A new ISP - Recommendations

[Spectre]

Question...
Im looking at the internode stuff and currently have telstra adsl. Lucky me I'm in an area where the highest we can go to is 1500/256 as we dont have adsl 2 yet.
Say I swap over.

My questions are:

Do I then have to also buy their modems etc or can I use the telstra ones / do you have to return the telstra ones if you cancel with them

Do I have to buy a voip phone (I have 2 already) from them

What happens to your existing land line phone - do you have a voip phone for outgoing and a land line phone for incoming (and outgoing as the case may be?)

This stuff is tougher than figuring out servicing for a loan I tell ya.

Thanks

 

[Sim]

No need to replace your existing gear - should work on Internode perfectly well. Only gotcha might be if you want to run ADSL2+ and your modem is really old and only supports ADSL1 speeds - in which case you want to upgrade anyway.

Your VoIP phone should work provided it supports the relevant standards. You can continue to use your existing VoIP provider if you want - even if you also choose to run NodePhone as well.

You only need to change your existing land line phone if you go Naked ADSL - that requires a vacant copper pair without any existing phone service. Otherwise your land line stays as it is and you can use both that and your VoIP lines.

Previously my setup was:

Telstra line: inbound phone calls + ADSL link
VoIP: outbound calls via ADSL

Now my setup is:

Naked phone line: ADSL link
VoIP: inbound and outbound calls via ADSL

Punch your phone number into this page on Internode's site and they'll tell you what should be available: https://secure.internode.on.net/webtools/internode-dsl-finder

 

[Spectre]

Hi Sim
Thanks... if telstra supplied the modem to begin with - its a speedtouch if that matters - do I have to return it? (I'm trying to remember if I paid for it when I got it adsl initially)

 

[Sim]

Hi Sim
Thanks... if telstra supplied the modem to begin with - its a speedtouch if that matters - do I have to return it? (I'm trying to remember if I paid for it when I got it adsl initially)

I'm pretty sure you don't have to return it - I didn't when I originally got Telstra ADSL many years ago (things may have changed more recently - but I doubt it).

Either way, I'd strongly suggest you look at upgrading to something like a Billion modem/router anyway ... those Speedtouch modems are very old and are largely obsolete (don't do more than ADSL1 speeds I think).

 

[murtagh]

I'm pretty sure you don't have to return it - I didn't when I originally got Telstra ADSL many years ago (things may have changed more recently - but I doubt it).

Either way, I'd strongly suggest you look at upgrading to something like a Billion modem/router anyway ... those Speedtouch modems are very old and are largely obsolete (don't do more than ADSL1 speeds I think).

The Speedtouch could be one of eleventy million versions. If you've been with Telstra for a long long long time you might even have one of the Telstra firmware ones, which are a real pain to "reset" to factory settings.

Guaranteed to not do anything but ADSL1 speeds (you'll be lucky to get 2mb out of it). It should still work on ADSL2+, but it might be fiddly.

If I were in your position I'd go to whatever provider I wanted (I recommend Internode or iiNet) .. keep using the Speedtouch and hope that tech support can explain how to configure it.

Keep $100 set aside for the worst case ("we don't support the Speedtouch" / "it won't connect, and you say the screen has Telstra logos on it?"). For $100 you should get an ADSL2+ capable modem/4 port router and a six pack on the way home. As Sim says, the Billion modem/routers are good stuff.

If you get to keep the $100 - even better!

 

[Spectre]

its a speedtouch 536 - so I would imagine its old - probably 2 years or so?

I'll check with Umart about a new one when I'm in there tomorrow to see what they have kicking around - think it will be easier just to get a new one rather than muck about.

Thanks for all your help too.

 

[ziggy2214]

Previously my setup was:
Telstra line: inbound phone calls + ADSL link
VoIP: outbound calls via ADSL

Now my setup is:
Naked phone line: ADSL link
VoIP: inbound and outbound calls via ADSL

If you only have VOIP and you suffer a power outage or your ADSL line hungs for any reason you'll have no phone connection and you will rely on your mobile phone for any phone calls.

But if at the same time for any reason there is high mobile activity in the area, eg, new years eve, an emergency etc you will have difficulties using your mobile so you could be with no communication at all.

Ofcourse you knew this risk when you decided to drop your Telstra line
and perhaps you could use a UPS to power up your VOIP phones and your ADSL router but I thought of pointing this out in case others think of doing the same.

 

[sue78]

Naked Adsl plans are usually $20 more expensive than Adsl 2 anyway so i'd rather pay $20 to Telstra for an emergency fallback in case of power shortage.

I am really happy so far with Aanet. No drop outs and works well with mynetphone. I am on the 20G $39.95 per mth plan. There's off peak between 2am and 10am where only half the d/l is countedtowards your limit which is great coz we d/l movies between this time. It seems 20G is enough for us otherwise it's an extra $10 a mth for extra 20G.

the whirlpool neo plan $4.95 per mth with up to 100 free calls is brilliant. We called overseas so often last mth, saved loads of $$. We now have ppl coming over to borrow our phone.

 

[sparky23]

There's off peak between 2am and 10am where only half the d/l is countedtowards your limit which is great coz we d/l movies between this time.

Isn't that naughty? LOL

 

[redsquash]

Wirless options or otherwise

Should I go wireless or is there another option.
Telstra have up to 3Mb/s wireless with ridiculous limitations. At that speed I will definitely be shooting myself. Telstra land line isnt much better

I have no ph line and no mobile phone. I don't really want to keep paying for installation and then reconnection fees for the Broadband connection.

I and may relocate every 5 months or I may be assigned to an area for 2 years with my job. I am currently country victoria in Warrnambool,but as I mentioned this could change.

Country folk tell me Tekstra has the best coverage.

I checked out Internode and only have a few options it appears

ADSL Standard and ADSL Plus Available? YES
ADSL TwoPlus Available? yes

From Internode
Extreme® ADSL2+ Available? Not Yet
NakedExtreme ADSL2+ Available? Not Yet
Naked ADSL2+ Available? Not Yet
Internode Ultra Available? Not Yet

I want reliability and reasonable download capability for a home user , with no music or movie download requirement.
I am guessing a 5gb plan might be ok , but my usage has changed dramatically to work download mostly work related stuff only.

What specific suggestions can you provide.

I can then do some more research
Thanks

 

[redsquash]

PS
Previously I was using VDSL abroad so my expectations for high speed Broadband wont be happening in Australia for a few more years

 

[Sim]

Should I go wireless or is there another option

If you are in a regional area and move around a bit, then Telstra's NextG wireless may well be your only viable choice. Apparently Optus are building out their "yesG" network which is starting to compete well for coverage in some areas at much better value, but I've no experience with that yet and it is quite new still.

Telstra have announced quite dramatic (theoretical) speed increases for their network soon - but it will probably require new hardware at your end which isn't available yet. Not sure what the status of that upgrade is.

As for ADSL, unfortunately, even great ISPs like Internode charge a disconnection fee if you disconnect within 6 months, and relocation fees are not trivial either ... but if you know you are going to be there for a year or more, it's worthwhile.

Warning: Internode have had trouble with their ADSL TwoPlus offerings, this is their Telstra ADLS2+ product they now resell, and Telstra have apparently been making a mess of things. Approach with caution - YMMV.

If you don't know how much you will be downloading, go with a cheap plan for now, and you can always upgrade your allowance mid-month if you need to.

 

[ger]

I am really happy so far with Aanet. No drop outs and works well with mynetphone. I am on the 20G $39.95 per mth plan. There's off peak between 2am and 10am where only half the d/l is countedtowards your limit which is great coz we d/l movies between this time. It seems 20G is enough for us otherwise it's an extra $10 a mth for extra 20G.

the whirlpool neo plan $4.95 per mth with up to 100 free calls is brilliant. We called overseas so often last mth, saved loads of $$. We now have ppl coming over to borrow our phone.

Hi Sue
I am looking to conectthrough AAnet
is your conections still OK
any problems

thanks

 

[auror]

for voip - the whirlpool neosaver plan is great (read up about it on whirlpool forums).

for ISP - IInet are great, we have gone with them in the past. However we are switching to Exetel when we move - their naked DSL plan & offpeak hours are great.

 

[redsquash]

Does Internode still have a PROBLEM?

I have just been posted to Tennant Creek where the infrastructure for ADSL2+ is present, though I have been told by a few users speeds rarely get to 1.5mbps From the whirpool website I have honed in on ,Internode,Iiinet,TPG ,Netspeed are some possile providers.Exetel isnt avaialble

I require VOIP and currently dont have a phone connection nor router.
Naked ADSL isnt available I am looking for fast downloads,reliabilty and maybe 12gb gb a month download, with costs between $70 to $90 a month.

What are current suggestions and do prior posts still stand or have things changed
Thanks in advance
Edit Would subscribing to Pennytel, for example for VOIP, be a better option ,than trying to bundle with the one provider

If you are in a regional area and move around a bit, then Telstra's NextG wireless may well be your only viable choice. Apparently Optus are building out their "yesG" network which is starting to compete well for coverage in some areas at much better value, but I've no experience with that yet and it is quite new still.

Telstra have announced quite dramatic (theoretical) speed increases for their network soon - but it will probably require new hardware at your end which isn't available yet. Not sure what the status of that upgrade is.

As for ADSL, unfortunately, even great ISPs like Internode charge a disconnection fee if you disconnect within 6 months, and relocation fees are not trivial either ... but if you know you are going to be there for a year or more, it's worthwhile.

Warning: Internode have had trouble with their ADSL TwoPlus offerings, this is their Telstra ADLS2+ product they now resell, and Telstra have apparently been making a mess of things. Approach with caution - YMMV.

If you don't know how much you will be downloading, go with a cheap plan for now, and you can always upgrade your allowance mid-month if you need to.

 

[Imitation]

You can't get naked dsl in NT anyway.

Either get Internode or Adam (if you only want 1.5 / 8 Mb).

You'll see that Adam is an SA only company but you CAN get Adam internet in the NT.. because all data from the NT travels back to SA and is part of SA for this purpose. Slightly cheaper than Internode with same service.

 

[belleran]

Does anyone know what we can get in Toowoomba atm? My research says we can get ADSL2 but some providers don't have available ports.
We are currently with iinet on 80gb but only use up to 7mg of peak time usage (9am-1am). When I looked at downgrading the plan we would lose speed.
Time for another provider. Can anyone else share their experience from this part of the country?

 

[super_sam]

Might be best to go look here http://bc.whirlpool.net.au/

 

[Rolf Latham]

I would be delighted to get above 500 k on my adsl 2 at home ...................

ta
rolf

 

[redsquash]

I went with Internode, on 25gb a month( around $90) and now realise that immediate technical support can be very important,particularly with voip.

Internode service I have found to be excellent. I hope this helps someone