Broadband Speed ?

Codogly

Registered User
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182
Hi all, just wondering my current broadband is with Virgin Media 500mb but yet whenever a do a broadband speed test it always shows 74mb download and 20 upload … does this mean I don’t actually need the full 500mb service and a cheaper provider Eir or Sky who both say the provide 100mb in my area would actually deliver the same broadband speed?
Thanks for any advise.
 
Can’t find one of those cables at the moment … but would that matter seen as I will be using Wi-Fi if I switched to another user ?
74mb on the current Wi-Fi connection seems perfectly good , thinking that on that basis Eir or Sky would be fine but cheaper
 
Can’t find one of those cables at the moment … but would that matter seen as I will be using Wi-Fi if I switched to another user ?
74mb on the current Wi-Fi connection seems perfectly good , thinking that on that basis Eir or Sky would be fine but cheaper
if you are getting full speed wired then you are getting what you paid for, the issue then is with your wifi congifuration (or the device connected via a wifi)

there are ways of getting much better speeds over wifi if you are bothered.
 
if you are getting full speed wired then you are getting what you paid for, the issue then is with your wifi congifuration (or the device connected via a wifi)

there are ways of getting much better speeds over wifi if you are bothered.
I've heard that the VM supplied hub isn't great at translating the speeds to WIFI. As you say if you're bothered, one of the things to do is you can buy your own wireless router and connect it to the VM hub by cable.
 
My question is more around if I switch to Eir or Sky will the service be ok …given the savings thst I can make …€30 less per month
 
My question is more around if I switch to Eir or Sky will the service be ok …given the savings thst I can make …€30 less per month
I don't know if anyone here could answer, the service speed \ reliability on a 100 mb line, which I assuming is through phone line \ copper fibre, is down to local factors. Your neighbours would have the best idea.
If the VM is stable would there be savings with their 250 MB package?
 
Can’t find one of those cables at the moment … but would that matter seen as I will be using Wi-Fi if I switched to another user ?
74mb on the current Wi-Fi connection seems perfectly good , thinking that on that basis Eir or Sky would be fine but cheaper
What device (phone? tablet? other?) make and model are you testing with?
 
does this mean I don’t actually need the full 500mb service and a cheaper provider Eir or Sky who both say the provide 100mb in my area would actually deliver the same broadband speed?
Your usage will dictate what speed you actually need, but in terms of the service you are on, you need to be aware that the 500Mbs quoted is the absolute maximum achievable and a multitude of factors will affect what you actually get. The local circuit you're on will have a limit, that might not be too far off 500Mbs, and every user connected to that local circuit shares the bandwidth, so what you will achieve will be affected by your neighbours' use. Providers used to publish contention ratios that let you know how many people you were sharing that capacity with.

Also, see here about the accuracy of online speed tests.
 
VM broadband isn't supplied by phone line, so you have no way of knowing what you might get from eir or sky.
For example, VM can provide 500MB to my house via their cabling, but the max I can get through the phone line is about 15MB. The phone line service is cheaper, but it is slower. Depends on your usage and requirements.
 
My question is more around if I switch to Eir or Sky will the service be ok …given the savings thst I can make …€30 less per month
I'm in precisely the same situation. Vodafone 1GB EUR70 considering moving to Eir 500Mb EUR40 for 24 months.
 
If it helps , to give you an idea of what is needed for streaming Netflix, it's 1mbps for standard, high Def needs 5mbps.
I think most homes can live with a 100mb line.
 
Pray do tell...
Manually selecting a wifi channel on the router that isn't or is less occluded by neighbouring wifi networks and other 2.4/5GHz devices.

Using only 5GHz (WiFi 2/4/5/6) if/where possible.

Making sure that the wifi router is located in as central a place in the house as possible.

With Virgin Media maybe running their router in modem only mode and using a better third party wifi router.

There are other possible tweaks too.
 
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