Broadband and TV - probably asked a few times already!

[zebedee]

We've got our rental sorted in Lockleys which is a cable area so I've been looking at the best option for TV and Broadband.

 

As far as TV goes, I want to start basic, so may well end up buying the lowest cost digi box I can to plug into the UK TV (maybe go Foxtel later if we want it), however, broadband wise I want something reliable as we use it a lot - and it's our main way of speaking to folks back in the UK (skype, email, etc). Don't think we need landline telephone as we seem to be coping with two pay as you go mobiles at the moment.

 

The house still has the cable connection and I assume a phone line too. Adam internet seem to get some poor reviews (and not sure about the Fetch TV option) - yet Optus seem quite pricey.

 

Just wondered if anyone found a happy balance...........

[Guest vikkiann]

We have Telstra, pay $90 per month for 200gb includes land line phone which we had to take to get their package. We never come anywhere near our allowance and are always on Skype and our son is a Xbox live addict!

[mattyegg]

We went with Adam, $60 for 200gb. No complaints yet. Adam also linked to fetch tv as well. Haven't tried that yet.

[Guest bubbe2005]

Is there any plan where you DON'T have to have a land line just to get the discounted Broadband plan?

[Guest bubbe2005]

oops nvm i think i need to be looking at 'naked broadband'

[zebedee]

Yeap, naked is what you need - I decided to not pay the extra for cable and gone "naked" with Adam......

[Guest Katangel]

We use to use tpg before we left for the UK and hope to use them again when we come back next year. We never had any issues with them and their prices are decent too. We always opt for unlimited internet and from memory i think that is about $70 a month but you also get a land line with that too.

[Guest Mitchell]

Naked dsl is broadband without a home phone but you will need a phone line to have been connected at some point to get this. If no phone line has ever been installed you must get one installed with Telstra (Aussie version of BT) and agree to a phone line contract for a min of 3 months or they will hit you with a big cancellation fee.

 

VoIP (voice over IP) can be added to most naked plans and is a great cheap way of phoning internationally very cheaply e.g. 1 cent per min to the UK with Adam.

 

Telstra are fairly reliable but very expensive and customer service is appalling.

 

Optus are reliable and customer service is good but still a bit pricey.

 

Adam are very reliable, customer service is great and they are really good value, especially if you have a VoIP package as well.

 

There are a few really cheap providers but you tend to get what you're paying for with them so reliability and service tend not to be great. Can be an option if you're really short of cash and are prepared to put up with the service failings.

[Guest Mitchell]

Sorry forgot to mention that VoIP is normally provided by plugging a normal home phone into the broadband router. No special Internet phone or anything is required.

 

BTW router is pronounced r-out-er in the American way. Saying root-er will cause a lot of sniggering as it is commonly used slang meaning person who is having sex!

[Guest bubbe2005]

I've looked on the WP site and a lot of the ISP's there have a peak and off peak time for downloading??? that's like over here in the states where some ISP's CAP the data on it's customers (thankfully I am not with an ISP that does cap). But I don't want to go for an ISP that tells me when I can or can't download movies! I am a torrent freak

[Guest bubbe2005]

Sorry forgot to mention that VoIP is normally provided by plugging a normal home phone into the broadband router. No special Internet phone or anything is required.

 

BTW router is pronounced r-out-er in the American way. Saying root-er will cause a lot of sniggering as it is commonly used slang meaning person who is having sex!

yes, here in the U.S I got use to saying r-out-er, when in UK I used to say root-er lol

[Guest bubbe2005]

We went with Adam, $60 for 200gb. No complaints yet. Adam also linked to fetch tv as well. Haven't tried that yet.

 

does 200GB last you every month?? me and OH do a lot of movie downloading. Tbh I don't know how much data we currently use per month with Time Warner Cable, but I think it is time to ask, so that I know whether I need a 200GB a month or 500GB a month.

[orrelljet]

...I don't want to go for an ISP that tells me when I can or can't download movies! I am a torrent freak ...

 

Have a look at Internode - no peak/off-peak and good customer service.

[Guest bubbe2005]

Have a look at Internode - no peak/off-peak and good customer service.

 

 

Yeh, Internode was mentioned on the whirlpool site, nothing but bad reviews about them.

[orrelljet]

Really? I'm surprised...although they have been getting some stick about their merger with iiNet. Be prepared to get your wallet out if you need more than 200GB per month or look at TPG, who I believe still offer an unlimited service; whether or not they are torrent-tolerant I'm nor sure but a friend uses them and hasn't had any issues so far.

 

The main hurdle you'll face over here, depending where you leave, is the speed of the connection, or rather lack of it. I'm stuck with a 2.5mbps connection until NBN (coming soon - 3 years!!??) arrives with all its fibre-y goodness. I can still manage to use up my 200GB on a good month though :-)

[Guest bubbe2005]

Really? I'm surprised...although they have been getting some stick about their merger with iiNet. Be prepared to get your wallet out if you need more than 200GB per month or look at TPG, who I believe still offer an unlimited service; whether or not they are torrent-tolerant I'm nor sure but a friend uses them and hasn't had any issues so far.

 

The main hurdle you'll face over here, depending where you leave, is the speed of the connection, or rather lack of it. I'm stuck with a 2.5mbps connection until NBN (coming soon - 3 years!!??) arrives with all its fibre-y goodness. I can still manage to use up my 200GB on a good month though :-)

 

Yeh I'm not looking forward to it.

 

Yeh I would prefer to have fiber optics instead but I know it's pricey!!

[Anne B]

If you are lucky enough to live in the right area you can get Ultimate Cable with Telstra which has a download speed up to 100 mbps.

 

Using wi-fi it's a bit slower (just got a reading of 58 mbps) but our desktop is connected straight into the modem and I got a download speed of 92 mbps the other day.

[Guest patsmb]

We use Adam home phone via Voip and Internet for $40 a month plus calls which are very cheap to the UK

We have a pair gain line (like the old shared party lines ) and cant get broadband via the phone line

Had dial up with Telstra then a dongle with Optus which was pathetic

If by chance anyone does have a pair gain line then there is a government payment so you can have an antenna installed and get faster downloads etc