Category: Articles

If the device / modem shows a signal, but will not connect, it is very likely that the APN setting is incorrect, particularly if trying to use a phone SIM in a modem/router.  Most routers automatically configure the APN from the SIM or have preconfigured APNs per the SIM type, so it’s likely it is either trying to configure an obsolete APN or picking up an incorrect APN from the SIM. Continue reading Irish mobile broadband SIM card APN settings

Electric oil filled radiators, fan heaters, halogen heaters, bar heaters, convertor, panel heaters and so on are all 100% efficient at converting electric power into heat.  However, as for how efficient they are at heating the room varies from one type to another.

Another form of electric heating involves a heat pump, where heat is taken from the outdoor environment and pumped into the house like a refrigerator operating in reverse.  Air to air heat pumps do this by extracting heat from the outdoor air and humidity and releasing it indoors.  Technically, a dehumidifier releases heat from indoor humidity as it condenses it to a liquid, so just how effective is one at warming a room? Continue reading How effective is a desiccant dehumidifier for room heating?

The Irish ISP Eir (formerly Eircom) supplies the F2000 modem router with its fibre broadband package, which provides 802.11ac Wi-Fi on the 5GHz band in addition to the 802.11n Wi-Fi commonly available on other Wi-Fi access points.  While this may seem great, what if you are using another router in place of the F2000?

In this article, I show how to set up the Eir F2000 as a Wi-Fi access point where another router is used for Internet access and how to configure the Eir F2000 to extend the existing Wi-Fi network where the uplink is carried over a network cable to the main router. Continue reading How to configure an unused Eir F2000 router as a Wi-Fi access point

Up until recently, single use moisture absorbers were mainly marketed at keeping small spaces such as wardrobes dry.  This makes sense given that most wardrobes don’t have a power socket.  Now there are many larger moisture absorbers such as the UniBond Aero 360 marketed at keeping rooms or even the whole home dry.

In this article, I roughly calculate the running costs of various types of dehumidifiers and suggest when to use an electric dehumidifier, moisture absorber or silica gel. Continue reading Electric dehumidifier running costs vs moisture absorber and silica gel

Since posting a few previous articles on mobile broadband, a few people contacted me for an update on how the providers compare. With Imagine launching their LTE fixed wireless broadband service earlier in 2016, both Vodafone and Eir have silently added larger 100+GB 4G mobile broadband plans, making for a more usable alternative to slow DSL, satellite and congested fixed wireless connections. I’ll also cover a few prepay options. Continue reading Largest 4G plans for home broadband in Ireland

The most common speed test people use to check their web connection throughput is Ookla’s Speedtest.net service. While it’s pretty good at measuring the potential throughput available between the user and its ISP’s internal network, the actual throughput the user receives from the Internet can be much lower, especially when it comes to congested networks such as cellular and wireless connections. Continue reading Why do all the speed test websites differ, which to use?

The three major mobile network operators each provide a way of getting a chunk of data just by topping up.  Three is the most generous offering 28 days of unlimited data each time one tops up by €20.  While this sounds great, their network is heavily congested with 4G feeling more like congested 3G, with the exception of speed tests as demonstrated in my video.  If the user accidentally forgets to top-up before the 28 days are up, Three rapidly gobbles up their credit at a rate of just over €1 per MB!
Continue reading Eir (Meteor) data Simplicity plan quirks and performance

Despite what seems like low monthly caps on mobile broadband, mobile providers in Ireland are actually more generous than many other countries such as the UK.  For example, Three’s largest bill pay package on mobile broadband is 60GB in Ireland, compared to just 15GB in the UK.  The largest package I’m aware of in the UK is EE with a 25GB plan for £30, which works out more expensive than Three’s 60GB plan here.  But go over the month limit and there’s a nasty surprise! Continue reading Opinion: What would make a fair mobile broadband plan

When I was with Three a few years ago, I have had two main issues with their network coverage.  The first issue was the total lack of 3G coverage in my area and the second is where my phone seems to prefer national roaming on to the Vodafone and O2 2G masts.  Continue reading How to force Three to use 3G and 4G only (Android)

While staying over in Letterkenny (The Elms area), I did a scan of the FM band using the Tecsun PL-606 with its antenna extension positioned vertically. This is a high sensitivity DSP FM radio which picks up fringe FM stations normally only picked up by a good car stereo or roof-mounted FM aerial. Continue reading FM radio stations picked up in Letterkenny with Tecsun PL-606