Free WiFi on SouthWestTrains

[LucaZone]

Does anyone know about developments of Free WiFi for SouthWestTrains?

I was on a train coming back from London last night, checked my Ipod to change the music I was listening to and realised I was connected to a WiFi network. At first I thought it was someone else on the train with a laptop, but it was entitled Free Public WiFi.

I was able to surf the net and get live positional data on sat maps as we travelled out the Basingstoke. I got off at Brookwood and as the train pulled out, plink, the WiFi dropped out.

However I checked as a few other trains pulled into Brookwood going upto London and couldnt get a signal off any of them.

Maybe it was someone on a Laptop.

 

[SWT Driver]

AFAIK no Desiro's are fitted with Wi-Fi, if they were we'd be told about it in the internal commercial stuff & there's none on the walls at depot.

 

[Dai.]

There is no WiFi on South West Trains


http://www.which.co.uk/advice/wi-fi-hotspots/wi-fi-on-uk-train-services/index.jsp for a list.

 

[adc82140]

This can happen if someone near to you is surfing via a 3G connection- if they have their Wi-Fi switched on and are set up accordingly, you can surf via their connection.

 

[LondonLarry]

SWT probably won't introduce WiFi due to the type of railway they are....

 

[jon0844]

Strange it was called 'Free public Wi-Fi' though.

I've recently tested two different MiFi units, but both of them have names identifying themselves as that - and one has security enabled by default. If anyone is interested, the Novatel Wireless unit (available from Carphone Warehouse) is somewhat more reliable than the Huawei one made for 3.

Nevertheless, if you had a generous data package and felt very caring you could turn it on in public and let people around you get Wi-Fi for free.

 

[PTF62]

The answer - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/business/article3554838.ece

 

[Dai.]

The answer - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/business/article3554838.ece

Every Wi-Fi connection can be password protected, if they don't want people using it they password protect it.

 

[LucaZone]

The answer - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/business/article3554838.ece

Ha! thats quite neat

 

[sixhundred]

Just contacted SWT about on-board wifi and received the following:

Thank you for your email of 22 October 2010.

I am sorry to advise that we do not have WIFI on our trains and do
not have any plans to introduce this.

That's really disappointing especially as I travel from Bournemouth to Waterloo and wifi would be a huge bonus. I'm happy to pay and perhaps others would too.

Has this been discussed before?

 

[swt_passenger]

Just contacted SWT about on-board wifi and received the following:

Thank you for your email of 22 October 2010.

I am sorry to advise that we do not have WIFI on our trains and do
not have any plans to introduce this.

That's really disappointing especially as I travel from Bournemouth to Waterloo and wifi would be a huge bonus. I'm happy to pay and perhaps others would too.

Has this been discussed before?

IIRC it has been asked nearly every time SWT have had a live web chat. They consistently say they won't do it. I'd suggest that as the requirement would be to fit about 150 units that could appear on your route, it just isn't economical...

 

[sixhundred]

IIRC it has been asked nearly every time SWT have had a live web chat. They consistently say they won't do it. I'd suggest that as the requirement would be to fit about 150 units that could appear on your route, it just isn't economical...

which is all reasonable however could they not install on certain services and restrict the number of units which need kitting out? Or are you saying that about 150 units do the route of say Bournemouth to Waterloo?

I still think they should cost it out. Perhaps they have. I would pay and I'm sure others would. I wonder if they've done a full cost/benefit investigation?

I'd have thought that as other operators install wifi and the costs reduce (which they will) that we'll get it in the future. Just how long in the future??!!

 

[MrC]

I think on-board wifi is likely to be overtaken by better 3G (or better) coverage. The TOCs aren't going to invest in providing wifi if there's a danger it'll be redundant before it pays for itself.

Didn't the TOCs that have already installed wifi have do it as part of their franchise commitments?

 

[Oliver]

I think on-board wifi is likely to be overtaken by better 3G (or better) coverage. The TOCs aren't going to invest in providing wifi if there's a danger it'll be redundant before it pays for itself.

Didn't the TOCs that have already installed wifi have do it as part of their franchise commitments?

I guess that's the point; the regular potential users already have a 3G dongle, leaving only occasional users who wouldn't pay extra for WiFi.

 

[Failed Unit]

I think on-board wifi is likely to be overtaken by better 3G (or better) coverage. The TOCs aren't going to invest in providing wifi if there's a danger it'll be redundant before it pays for itself.

Didn't the TOCs that have already installed wifi have do it as part of their franchise commitments?

Depends on the train and the route be honest.

3G reception is patchy on many areas of the ECML north of Darlington. You struggle to get a signal of anykind on a Voyager (don't know how 222s compare - but people avoid XC on Scotland - Leeds runs for that reason alone). I did a journey from Birmingham - Edinburgh on a Virgin Voyager with the mobile signal enhancing equipment out of service, nothing, but as you suggest when it is 3G is better than the wi-fi.

I understand that 3G on MML is patchy in many places as well - can't comment myself. HS1 is awful but I don't know if that is the trains or the signal or combination of both.

The question maybe is it better for a TOC to invest in improving reception of mobile signals or 3G? I prefer wi-fi myself but will use the 3G when I need to get something done and it is quicker. If I had the choice of either / or I would rather have the better mobile signal, at least you can make voice calls

 

[sixhundred]

I guess that's the point; the regular potential users already have a 3G dongle, leaving only occasional users who wouldn't pay extra for WiFi.

There's some truth in that however I much prefer wifi. I use 3G while on trains with no wifi and the coverage is best described as patchy. It depends on the route etc but that's sort of missing the point. On a long distance, say >1 hr, trip where I want to work, I need consistent and reliable internet connectivity. The 3G route sort of works but I would pay for reliable wifi.

The version East Coast have installed is very good. Reliable and I consider it value for money.

As with most things there are a number of factors and it sounds as if SWT have made up their minds. That's a shame but I still think they should reconsider every 6 months or so.

 

[ainsworth74]

The version East Coast have installed is very good. Reliable and I consider it value for money.

I'm not sure how reliable it is, of the times I've used it (granted only 4-5) about half the time I couldn't get it to work and the rest of the time it was much slower than my dongle, so just gave up in the end and used it instead!

You struggle to get a signal of anykind on a Voyager (don't know how 222s compare - but people avoid XC on Scotland - Leeds runs for that reason alone).

The 222s are the same. I did Sheffield to St Pancras and back and couldn't get any sort of connection with my dongle. Only type I've train I've used it on where that's happened.

 

[sixhundred]

I'm not sure how reliable it is, of the times I've used it (granted only 4-5) about half the time I couldn't get it to work and the rest of the time it was much slower than my dongle, so just gave up in the end and used it instead!

I use the wifi once or twice a fortnight and don't have any problems. Whereas my 3G connection via O2 is virtually unusable. Perhaps I've just been lucky so far!

 

[paul1609]

Southern installed Wifi on some of the 377/3s primarily for use on the Brighton expresses, it included laying leak feeders through the tunnels. It was a pay service via tmobile.
Quality was very good I could have a video call via skype between Barnham and Portsmouth.
I understand that useage was so low that it has been quietly withdrawn.

 

[WillPS]

MML coverage is terrible - on either Meridians or HSTs just as you've established a connection it's gone again. SMS only pretty much.

 

[Benno]

I guess that's the point; the regular potential users already have a 3G dongle, leaving only occasional users who wouldn't pay extra for WiFi.

There are quite a few businesses that use services like ipass and Boingo that let their staff connect to their work PC's over a Wi-Fi connection for free. Having your Wi-Fi set up with these systems (like EMT are planning to do) gives a significant advantage over dongles where you would pay for data usage.

 

[jon0844]

I understand that useage was so low that it has been quietly withdrawn.

Really? That's a shame as I went to the launch and had a trip to Brighton and back to test it and found it excellent (it's much better than the system used by EC).

I always found it was poorly advertised and never rolled out to enough trains, and didn't the rolling stock get moved to other places, so it wasn't often on the services to Brighton? I am not a regular Southern user, but it seems that they have failed miserably if nobody used it.

 

[thefab444]

didn't the rolling stock get moved to other places, so it wasn't often on the services to Brighton?

Wouldn't suprise me. Southern and decent diagramming don't really go together.