Reasonable

I don’t have broadband and use 56k (I wish) dialup. I am using WIX/Telpacific (Hello) as my service provider. It is cheap but they often disconnect me from service but not the phone connection. They also slow to half speed more often than not. Maybe they have more customers than connections available?

Does anyone have recommendations for a reliable and hopefully cheap ISP?

Thanks

gedge

sooner or later you'll be pointed to www.whirlpool.net.au
it's a site that helps you find the broadband deal you're after
type in your current home phone number in the box at the top and follow the prompts

Caulfieldman

TPG = www.tpg.com.au is a good bet, reliability is fine and the prices reasonable. Like all ISP's here they restrict the amount you can download; even so the limits on the TPG plans are quite generous but I've ruined mine by downloading far too much from www.uknova.com

discobay

Is it worth looking at the bundles on offer that include broadband, a landline, a mobile phone plan and cable or is better to shop around and buy from different providers?

suzimc

I've just been arranging all that sort of stuff, after spending quite a while looking into it I went with Telstra for the landline phone for local and long distance (they did a great long distance package for an extra $5 a month they give you calls to the UK for 2c/min after the $0.39 connection fee, which was better than I could anywhere else) and also for Foxtel as it's easier to all be on one bill. I did however give them a miss for internet because I haven't heard one good thing about their service in their area. I've opted for Internode for internet, from what I'd read on here and on the whirlpool site, and Vodafone for my mobile because their package suited my usage best.

It really depends what you are looking for in each of these areas, if one supplier provides everything you need in the way you want it then itmight be easier. I know Telstra had a couple of bonues availale if you signed up for everything with them, but it wasn't wnough to tempt me to use them as an ISP!

discobay

Thanks I'll look up Internode and the Whirlpool website for further information. By the way did you go monthly with your mobile or prepaid?

suzimc

Pre-paid, purely because I haven't got a job yet so I don't think they would have given me a contract and I didn't want to wait for a time when I could drag my hubby down there with me and do it in his name, and also didn't want to sign up for a contract when I might get a phone with whatever job I end up with. I got the $49 cap and you get something like $230 worth of credit that you have up to a month to use, I've been texting UK and the US a lot (including texting my whole phone book to give them my new number) as well as making lots of local phone calls on it and it's nowhere near running out now the month is nearly up. I might try their $29 package next month as that offers about $150 worth of credit I think.

discobay

I bought a Vodafone card at first but changed to Optus and now that's about to run out I've gone and bought one from Telstra. The pricing is roughly the same but the plans are caving my head in. I'm in a similar boat in that I don't have a permanent address which I think you need for monthly. I don't mind as it gives me the flexibility to shop around and not too many friends know my number anyway.

Mochinbach

We're with Internode in SA. very good and realiable

moneypenny20

We're with iinet. Very happy. They've not let us down yet and if we have any queries about anything (iinet wise) they are more than happy to help us out.

dave99

Go with Internode, they were voted best isp in a recent APC magazine survey.

I spent a lot of time looking into all the different packages offered by all the companies over the last few months. Internode have the best speeds and more importantly large download limits

A lot of companies dont offer more than 10gb, or charge very high prices for a bigger downlod limit.

datamile

iinet changed their limits about 3 weeks ago so they look much better now. Especially if you are on adsl 1

discobay

Is it normal for ISPs to charge a connection/setup fee?

suzimc

Every single one that I looked at charged.

datamile

and lock you in for 24 months on some.. most will also have disconnect fees as well. Nothing is done for free when it comes to phones/internet.