Internet Service Providers.. Who Do You Use? Rates etc

[holden#1]

I'm finally shopping around for Broadband Internet...
You can shop around on Internet for good deals, but what you can't find out is customer service level to be expected from company, and is the advertised internet speed actually reached with your connection. (I do realise that best case scenario - 512k advertised connection will result in a 450k connection - it won't ever be perfect)
I don't want to end up going for a company which advertises a certain speed then fails to deliver... I imagine you could prove that they are not delivering service but I don't won't to go through that hassle.

So, who do you use? Are they Good?

I'm tending toward Optus Cable

$59 / Month 7gb downloads. 256k uploads, unlimited speed downloads.
(you can get it cheaper but only when you bundle home phone etc)

[VS Omega]

Bigpond cable. $69.95 / month. 10GB bandwidth (they forget to throttle me most of the time, usually end up with at least 35GB downloaded per month), 4.8mbit speeds (about 500kb/second to aussie sites).. Can't complain, I know there's cheaper with more bandwidth and faster speeds but I'm happy, service is fair lol

[holden#1]

i'd be happy with that but I can't get telstra cable....


problem is...
the advertising looks great, competitive pricing etc, then if the service isn't good, it's not worth the savings you make.

[gopher]

optus cable been using it for approx 3 or 4 years on the unlimited plan which i think is about a 12 GB download limit & costs about $66 a month.
happy enough with it i suppose.

we've had our phone through optus forever too so when they were advertising their 3 months free broadband for combining services.i rang them & asked if existing customers could get that deal also.
the answer was yes so we now also get 3 months free & the monthly bill dropped from $68 down to $66 & with the free 3 months meant a saving of over $200 a year

[MarzVP]

I am with iinet and for 49.95 you get 20 GB limit and 24000kb speed as long as you have access to a dslam.

http://iinet.net.au/broadband/

Checkout thier site. And thier customer service is great never had one complaint from me.

[holden#1]

24,000k speed??? don't understand... thats too fast!
I used to be with optus cable a while back and never got over 450K
Is that 24,000 a different measurement of speed or something?

[hakhawk]

im with zcts for now, 44 a month for 512k and 25gb downloads. almost used all of that for the first month. seems to disconnect every few days, but that could be my modem.

www.whirlpool.net.au is a good place to find good deals on isp's

[dephilile]

I am very happy with westnet. My my 512 plan is never limited to 450 due to a busy network. If the server at the opposite end can send me data at 512k that’s how fast I can download it. I have been with them for 6 months and in that time they have gone offline for 2 days.

Their technical support is excellent. I’m not sure if other ISP’s do this, but they give you the option of leaving your name and number instead of waiting in a queue for 2 hours. And yes, they DO call you.

I think they are a little more expensive than some other companies out there but I would give them 9/10. it would be 10 out of 10 if the service didn’t go offline for 2 days.

[holden#1]

that sure would be nice...
a internet service where if your test your connection speedwise you end up with the result they advertised.

[reecey]

with the iinet plan where you can access ADSL 2+ speeds (must be on there DSLAM) you must bundle your internet plan with their phone package which is $33~ a month for the service. But with this you also get free access to VoIP which can be used with the expense of getting the hardware that allows you to make 10c untimed calls.

If you dont bundle or you not on a iiNet DSLAM your speed is capped at 1500kbps.

Check out Internode and their plans ( they also have adsl 2+ speeds if you are on a AGILE dslam)

24,000kbps (ADSL 2+ speed ) is equal to 2400KBps = 2.4 Megs per sec roughly to give you an idea

[scolari]

www.quik.com.au
512kb down 128kb down Unlimated downloads/uploads no restictions (your internet doesn't get slowed) $95 a month

[vlv8vic]

ohh i top the lot with my "poor student" connection, dial-up to supernerd, unlimited everything once off fee of $130 for 14 months access. average 44 000bps.
sometimes it stops working, doesnt disconnect but just no traffic in or out, they say its not them and must be my system, whatever.....
Not broadband but something for the internet savvy nerds to laugh at.

[SCUMMY]

0 0

[holden#1]

reecey,
that iinet semm pretty good. only thing is it is adsl which requires a normal phone line to operate as opposed to cable broadband.
i'm trying to get away from having a phone line as well as internet, and then getting voice over internet. thereby saving line rental on landline & exhorbitant std costs.
appreciate the feedback guys.

[reecey]

oh i see, well in cable your ISPs/ plans are very limited between Bigpond and Optus, so stick with the Optus Cable.

Cable is alot faster than standard ADSL and with cable you should be expecting to be downloading files at around 500-700 KB/ps depending on how many other people are in your area using the cable.

I seen that engin bos avertised for $150?? with $50 cashback or something looks pretty good.

[rattattack1313]

I rang iinet today, to see if we can get them here at my house...seems that because I am with Optus, I have to ring Telstra, get them to take over my portal(sounds a bit personal, not sure about that bit....loool..)...because iinet have a contract with Telstra, not Optus.......

[RVN 355]

TPG INTERNET BROAD BAND $49.95 per month 20 gig, www.tpg.com.au

[ucwepn]

TPG INTERNET BROAD BAND $49.95 per month 20 gig, www.tpg.com.au

same here TPG are good value and are ready to help with any problems etc.

[dephilile]

my friend has TPG. he said at least once a month they go offline for a few hours. worst he has had is 2 days. could be to do with upgrading the network, i dunno.

[Tradewind]

In my experience Westnet.com.au has good deals but absolutely the best customer service you will experience while you live on this earth

[MOTIV8]

I'm on the Optus cable broadband unlimited plan.

I was with them about 2 years ago but then was offline for about a year.

I decided to get back on the internet early in 2005 and after looking around went back to Optus because the others didn't really seem to compare as well when it came to service, speed and reliability.

[blackjacknz]

i was with TPG...then disconnected when i moved house...and they changed the pricing...i used to get 1.5mbps for $49.95/month...now its $69.95.......but they stuffed me around with the reconnection...so ended up going with isage www.isage.aunz.net i get 1.5mbps with a 35G limit...no contracts..just month to month for $69.95/month.

[Boonz]

i got the same one as blackjacknz used to ahve its great and still ahvent hit the download limit and im an internet whore lol

[camvyss]

Out in the Isa we are limited to who will provide for us. Most places here can not even get ADSL. However I was on BigPond paying $99.95 a month for 1500/256 (down/up) with 10G down & up before shaping. Now I'm with Internode 1500/256 with 20G down (up is unmetered) before shaping and even then they assure me it's only if they can be bothered shaping me at all, best part is the price $69.95. Telstra need to pull their heads out of their rear ends.

[semi]

Im with iinet and its great. Dont have any problems with service, and i download at 1.5MB/sec from microsoft. Its all on one phone line, iinet just attatch your line to a DSLAM at your exchange