Wifi on cross country trains

Slinkie

Slinkie

Slinkie

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Hi all,

I am travelling from Manchester to Bristol tomorrow and back on Friday. I'll have six hours to waste on the train so was thinking of taking my laptop to surf/ play poker on the train.

Does anyone have any experience of using their wifi? Is it reliable and solid or does it cut out for any reason?

I will be in standard class rather than first if that makes any difference.

Cheers
 
Pretty terrible to be honest with you, take a 3G stick, works better. Been on a few cross country trains, and it really doesn't work as intended and its ridiculously slow. Their helpdesk for the wifi is helpless, they will always blame your device if something goes wrong.

3G all the way, it'll work better :)
 
and you are going to have to pay for it as you're not in first class. i can pretty much echo jakes statements. i just tether my tablet to my phone for the journey (i do manc to oxford a few times a week)
 
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I find the wireless on the Leicester-Birmingham cross country works well, but it is a rip off. Could be it depends on which train you are on.

I think the train must be somehow shielded against mobile signal as I get rubbish connectivity to the internet through my phone.
 
Tokenbrit said:
I find the wireless on the Leicester-Birmingham cross country works well, but it is a rip off. Could be it depends on which train you are on.

I think the train must be somehow shielded against mobile signal as I get rubbish connectivity to the internet through my phone.
Click to expand...

It's more likely due to the fact they hurtle along through the middle of no where a lot of the time and therefore the mobile signal is just pants.
 
Tokenbrit said:
I find the wireless on the Leicester-Birmingham cross country works well, but it is a rip off. Could be it depends on which train you are on.

I think the train must be somehow shielded against mobile signal as I get rubbish connectivity to the internet through my phone.
Click to expand...

As do I on the same train, however, it is just the location the train passes through.
 
Pointless really - it's not particularly cheap and 3G is usually adaquete. I use Crosscountry on a monthly basis and have never really thought of bothering with the Wifi.
 
Tokenbrit said:
I think the train must be somehow shielded against mobile signal as I get rubbish connectivity to the internet through my phone.
Click to expand...

The XC Voyager units were EM sheilded from new which resulted in dire phone signal but around about the time the Wifi was fitted they finally sorted this.
 
I tried it on Virgin when I was in first class, assume its about the same in standard if you pay, it was rubbish so when I am in standard i use my iphone connection
 
Thanks all, I have an S3 with unlimited data I could tether but I think if it's going to be patchy on 3g then I might not bother with my laptop and just browse on my phone.

Patchy connection rules out poker since I'll just be throwing money away buying into a game and then losing connection.
 
[TW]Fox;22890188 said:
The XC Voyager units were EM sheilded from new which resulted in dire phone signal but around about the time the Wifi was fitted they finally sorted this.
Click to expand...

They use the Turbostar on the Leicester - Birmingham route.
 
Of course, how dumb of me :p Didn't realise there was an issue on those as well. It was notorious on the Voyagers (Which are a firm example of why in rail, newer isn't always better. It's always a releif when a 30 year old HST turns up instead of a Voyager).
 
[TW]Fox;22890302 said:
Of course, how dumb of me :p Didn't realise there was an issue on those as well. It was notorious on the Voyagers (Which are a firm example of why in rail, newer isn't always better. It's always a releif when a 30 year old HST turns up instead of a Voyager).
Click to expand...

I used to do regular trips from Leicester - London and Leicester - Sheffield, hate the Voyager for mobile signal :(

Edit: It seems they use Class 222's. Even so, the signal is poor.
 
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