# Eircom Broadband



## johns75 (17 Jan 2007)

Hi All, Has anyone had dealings with Eircom lately regarding getting broadband. I signed up for a phone and broadband package on 13 of November and still have not received the router box. I have called every week since the end of November and everytime i'm told a different excuse why it wasn't sent. I have even been told that i didn't call them in the past which is really annoying. What is the deal with these guys? I have even filled out a complaints form and never heard from anyone. There does not seem to be anyway of escalating the problem. Its not like i'm trying to get something for nothing, i've actually been billed since November and because i'm on direct debit they have been paid. Its so annoying. Any tips on how to proceed would be appreciated.


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## davidoco (17 Jan 2007)

Firstly get a loan of a modem and see if there is broadband on the line.  There are plenty of modems out there on the buy and sell if you don't know anybody with one.  

Once and whenever the new modem arrives look for a refund of the charges going back to Nov.  There is some discretion available to billing on that.

Eircom are probably the worst company to deal with as far as service delivery is concerned with. My company have an account manager who is called upon every second day to deal with an outstanding order of some kind.


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## ClubMan (17 Jan 2007)

davidoco said:


> Firstly get a loan of a modem and see if there is broadband on the line.


That won't necessarily prove anything. My mother was with _UTV _for a short time for broadband but is now back with _eircom_. (Read all about the saga here). Now that she's back with eircom the _DSL _light on the modem/router still lights up but the broadband does not work. The router says that some sort of low level _DSL _sync is working but at some higher layer connectivity is not established.


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## davidoco (17 Jan 2007)

ClubMan said:


> the _DSL _light on the modem/router still lights up but the broadband does not work.



True, being a past customer of UTV myself if I put the modem back on the line recently and it still lights up DSL active.  UTV use specific username and passwords whereas Eircom use a generic one.  So if there is a light there and you have or hope or think you have Eircom broadband you should be able to browse to your hearts content.


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## johns75 (17 Jan 2007)

Thanks for the comments. I actually went and bought a netgear broadband router from PC World after the first month of waiting. I configured it and it says broadband connected but the internet still does not work (lights and all). When i called Eircom they simply say "we don't support NetGear" rather than actually try to help. Anyway, without going into details i happen to know for a fact that new connections will only work with the Eircom router of choice which is Netopia. The point is, does anybody know how to get to someone that can do anything about it? Nobody in Eircom seems to care about customer service because nobody seems to be accountable.


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## ClubMan (17 Jan 2007)

davidoco said:


> UTV use specific username and passwords whereas Eircom use a generic one.  So if there is a light there and you have or hope or think you have Eircom broadband you should be able to browse to your hearts content.


Any idea what the generic eircom username/password is - purely out of curiosity...


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## davidoco (17 Jan 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Any idea what the generic eircom username/password is - purely out of curiosity...



eircom@eircom.net for the username and broadband1 for the password and confirmation password. 



[broken link removed])


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## MOB (17 Jan 2007)

"Anyway, without going into details i happen to know for a fact that new connections will only work with the Eircom router of choice which is Netopia."

I would be interested (not terribly interested, so don't go to much trouble) to get some details of this.  

Is it that only a particular type of router will work? (of which Netopia is one)

Is it only a particular set of router settings?  (which would presumable be the Netopia factory default settings) 

OR is it actually only Netopia routers?  If this is actually the case, it would surely be illegal, hence my interest.


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## bigjoe_dub (18 Jan 2007)

what I would do and have in the past and it does work is to send your complaint to comreg in writing.

[broken link removed]

CC the MD of Eircom, Rex Comb.  Send both letters by registered mail so they are signed for.  you should see some action within days.  pain in the This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language you have to do this to get satisfaction but it does work.  i'm off the age now where if i do not get good customer service first time I start making noise at the highest level possible.

some good links and numbers here
[broken link removed]


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## Sar (18 Jan 2007)

I ordered broadband from Eircom on 9th Jan and the modem arrived yesterday. Broadband is now up and running.


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## johns75 (18 Jan 2007)

Happy to hear Sar got sorted so quickly and thats the way it should be! I actually got connected to broadband fairly quickly but its the modem being delivered thats taking so long.

And BigJoe Dub! its sad but true, you need to hit high up on the food chain to get any satisfaction. I am going to take your advise and write that letter to comreg if for no other reason than to have it on the record.

MOB! Again without going in to details about how i know, it works like this:
Eircom used to issue individual settings to customers i.e. username, password, ip address etc. But it was too much for them to reset passwords for every idiot that forgot which one of their 25 cats names they used as a password. So, they implemented a generic username and password. Every piece of computer hardware has a unique identifier hard coded into its software called a "MAC Address". What they do is pre-configure the Netopia boxes before sending them out and they allow that MAC Address to pass through their firewall. Only then will the router receive its automatic settings. If the morons on support had access to this system you could simply purchase any router, quote the MAC Address to the support Guy and they could allow you through the firewall and away you go, but again unfortunatley it is too much hassle for Eircom.
Apparently its against Comregs rules for Eircom to dictate what router you use but nobody seems to care less.


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## DublinBoy834 (19 Jan 2007)

Not too sure if you are right about MAC address filtering as I use my own wireless router and never had to call eircom. I just put in the eircom settings and it connected. 

I still think they are useless thought. Took an age to get my broadband installed and just found them to be lacking in customer service skills.


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## johns75 (19 Jan 2007)

There are other supported routers such as Zyxel and Cisco which are more expensive and give more detailed config options so your obviously one of the lucky ones. Anyway, my router arrived this morning so thanks for the comments. Good luck!


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## DublinBoy834 (19 Jan 2007)

I am using a cisco router, it give me remote access to my home systems from work so I can see if my alarm has gone off, see the camera looking over my front door. I have even managed to set it up so I can turn on the heating and a few lights around the house!!!

yea, too much spare time on my hands


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## legend99 (19 Jan 2007)

Sar said:


> I ordered broadband from Eircom on 9th Jan and the modem arrived yesterday. Broadband is now up and running.



What do you get in the kit from Eircom...do you get a few filters? Do you get ethernet cabel if you want to run a wired connection from the router/modem?


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## teddyk (19 Jan 2007)

I got 2 splitters, one cable for PC-to-phonesocket connection.


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## johns75 (19 Jan 2007)

You get 2 filters, 1 for splitting the line between phone and router and the other is for a dedicated line , both provide noise reduction that can be experienced when the line is enhanced (broadband enabled). You get a yellow standard CAT-5 Ethernet cable to connect directly to any of the four ports on the back of the router.

Cisco routers are the Mercedes of routers and Eircom Business Systems are a business partner of the highest standing, therefore cisco routers would have no problems accessing their network. I would have purchased one of them but for simple home broadband requirements it would be like installing a power generator just to power a lightbulb.


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## jdwex (19 Jan 2007)

johns75 said:


> MOB! Again without going in to details about how i know, it works like this:
> Eircom used to issue individual settings to customers i.e. username, password, ip address etc. But it was too much for them to reset passwords for every idiot that forgot which one of their 25 cats names they used as a password. So, they implemented a generic username and password. Every piece of computer hardware has a unique identifier hard coded into its software called a "MAC Address". What they do is pre-configure the Netopia boxes before sending them out and they allow that MAC Address to pass through their firewall. Only then will the router receive its automatic settings. If the morons on support had access to this system you could simply purchase any router, quote the MAC Address to the support Guy and they could allow you through the firewall and away you go, but again unfortunatley it is too much hassle for Eircom.
> .


While the part about the generic username and password is true, you are mistaken about them making use of the mac address of the nic in the way you suggest. Essentially the telephone line identifier is presented to authentication servers and the connection is set up.


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