Which broadband to choose? (2 Viewers)

:: ck ::

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oh ok

i just thought they were chepaer coz with telstra u had 2 pay extra for the usb modem or u cud opt to go with the standard ethernet modem for no extra price
 

:: ck ::

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how much u pay per month / wot plan r u on freaking_out
 

Huy

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"A USB modem is available for $125, and an ethernet router for $175. For a limited time, a FREE ADSL USB modem is available with the purchase of Unlimited Broadband only. "

deducing that he's on the unlimited adsl plan,
Unlimited 256/64 for $70 a month
or
Unlimited 512/128 for $100
 

Rahul

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yep thats the one i was going for, but my dad wont agree to it!?!?! :mad:
is there a cheaper/back-handed way to get broadband/faster internet? :rolleyes:
 

ezzy85

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i heard iinets good. you can get one of the plans with a download limit but you can download stuff from their ftp server for free.
 

Huy

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iinet, as i understand it, slows down to a CRAWL at the stroke of midnight, where the "bliink time" kicks in. (off peak usage, with guys on the 6GB/6GB plan leeching etc and queueing their download managers to start).

the best adsl deal atm, IMO, would be ozforces or something like netspace.

i'm on telstra cable now, have been for the past 5 years. i used to download a lot of "things" (wink wink nudge nudge) -- however with the 3GB cap, there's not much I can do. what with a handful of computers all sharing the same connection at home, you'd be lucky if you could stay on IRC all day.

back on topic though,
the only positive thing i could say about telstra is their bandwidth.
the speeds are great on cable (max of 1MB/s, averages ~600-700KB/s from within telstra's gamearena and files.bigpond.com)

look around, read all you can about gisps (gaming isps) or the normal isp and choose the best deal for you. some prefer fast downloads whenever they want, some prefer slow downloads but with a larger quota (limit), etc.
 

freaking_out

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hey, i just found out that tpg put up their prices for 512k unlimited plans to $100 per month:mad: , when i joined (two weeks ago) they had it for $80 per month:D, and this is on a 6 months contract, so i can sit back for another 6 months.

anyways with iinet, you have to pay too much money upfront with them and plus they don't give u unlimited downloads but there's something called "shaping" where your speeds go down once u reach the download limit.
 

Newbie

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wot ping does adsl give you on cs?
 

wogboy

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is there a cheaper/back-handed way to get broadband/faster internet?
The cheapest deal out there for ADSL that I've seen is Swiftel's deal: $45/mth for 256/64 Kbps with 2.5 Gb download limit. Each excess gigabyte you download is $6, which is a quite reasonable rate.

http://www.swiftdsl.com.au/residential/current-adsl-plans-prices.htm

Other than that, Netspace offers: $50/mth for 256/64 Kbps with 1 Gb download limit, and if you exceed it you just get your speed reduced to 56K modem speed, but you can still continue to download/surf for free.

http://home.netspace.net.au/adsl/plans.php
 
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freaking_out

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Originally posted by wogboy
The cheapest deal out there for ADSL that I've seen is Swiftel's deal: $45/mth for 256/64 Kbps with 2.5 Gb download limit. Each excess gigabyte you download is $6, which is a quite reasonable rate.

http://www.swiftdsl.com.au/residential/current-adsl-plans-prices.htm

Other than that, Netspace offers: $50/mth for 256/64 Kbps with 1 Gb download limit, and if you exceed it you just get your speed reduced to 56K modem speed, but you can still continue to download/surf for free.

http://home.netspace.net.au/adsl/plans.php
yeah, but one of the other major factor is the setup charges!!
 

Rahul

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thanks for that wogboy :)

for swiftel, am i right the set up is $50, but i must provide my own modem? and what does it mean if i have to have a current adsl connection? am i inelligible to join them if i dont have an adsl connection?

another question, if i buy an ethernet modem (which is better than a USB modem?) will it be useful if i change my ISP in the future. what is the general cost for ethernet and usb modems?
 
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wogboy

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I must admit the swiftel website hasn't been designed well , the information is hard to find. In the swiftel FAQ, it says the setup fee is $130 and this doesn't include a modem (quite steep :mad: ).

That $50 reduced setup fee is only for people who already have ADSL with another company (e.g. Telstra) since they don't need to "provision" the telephone line for ADSL, because the customer applying already has the phone line "provisioned" for ADSL.

And yes, ethernet modems are better than USB modems for a number of reasons (portable to other OS's like Linux, consume less power, consume less computer resources, no drivers needed so it's less likely to give trouble), so in my opinion it's worth getting an ethernet modem.

If you're looking for a good value ADSL modem, then let me suggest the "Billion 711CE" ethernet modem (it's also a router too, so you can share your connection!), it's cheaper than it's D-Link & Alcatel rivals (costs about ~$160), and it's just as good & easy to set up as the more expensive brands (I set it up for a relative of mine). So if you were to choose between getting that Billion ethernet modem/router, or a "brand name" USB modem (which are roughly in the same price range), I'd suggest you get the Billion.

Here's some useful links (don't worry if you don't understand all the technical jargon, you don't need to know most of it to install ADSL modems):

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=86201
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=81528
http://www.oztechnologies.com/search.php?feature=ADSL_Modems

If you change ISPs (to another ADSL ISP) then you can still use the same modem. If you change to a cable ISP though (Telstra or Optus, which are both rip-offs, esp. Telstra), then it won't work since cable & ADSL are different technologies.
 

:: ck ::

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holy shit i want in on this swiftel thing

mygawd i average 120 a month coz i always go over the limit with like 3.5 -4gigs ...
 

Rahul

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thanks again wogboy:) ur a champion!

the price for the billion ethernet modem is $156, but then i have to pay for delivery. even tho its not a lot, i should be able to find the model for sale in pc shops right?

oh and i think it may have been them replying to my question abt the set up prince(future? :D)
 

yoshi

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It doesn't seems anyone has mentioned the following point; it is definitely part and parcel of choosing what connection you want.

If you choose cable, you are locked into _one_ provider. This means if they decide to chance your contract to whatever suits them (like Telstra did a couple years back), then you are left with no choice but to put up or leave! This would be ok if not for the fact that connection set-up costs are nearly always expensive when switching ISPs. If you go for the ADSL option, you have an array of ISPs at your disposale (many now with unlimited plans, mentioned above) and if you switch ISPs and have your own ADSL modem (which is a very good investment), then set-up costs are reduced and you can pick the flavour of the month!
 

wogboy

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i should be able to find the model for sale in pc shops right?
Have a look around, but I haven't seen it in the shops, I've only seen it avail. on those online stores.

oh and i think it may have been them replying to my question abt the set up prince
haha set up prince. Sorry I couldn't resist it :p

thanks again wogboy ur a champion!
np m8.

If you choose cable, you are locked into _one_ provider. This means if they decide to chance your contract to whatever suits them (like Telstra did a couple years back), then you are left with no choice but to put up or leave!
Definitely true yoshi, it's far better to get ADSL than cable (unless you're willing to get $100+ bills from Telstra or are happy with their crappy download caps).
 
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