Jan
27
With my new MacBook in tow, I trekked off to my parents’ house in London this weekend. It was a fine time; I spent some time with my parents, had a good sleep in my bed there, and saw Cloverfield (quick review: It’s awesome). I’m now on the train back to Toronto trying to use Via Rail’s WiFi access (quick review: It sucks). The service is easy enough to sign up for (it takes about 2 minutes and a credit card) and is reasonably cheap ($9 for 24 consecutive hours). Unfortunately, the service itself is very splotchy. It drops the signal every 3 minutes and when it is working, it’s very slow. For example, I was downloading a file at about 0.5kb/s, and while I typed that last sentence, Adium was disconnected. Twice. Sure, it’s probably useful if you’re 45 and on your corporate issue laptop trying to check your email and reading the New York Times, but for anyone trying to read feeds in Google Reader or conducting a chat on MSN, it’s impossible to use.
They mean well, but its execution is flawed. It’s very likely that the main source of the problems is with the satellite uplink that connects the train from to the Internet, but this is the 21st century. Haven’t basic satellite issues been worked out by now? [By the way, 5 minutes later, Adium is just reconnecting]
Were I on a 5 or 6 hour train ride, to Montreal, for example, I would probably buy time on the network, but in its current implementation, the service is much too unreliable to be used for just two hours.
Via Rail, you get an A for effort, but a D for implementation.
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8 Responses to “Via Rail WiFi”
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[...] I alluded to in my last post, I bought a MacBook last week. “But”, I hear you say, “don’t you already [...]
In fact the problem is hte uplink, the Bell Mobility Network does not cover the track adequately.
Satellite have their issues, they have to be high up in order to beam down over obstacles like high building, mountains and tree covered areas. Weather also affects reception of satellites.
Canadian telecoms should invest in more than just covering major highways, they should also think of rail passengers and invest in rail infrastructure.
I’m on my way to Montreal on VIA and yes, it’s exactly as you describe. My understanding at this point is that there’s no satellite component to the current solution it’s all EVDO
Just FYI, I’m 45 and trying to read my e-mail and it sucks for that too. I haven’t been able to successfully replicate Lotus Notes once completely in 4 hours of trying, on about every third try I’ll squeeze one more e-mail through but there’s something in my inbox with a huge attachment and there’s no way the connection will hold long enough for me to get the darn thing.
This is most excellent news for me. Not that the service sucks but that you reviewed it. I had a chance to use it in 2004 when it was free, ahem for the people in VIA1 I was in the next car down leeching away at the scraps of signal. It was no different then.
I’m planning a trip on VIA and this blog entry has served me well! Thanx a bunch for the review!
It’s very easy to get free wifi with Via rail. ;p
I am another frustrated user. It was far superior, though not perfect, when it was free. This is the prime reason I travel by train to Montreal, Ottawa and Detroit - that I can work on the train in a relatively peaceful atmosphere. Sometimes I cannot even get the log in page.
Well VIA Rail wifi uses Mobility data network, and Satellite.
Unfortunately the telecom companies built their infrastructure for the major highways (401, 417, 20) so when the track moves away from the highways the signal weakens and is sometimes lost. VIA is starting test in 2 weeks to complement the cell data coverage, we will be using a 900 Mhz and 5.8 Ghz radios to fill the gaps.
Hhere is how it work now:
8211G in the cars, wireless mesh network between cars. The signal goes up using mobility data network. This network operates at 200-250 kps in major cities and 40kps in rural areas.
Anybody interested in getting a small mpg or diagram of the solution drop me an e-mail
Guy_Faulkner@viarail.ca
Mr. Faulkner,
How can you guys keep charging for this service when you know it’s that bad? I just paid my $9 on Saturday for a great connection in the station. Once I switched to the train’s network I never had a connection the rest of the way from Kingston to Toronto for more then 45 seconds.