«

An Irish friend of mine living in a very rural location on a
mountainside who has been having appalling broadband speeds from an ISP
via the usual telephone lines has asked me for advice as to what she
should do. She had complained to her ISP but they have replied with
words to the effect that she should have chosen to live in a better
location.
She is now thinking of going over to a new wireless ISP starting up a
new wireless service whose advert reads as follows:-
"
Telephony Solution"

They go on to say:-

This phase of the Project not only offers high speed broadband to Rural
Communities, but it offers a Telephony Solution over a wireless network
using the latest in VOIP technology.
As this technology is wireless there is no need for a telephone line and
that of course means, no need to pay line rental!
HOME USERS:
For as little as €49.99 Per Month, you can enjoy a 3mb high speed
broaband system with a telephone package which gives you Local,
National, UK & USA* calls FREE!!!"

End of quote.

I am aware the posters here may largely be in the State or the UK but I
would be grateful if you could advise me what to advise my friend as to
whether the system above would solve her problems.

Many thanks in anticipation of any help you can give us.
--
Derrick Fawsitt

"Derrick Fawsitt" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> An Irish friend of mine living in a very rural location on a mountainside
> who has been having appalling broadband speeds from an ISP via the usual
> telephone lines has asked me for advice as to what she should do. She had
> complained to her ISP but they have replied with words to the effect that
> she should have chosen to live in a better location.
> She is now thinking of going over to a new wireless ISP starting up a new
> wireless service whose advert reads as follows:-
> "
> Telephony Solution"
>
> They go on to say:-
>
> This phase of the Project not only offers high speed broadband to Rural
> Communities, but it offers a Telephony Solution over a wireless network
> using the latest in VOIP technology.
> As this technology is wireless there is no need for a telephone line and
> that of course means, no need to pay line rental!
> HOME USERS:
> For as little as ?49.99 Per Month, you can enjoy a 3mb high speed broaband
> system with a telephone package which gives you Local, National, UK & USA*
> calls FREE!!!"
>
> End of quote.
>
> I am aware the posters here may largely be in the State or the UK but I
> would be grateful if you could advise me what to advise my friend as to
> whether the system above would solve her problems.
>
> Many thanks in anticipation of any help you can give us.

How bad is appalling? Is the connection - such as it is - reliable?

To give an example, a friend is 8km from the exchange, and achieves between
4dB and 10dB SNR margin, attenuation 73dB, and has a 100% reliable
connection at 288,000 bits/sec. The ISP is Zen, and the line rate is capped
to achieve the reliability.

This is good enough for casual browsing of websites, and receiving emails
that might have photos attached.

Your friend might find that changing to a more competent ISP and persevering
with problem-solving might pay off.

--
Graham J

On 15 Jan, 20:20, Derrick Fawsitt
<fitzwillia...@fitzwilliamonline.com> wrote:
> An Irish friend of mine living in a very rural location on a
> mountainside who has been having appalling broadband speeds from an ISP
> via the usual telephone lines has asked me for advice as to what she
> should do. She had complained to her ISP but they have replied with
> words to the effect that she should have chosen to live in a better
> location.
> She is now thinking of going over to a new wireless ISP starting up a
> new wireless service whose advert reads as follows:-
> "
> Telephony Solution"
>
> They go on to say:-
>
> This phase of the Project not only offers high speed broadband to Rural
> Communities, but it offers a Telephony Solution over a wireless network
> using the latest in VOIP technology.
> As this technology is wireless there is no need for a telephone line and
> that of course means, no need to pay line rental!
> HOME USERS:
> For as little as EURO 49.99 Per Month, you can enjoy a 3mb high speed
> broaband system with a telephone package which gives you Local,
> National, UK & USA* calls FREE!!!"
>
> End of quote.
>
> I am aware the posters here may largely be in the State or the UK but I
> would be grateful if you could advise me what to advise my friend as to
> whether the system above would solve her problems.
>
> Many thanks in anticipation of any help you can give us.
> --
> Derrick Fawsitt

I have never used one of these systems, but I have heard of a few
people who use them. First thing they are quite expensive, depending
on your package your friend may have to pay for equipment, as this
wireless system does not use wifi frequencies but the companies own
licensed radio frequencies. The cost Per month will be higher than an
ADSL service as well which I suppose you can see, but if you live in
the countryside you are probally paying at least £15 anyway as there
are very few LLU services for people in rural areas. In terms of
service a wireless service will be effected by the the weather like
storms may take out your internet and if you do go for the phone
service then that will go out as well. I would probally leave you
phone service with BT or over the standard copper wires (or possible
aluminium). She should see a better speed for her broadband most
likely, very close to the 3mbps they they claim. But like I say you
connection will be effected by weather conditions and environmental
factors so at times it may well be a lot slower than that. Having said
that I may be wrong, I have not used a wireless internet service I am
apply just the normal rules of satellite service in general. They may
well be using a wideband of radio frequencies enough to compensate for
these sort of changes. Maybe someone who I using a wireless service
may give us a reply.

Derrick Fawsitt wrote:
> An Irish friend of mine living in a very rural location on a
> mountainside who has been having appalling broadband speeds from an ISP
> via the usual telephone lines has asked me for advice as to what she
> should do. She had complained to her ISP but they have replied with
> words to the effect that she should have chosen to live in a better
> location.
> She is now thinking of going over to a new wireless ISP starting up a
> new wireless service whose advert reads as follows:-
> "
> Telephony Solution"
>
> They go on to say:-
>
> This phase of the Project not only offers high speed broadband to Rural
> Communities, but it offers a Telephony Solution over a wireless network
> using the latest in VOIP technology.
> As this technology is wireless there is no need for a telephone line and
> that of course means, no need to pay line rental!
> HOME USERS:
> For as little as €49.99 Per Month, you can enjoy a 3mb high speed
> broaband system with a telephone package which gives you Local,
> National, UK & USA* calls FREE!!!"
>
> End of quote.
>
> I am aware the posters here may largely be in the State or the UK but I
> would be grateful if you could advise me what to advise my friend as to
> whether the system above would solve her problems.
>
> Many thanks in anticipation of any help you can give us.

If there are enough people in one area, starting your own ISP to
distribute via wireless is possible. Probably £10-£20 grand would do it.


Satellite is possible too.


Otherwise you are essentially screwed, unless you go for a leased line,
in which case BT or someone will screw a u-wave to the roof pointing at
a tower in the distance, and charge you leased line installation costs.

How appalling is appalling? if you can get 152Kbps its pretty good.

Derrick Fawsitt wrote:

> She is now thinking of going over to a new wireless ISP starting up a
> new wireless service whose advert reads as follows:-
> "
> Telephony Solution"
>
> They go on to say:-
>
> This phase of the Project not only offers high speed broadband to Rural
> Communities, but it offers a Telephony Solution over a wireless network
> using the latest in VOIP technology.
> As this technology is wireless there is no need for a telephone line and
> that of course means, no need to pay line rental!
> HOME USERS:
> For as little as €49.99 Per Month, you can enjoy a 3mb high speed
> broaband system with a telephone package which gives you Local,
> National, UK & USA* calls FREE!!!"
>
> End of quote.
>
> I am aware the posters here may largely be in the State or the UK but I
> would be grateful if you could advise me what to advise my friend as to
> whether the system above would solve her problems.

How do you expect us to advice you on the basis of the text from an advert ?

Graham

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Eeyore
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>
>
>Derrick Fawsitt wrote:
>
>> She is now thinking of going over to a new wireless ISP starting up a
>> new wireless service whose advert reads as follows:-
>> "
>> Telephony Solution"
>>
>> They go on to say:-
>>
>> This phase of the Project not only offers high speed broadband to Rural
>> Communities, but it offers a Telephony Solution over a wireless network
>> using the latest in VOIP technology.
>> As this technology is wireless there is no need for a telephone line and
>> that of course means, no need to pay line rental!
>> HOME USERS:
>> For as little as €49.99 Per Month, you can enjoy a 3mb high speed
>> broaband system with a telephone package which gives you Local,
>> National, UK & USA* calls FREE!!!"
>>
>> End of quote.
>>
>> I am aware the posters here may largely be in the State or the UK but I
>> would be grateful if you could advise me what to advise my friend as to
>> whether the system above would solve her problems.
>
>How do you expect us to advice you on the basis of the text from an advert ?
>
>Graham
>
Thank you all, I do realise you simply cannot but I have got your
general opinion on wireless systems for which I am very grateful.
Unfortunately I wiped the test results she got when I asked her to do a
speed test on thinkbroadband but her download speed from memory was 0.4
Mbps approx or something like that and that will give you an idea of its
strength. She needs to use SKYPE and when she used to call me she only
heard me spasmodically, I was continually breaking up.
I am so grateful, obviously if we have any posters living in a similar
situation, whether in Ireland or another country, do please add to our
knowledge so I can help her to make the right choice.
--
Derrick Fawsitt

> How do you expect us to advice you on the basis of the text from an advert
> ?
>
> Graham

You really are an obnoxious person........

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, steveybar
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>
>> How do you expect us to advice you on the basis of the text from an advert
>> ?
>>
>> Graham
>
>You really are an obnoxious person........

Oh I can see what Graham is getting at, I did think twice before I
inserted the add. I did fear that someone might think I had something to
do with the ISP who wants to provide wireless service in rural Ireland
so I removed his name. I did therefore give it some thought but really
never expected too much from you all, as Graham, neither he nor I know
enough to make a detailed response but the little I have got has been
very interesting and useful.
Thanks again.
--
Derrick Fawsitt

On 2008-01-15, Derrick Fawsitt <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> She is now thinking of going over to a new wireless ISP starting up a
> new wireless service whose advert reads as follows:-
[...]
> I am aware the posters here may largely be in the State or the UK but I
> would be grateful if you could advise me what to advise my friend as to
> whether the system above would solve her problems.

What you've given isn't much to go on. Where I lived in California
wireless Internet service was often used by people with houses in the
mountains. The only particular complaints I heard suggest that you
should make sure the ISP is using something in licensed spectrum, rather
than trying to build a business selling WiFi, and that people in less
strong signal areas could expect to sometimes lose their service when
it rained, which might matter more in Ireland than it did in California.
Other than this people I knew seemed happy with the service, though when
the alternative is dial-up one's standards for happiness might not be
high.

To tell the truth, however, the technology for supplying wireless Internet
at home has gotten a lot better recently, if your operator is using it.
I know at least one WiMax operator, here

http://www.clearwire.com

which is selling wireless home service in places where a wired
alternative is also available, and doing okay even with the competition.
WiMax is exceedingly good.

In any case, you might try to find out what radio technology they use
to provide the service. If it is WiFi, or anything else in an unlicensed
band, you should be very careful. Otherwise it might be worth a try
if it won't cost too much to change your mind if it doesn't work as well
as you'd like.

Dennis Ferguson

steveybar wrote:

> > How do you expect us to advice you on the basis of the text from an advert
> > ?
> >
> > Graham
>
> You really are an obnoxious person........

How about answering my question ?

Are wild guesses going to help the OP ? NO they're not !

Graham