For those who know about these things (BP), is the Optus Broadband deal any good?

I am looking at the 300MB plan for 39.95 and swithcing my phone from Telstra and receiving 100 free local calls. I currently pay $15.95 a month for 'normal' internet plus local calls comes in at about $25. Adding the saving on free local calls and the $5 a month they'll reduce my mobile bill by means that Broadband basically cost me another $5 a month at most.

I like the fact that over 300MB they slow the connection rather than charging me for extra data.

ANyone got any experience of Optus Broadband relative to Telstra and others?

JAYR I reckon you should be looking for a 1 GB plan. You might end up mighty frustrated when you hit your 300mb.

BZ.4: 512/128/1GB + 1GB $49.00 1 gbyte 1 gbyte $0.005 Free $140.00 6 Months Fixed is the current swiftel 512 plan.

I would recommend 512 over 256 (I am on 256) because internet radio and IP telephony work very well.

The swiftel excess rate is cheap. The company expanded a bit too quickly recently and the customer service struggled but they are remedying that at the moment.

Anyhow Telstra is to be avoided at all costs. Other than that iinet and internode seem to get a resonable press. I guess you know of www.whirlpool.net.au .

BTW last March I used just under a GB and that was with the heavy downloading at work.

For general info on the various ISP's check out the forums on Whirlpool

As for specific ISP's, I'm with Internode and cannot fault them. I have put a link into their various plans for you.


Whirlpool Internode

By the way, when ISP's start "shaping" (slowing) their services, you may find your download speeds even slower than a 56k modem.

Internode offer both shaped, unlimited and flat rate services.

With the flat rate, you dont have a download limit, but at times of peak load, its your service which is slowed if you are a heavy downloader.

The unlimited plans, you can select a download limit, above which you will be subjected to shaping (ie they will slow your link down), but Node use a weekly cycle for this, rather than your monthly billing cycle.

They also do premium plans. These give you a download limit, above which you pay an excess. The limits are crazily high, 12GB is the minimum. You need to be downloading like a maniac to approach that sort of limit!

I'm also with Internode on the 12gb plan. I've been with them for 11 days now and have managed to download 796mb and that's with tons of music downloads, some games and also viewing realestate.com for about 3 hours (lots of photos of houses downloaded).

Definitely never going to reach 12gb per month

Regards

I'm a bit confused about what exactly comprises download.

Is it just files that you deliberately request - such as a program or music file?

Or does it include all the data that rushes into the comfuser as you use the internet - the logos and animations in websites?

I don't use the web all that much, but several times a day just with normal useage and no deliberate downloads I see 2 - 3 Mb have been received. The figures of 300 Mb quoted don't seem that much if you actually WANT to get files as well.

That's right. Every time you browse a website you're 'downloading' a copy of the page onto your own PC for viewing. So no, 300mb isn't that much.....

One thing to watch out for with Telstra, is uploads get counted with downloads. I dont think any other ISP charges you for uploads.

Worst case scenario: log into Kazza and walk away. Zazza spots you are on broadband, makes you a supernode, you start downloading and uploading like crazy.

Your bill at the end of the month can look like the national debt of a third world nation!

Which presumably means that the worse the connection that they supply you with, the more "request send again" uploads your comfuser sends and the greater their profits!

I've just had a great idea for a business in Oz!

For $39.95 you can get 4gb downloads with Bizmail (http://bizmail.com.au) - I'm in the process of signing up with them at the moment. Still, bizmail is 256k and optus 512k...

The retry rate should be minimum, especially on Broadband. With swiftel my quota is for everything downloaded that is not on the swiftel network. That means e-mails are free and peer to peer downloads from other swifttel users are free.

My neighbour (up in the mountains, not in Sydney) has a satellite uplink.... I think he said it was Telstra, $40 a month, and the satellite dish and ensemble cost just under a grand. I'm thinking of getting something similar, as we're liable to move around a bit soon, and don't want to have to break or pay off any contracts.

So, BP, your starter for 10 points...

What satellite connection do you recommend, for quality and price?

Satellite internet uses the dish for downloading at broadband speed but dial-up (normal or ISDN) for uploading, which is not so quick.

Not this system - he's got satellite connection only.

What security do I need if I'm on Broadband, I have heard you need a firewall. Should I contact my local builders merchant?