ifk101** · 03/03/2008, 12:04 PM

I saw a bit on the rte about the broadband issue; lack of availability and prices. Really is ridiculous how bad it is.

Just for comparison purposes, I pay SEK 300 (about 30 euros) for a 8MB connection here in Sweden. That price would be average here for that connection speed. The "top speed" I could get is 24MB, which would cost around 40 euros.

**GavinZac** · 03/03/2008, 12:30 PM

Eircom in my area is falling apart... disconnects every half our or so, max speed of 50kb/s. Avoid like the plague.

**ramsfan** · 03/03/2008, 11:14 PM

eircom are a disaster, i had a saleman call to my door and he sold me a phone and broadband package, he said it would take 2-3 weeks for it to be set up, so i waited after 2 weeks i called the eircom cust service and queried where was my broadband, they replied broadband isnt in your area so i lost it and asked for a supervisor who told me i must be mistaken there was no way i could have been sold broadband even though i had a contract in front of me, so i immediately changed my phone to perlico and got broadband from novanetworks and couldnt be happier i will never use eircom again, they dont give a flying crap about there customers and there tone on the phone when something goes wrong is appalling

**Green_Hoop** · 03/03/2008, 11:53 PM

Has anyone tried Chorus(NTL) they bring in the broadband line via the TV cable instead of the phone line at a very nice 6mb's although at an unknown contention rate(anyone know?)