Disappointing WiFi

MLJ
MLJ Forum Participant Posts: 8
edited June 2017 in Club Products & Services #1

just returned from Chatsworh and Richmond sites, and really must bring to attention the very poor WiFi . both sites struggled to meet 1 mbps at any time of day. having paid £25 for the annual usage, i found this was so slow it was virtually unusable and in most instance the standard GPRS on my phone was many times faster.

I have used the Clubs WiFi for a few years and speeds have been slow but reasonable, this years experience is totally unacceptable, if we can't get decent speed, its not worth having.

Come on club lets get this sorted, if we can mange to rebrand without any bother, surely we can sort out a simple issue like WiFi

Moderator Comment - Moved from the Story Section

Comments

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,300 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited June 2017 #2

    Although I think both are silver sites and as such should have reasonable speeds, it does depend on the number of folk using it. The club does state on their wifi information page, that at popular times speeds may be limited to 1Mbps. In fact I have often found this to be the case in any event and have only rarely found speeds of 2Mbps. However, this is well above the GPRS the OP quotes. It is quite adequate for general browsing of the internet, and emails. When my phone shows GPRS I can do none of these. The lower imposed speed also has the advantage of making streaming untenable and things like face time impossible, therefore preventing a few from monopolising the bandwidth.

    I am on my third £25 year and in general have found it good value for money.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,857 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited June 2017 #3

    MJL

    I have removed your other posts so that we can concentrate on this one.

    I have rarely found a Club site where the speed is much above 1mb. That in itself is not really really the problem, it's when it can't provide a constant connection, especially inside the van that it becomes a problem with frequent disconnections. I have just started to use a Solwise booster aerial which I found to be good at giving the constant connection I needed but it didn't really increase the speed. What is unclear is whether the Club always use a high speed connection if it is available. Last year at Minehead we didn't get a very good signal and yet when we walked to the nearby shops we passed high speed broadband cabinets, well within the reach of the Club site. I have increasingly resorted to using my phone as a hotspot and often get much better speeds and a consistent connection. I sometime wonder if in a few years time WiFi will become a thing of the past?

    David

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2017 #4

    I agree,i tend to use club site internet early am or when most have gone out for the day,it gets noticeably slower the as the site fills up late afternoon,

    Their is one site i know in the Cotswolds that high speed internet cable has been laid at the end of the drive,but the cost to connect to a "business" was prohibitivesurprised

  • dmiller555
    dmiller555 Forum Participant Posts: 717
    500 Comments
    edited June 2017 #5

    If 4g is available then I use that in preference to the CMC WiFi. 

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,300 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited June 2017 #6

    I have just noticed the club provide the following information on the WiFi information page, in relation to Clumber Park.

    Approval has now been granted to install Wi-Fi on Clumber Park Club Site. We are now working hard with our suppliers and hope to have Wi-Fi enabled by the end of the summer.

    Very good news, if it happens. It has been promised for some time now. The site really needs something, as it has no mobile service. At least with reasonable WiFi, text messaging through applications like What's App, will be possible.

  • jj202b
    jj202b Forum Participant Posts: 1
    edited October 2017 #7

    Just back from Clumber, they have wifi but it is completely unusable. Occasionally managed to log on but could not even get emails.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2017 #8

    We were on there for 6 nights mid September. Sunday pm until Saturday morning; it was usable until around 5pm onthe Friday evening. 

  • brightstar2
    brightstar2 Forum Participant Posts: 128
    100 Comments
    edited October 2017 #9

    I refuse to use club wi- fi anymore -so slow it wouldn't drag a mouse out bed - so I have now invested in a little Huwei mi-fi - cost me £39 up front and £9 a month rolling contract.

    Just back from Blackpool and most times I was getting 74mbs.

    It's  mine - paid for and I can use it absolutely anywhere in the world.

    I must have paid the club £100 over the last 4 years with approx  8 weeks useable use.

     

    Worth considering!

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2017 #10

    Now you can pay £440 over the next 4 years. wink

     

  • brightstar2
    brightstar2 Forum Participant Posts: 128
    100 Comments
    edited October 2017 #11

    Yeh ! but Iv'e got 24hrs/x/1460 days of use - anywhere !!

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
    10,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited October 2017 #12

    Why not try the 3 network's Internet on Legs, Brightstar. 12gb of data often for around £25 on Amazon (prices fluctuate) and it lasts for 12 months. When the data is used its cheaper to bin the sim and buy another rather than top it up.

  • brightstar2
    brightstar2 Forum Participant Posts: 128
    100 Comments
    edited October 2017 #13

    Thanks Tinwheeler. 

    Forgot to mention in my earlier post that I have just kicked Virgin into touch ( saving £58 per month ) so my Huwei handles ALL my  laptop and tablet demands at home 24 hrs a day.

    I'm happy with that.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
    1000 Comments
    edited October 2017 #14

    We have an huwawie router as back up. We use a number of sites with wifi and poor phone signal. 

  • Santa
    Santa Forum Participant Posts: 14
    edited November 2017 #15

    It seems to be the way the club is going we pay more for less. I know the club needs to make money and that seems to be more club less members  

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,300 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited November 2017 #16

    Certainly not the case with the WiFi Santa. I am on my fourth £25 annual fee and the club WiFi has certainly improved over those years.

    So the fee has remained the same, WiFi better.  Totally at odds with your statement in my opinion.

  • mbee1
    mbee1 Forum Participant Posts: 557
    500 Comments
    edited November 2017 #17

    Just come back from Chatsworth. Excellent 4G so tether my iPhone to my iPad. Never ever bothered with the site wifi. 

  • pdes
    pdes Forum Participant Posts: 17
    edited November 2017 #18

    Just adding my weight to the body of folks disappointed and disillusioned with the Club's WiFi.  I have been on a number of sites in Norfolk this year and having paid £25, I expected at least a basic service (at least 1mb).  Mostly, I have got no more than 300k but typically, the signal drops to zero all too frequently. This type of mis-selling does nothing to enhance the reputation of the club.  What about an SLA which, if not met, results in a refund?  I presume the WiFi systems are outsourced.  What pressure is the Club putting on the supplier to make this a consistent and usable servie?

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,300 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited November 2017 #19

    Apart from Sandringham, we have not stopped on any sites in Norfolk, so I will not be able to make my own mind up until we do. However, your experience is certainly not ours at the numerous WiFi enabled sites we have visited. As you can see from my post above we are on our fourth annual fee. So a satisfied customer. If you read the description of the grades of service on the WiFi page, there is certainly no mis-selling.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
    1000 Comments
    edited November 2017 #20

    We have used Seacroft, Sandringham, Sutton on Sea, Norfolk Broads, White House, Thetford and Ferry Meadows without problem. 

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited November 2017 #21

    Seacroft and Sandringham  sevaral times this year with no real problems most times but then we only use the club wifi for what it is designed for,not streaming films etc  

  • harrib0
    harrib0 Forum Participant Posts: 70
    First Comment
    edited November 2017 #22

    6 new pence a day! I'd say it's a bargain. If it work OK for me to browse the web or reply to emails then great.

    If not, I fire up my 3-4G router and use that.

    Come on for £25 A YEAR what did you really expect?

  • Mike Whitfield
    Mike Whitfield Forum Participant Posts: 5
    edited April 2018 #23

    I found the Wi-fi at Knaresborough Site very poor. I cannot understand why the club continues with such a poor system. 

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,300 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited April 2018 #24

    Not been to K but subscribe to the Club WiFi. Depends on how full the site was and what you were trying to do. Knaresborough is a silver site, so between 8 and 25 Mbps spread across the whole site. So at times when most people are likely to access it, such as when they come back from a day out, speeds will suffer. When this is the case I generally have had no problems, early and late, for general browsing / emails.