# Q around B/band speed.



## polo1 (4 Feb 2008)

If eircom tell me that my line is only suitable for 1mb broadband does that mean that I can only get 1mb from other providers or how does this work please? Another provider has told me that they can offer 2mb but I just want to make sure that they are not just saying it..


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## ClubMan (4 Feb 2008)

Many _ISPs _just resell the _eircom _wholesale _ADSL _package so will be subject to the _eircom _line speed limit. Some have their own infrastructure so may not be.

On the other hand...

I was on _UTV _2Mbps for a couple of years. They had an offer on 3Mbps upgrade so I opted for it. My broadband stayed on 2Mbps. I queried this with them. They told me that my line was only capable of 1Mbps. I told them that I had been on 2Mbps for a couple of years no problem. The downgraded me to 2Mbps. I don't really trust those broadband line checks to be honest!


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## Chris (4 Feb 2008)

Several things can have an impact on the possible speed:
1) Distance to exchange (the further away, the slower the max speed)
2) Type/Age of wiring to your house
3) Contention ratio in exchange (i.e. how many people share the same exchange)

In most cases, all the providers do, is check the distance from your house to the exchange and this gives them a resonably good estimation. Without actually phisically testing the line from your home, it is not very acuratly possible to predict the speed.
If you are not tied to a contract I would suggest getting the 2Mb connection and doing a speed test (www.speedtest.ie) ;if it is not close enought to 2Mb, get your connection switched 1 Mb.


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## PeterMurphy3 (4 Feb 2008)

be weary of this.  I was paying for 2mb broadband for over a year when I actually discovered I was actually only getting 1mb.


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## ClubMan (4 Feb 2008)

Yeah - I could easily have ended up paying for 3Mbps when I was actually only getting 2Mbps and _UTV _assumed that I could only get 1Mbps! I sorted it out in the end and got refunded the additional charges but it was hassle I could have done without (i.e. if the line check was accurate and performed at the time I requested the 2Mbps to 3Mbps upgrade). A colleague fared worse in similar circumstances - he lost his broadband altogether for a few weeks...


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## mathepac (4 Feb 2008)

PeterMurphy3 said:


> be weary of this.  I was paying for 2mb broadband for over a year when I actually discovered I was actually only getting 1mb.


and check the wording of any contracts with your supplier. AFAIK only the eircom hard-wired broadband product gives a guarantee of a constant speed, other providers list a _maximum possible speed _which is not guaranteed_. _I'm with BT on 2mb and line speed varies wildly at times.

SPEEDTEST list me at 1.48 mb/s at the moment

Chris, could you please edit the link in your post above, the punctuation seems to be embedded in the link address..


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## ClubMan (4 Feb 2008)

Most _ADSL_ services will have a contention ratio which will put a cap on the maximum *guaranteed *speed.


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