T3G
Senior Member
I have never understood why anyone would willingly use a public wifi network anyway. Hardly seems worth the risk. Read a book!
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youngblood
Active Member
robmausser
Senior Member
Wifi is just not intended for public use. the IEEE.802.11 protocol was intended for small office and home environments. It was an extension of the ethernet Local Area Network system. It modified the cordless phone radio frequencies to wirelessly transmit over short distances. There have been upgrades over the years but they are all a bandaid solution and the technology was never meant for public access like in the TTC subways. The protocol was not designed for long range or having many devices connect and disconnect with it. Its riddled with security flaws. The range is only 100 feet or so from each access point, you need so much infrastructure just to cover a small area. The systems become quickly out of date and then it is prohibitively expensive to upgrade because again, you need so much infrastructure to get it to work.
TTC dropping Wi-Fi from subway stations
The Toronto Transit Commission has decided to drop its free ad-supported Wi-Fi service now that there's reliable cell service in the tunnels and stations.mobilesyrup.com
We have a communications system designed for this task. Its called 5G. Yes, you need a subscription to access it. If you are concerned about people living below poverty line having access, it would be far better use of money to take that 17 million dollars and give every poor person a free data sim card than build out a public wifi network.
crs1026
Superstar
In all my years of taking the subway I rarely found the wifi to work. Maybe if there was a service delay and I was on a platform. But on train? Useless.
Why are we obsessed with perfection in the wifi/5G/whatever comms when the subway's PA system is so terrible? And the next train displays so tiny?
I'm not proposing to stand in the way of progress, but maybe a prerequisite condition ought to be functionality to broadcast all subway service announcements and status to a phone app? And enough capability in the control center to actually transmit timely reporting? An overlay of the traffic control screen so we can see where the backed up trains are?
- Paul
(Missing my old Blackberry with its joystick button - for years my subway amusement was Brick Breaker. At least that worked down there.)
grammin
Active Member
They should have put in one of those airport style people movers! But I reckon it would take 3 years to commission.Other than it being 300 metres (or more depending where the bus stops) from the subway station.
piu
They should extend the subway another stop, to get to the GO terminal.
Monarch Butterfly
Superstar
One of the biggest outstanding issues with opening the Crosstown is or was software defects in the signalling and train control system. Could there be problems with "talking" via WiFi or cellular or whatever communication links they are using? Must be something us "folks" don't need to know.
fanoftoronto
Senior Member
They should have put in one of those airport style people movers! But I reckon it would take 3 years to commission.
Spadina used to have a movator back in the day in the long tunnel connecting the 2 lines! You can still see the different coloured tiles where they removed it!
So there's precedence!
stevensontransit
Active Member
So in what month do you believe the new Line 5 will open?
toronto647
Active Member
After school finishes July 2025. Demand will be lower at this time to allow for eglinton to start while not as much frequency is needed and with good weather. Opening it in Winter will be a huge mistake.
nfitz
Superstar
I don't think opening in the winter weather will be the issue - given it will be the 4th winter they've been operating these cars on Eglinton already! And the almost identical cars used in Waterloo have had no issues with winter operations. And what is winter these days ... the grass was still green until about mid-February this year, and started turning green again a couple of weeks later. A lot of annuals in my garden simply kept growing in March instead of dying back or reseeding.
But I doubt they'll be ready until Spring anyhow, between the training and trial running. My money is on May 11, 2025. For both lines. We should have a pool! Winner doesn't have to see the ads.
zang
Senior Member
It was always effing terrible.TTC dropping Wi-Fi from subway stations
The Toronto Transit Commission has decided to drop its free ad-supported Wi-Fi service now that there's reliable cell service in the tunnels and stations.
In the past I've run personal tests, turned off my mobile data and tried just using the TCONNECT along the Line 2 from Yonge station to Kipling. It's not worth it. I can't verify but it always seemed like access points were only ever installed centrally on the platform, and quality drops off precipitously the closer you get to the tunnels (though that could be signal reflection bouncing off all the concrete causing SNR problems).
Many times it seemed the greater network didn't share sessions, or it dropped user sessions far too quickly, so moving between one and say three stations over would lose your session and you'd have to "log in" again. In my own TCONNECT testing *on the train*, reconnection when arriving into the station would take forever, and it would be lost instantly the second the train moved into the tunnel. Realistically, it was only about 10 seconds of barely usable time at each station. Yes, I get being in a massive metal tube didn't help, but it's one way people attempt to use the system.
Reception always appeared non-existent or absolutely terrible within the concourse areas of stations as well. So, suffice it to say, unless you were standing at the centre of the platform waiting for a train, it almost never made sense.
I have to imagine the $17m that would've been used would also have worked to improve the on-platform reception by adding additional access points. But long enough wait times warranting the need for shoddy wifi also brings light to the increased wait times that seem to be happening along the subway system in general.
Use that money and get more vehicles on the tracks. I'm tired of seeing "8 min" on sign while standing at a downtown subway platform at 3:45pm on a weekday.
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SkylineHorizons
Active Member
Say that 10 times fast!
TDE
New Member
Fairbank station crews have moved their fencing surrounding the open space west of the station building at some point in the last week or so.
People are enjoying the space. I counted about 12 just last night outside of those using the planter to sit and wait for a northbound bus.
People are enjoying the space. I counted about 12 just last night outside of those using the planter to sit and wait for a northbound bus.
jmi22
Active Member
