# Upc or Eircom



## Star10 (22 Mar 2013)

Looking for advice please...I currently have my landline and bb with Eircom and tv with UPC. Am thinking of changing to a complete package with UPC, just wondering if anyone has done the same recently and if there were any problems with bb interruption/speeds etc.. Also, is it true the UPC connection requires a multiple of cables for setup? I have never had a problem with the Eircom service and am unsure whether to change..only because it would be cheaper..live in the Clondalkin area...any advice appreciated please.


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## Sue Ellen (22 Mar 2013)

Make sure you check out any cancellation charges before making any move.


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## Star10 (22 Mar 2013)

Thanks Sue Ellen-have a month left on my contract with Eircom, so should be okay I think in that regard..not sure if I have to give them notice though if I decide not to continue?


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## Sue Ellen (22 Mar 2013)

Can't give you any advice in that regard as we're with UPC for a long time now.

I have found over the past few years that with this type of thing it is best to get any answers on paper i.e. e-mail.  If it were me I would send an e-mail asking them what would happen if you were to move to another provider and stress that you are only considering this move at present.


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## dub_nerd (22 Mar 2013)

Hi Star10, I moved from Eircom for phone+broadband and Sky for TV to a UPC bundle for all three, last year as soon as it became available in my area. Never looked back. 

On the negative side, I would say UPC's TV service is definitely clunkier than Sky, with a couple of bad limitations, although it also has a couple of great features that Sky didn't have. My absolute favourite is the ability to program forward/back buttons to jump separate amounts in a recorded program. Set it to 30 seconds backward, for when you daydreamed and need to go back, and five minutes forward -- you'd be amazed how many TV stations have ad breaks _exactly_ five minutes long. Bliss! never have to see an ad on a recorded program again. (EDIT: Sorry - just noticed you already have UPC TV, presumably digital, so you already know all this).

UPC broadband is incomparably better than Eircom. I had Eircom's "up to 8Mb" broadband, which was actually 2.5 Mbps -- something they never showed the slightest inclination to either diagnose or fix. With UPC I get 60Mbps. Don't always get 100% of that speed, but not far off, and it is very reliable. In particular, latency and jitter are reliably very low, so I get ************************* VoIP.

The phone service is fine, main difference being €6 line rental per month instead of €25. Overall package price for me came down from about €110/month with Eircom+Sky to €76 with UPC. Recently I changed the UPC phone package slightly (to take advantage of cheaper mobile calls, which are the only thing I don't already get free from my VoIP provider). UPC kindly knocked another tenner a month off the bill for a 12 month contract extension, so now €66/month all in.

In terms of cables, there is a single coaxial cable coming into your house with UPC. They have a set top box for TV, and a separate cable modem for broadband plus phone. So there is a splitter which splits the coax into separate connections for TV and modem. There is no particularly messy cabling.


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## Star10 (22 Mar 2013)

Thanks for the replies folks. Dub_nerd..when you did move, what was the process like? Is it hassle free or reasonably anyway...its another reason why I'm unsure..If it's going to take weeks to get things setup..I'm not too keen on that idea..


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## runner (22 Mar 2013)

same boat exactly as dublinnerd above.
Agree completely with comments.
never looked backsince changeover.
BB has been fast and impeccable, and I use it a lot


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## vandriver (22 Mar 2013)

Don't really need to add another assenting voice ,but I will anyway!UPC broadband is the best in Ireland.


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## JohnJay (22 Mar 2013)

+ 1 on the UPC praises.

I have been using UPC for years for broadband and TV. I have the phone line too, but usually only use it for my house alarm. I'm in this house for almost 3 years now and I only had failure for a few hours on 2 or 3 occasions. I also have some customers who use the broadband and phone business package and it seems *************************.


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## Peanuts (22 Mar 2013)

You need to give Eircom one months notice AFAIK


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## dub_nerd (23 Mar 2013)

Star10 said:


> Thanks for the replies folks. Dub_nerd..when you did move, what was the process like? Is it hassle free or reasonably anyway...its another reason why I'm unsure..If it's going to take weeks to get things setup..I'm not too keen on that idea..


 
Installation-wise it was simple -- a couple of days waiting for the installer, installer in and out in half an hour. And we were a new connection -- I presume if you already have the digital TV service (which I presume you do - do you have a set top box?) then it's even easier and the installation is no more than a coax splitter and plugging in the modem. 

In terms of moving from Eircom ... I can't remember the precise details about final bills. Check what other people have said about having to give Eircom notice. But moving your phone number doesn't depend on that afaik. You just fill out a number porting request for UPC, and I'm pretty sure our number got moved within 24-48 hours after installation.

It was completely hassle free in my experience. I didn't have to call their support at any stage, so I can't vouch for that. UPC's progenitor company (NTL) were famously dire for customer support. But when I changed telephone package recently they were fine.


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## runner (23 Mar 2013)

Same. Took an hour including bringing cable inside. kept old eircom landline number. just needed a call by UPC connector to advise eircom of changeover. does need months notice ok. be careful eircom dont try and charge you for an extra month. put the disconnection in writing confirming the date. i think eircom bill rental a month in advance so ididnt in fact pay anything. simple all round.


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