I am tired of ranting about our Internet connection in work. Yes, it is my job to provide a stable connection for the business but yet again I am faced with a barrier.

To those of you who want the short version; Irish Broadband are our current provider. Providing a service that is just impossible to work with. To combat the problem, I invoke meetings with Eircom, Smart, Magnet and many others. The battle against each other to be as competitive as possible.

I decide on Smart. Why? In watered down terms, the network operations director came personally to visit me. He took me through the network topology, what smart could offer, how it would fit into the overall business plan and I was impressed. I knew it as a stable, reliable and easily expandable network. Ok, installation.

Installation takes 6-10 weeks. Why?  First week is for the site survey to ensure we can aim a dish at three rock within the distance licensed high gain radio can travel. Four weeks for ComReg to license the equipment. Another 3 weeks aprox for Smart to port out BRA over to there SIP connections.

Too long to wait, I need a stable connection in the office, NOW.

Through negotiations and also through personal experience, I decide on Magnet networks as an interim/backup line solution. 8 meg uncontented broadband. Fibre in the exchange. Happy days. What do I need to do? First I need a PSTN telephone line for the BB. Note: Magnet only have ONE exchange in Sandyford with their fibre piped in. Exchange = SNDD

“Eircom, Hi, I need a standard PSTN coming from the SNDD exchange to our office please.” The say no problem, email me saying it’s all confirmed and proceed with the line order. 2 weeks later, engineer arrives and pops his head into the 3rd floor. (Our floor is completely self contained network wise to the rest of the building). “Hi, Your line is installed”, “Where?”

The Eircom engineer has installed the landline to, THE CAR PARK!. After many minutes of husslin, he’s not going to budge. OK, line resonator. I plug the line resonator into a free set of cables going to our floor. BINGO. Pipe the line through. Done.

Phone rings. Magnet sales rep. “Brian my apologies, but Eircom have completely lied. They have installed the line in the incorrect exchange.”

Je deteste Eircom.