Quick take

• FTTH (full fibre) means fibre runs all the way into your home — it’s the most future-proof broadband available.
• Different providers can sell service over the same underlying fibre network, but they’ll supply different routers, pricing, bundles and support.
• If you’re on a “5Gb” plan and seeing around 2.2Gb on a wired test, it often means some hardware is capped at 2.5GbE (very common).
• The “best” provider depends on what you value: speed, price, bundles, or support.

What “FTTH” actually means

Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) means a fibre strand runs all the way from the street network into your home.
It typically terminates at a small fibre box (often called an ONT or fibre termination point), which then feeds your router.
Unlike older “part-fibre” connections, there’s no copper bottleneck on the final stretch.

The bit most people miss: network vs provider

There are two layers to understand:

1. The network operator — the physical fibre network that reaches your home (the “road”).
2. The retail provider — the company you pay each month for the service, router, billing and support (the “car + driver + customer service”).

In Ireland, multiple retail brands can often sell broadband over the same full-fibre network at your address.
That’s why two neighbours can have different bills and routers, but still be using essentially the same fibre infrastructure.

Who supports fibre in Shanganagh Castle Estate?

Residents in the estate are already seeing strong FTTH performance, including tests on a hardwired 5Gb package from eir.
What matters for choice is this: eir, Sky, and Vodafone may be selling over a shared underlying fibre network (depending on your exact address),
while Virgin Media may use a different last-mile network depending on local availability.

The simplest way to confirm who can serve your specific unit is:

1. Run your address/Eircode through ComReg’s Broadband Checker.
2. Then compare offers using ComReg Compare.

Do providers use different routers?

Yes. Even when the fibre line is the same, each provider typically supplies their own router and Wi-Fi setup (and sometimes mesh pods).
That can affect real-world performance, especially on Wi-Fi.

If you’re choosing between providers, don’t just look at the headline “Gb” figure — also consider:

• Wi-Fi quality (Wi-Fi 6/6E/7, mesh options, stability)
• Ethernet ports (2.5GbE / 5GbE / 10GbE makes a big difference for multi-gig plans)
• Support responsiveness (install lead times, fault handling, replacement hardware)
• Contract terms (intro price, price changes, bundle lock-ins)

Real speeds in the estate: why a “5Gb” plan can show ~2.2Gb

One hardwired test on an eir 5Gb package in the estate has shown:
2239.25 Mbps download and 256.88 Mbps upload, with very low ping.

Quick checklist for multi-gig speeds:

• A PC/laptop with a 5GbE/10GbE network adapter (or a quality USB-C multi-gig adapter)
• Router/ONT LAN port that supports 5GbE or 10GbE (not just 1GbE)
• Correct cabling (Cat5e can work for 2.5Gb; Cat6/6a is safer for higher rates)
• A speed test server that can actually deliver multi-gig throughput

Also worth noting: Wi-Fi can be excellent, but it’s usually harder to hit multi-gig speeds wirelessly unless you have ideal conditions and modern devices.

So who’s best: eir, Sky, Vodafone or Virgin?

There’s no single winner — it depends on what you care about most:

In short: if you want the fastest headline tier available at your door, check availability first, then pick the provider whose
router + pricing + support fits your household.

Current offers and comparison links

These links take you straight to each provider’s broadband offers (availability varies by address):

• eir broadband offers
• Sky broadband offers (Ireland)
• Vodafone broadband offers
• Virgin Media broadband offers

Want a neutral view? Use ComReg’s tools:

• ComReg Broadband Checker (enter Eircode)
• ComReg Compare (plans + pricing)