# Pro's n Con's of BB switching providers.



## Pablo74 (20 Feb 2008)

Hi all,
    I am currently with eircom home starter pack which costs me aroung 53 euros a month. It is the 1mb pack but i rarely get that speed. Just did a test this morning and download was 255kb and upload was 256kbps.
I never use the phone is my house ( last 2 months bills have had no calls made).
I am looking at changing to 02 broadband but am worried if there speeds are better or worse. There package would cost 30 euro a month compared to the 53 euros with Eircom. I know i have to buy the modem for €89 but in the long run it would be worth it.
What are the pro's and con's with the change if i do decide to do it ?
Regards
Pablo


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## wishbone (20 Feb 2008)

*Re: Pro's n Con's of switching providers.*

I am on BT and wanted to change to Eircom to get a free wireless router some years ago - I was told there was a 6 week changeover period when I would be without a service!   So you might consider this if you choose to go with another ADSL Broadband provider rather than the O2 one you mention.  I can't pass comment on O2.


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## ClubMan (20 Feb 2008)

*Re: Pro's n Con's of switching providers.*



Pablo74 said:


> Hi all,
> I am currently with eircom home starter pack which costs me aroung 53 euros a month. It is the 1mb pack but i rarely get that speed. Just did a test this morning and download was 255kb and upload was 256kbps.


Don't forget things like contention ratio, protocol overhead etc. mean that you will never get the nominal headline throughput!


> I am looking at changing to 02 broadband but am worried if there speeds are better or worse.


My impression is that these mobile broadband offerings can sometimes drop to/below dial-up speeds.


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## Pique318 (20 Feb 2008)

*Re: Pro's n Con's of switching providers.*

Try Smart Telecom. I've been with them for a couple of years now and have nothing but good service, high speeds (2.5-3Mbps on average download speed) and low cost.

Don't believe all the horror stories.


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## philboy (20 Feb 2008)

*Re: Pro's n Con's of switching providers.*

Im with Smart telecom, the 'horror stories' were true. Their customer support was an absolute disgrace and a nightmare when we first got their broadband/telephone service approx 2 years ago. They have smartened up their act since and have had good customer service the last 2 times i rang them. The speed of 3 mb is great and the service is rarely down i find.


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## ClubMan (20 Feb 2008)

This Smart horror story is also unfortunately true...


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## daveh24 (21 Feb 2008)

majority of speed problems are location and location,i doubt very much really that by changing service provider your going to increase speed that much. What i do find quiet strange is the fact that your upload speed is around the same as your download speed. There are alot of factors that will effect the throughput of your internet.

Lets face it for many more years we will have slow internet speeds due to crap old telecom infrastructure. Ah well might aswell start praying for quick advances in wireless technology.


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## pmacantu (20 Mar 2008)

Hi,  I tried to get an 02 card today and was rejected becuase of a credit check.   I recently just changed my mortgage and there were no issues,  but whatever internal credit check process 02 have, it seems to have blocked me out.   I am bringing it up with comreg, not sure if that will help,  and there has to be a data protection issue as they have to base their decision on some sort of intelligence/data  kept on some computer somewhere.   This is the quote from 02 
 
_"I am sorry for the confusion but the credit scoring decision will stand_
_at a decline. You can, in 6 months, go to a store to be credit vetted_
_again if you wish........."_
 
Its a pity as I could have been a life long customer and my understanding of their product is that it is good.  SO whatever you think about their product quality,  there seems to be enough of us Broadband addicts out there for 02 to be choosy and arbitry.   

Happy data streaming,

Rgds, P


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## aircobra19 (20 Mar 2008)

daveh24 said:


> majority of speed problems are location and location,i doubt very much really that by changing service provider your going to increase speed that much. What i do find quiet strange is the fact that your upload speed is around the same as your download speed. There are alot of factors that will effect the throughput of your internet.
> 
> Lets face it for many more years we will have slow internet speeds due to crap old telecom infrastructure. Ah well might aswell start praying for quick advances in wireless technology.



I can only agree with that.


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## Home&away (23 Mar 2008)

We switched from BT to Digiweb 12-months ago when we moved house.  The whole hassle of getting a landline connected, having to wait weeks (or months as we have done in the past!!) was too much on top of everything else.
The Digiweb service is wireless to the house - using the 4G mobile network, they installed a reciever on the roof and that's wired to a modem in the living room.  Install was very professional and the connection speed is excellent.
The cost is €35 per month, and that includes a VOIP phone line with NO line rental cost.
Customer service is excellent.  We've had a couple of problems with the VOIP line dropping out but they persisted at getting it sorted.


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## rmelly (24 Mar 2008)

pmacantu said:


> and there has to be a data protection issue as they have to base their decision on some sort of intelligence/data kept on some computer somewhere


 
rubbish - they base it on the information you supply. Do you think they have a massive database with everyone in the country on it and all their information? Not even the government has this.


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## pmacantu (31 Mar 2008)

Hi, I seem to be making progress in this credit checking process.  I have just been refused by Three mobile for a mobile broadband card.  But they have told me that they do use a third party to verify details,    Experian Ireland Ltd.  They also have an appeals process.  This leads me to think that o2 are being disingenuous when they say that they do not use a third party verification process.    I will take the issue up now with Experian Ireland and see what is going on.   I will upload the 02 reply in full for the record.      Rgds, P


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## Pablo74 (31 Mar 2008)

Eircom have boosted my broadband speed from 200kbps to 1700 kbps after complaining twice to them.
About time
pablo74


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## boskonay (2 Apr 2008)

There is no such thing as a '4g' network  Digiweb use wireless technologies like everyone else


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