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WiFi testing begins at The Valley

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  • Danepak said:

    Doesn't everyone have data plans on their phones?

    Yes a full on data plan with my phone, but the 3G coverage for both Vodafone and O2 at The Valley is grim, especially if you have 10-15,000 people all trying to use their data plan at the same time. Wifi deffo the way forward. Just needs some tweaking.
  • razil said:

    Don't want to piss on the parade and perhaps I'm in a minority but I get very decent 4g nowadays at le valle :)

    I think you probably are in a minority, Razil, but count yourself lucky. 4G isn't that widely taken up yet, so you won't have a lot of contention for the bandwidth. Just out of interest, who is your phone network? ;-)
  • Worked well for me in the north lower on bbc and the sky sports app
  • Connected fine, website were a problem, but apps that pulled from an API feed worked well like Tweetbot and the Sky football app.

    Speeds aren't 4g quick, but fine for social media checking
  • edited April 2014

    Danepak said:

    Doesn't everyone have data plans on their phones?

    Yes a full on data plan with my phone, but the 3G coverage for both Vodafone and O2 at The Valley is grim, especially if you have 10-15,000 people all trying to use their data plan at the same time. Wifi deffo the way forward. Just needs some tweaking.
    Not where I sit East block E


    Vodafone 4g, recall previously O2 3G being very poor tho
  • Took about 3 mins to connect, but then couldn't access anything when connected.

    Switched back to 3g

    Clearly not part of 3G21
  • started off well in picking up the signal, but then nothing :-(

  • I put a fantastic wifi infrastructure in at work. It's from a provider called Aruba Networks and is hideously complex, but is the absolute dog's bollocks. I could give you a rundown of it - but most of it wouldn't make any sense to you :)

    Suffice it to say that wifi which supports about 5000 concurrent users (which i pretty much what the Valley would be able to handle) is as far removed from the average home wifi as it's possible to get.

    It's also bloody expensive.
    Aruba is crap*. What kind of monkey made the buying decision on that? Cisco all the way http://ciscobeatsaruba.com/

    *I do work for Cisco though.....happy to field any tech questions - not on this forum obvs
    This 'kind of monkey' made the decision. Cisco is twice as expensive as Aruba, buggy as shit, sucks in dense deployments, has a support team consisting of absolute muppets, doesn't have controller-on-ap and is, well - basically - Cisco. But, then again, what do I know? I've only been working in this field fifteen years...

    PMSL.
  • I was getting messages bbm on my iPhone and iPhone messages as quick as you like from the ground, the goals were messaged to me before skysports on TV had mentioned them
    And I know I rarely could send bbm's myself from the game
    I'm on O2 with an iPhone with 4G available in the right area and have never ever been on 4G so presumed it's a bluff and doesn't exist yet for O2 punters
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  • I found accessing twatter and boatbook really good as was the sky sports goals app . Surely beyond this how much more do we need whilst at the match?

  • I put a fantastic wifi infrastructure in at work. It's from a provider called Aruba Networks and is hideously complex, but is the absolute dog's bollocks. I could give you a rundown of it - but most of it wouldn't make any sense to you :)

    Suffice it to say that wifi which supports about 5000 concurrent users (which i pretty much what the Valley would be able to handle) is as far removed from the average home wifi as it's possible to get.

    It's also bloody expensive.
    Aruba is crap*. What kind of monkey made the buying decision on that? Cisco all the way http://ciscobeatsaruba.com/

    *I do work for Cisco though.....happy to field any tech questions - not on this forum obvs
    This 'kind of monkey' made the decision. Cisco is twice as expensive as Aruba, buggy as shit, sucks in dense deployments, has a support team consisting of absolute muppets, doesn't have controller-on-ap and is, well - basically - Cisco. But, then again, what do I know? I've only been working in this field fifteen years...

    Just goes to show how little you have learned in your 15 years then. I jest. Me mate, over 15 years so not really sure what your point is. It's all a matter of opinion. Perhaps trying to be a little closer to your Cisco account team would be a good start. Be interested to see you constructively back your claims up then about how shit Cisco is, the TAC being full of muppets etc. As I said above though, not for this forum.

    Good luck with your hideously complex wireless deployment!
  • Bottom line re Aruba and Cisco must be that both have strengths and weaknesses which is why they both exist! Lets not get unnecessarily personal, eh?!
  • did not try went to watch football not play on my phone
  • edited April 2014
    This has been done for a reason.
    I heard that from next season a certain fruit-based supplier of high tech equipment will be the shirt sponsor.
    All the players will be wearing new 100% recycled breathable lightweight iShirts with built-in thin-film solar panels and supporters will be able to tweet players their "expert advice" regarding their performances as the match progresses.
    The manager (whoever that may be) will also be able to receive tactical input direct from fans regarding such things as repeating the infamous "away at Stevenage Morrison at right back experiment".
    Meanwhile the ref, linesmen and 4th official will be able to get up to the minute abuse without fans risking a sore throat.
    From January 2015, a new process to improve communication capabilities is also to be introduced to the West Upper.
    image
  • did not try went to watch football not play on my phone

    Exactly.
    Nowadays I don't have much chance to get to many games, but I'm not that interested in poncing around on my phone at football, which distracts from watching the most important match in front of me. Perhaps it's because I pay hard earned money for a ticket to watch charlton, so my few and far outings to a game are more precious to me than wondering if I can get the internet (or not)!
  • I'm on Vodafone 4G and it's excellent at The Valley. Couldn't even find the Wi-Fi last night....although I was in the West Stand!
  • I'm a bit of a social media fiend but I realised yesterday I didn't pull my phone out once during the game. Didn't even bother at half time but the bloke next to me was keeping track of the other scores (lots of "f***ing Wigan") so maybe that was why.
  • Maybe coincidence but I (East, block f) had great reception on O2 last night, which I never have.
  • I thought it was great, I had a live scores and a live table in front of me and was able to annoy a mate by going on Facebook during the game.

    Will it be free next season I wonder?
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  • Sat in North West. Saw the WiFi and tried to connect then it just disappeared on me.
  • edited April 2014
    There were two guys with official looking passes and strange tablets in the Lower North last night.

    When I was looking up the scores from other games one of them said " Have you got a fast connection ? That's what we've been sorting out"

    I have to say that it was way faster as well. Normally takes ages
  • pornhub was ok until you tried to watch the videos (or so I heard)
  • I thought it was great, I had a live scores and a live table in front of me and was able to annoy a mate by going on Facebook during the game.

    Will it be free next season I wonder?

    It would have to be free, people simply are not going to pay for WiFi in a football stadium (or most other places for that matter) when they can just as easily use their phone.

    Its a nice little bonus for those attending the game but not a money maker - unless you are a hotel and can take the absolute piss out of your guests by charging 30 quid per day.
  • buckshee said:

    pornhub was ok until you tried to watch the videos (or so I heard)

    @Carter must have been devestated.
  • I'm a bit of a social media fiend but I realised yesterday I didn't pull my phone out once during the game. Didn't even bother at half time but the bloke next to me was keeping track of the other scores (lots of "f***ing Wigan") so maybe that was why.

    I tend to keep up to date with other scored, which during the game works fine. It just goes slow during half time when, I assume, many other fans are doing something on their phone.

    If WiFi makes it easier to get scores at half time then I'm all for it. However, I wouldn't pay for it, but then if enough do, the 3G reception will be quick enough as there will be fewer people using it.
  • According to the programme this is just part of an IT overhaul at the Valley driven by RD. Good news.

    Maybe we'll get electronic entry cards and so miss out on all the "what voucher is it?" fun we've had this season : - )
  • I thought it was great, I had a live scores and a live table in front of me and was able to annoy a mate by going on Facebook during the game.

    Will it be free next season I wonder?

    It would have to be free, people simply are not going to pay for WiFi in a football stadium (or most other places for that matter) when they can just as easily use their phone.

    Its a nice little bonus for those attending the game but not a money maker - unless you are a hotel and can take the absolute piss out of your guests by charging 30 quid per day.
    You had to log in, they could probably get money from having adverts on the log in screen. You're right that people won't pay in this day and age.
  • One interesting response from interviewing some supporters for a Trust survey was the notion of being able to use credit cards inside the stadium, most especially the touch screen thingy for transactions under a certain amount, to speed up purchases and queues and so forth.
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