WiFi thoughts

johnnychips · 20 Oct 2019

This is just a bit of a general chat. On LNER/Virgin East Coast you used to get 15 free minutes and it invariably worked. Yet on the last two times I’ve used it, when you get unlimited access, it hasn’t worked at all (Class 91, then an old HST). Then the Eurostar to Brussel and back on the new trains - it does warn you there might be limited availability in some places - but there was nothing at all either way.
In Belgium on an IC train a native said they’d put WiFi in but it didn’t work well so they’d taken it out - not sure how much I can rely on this source.
Now typing this on an Azuma to take my mind off impending backache

: the WiFi is working perfectly and I just wondered what others’ experiences were. My 4G works ok most of the time in the U.K. anyway (but not in Belgium).

RailUK Forums

Aictos · 20 Oct 2019

The reason why the WiFi works better on the Azumas then the 91s or HSTs is simply because there is far more capacity for traffic.

Its like taking a local road and upgrading it to Motorway standards if that makes its easier to to describe?

Cambrian359 · 21 Oct 2019

I’ve yet to use Wi-fi on public transport that actually worked to be honest, that includes buses and trains. Also used the Eurostar in the last month and never successfully had it working on either journey ,but never had any issues using my own data on 4g,same on any other journeys I end up switching to 4g data.

Llanigraham · 21 Oct 2019

Wi-Fi always seems to work on the TFW trains I catch to Birmingham. Then it goes to pot on the West Coast trains to Euston.

AM9 · 21 Oct 2019

Cambrian359 said:
I’ve yet to use Wi-fi on public transport that actually worked to be honest, that includes buses and trains. Also used the Eurostar in the last month and never successfully had it working on either journey ,but never had any issues using my own data on 4g,same on any other journeys I end up switching to 4g data.

Wi-fi on trains is a difficult thing to ensure with coverage along routes often patchy even with 4G. The principle of trying to supply, maybe 200 people with high-speed data from a GSM device is fine in theory but when a few of those logged-on start viewing live video, it all starts to collapse. Those who think that they need such data rates should use their own 4G data allocation which is better for them and doesn't render the system unusable for many others. A better plan would be to limit data rates to something useful for information, -say 1MB/s.

Belperpete · 21 Oct 2019

The WiFi on ATW/TfW (Cambrian units), Virgin West Coast and EMT seems to work reasonably well, although you sometimes get a rogue coach where you can't connect. The ATW/TfW systems sets a limit to how much data you can use, so anyone "jamming" the connection by viewing live video or such-like rapidly reaches their data limit. I gave up attempting to use the WiFi on X-Country - I could never connect.

trebor79 · 21 Oct 2019

The GA WiFi works very well. It doesn't let you stream video etc so that prevent the bandwidth hogs spoiling it for everyone else. I think you get 70MB unrestricted before it throttles your connection speed. 70MB is ample for business purposes on a 2 hour journey.

3rd rail land · 21 Oct 2019

I use SWR a lot and their WiFi is a bit hit and miss. Sometimes it works perfectly and sometimes it'll say it is connected but then you can't access any webpages etc without turning off WiFi and reverting to 4G.

ashkeba · 21 Oct 2019

GA and Thameslink wifi seem to work ok. GN works until the train gets busy at Ely or Cambridge, then often dies. LNER always worked for me. I've never had working wifi on an Eurostar. I've not used others enough to remember any patterns. I use wifi and compressed VPN when possible because it uses less battery than 3G or better.

kje7812 · 21 Oct 2019

LNER usually works for me, I've had more issues with Virgin's effort. Scotrail is hit or miss, and I find Chlitern's very slow to connect to.

scotrail158713 · 21 Oct 2019

kje7812 said:
Scotrail is hit or miss

Definitely. I find it’s fine on 380s and 385s but poor on 156s and 158s.

nlogax · 21 Oct 2019

For casual data (forums, news sites, the occasional Spotify track) I find trackside 4g coverage adequate enough for end-to-end WCML journeys and - for whatever reason - certainly more reliable than Pendos' onboard wifi. If streaming video for long trips is your thing, good luck!

Aictos · 21 Oct 2019

AM9 said:
Wi-fi on trains is a difficult thing to ensure with coverage along routes often patchy even with 4G. The principle of trying to supply, maybe 200 people with high-speed data from a GSM device is fine in theory but when a few of those logged-on start viewing live video, it all starts to collapse. Those who think that they need such data rates should use their own 4G data allocation which is better for them and doesn't render the system unusable for many others. A better plan would be to limit data rates to something useful for information, -say 1MB/s.

Well Easyhotel limits the free WiFi to 1MB/s and if you want any faster then you pay more.

That’s about the right approach although I would increase it to 2MB/s for free and offer 10MB/s for a fee of £5 regardless of length of journey.

paddington · 21 Oct 2019

Never had wifi work well on Eurostar, there are always patches where it works for a few seconds then nothing, even though mobile data works continuously. Same with VTWC.

My best wifi experiences have been with Scotrail. TfW (ATW) are also pretty good as is GWR where offered. On GTR and LNWR/WMT if it is available and working it is great, but it isn't always available or working (I thought all class 700s had wifi but this is evidently not true). EMT was hopeless and although EMR seems to no longer charge, it doesn't work.

On buses in England which advertise wifi it usually works very well, 5% of the time it doesn't work at all.

I have also had good experiences in local transport in Germany (trains, trams and buses) when wifi is offered. Introducing wifi on Swiss trains is one area where they could make it even better.

DarloRich · 21 Oct 2019

johnnychips said:
This is just a bit of a general chat. On LNER/Virgin East Coast you used to get 15 free minutes and it invariably worked. Yet on the last two times I’ve used it, when you get unlimited access, it hasn’t worked at all (Class 91, then an old HST).

Never had an issue on LNER wifi on any sort of train. It does get a bit patchy north of Newcastle mind.

Llanigraham said:
Wi-Fi always seems to work on the TFW trains I catch to Birmingham. Then it goes to pot on the West Coast trains to Euston.

I find the on train wifi is fine on Virgin until about Preston. After that.................

nlogax said:
For casual data (forums, news sites, the occasional Spotify track) I find trackside 4g coverage adequate enough for end-to-end WCML journeys and - for whatever reason - certainly more reliable than Pendos' onboard wifi. If streaming video for long trips is your thing, good luck!

I find LNWR fine into Euston. I can even stream. I can certainly listen to podcasts which I often cant do on Virgin.

paddington said:
Never had wifi work well on Eurostar,

it never works. Does it even exisit?

WiFi thoughts

johnnychips

Established Member

RailUK Forums

Aictos

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Cambrian359

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Llanigraham

On Moderation

AM9

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Belperpete

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trebor79

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3rd rail land

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ashkeba

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kje7812

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scotrail158713

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nlogax

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Aictos

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paddington

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DarloRich

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