Tips on the Best Broadband Deals

[adminer]

Avoid:
*Contracts that last more than 6 months = POISON = Avoid at all costs!.
*Broadband that does not offer a SHAPED plan. A shaped plan is one that merely slows down once you reach your download quota. Some providers (e.g. Telstra) promote UNSHAPED plans at ridiculously low cost per month with download quotas that would barely meet the data needed to keep your computer up to date with the latest Microsoft, Apple or Linux software - depending on what you use! Then they charge grossly penaltive rates like 15c per mb for your activity when you reach your pitifaly small quota! This can result in bills of thousands of dollars in a month (say if the kids get hooked on you-tube or my-space).

For alternative shaped plans check out Adam Internet & Internode (both very reputable providers), and for VoIP see https://www.mynetfone.com.au/offers/whirlpool - You'll need at least a 1500/256 and say a Billion 7401 (or7404) VGP Router or equivalent. Call quality is equal to or (mostly) better than a Telstra line.

The REALLY bad things about these so-called "LOW COST" Telstra plans is they include data download limits that are ludicrously small when using Broadband - e.g. 250 or 500mb + THEY CHARGE FOR UPLOADS - MOST OTHER ISP'S DON'T CHARGE FOR UPLOADS!

If you want and need Broadband - go for at least 5Gb a month with shaping (slowed speed) + no added cost! (around $40-50 per month with no additional costs).

So, explore providers other than Telstra also.  A shaped plan of at least 1500/256 (the faster the better) lets you enjoy the benefits of VoIP also: Local and interstate calls at 10c or less untimed - e.g. you can call Qld from SA and talk for 5 hours for 10c untimed, mobile calls at 15c per minute, and international calls at less than 2c a minute with zero flagfall. The other benefit that you can get is interstate or intrastate numbers that let your friends and rellies call you for the cost of a local call! This is called a DID (Direct In Dial Number). So, if you have lots of relatives in say Perth, get a Perth Number and they can call you for a local call! The great thing is the same people can call you for a local call while you are overseas!

Let us know what you are paying - we'll be happy to share our thoughts on how to save! (Note: this is a free service - we DON'T get paid for our recommendations or advice). Post about your internet plan and phone costs here! We are here to help you to set up your system!

NOTE: THE ABOVE THOUGHTS ARE ADMINERS ONLY.  YOU MAY HAVE ALTERNATIVE THOUGHTS OR BETTER PLANS TO PROMOTE - FEEL FREE TO DO SO!

[utegirl70]

Lol..sounds like someone! has a Telstra aversion!!!! 
I'm with iinet..just on ol' dial-up..have been for a while. We started off on Dodo(as the bird..bloody useless!), but got mucked around too much.
Never had any probs with iinet, touch wood.
We really want to go with ADSL, but until we find a suitable/permanent property, we cannot afford to keep on paying the disconnection/re connection fee..(something ridiculous like $100).
My brother is with some wireless mob, where he has this cute little USB thingy, and he can have wireless for just $40 month!! NO reconnection fees!!
But, where we live, there is not good wireless/mobile coverage, so we cannot use it. 

I'm also waiting for the day that the costs of ADSL  go down! Atm I only pay $24.95 month for no limit dial up.. I can be on here all day/night if i wish.
And it doesn't bother me with the dial up costs, as I only go online usually once a day, twice if I'm bored... 

Of course, it would be so much more handy if we had broadband..the speed, the phone being free. But yeah, we are just going to have to wait I guess.

[adminer]

LOL  - Yea I Love Telstra. It's just that I've heard so many horror stories about people who've signed up on 2 year contracts ($14.95 for the 1st 6 months), who've received bills for hundreds, and even thousands of dollars, I feel obliged to make (My Personal - Not Jamestown Events), views known.

[Ray]

I have an Internet mate in Florida who was complaining about paying $24.95/mo for 1.5Gb/512. He had just returned from Europe where it was available for less than half that amount. :'(

I think it's about time the government realised how much it would benefit education and business in Australia to have cheaper high speed internet. But of course that would mean spending a lot of money on our outdated telecommunications network something that the shareholders will not allow our private enterprise companies to do.

[hatchbackgirl75]

We've just signed up for a 3 year, unshaped, 25c per megabyte excess, metered uploads/downloads and we think it is pretty good.

Guess our ISP? 

[Ray]

Be careful to read the fine print. Make sure that you are aware of your account limit and do not exceed your allowance. Although 25c per Mb doesn't sound like much, it's surprising how quickly you can rack up a extra Gb or two at $250 a Gb, especially if you start downloading music or movies etc.

Without wishing to pry, may I ask what the download amount is on your account, as this is probably the most important thing?

[utegirl70]

I cannot wait til we move.. we will be able to have ADSL!!

Unfortunately, we can't get ADSL 2 in our area, so some of the great deals that are out there atm, we can't have.
But! Anything will be better than the snail pace dial up we've got now!!! 

[hatchbackgirl75]

We're on the 10G wireless deal, without trying to download movies we'd use 5G on average.

But it looks like we'll move to Jamestown next year and sign up with a less-restrictive ADSL plan, and downgrade the wireless plan to 1G or less so we can just use it when we're on the road or visiting rellies.

[Ray]

That sounds quite good, I live on the internet but don't do a great deal of downloading (no music or movies) and my usage is usually about 5Gb. I'm with Bigpond and it costs me $60/mo.

Are you with Activ8? They seem to have a lot of wireless customers in this district.

[hatchbackgirl75]

Telstra Bigpond wireless over the NextG network - one of the new plans that came out a few weeks ago. It is great, very fast and reliable. Activ8 is usually satellite not wireless around here.

[Ray]

I have not looked at changing my plan for years, as I am generally quite pleased with it, I must have a look around to see what is available.

My biggest whinge is that we in Australia are so far behind most other first world countries as far as speed and cost is concerned. I had always hoped that more business users would start putting pressure on the Government to do something about it. It's most annoying when trying to watch a streaming new clip which takes twice as long to download as it does to watch. ADSL2 should be the minimum standard as far as I'm concerned.

My earlier post.

I have an Internet mate in Florida who was complaining about paying $24.95/mo for 1.5Gb/512. He had just returned from Europe where it was available for less than half that amount.

I think it's about time the government realised how much it would benefit education and business in Australia to have cheaper high speed internet. But of course that would mean spending a lot of money on our outdated telecommunications network something that the shareholders will not allow our private enterprise companies to do.

[utegirl70]

That sounds quite good, I live on the internet but don't do a great deal of downloading (no music or movies) and my usage is usually about 5Gb. I'm with Bigpond and it costs me $60/mo.

Is that right... $60 a month? I'm not completely up on all the different prices around, and I know there are some good deals out there..well, for Aussies.. but that sounds steep to me.
One of my brothers is with Internode, and he has some kind of ridiculous 20GB per month at $70 month.

May have to rethink this broadband thing if it's going to cost us that much.

[Ray]

It pays to look around, but if you find something that looks really good, read all of the fine print.

There are probably better deals out there than I have, but I got in early and Bigpond were the only provider here at the time. I was advised to take this plan, by someone who knew how much time I spent online, and I think he got it pretty right.

Always check the length of the contract, the speed and usage allowance you are allowed. Unfortunately there are often not a lot of options with allowance, your allowance is either far too small, or excessively large. With Bigpond it's generally 200Mb suitable for a few emails only, or 12Gb which for me would require 24/7 downloading. I feel that this is deliberate over servicing to justify an excessive cost. 

If I could get 6Gb for half price, I would go up to the next plan and end up with a cheaper and faster service. Many of my friends could easily make do do with a 2Gb service.  It's "Catch 22""

[utegirl70]

Yep.. I've already been doing some research, but the thing is, how do I know how much I will use?
Being on dial-up, with unlimited usage, I don't know how much I'd use if I were let loose on broadband!

ATM I don't download music or movies, but if I could on a faster speed, there probably wouldn't be any stopping me!

As it is, I can't even attempt to watch any videos on YouTube.. if I do, it takes me a month of Sundays to wait for the bloody thing to load up.

I guess if I go with a smaller usage amount of 5GB per month, I can always up it if that's not enough... whereas if you chose a higher one and drop to a lower usage, you probably get hit with a fee I'm guessing.

Half the trouble of deciding, is everyone seems to give you differing opinions on the service providers.

[Ray]

I haven'y looked around, but I don't think anyone provides 5-6Gb, that is what I was getting at, from what I've seen, it's all 12Gb or Nothing 200Mb.