Telephone and Internet

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Telephone and Internet
Topic Started: Nov 9 2008, 02:58 PM (216 Views)
ABCDiamond	Nov 9 2008, 02:58 PM Post #1
Posts: 3,048 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: January 22, 2004 Residency Status: Permanent Resident Current Residence (State or County): 4165, SE Queensland	For combined Telephone and Internet How does this sound: Internet Connection with ADSL2 and 7GB Peak data quota, with another 7GB OFF Peak data quota. No excess download fees (if you exceed your data quota, we slow your Internet speed to 64kbps) or buy extra Gbs as required. VOIP phone line included with no data limits, and FREE local and national calls throughout Australia. No need to have a separate Land Line, although you can have one for $15 per month. Sign up for 24 months and a D-Link (DSL-504T) - Broadband DSL2+ Modem + Router is yours FREE. Cost $74.95 per month Optional Extras: $5 pm - Free calls to 8 countries (inc UK) & 20c untimed calls, anytime to another 13 countries. $15 pm - A landline which can "probably" use your existing home number. http://www.engin.com.au/Broadband/Broadband.aspx ie: $94.95 pm, provides 2 telephone lines, Internet and all calls within Australia and to the UK and USA and a few other countries FREE.



ohippy	Dec 4 2008, 10:37 PM Post #2
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	I want to change my internet and landline now that my contract is up but have heard horror stories esp where Telstra are concerned and can't afford to be without internet for any period of time. It's scary, wish I could hire someone to do it all for me



ABCDiamond	Dec 5 2008, 08:57 AM Post #3
Posts: 3,048 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: January 22, 2004 Residency Status: Permanent Resident Current Residence (State or County): 4165, SE Queensland	I switched from Telstra Internet to aanet, and it went pretty smoothly. Someone I know switched to engin recently, and everything went OK, and the customer service was great on the phone, when she had a query about something. Talk to your proposed new provider, explain your fears, and see how they react, it will give a good indication of how they treat customers.



ohippy	Dec 22 2008, 02:53 PM Post #4
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	this is definitely something I am going to be changing now as both contracts are up for phone and net. I want to get rid of the landline completely but OH is insisting we keep it as he has to send two faxes a month !!!



ABCDiamond	Dec 22 2008, 03:30 PM Post #5
Posts: 3,048 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: January 22, 2004 Residency Status: Permanent Resident Current Residence (State or County): 4165, SE Queensland	If you do decide on Engin, let me know FIRST, as they now pay BOTH of us for recommendations :thumbsup:



ohippy	Dec 24 2008, 01:55 AM Post #6
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	will do - not heard of them before though - do they cover WA ?



ABCDiamond	Dec 24 2008, 10:17 AM Post #7
Posts: 3,048 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: January 22, 2004 Residency Status: Permanent Resident Current Residence (State or County): 4165, SE Queensland	ohippy Dec 24 2008, 01:55 AM will do - not heard of them before though - do they cover WA ? Yes, they do cover WA, but you can check your phone number on their site, to be certain. They have been around since 2004. I've been using them for our phone service since Dec 2005. I am now considering switching my Broadband to them aswell. If you do decide to sign up with them you get an extra $25 credit. Quote: When joining, your friends (aged 18 yrs+) need to: (i) call 1300 761 242 and quote your engin Account Number or phone number and stay connected for 30 consecutive days to be eligible for the engin account credit. I'll PM my account number to anyone who wants this. http://www.engin.com.au/ They do Naked Broadband. I've been using http://www.aanet.com.au for my internet since 2003 I get a referal fee with them, if anyone wants to sign up with them ;) Not sure of any extra benefit the new customer gets though. I'll have to look it up.



ohippy	Dec 27 2008, 07:50 PM Post #8
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	ok, am now looking seriously at this. The engin plan does sound good but I need a min of 21GB. Westnet and iinet seem to be recommended but they aren't cheap. Would be so much easier if OH didn't need a landline for the two faxes he sends a month but he can't get his head around the fact that it would be cheaper going elsewhere to fax and is insisting on a landline !!!!



ohippy	Dec 27 2008, 08:07 PM Post #9
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	have checked out engin and they do seem pretty good even if their offpeak hours are 2am to 8am !! However, I can't check them out on whirlpool, are they known as anything else ?



catgirl	Dec 27 2008, 08:16 PM Post #10
Courageous Cuddly Kitty Posts: 6,666 Group: Moderator Member #348 Joined: August 20, 2006	ohippy Dec 27 2008, 07:50 PM ok, am now looking seriously at this. The engin plan does sound good but I need a min of 21GB. Westnet and iinet seem to be recommended but they aren't cheap. Would be so much easier if OH didn't need a landline for the two faxes he sends a month but he can't get his head around the fact that it would be cheaper going elsewhere to fax and is insisting on a landline !!!! :yes: we used to use the tourist information in Mandurah for faxing - was cheaper than the PO but couldn't send international from the TI



BIX	Dec 27 2008, 08:18 PM Post #11
Boner-fide Bonza Bloke Posts: 5,547 Group: Sapphire Member Member #189 Joined: September 14, 2005 Residency Status: PR Current Residence (State or County): Australia	ohippy Dec 27 2008, 08:07 PM have checked out engin and they do seem pretty good even if their offpeak hours are 2am to 8am !! However, I can't check them out on whirlpool, are they known as anything else ? http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/?action=threads_search&f=31&q=engin



ohippy	Dec 27 2008, 08:34 PM Post #12
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	thanks Bix, I couldn't for the life of me find the search box. Not a lot of info on there though and what there is is quite old



ABCDiamond	Dec 27 2008, 11:21 PM Post #13
Posts: 3,048 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: January 22, 2004 Residency Status: Permanent Resident Current Residence (State or County): 4165, SE Queensland	ohippy Dec 27 2008, 08:34 PM thanks Bix, I couldn't for the life of me find the search box. Not a lot of info on there though and what there is is quite old I just read this bit on the whirlpool forum, about the engin DSL service Quote: engin will then move into the full launch phase of this product with intended launch being 1/12/08 (1st Dec 2008) Probably not a lot of experience will have been gained from the service yet, although they seem to have been testing it for a while, before releasing to the general public



BIX	Dec 28 2008, 02:08 PM Post #14
Boner-fide Bonza Bloke Posts: 5,547 Group: Sapphire Member Member #189 Joined: September 14, 2005 Residency Status: PR Current Residence (State or County): Australia	"To boldly go where no man has gone before." Having said that they have been around a while doing a good job on telephone and voip hardware stuff. Heather you need to check you can get naked DSL with them on your exchange as a lot of exchanges are Telstra only so no go. If you can get it then definitely dump the landline. Voip is a damn sight cheaper and of course you still have mobiles.



ohippy	Dec 28 2008, 02:20 PM Post #15
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	That's what I wanted to do but hubby insists on keeping the landline for faxes. Cheapest landline is $20 a month so they are flipping expensive faxes !!! I have emailed 5 companies so far including engin so will make a decision based on their replies when I have them all in. So far optus beats westnet which is a suprise but then optus are offering 4 months free in a 2 year contract.



BIX	Dec 28 2008, 02:56 PM Post #16
Boner-fide Bonza Bloke Posts: 5,547 Group: Sapphire Member Member #189 Joined: September 14, 2005 Residency Status: PR Current Residence (State or County): Australia	ohippy Dec 28 2008, 02:20 PM That's what I wanted to do but hubby insists on keeping the landline for faxes. Cheapest landline is $20 a month so they are flipping expensive faxes !!! I have emailed 5 companies so far including engin so will make a decision based on their replies when I have them all in. So far optus beats westnet which is a suprise but then optus are offering 4 months free in a 2 year contract. Optus is second only to Telstra in service level. And that hubby of yours needs a shakin. Reckon you should stop his nooky until he sees sense. :wink: Tell him to scan the faxes in and email them or fax it from elsewhere as already suggested.



ohippy	Dec 29 2008, 10:59 AM Post #17
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	now there's an idea. The faxes are work ones which he says he can only send in a certain timeslot when other places aren't open for faxing. Will get him to check if he can scan and email as that would be so much easier even if it would mean I'd have to do it as he can't even turn on a pc !!! Have to say if Optus turn out to be the cheapest I'll be a happy bunny as we are with optus now so there wouldn't be any hassle in changing. I didn't know their service level was so good though. Why do they and Telstra have such a bad rep then ??



ABCDiamond	Dec 29 2008, 02:52 PM Post #18
Posts: 3,048 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: January 22, 2004 Residency Status: Permanent Resident Current Residence (State or County): 4165, SE Queensland	ohippy Dec 29 2008, 10:59 AM now there's an idea. The faxes are work ones which he says he can only send in a certain timeslot when other places aren't open for faxing. Will get him to check if he can scan and email as that would be so much easier even if it would mean I'd have to do it as he can't even turn on a pc !!! Have to say if Optus turn out to be the cheapest I'll be a happy bunny as we are with optus now so there wouldn't be any hassle in changing. I didn't know their service level was so good though. Why do they and Telstra have such a bad rep then ?? Because more people use them ? We always hear the bad reports, never the good, and there may well be millions off happy customers. I switched from Telstra broadband because they charge for uploads AND downloads, and they were too expensive, but other than that, they weren't too bad. They even re-connected us pretty quickly once when our phone line was cut off, even though we cut the line while gardening :no:



ohippy	Jan 7 2009, 03:25 PM Post #19
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	what can I say ????? Very frustrated. Seems I can't switch electric and gas companies as there aren't any others in WA. The area I live is unable to get 'naked' indeed the lines are still all owned by Telstra so no one can offer any deals either - grrrrrrrrr. My only options are to stay with optus @ $108.95 per month for both net and phone with no contract or switch to Testra @ $60.93 pm for the first 9 months then $100.90 for the remainder of the 2 year contract. Unless I try and get the phone with telstra at $20.95 and the optus plan at $69.99 with four months free over a 2 year contract. My head hurts



BIX	Jan 7 2009, 04:24 PM Post #20
Boner-fide Bonza Bloke Posts: 5,547 Group: Sapphire Member Member #189 Joined: September 14, 2005 Residency Status: PR Current Residence (State or County): Australia	I sympathise. Our exchange is now ADSL2 enabled but only Telstra have put their DSLAMS in it. It means we either use them or one of the companies they wholesale it to. The "industry" says the price difference between ADSL1 & ADSL2 should be very little. The exception of course is when the exchange is Telstra only when they use their monopoly position with a consequence of approx double the price.



ohippy	Jan 7 2009, 06:22 PM Post #21
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	very true. Also turns out I can't have my phone with telstra and internet with optus as OPtus will disconnect my internet when I change landline to Telstra and will then charge me a $ 99 reconnect fee !!! All these monopolies leave me fuming !



ohippy	Jan 15 2009, 04:39 PM Post #22
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	started the wheels in motion to change to telstra. Three times I'd contacted Optus but they said they couldn't offer me anything better than what I was on. Then, when they received the final notification from Telstra, all of a sudden they offered me $21 a month off my internet plan and $26 a month off my phone rental !!



ohippy	Jan 20 2009, 10:17 PM Post #23
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	all done and dusted today. Modem arrived yesterday. Optus cut me off today and I immediately started up with Telstra. Total downtime .... ooohhh about 1 minute :thumbsup:



ABCDiamond	Jan 21 2009, 08:08 AM Post #24
Posts: 3,048 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: January 22, 2004 Residency Status: Permanent Resident Current Residence (State or County): 4165, SE Queensland	That sounds like a very nice smooth changeover. I think mine was about 30 minutes when I changed over, but mine was away from Telstra !



ohippy	Jan 31 2009, 05:04 PM Post #25
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	yes ok, been suckered in. Didn't realise that I got charged for upload as well as download, 10 days into the first month and over half the useage is gone. Am trying to work out what is eating it up. It's definitely uploads, have stopped using facebook and UK nova but it's not helping - any ideas before I strange the salesman ? I have never been charged for uploads before .......... grrrrrrr



ABCDiamond	Jan 31 2009, 05:15 PM Post #26
Posts: 3,048 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: January 22, 2004 Residency Status: Permanent Resident Current Residence (State or County): 4165, SE Queensland	Do you have your upload and download report figures ? Mine, as an example is: Month's Downloads to Date 4,439 MBs Month's Uploads to Date 1,427 MBs But then, I am uploading data to my websites aswell, so my upload ratio should be higher. Do you do peer to peer music/video and allow people to upload data from your system ?



ohippy	Feb 1 2009, 04:27 PM Post #27
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	My total download is 5239 and my upload is 7700 since 20th Feb. Since last Wednesday when I noticed this I have tried to cut out something different every day but it doesn't seem to be making much difference. I do use Vuse to download from UK nova and when that is downloading I am uploading as well but I haven't downloaded anything since 21st February because of this. In fact yesterday my download was 153 and my upload was 806 yet I was out most of the day with pc left on but all programmes closed and computer turned off completely from 6pm. Early am I was watching a couple of episodes of corrie but neither uk nova or vuse was open. I just can't see where the uploads are coming from but it's blowing out my useage and driving me nuts. Edited by ohippy, Feb 1 2009, 04:31 PM.



ABCDiamond	Feb 1 2009, 07:46 PM Post #28
Posts: 3,048 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: January 22, 2004 Residency Status: Permanent Resident Current Residence (State or County): 4165, SE Queensland	I am wondering if the uploads can still be happening, even if you aren't using it. Purely the fact that the computer is on, 'may' allow the uploads. I don't actually know how this works, but have wondered about it since I downloaded a movie recently.



ohippy	Feb 1 2009, 08:32 PM Post #29
Original Opulent Optimist Posts: 6,537 Group: Sapphire Member Member #301 Joined: May 7, 2006	that's what I was wondering. OH has suggested taking out the telephone line connection whenever I am viewing and not using the PC but that is quite a hassle and no doubt I'd forget to put it back !! Definitely something is uploading whilst I am watching a programme even if vuse or the internet connection isn't open.



ABCDiamond	Feb 1 2009, 08:58 PM Post #30
Posts: 3,048 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: January 22, 2004 Residency Status: Permanent Resident Current Residence (State or County): 4165, SE Queensland	If you have ADSL, the internet connection is open all the time that computer is on.



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