Class 444 Wi-Fi

[hassaanhc]

Anyone tried the wifi today?

Not today, but I used it yesterday:
444003 between Woking and Guildford
444031 between Woking and Waterloo
Both times it worked excellently, especially in the dead spots of Woking-Guildford and around Weybridge. However both trains were lightly loaded, especially the second, where I was one of 5 people in the 8th coach.

 

[TEW]

Anyone tried the wifi today?

I've used it quite a few times over the last couple of weeks. Works well Guildford-Waterloo, Guildford-Haslemere and Guildford-Surbiton via Cobham. I've yet to use it since it has been announced to the public though and I do wonder if it will be so quick now more people are using it.

 

[Blaahh]

Tried to use on Winchester to Waterloo up and back today, couldnt get the Swt page to load at all. Hum...

 

[lj9090]

Was working brilliantly Sunday evening, very quick and didn't drop out atall where my phone usually would..

And just got slower and slower as the week's gone on. I suppose it'll either settle down once the novelty wears off or they'll need to find some way of rationing it.

 

[jon0844]

Does it restrict certain things like a YouTube or iPlayer? If not, it will be buggered! And I bet some sap will try P2P if given the chance.

 

[lj9090]

From memory the sign in page mentions a FUP and video services and simply asks you not to!

 

[hassaanhc]

Yesterday I had no problems on a pretty busy 444029 between 1622-1657 (Clapham Junction to Guildford).

 

[cinsekrap]

Worked fine pretty much all the way down to Alton too - a few bits where it got slower though.

BBC iPlayer, YouTube etc... are all blocked with a page explaining why.

 

[Aictos]

I used it on Wednesday from Portsmouth Harbour to Waterloo via Guildford and found it to be of similar quality to Chiltern Trains WiFi, very fast

 

[lj9090]

Must have hit a busy one the other day; seems ok today!

It's not asking for an email address now so far easier to sign in. I've had a re-read of the sign in page and it does suggest iplayer and youtube etc are blocked:

Important Information
Your internet connection is shared with other users, so please use the Wi-Fi service sensibly. A Fair Use Policy is in operation, please see our Terms & Conditions
You cannot use the service for the following:
Watching catch up TV (e.g. BBC iPlayer, ITV player etc)
Downloading very large files
File sharing (e.g. BitTorrent)
Video sharing sites (e.g. YouTube)

 

[swt_passenger]

In today's web chat, the answer to Q4 is that WiFi will be fitted to the 450s.

We already know that the 458/5s will also get it.

 

[Goldfish62]

I used it on Sept, the day before the official launch. On one unit it was excellent (possibly because I was the only using it). On the other unit it didn't work at all - maybe it hadn't been activated yet?

All-in-all, though, good stuff. Now it's time for East Coast, Virgin etc to offer it free to all passengers.

 

[Kite159]

I wonder if SWT will think about getting it fitted to their lovely diesels.

I will try it next time my travels takes me to use a 444

 

[jopsuk]

My guess would be that they'll look to fit it to the diesels, but will probably leave out the 455/456 fleet, causing much wailing from the SWML inner suburban passengers until Crossrail 2 is built and run with new trains.

 

[swt_passenger]

I wonder if SWT will think about getting it fitted to their lovely diesels.

Yes, that's implied in the second part of the same web chat answer:

Thank you, the free wifi introduction on the routes mentioned has been well received. There are plans to extend the free wifi to the 450 fleet as well as the 444 fleet, and we will continue to look at opportunities to extend to all the South West Trains fleets at some point in the future.

 

[Kite159]

Yes, that's implied in the second part of the same web chat answer:

That be good, although as far as I know 158s remain non wi-fi, so if SWT goes ahead I would imagine other TOCs will watch to see how well it goes.

Although if they put it on hold for a couple years so some of the 222s released from the MML wiring are available, I wouldn't mind. (Wishful thinking)

 

[Goldfish62]

That be good, although as far as I know 158s remain non wi-fi, so if SWT goes ahead I would imagine other TOCs will watch to see how well it goes.

ScotRail are fitting WiFi to their 158s.

 

[swt_passenger]

A week ago, I went as far as a log in page that asked me to register for SWT's WiFi; but as I was getting off the train a few minutes later I didn't bother carrying on, didn't fill in any details at all, and thought I'd wait until another journey.

This morning, I connected straight onto SWT's WiFi, with no personal details required, so have they switched off the original requirement for an email address and password?

 

[TEW]

Yes. The requirement to register didn't last long. Now you just have to agree to the T&Cs then connect.

 

[Kite159]

Nice and easy to get logged on I agree, seems to be holding out at the moment (jumped onto a Southampton bound 444 at Waterloo to Basingstoke to use the loo)

Compared to virgin offering last Sunday this is amazing

Although I don't think the passenger sat opposite me is having much luck on his macbook.

 

[332 > 444]

I used their wifi on the 15:35 service to Weymouth/Bournemouth service, was pretty responsive until Woking but got non-existent after that, then i had to change to a non-wifi 450

How all on-board wifi should be, no entering of details just to be sent junk

 

[Starmill]

It's very good. It's almost as good as the ScotRail system!

 

[Muzer]

I've only used it once when the train was quite empty and it worked very well. I'm told by a friend that it works a lot worse when full.

 

[Monty]

Generally speaking I found it to be quite good, obviously better when the train has less passengers on it but even so it worked reasonably well during the peak I noticed. Far better than on XC's Voyager fleet.

 

[infobleep]

Once people know about the free WiFi, will they switch train services to join ones that offer it? For example between 7am and 9am there are I believe just two fast trains from Guildford to Waterloo booked as 444s. So do people think more passengers will board those two trains?

Again I wonder if the loadings on the 18.15 Waterloo to Portsmouth will increase, as that too is a 444.

When it reaches the 450s, hopefully the 8.36 Guildford to Waterloo via Cobham will still be a 450. That would be a nice surprise for Cobham line passengers.

 

[59CosG95]

Far better than on XC's Voyager fleet.

Agreed, Monty. Took a Voyager from Bristol to Birmingham last w/e and I couldn't even use Spotify on there; it really was appalling!

I just wish TOCs would use some of their petty cash on improving the travel experience for pax up and down the board (including WiFi).
From what I've heard about SWT though, I can sympathise with the "west-of-Woking" situation-the lay of the land west of there (especially after Pirbright Junction (where the Alton Line goes off the main)) is very extreme for the south! Socking great embankment one minute, and deep in cutting the next!

 

[ainsworth74]

Used it a half dozen times in the last week and it was really good on each occasion. Nice and speedy and didn't drop out very much at all.

 

[fgwrich]

Agreed, Monty. Took a Voyager from Bristol to Birmingham last w/e and I couldn't even use Spotify on there; it really was appalling!

I just wish TOCs would use some of their petty cash on improving the travel experience for pax up and down the board (including WiFi).
From what I've heard about SWT though, I can sympathise with the "west-of-Woking" situation-the lay of the land west of there (especially after Pirbright Junction (where the Alton Line goes off the main)) is very extreme for the south! Socking great embankment one minute, and deep in cutting the next!

Agreed too. I've rather given up using the IPhone on any XC services as their wifi is that dire at times. SWT's on the other hand has been a pleasant experience from the start, being both fast and reliable (and I've noticed better connectivity since dropping Vodafone too) along quite a few stretches of their network where any form of a signal used to be an issue in the past.

 

[hassaanhc]

Agreed too. I've rather given up using the IPhone on any XC services as their wifi is that dire at times. SWT's on the other hand has been a pleasant experience from the start, being both fast and reliable (and I've noticed better connectivity since dropping Vodafone too) along quite a few stretches of their network where any form of a signal used to be an issue in the past.

I recently switched from Vodafone to Three. The Clapham Junction to Barnes blackspot has virtually disappeared (vicinity of Putney is slightly dodgy) but don't get data around Vauxhall! Not had an excursion down their main line since getting it, where the bits around Weybridge was very poor, along with Worplesdon. Back in July when I went to Bournemouth, I had no signal for significant stretches of the SWML with Vodafone, particularly in the New Forest.
Three also seemed very good on the WCML between London and Coventry, although did struggle slightly on a Pendolino around Bletchley I think it was.

 

[fgwrich]

I recently switched from Vodafone to Three. The Clapham Junction to Barnes blackspot has virtually disappeared (vicinity of Putney is slightly dodgy) but don't get data around Vauxhall! Not had an excursion down their main line since getting it, where the bits around Weybridge was very poor, along with Worplesdon. Back in July when I went to Bournemouth, I had no signal for significant stretches of the SWML with Vodafone, particularly in the New Forest.
Three also seemed very good on the WCML between London and Coventry, although did struggle slightly on a Pendolino around Bletchley I think it was.

Strange timing, as I've just made the very same switch. Instantly I'm getting 3/4 dots where I live, whereas Vodafone struggled for one - despite living on top of a hill. I've Not taken my phone all the way up to Waterloo yet but it seems to do rather well up to Wimbledon on the occasions I've made that journey - Only once fading a little in the Brookwood area, and going the opposite way on the SWML to Southampton it has been fine - including 3 dots of signal in the previous blackspot of Micheldever. My Three IPhone also worked rather well over on the Island of Wight recently too, all in all a move I'm rather pleased to have made. Coupled with SWT's rather good free Wifi, it's all a thumbs up from me so far!