Eurostar Wifi

[iknowyeah]

Why is Eurostars wifi so much less reliable than SNCF on the same routes or ICE within France? I especially like both DB and SNCFs live map to show exactly where you are, but Eurostar has no live portal beyond the menu for the bar. Just seems something fairly easy to fix, especially as TGVs have better connection along the same route, maybe HS1 has connection issues but it still seems like it's stuck in the past

 

[williamn]

Yes I find it’s generally better just to use your phone as a hotspot.

 

[brooklynbound]

I've twice been on a Eurostar where my phone which happily picks up WiFi on TGV's and on UK trains when available just won't connect to the Eurostar system. Even when my travelling companion is having no problem connecting. It suggests to me that it's a non standard system.

 

[martin2345uk]

I find that you I have to connect twice, as in, I connect, wait till it says I am connected (I am not!), then go back to wifi in the settings and connect again, and that time it usually connects.
It isn't great wifi.

 

[mad_rich]

In all my years, I don’t think I’ve ever got a page to load on Eurostar WiFi.

As the OP has found, I’ve always had a decent connection on SNCF.

I think I remember something about Eurostar’s trains being particularly bad (or good!) at blocking signals. I don’t know how true that is.

Certainly I agree with Rory Sutherland’s quote that they could improve the journey satisfaction a thousandfold by improving WiFi - at a fraction of the cost of any track upgrades.

 

[ThameslinkUser]

Certainly I agree with Rory Sutherland’s quote that they could improve the journey satisfaction a thousandfold by improving WiFi - at a fraction of the cost of any track upgrades.

He's mental though. He thinks that improving WiFi would make Eurostar more competitive with the plane than cutting journey times in half. So bonkers it brings all of his claims into disrepute.

 

[zero]

The Eurostar wifi has some weird settings which I had to fiddle with before I could connect, something to do with DNS. No problems with those devices previously connecting to wifi on trains in the UK and other European countries.

 

[Teebs]

In all my years, I don’t think I’ve ever got a page to load on Eurostar WiFi.

As the OP has found, I’ve always had a decent connection on SNCF.

I think I remember something about Eurostar’s trains being particularly bad (or good!) at blocking signals. I don’t know how true that is.

Certainly I agree with Rory Sutherland’s quote that they could improve the journey satisfaction a thousandfold by improving WiFi - at a fraction of the cost of any track upgrades.

I think I managed once. While sitting in St Pancras. I've never had it work at all while on the move.

It's a very poor contrast to the TGV wifi, which I've found very reliable and fast enough to be useable.

 

[riceuten]

I agree that SNCF's wifi is probably the best I've had in Europe, but to be honest Eurostar isn't that shabby.

 

[D6130]

Eurostar do warn you when connecting to their network that their system is dependent on the local mobile phone networks and that the quality of the connection may be variable or non-existant at various stages of the journey. For that reason it's not possible to connect to WiFi in the Channel Tunnel. I agree that it's very poor for a premium international train service in this day and age. You would have thought that at least the class 374 units would have been fitted with decent WiFi equipment from new.

 

[rvdborgt]

I travelled Brussels to Paris yesterday and the Eurostar wifi worked just fine.

 

[D6130]

I travelled Brussels to Paris yesterday and the Eurostar wifi worked just fine.

....but was that on an ex-Thalys TGV? They have much better WiFi than the Three Capitals sets.

 

[poffle]

Eurostar do warn you when connecting to their network that their system is dependent on the local mobile phone networks and that the quality of the connection may be variable or non-existant at various stages of the journey. For that reason it's not possible to connect to WiFi in the Channel Tunnel. I agree that it's very poor for a premium international train service in this day and age. You would have thought that at least the class 374 units would have been fitted with decent WiFi equipment from new.

Well the tunnel has to be equipped with high speed data infrastructure for the WiFi on the train to work. Has to be leaky feeder to backhaul the signal from the train.

If there is no backhaul even the snazziest train can't deliver WiFi in a tunnel.

 

[jthjth]

Well the tunnel has to be equipped with high speed data infrastructure for the WiFi on the train to work. Has to be leaky feeder to backhaul the signal from the train.

If there is no backhaul even the snazziest train can't deliver WiFi in a tunnel.

There is cellular reception in the channel tunnel. One bore distributes UK networks, the other French. I went to Brussels recently and used it. Manages about 4 Mbits/sec download. Never bothered with the on train WiFi, my cellular worked mostly. The only place it didn’t work was in the tunnels near to St Pancras. Decent EE signal strength but would not move any data. Started to work as soon as we reached the open air.

 

[rvdborgt]

....but was that on an ex-Thalys TGV? They have much better WiFi than the Three Capitals sets.

It was. But post #1 didn't mention a specific route...

 

[D6130]

It was. But post #1 didn't mention a specific route...

Fair point!