Airangel statement about their service!

AWNINGHANDYMAN
AWNINGHANDYMAN Forum Participant Posts: 57
edited August 2020 in Club Products & Services #1

Wish I had read the comments about the poor standard of WiFi from our club before purchasing the annual subscription of £30.

Thought this would help us whilst we are in semi-lockdown on site.

I complained to Airangel about the constant loss of signal, especially  when viewing live footballn etc.and this was their reply:

“All guests at CAMC sites are limited to 1mb/0.25mb so the speeds will not be sufficient for streaming, we recommend only emails and light browsing.”

Question, Why are we not advised this by our club prior to payment?

Comments

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited August 2020 #2

     .... and you're lucky if you can even use it to log on to Club Together. 

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited August 2020 #5

     I find it fine. 

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,300 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #6

    I have also found it generally OK in the past. However, when there were problems it was normally at weekends when the sites were full. Ours ran out at the end of last year. Normally I would have renewed it at the start of our next tour. That is due in September and I am undecided wether to renew. Most of the sites we are visiting are already looking more popular mid week than other years. It is therefore likely that weekday use of the wifi will be greater and it may struggle.  I will just have to make up my mind when I see numbers on site. Unfortunately due to the slow speed of the club web site, it won't be possible to use that as a guide.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #7

    My goodness, Steve, you'll soon be agreeing with me😂😂😂

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited August 2020 #8

    As posted before  ,if people will insist on trying to do the same as home broadband  by streaming,(against what it has been installed for)it would cost a lot more than the £30 per year to give it that capacity,

    I also understand it seems the reason this web site is so slow (slower than usually)is the amount of pressure the booking system is under,at this time

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited August 2020 #9

    To install something & then ask for restrictions on its use is naive at best. It's like putting a free bar on & then suggesting you're only able to have a single drink each .... first at the bar will get as much as possible.

    CT has been stupidly slow for years ... way way before the booking system has been 'under pressure' ...and even if that was the case, it goes to show that either the IT staff need a kick up the harris or the Caravan Club needs to put their hand in their pocket do something about it.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,857 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #10

    I am not altogether surprised by the OP's comment. Whilst many of us appreciate how the Club WiFi was set up all those years ago it is not really providing a service for modern times. When Club WiFi was first installed no one had hardly heard of streaming let alone Netflix!!! I somehow doubt that the Club will change or enhance the service because so many people use their own data via a phone or MiFi and that is probably the way forward for the OP?

    David

  • heddlo
    heddlo Forum Participant Posts: 872 ✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #11

    The Club have always stated that site WiFi is only for light use - not streaming.  We specifically purchased 20GB per month from EE to cater for this limitation and on most sites we have visited in the last two years that has worked extremely well.  However, we recently spent five nights at Stamford CAMC site and there was no usable EE or O2 signal.  For the first time in two years we had to purchase Club WiFi at a cost of £11 to cover our period of stay as we needed to keep in touch with family members.  It was almost unusable, except mid-afternoon and around dawn.  One day we couldn’t get connected at all. I think it is the people thoughtlessly streaming football and TV programmes that completely wasted our £11.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,032 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #12

    I agree. To be honest, I can’t believe folks who use internet while away are relying upon Club WiFi nowadays. There are just so many more reliable and cheaper options.  To use a football analogy, Club WiFi is definitely Non League!

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #13

    With LVs being manufactured with built in Mifi units and booster aerials, I think fewer and fewer people will be relying on site wifi.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,300 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #14

    I complained to Airangel about the constant loss of signal, especially when viewing live footballn etc.and this was their reply:

    “All guests at CAMC sites are limited to 1mb/0.25mb so the speeds will not be sufficient for streaming, we recommend only emails and light browsing.

     

    Unless things have changed since the end of last year, (it's still mentioned in the Wifi section) Airangels statement is not correct. At gold and silver silver sites they operate a dynamic bandwidth system. This means at less busy times you get a bigger slice. I have recorded up to 14MB download / 4MB upload. As more folk join this reduces down to the 1MB/0.25 they mention. 

    This results in complaints, such as the OP's. If it was 1MB when they joined, they wouldn't be able to initiate streaming. However, if higher it initially works but soon goes off line as others connect.

    Personally I think they should be more upfront about what it can be used for. Big bold text, make you tick a box ✔️to say you understand it's limitations before you can proceed. However, then of course less would pay up.🤔

  • lornalou1
    lornalou1 Forum Participant Posts: 2,169
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    edited August 2020 #15

    This club needs to come into the 21st century. You can get on a train/bus and get better speeds or even walk into a McDonalds and get better and all for free. restraunts/cafe's and shops are better. I stopped paying for this as love my footy and like to watch even when away but couldn't on club sites. I now have a mifi with 3 and such a better service. When everyone stops paying for this then the club will loose out. 

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited August 2020 #16

    I use the club wifi when on a club site with wifi. I find it good value for me I don't rely on it though as I also have a mifi with me. 

  • heddlo
    heddlo Forum Participant Posts: 872 ✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #17

    Mifi is fine but surely only if you can get a mobile signal?  We will investigate this device for future.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #18

    Mobile signals are much better in most parts of the country now. Rugged rural areas will probably still suffer but the chances are that if you can’t get a 3/4G mobile signal on a club site, the site wifi is likely to be poor as well.

    The huge advantage of mifi, or just using your phone and tethering via your own mobile hotspot, is that it works on sites other than club sites.👍🏻

     

  • Graemebf
    Graemebf Forum Participant Posts: 22
    edited August 2020 #19

    I was going to complain about the WiFi at Edinburgh, it's supposed to be a Silver WiFi, we've had two excellent WiFi on two previous sites and Edinburgh is a disgrace but as we found out not unique. Strathclyde is the same and then Buxton was even worse, although ironically a bad thunderstorm improved it slightly.

    There's a number of issues here but the main ones I see as, we've paid for a service we don't often get, to Log In can be a luxury, let alone use it.

    The year is 2020, not 1820, we now rely so much on WiFi and whilst low usage would be great, we expect a lot more nowadays, especially when we pay for it.

    During this time it's essential, we had a difficulty due to a lockdown and were stuck, as we couldn't bring up alternative sites, fortunately we got through on the phone to the Club HQ and they sorted it out. However, how could we have done that outside office hours or at a site like Buxton with little phone signal?

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #20

    The wardens would have sorted things for you as they always have.👍🏻

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited August 2020 #21

     ..... 🙄

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #22

    Yes they would🤪

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited August 2020 #23

    Never had a problem with site wifi at Edinburgh. Is it extremely busy?