NBN Has Finally Arrived in my area, looking for reccomendations on a good deal from a ISP

DR-JEKL on 27/03/2017 - 09:34

Hey guys

After many years of promises and nothing NBn had finally arrived.. I had signed up on the NBN website for regular updates years ago and never got anything (I would occasionally log on and there was always the same message along the lines of coming soon..) then one day last week a letter arrived stating it is now active.

I'm currently paying $61 p/m through internode for a naked ADSL2 service (by memory I think its 500GB) and am just seeking speed more so then data (its just me and the missus we mainly stream netflix and d/l some shows and never go ove rthe allocated monthly data allowance)

I'm a noob with Pc's in general but I'm guessing the area has been setup for nbn to the node not fibre to the house, and I've no idea where my local node is.. From what I had read it's no use paying for the extra fast 100 Mbps NBN as essentially your restricted by how far away from the node etc you are and the restriction of your existing copper lines if you don't have fibre to the house?

So I was looking at the exetel 50 Mbps plan (500GB) for $59.99 pm.

https://www.exetel.com.au/broadband/nbn

other providers I've looked at were optus, TPG, iinet, internode, iprimus and this seemed like the best deal to me?

Any comments advice would be appreciated!!

Computing

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 27/03/2017 - 09:45
    +1

    telstra

  • grabngo on 27/03/2017 - 10:00
    -3

    exetel is the best.
    No drops
    Best speeds and downloads
    And most important…best price !

    • Diji1 on 27/03/2017 - 11:03
      +3

      Hahahahahahahaha, you're hilarous.

  • payless69 on 27/03/2017 - 10:07

    the National carrier has been more hell than tel to me…

  • raydragon on 27/03/2017 - 10:18
    +4

    The other restriction you need to be aware of is the congestion that is occurring for many people in peak hours of the day. This doesn't look like it will be easily fixed any time soon so the trick will be finding an ISP who is responsive to fixing these issues.
    Without getting too deeply into it it's also very area specific so the answer to questions like "who is the best for my area?" is extremely difficult to judge.

    As a general rule, "unlimited" providers are likely to experience more of this congestion that providers with set limits.
    Whirlpool is absolutely full of people in the exact same boat as you, asking the same questions so, if you haven't already looked, I'd suggest most of your questions would best be answered there.

    Consider paying a bit more for a provider with Australian tech support and active rep's on whirlpool, similar to what was provided by Internode prior to them being swallowed up by the bigger players as in the event of problems you are able to avoid much of the pain of dealing with an overseas support system. There are a couple of local players who seem to be trying to re-kindle the "spirit of internode" and provide a more personalised service that responds to issues in a more timely fashion. This is probably worth paying the extra for as the very broken state of the NBN as it stands is resulting a lot of backwards and forwards fingerpointing between NBN co and ISP's and it would be nice to be able to just deal with someone who will get on with resolving it for you rather than just passing the buck.

    • johninmelb on 27/03/2017 - 13:15

      Who are the companies with Australian tech support?

      I have to make a decision soon also, as it is due in my area in April.

      TPG are badgering me to stay with them, but I don't trust them.

      • raydragon on 27/03/2017 - 13:24

        Barefoot / Mate telecom
        Nuskope
        Leaptel
        Aussie broadband
        Skymesh (as mentioned below)

        I don't have any personal experience with any of them but thats based on information from whirlpool.

        My area is due to be ready for service within a couple of months so I'll be looking closer then. I'm on ADSL with TPG at the moment and I'll probably keep that active for the first month or 2 as a backup and give one of the above guys a go.

      • BigTed on 27/03/2017 - 14:16

        Having a lot of problems with TPG at the moment.
        No service and they have lied to me…
        Not happy.
        I don't really want to lose my email address but I am just about to give them the flick.

        • GreyMelb on 28/03/2017 - 08:43
          +2

          I changed all of my email over to a Gmail account a few years ago, so now I can change ISP without any problems. It's a pain initially but worth it is the long run.

        • wataripoff on 28/03/2017 - 10:04

          What have you been experiencing? Am signing up to fttb with them.

        • mattyman on 28/03/2017 - 12:13

          @wataripoff: I've had 100/40 FTTP with TPG for a couple of years (at 2 different addresses) and haven't had any issues. People in other areas have.

          My sister had iiNet in Dunsborough and was having major issues with congestion. She switched to Belong and everything is good. It's all dependent on how popular an isp is in a particular area and how proactive they are in upping their backhaul when it's needed for peak times.

  • DR-JEKL on 27/03/2017 - 12:14
    +1

    Telstra have always been quite expensive, but I will check them out thanks!

    So I'm guessing exetel don't have the best rep huh?

    Back in 2010 when I was hunting around for ADSL, iinet had rave reviews for service etc (And of course some bad reviews) but they were $20+ p/m more. In hindsight I'm glad I didnt pay for the extra, internode have been dead reliable Ive had one or two issues which they identified as faults with lines etc and had a tech fix these issues with no dramas. Other then that the service has been dead reliable.

    Thanks I didnt think of whirlpool, I frequent this site a bit for the deals and figured I may get some good advice on a nbn provider which offers good service for a good price?

  • pjetson on 27/03/2017 - 12:15

    Skymesh advertise that they will match any non-unlimited plan from other NBN providers. They have Australian (Brisbane) sales and support, but according to my own experience and that of other posters on Whirlpool, they can be slow to deal with - I asked for a plan match on Monday, but didn't get the okay to sign up until the following Friday night. Maybe I just picked the wrong time to enquire.

    Also (and this goes for everyone, not just SkyMesh), if you're getting your internet over HFC (ie Telstra/Foxtel cable), installation times seem to be currently be about four weeks. I'm told that FTTB/FTTN installations are a lot less than that.

    • scrimshaw on 28/03/2017 - 02:51
      +1

      Skymesh took about 5 days to get back to me, but once the initial setup is over their support is generally great, plus they also seem to be pretty good when it comes to CVC contention ratios.

      Paying $55 a month for 50/20, 500GB anytime, setup only cost $50 bucks, so I'm pretty satisfied with the value I'm getting. The plan matching saved me a ton of money compared to staying with Nuskope.

      Nuskope is also a pretty good ISP — I had no issues with ping, dropouts and congestion (though I was only on 30 megabit speed). Only downside is their pricing.

      • Booster on 28/03/2017 - 08:43

        I just signed up and am paying $80 for 100/40 500gb anytime. I think i was a bit optimistic as i think the 50/20 plan would suit better. Who did you plan match to get that great price?

        • scrimshaw on 28/03/2017 - 11:43
          +1

          Teleron did a time limited special for xmas, so the prices has gone up since then.

    • NigelTufnel on 29/03/2017 - 10:28

      Also (and this goes for everyone, not just SkyMesh), if you're getting your internet over HFC (ie Telstra/Foxtel cable), installation times seem to be currently be about four weeks.

      Damn… moving into a new place next month that apparently is in an HFC area. I guess that means I'll essentially be without home internet for a month after moving in? That sucks…

      • scrimshaw on 29/03/2017 - 14:46

        It can vary, sometimes the installer will have time in their agenda and they can sometimes call you and ask for a reschedule for an earlier date.

        • NigelTufnel on 30/03/2017 - 00:22

          Turns out you can sign up before you actually move in and if the nbn co appointment is before you move in you can just reschedule.
          So I did this since we're moving in 3 weeks, and got an appointment for next week… Lol

  • EightImmortals on 27/03/2017 - 12:47
    +2

    Skymesh has a good rep as does telecube. Telecube also have their whirlpool special going.

    https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2617030

    50/20 Mbps

    100GB Data – $49 per month
500GB Data – $54 per month
1000GB Data – $59 per month

    http://www.productreview.com.au/p/telecube.html

  • Flying Ace on 27/03/2017 - 13:29
    +1

    I'm with Aussie Broadband and they've been great, had a couple of teething issues and their tech support has always been really quick and helpful.

  • vicerum on 27/03/2017 - 16:42
    +2

    I would recommend Telecube with their Whirlpool offer.

    Their Fair Use rules means congestion should never be a problem, and the prices are competititve.

    • HardQuiz on 27/03/2017 - 17:56

      But $99 setup fee is a killer

      • EightImmortals on 30/03/2017 - 14:40

        Swapping to telecube saved me about $240pa on my current plan, so take away the $99 connection fee and I'm still ahead by $140 the first year alone. :)

    • affable on 28/03/2017 - 07:43

      Also Netflix is unmetered on Telecube, so OP should not need to go to more than 500GB.

  • HeWhoKnows on 28/03/2017 - 07:53
    +2

    Check out whistleout.com.au and comparebroadband.com.au.
    Personally I have found spintel (https://www.spintel.net.au/)has very good plans at the best pries and good service but an ever changing market so worth checking compare sites too.
    PS Dont expect to get the speed performance you are expecting. Most experience significantly less!

  • DR-JEKL on 28/03/2017 - 08:23

    Ive been reading on whirlpool and it seems I may be best to stay on my slower more reliable ADSL2…

    Lots of guys stating there is initial teething issues when nbn has just been rolled out in your area and they're left without no service for a week or so whilst they wait for repairs….

    • g12345567 on 29/03/2017 - 13:22

      Was hesitating as well to switch over to NBN. But when my adsl2+ modem got damages in a thunderstorm. Wasn't worth purchasing a new one and made the switch since it required a new modem anyway.

      No ISP is perfect. Some customers like me have no problem. Others do.

      I'm with iiNet. have been for almost 13 years without any major issues. The transition to NBN went smoothly. Was up and running as scheduled 7 days after signing up. Can't say the same fore a neighbour who has spent the past 3 weeks with endless problems trying to get switched over to Telstra NBN.

      Been running a few weeks now and never had a problem. I'm maxing out a 25/5 FTTN plan which is about as fast as I can get. Given the distance to the node.

  • TransportPosters on 28/03/2017 - 09:21

    I will most likely be staying with TPG, have only ever had random dropouts every few months with their ADSL2 in the past 5 or 6 years.

    It will be the same $59.99 price I pay now, for possibly 3 times faster download speed, no setup fee, unlimited data.

    Hope that helps.

    • Hazzard on 01/04/2017 - 11:19

      Have you confirmed this pricing? I am with tpg at the moment. Last I checked, they charge 100/month for the 100mbps unlimited plan. Even the 25mbps plan is 70/month which is 10 more than what I currently pay for ADSL 2+ at a speed of 20mbps. So not sure how you will pay 60/month and get 3 times faster speed.

  • bunkymag on 28/03/2017 - 09:53

    Have used three providers on 100/40 plans.

    Iinet were ok.
    Internode have been great.
    Belong were atrocious (>1mbps on "100mbps" plan with same infrastructure as above).

    All I'll say is it's not all about the price when it comes to NBN. Make sure you choose a provider with enough bandwidth to serve your area without ridiculous throttling. Otherwise no matter what plan you choose you'll be crippled for speed.

    • alvinthem on 28/03/2017 - 10:14
      +2

      How are we able to find out whether the provider has enough bandwidth to serve in one area without throttling?

  • Cliche Guevara on 28/03/2017 - 13:35

    You should confirm exactly what NBN technology you will be on. Due to the scam which is the MTM (multi-technology mix) many areas that didn't have NBN and didn't have any schedule for the NBN coming to their area soon, suddenly got "NBN" when they added HFC (hybrid fibre coaxial) to the list. Pretty much this means you need to use the existing Foxtel/Optus fibre that comes to your home. It requires an extra box inside your home.

    http://www.nbnco.com.au/learn-about-the-nbn/network-technolo…

    • johninmelb on 28/03/2017 - 17:02

      We are getting HFC apparently.

      However:

      I do not have Foxtel or Optus fibre coming in.

      I live in a block of units - single storey.

      Some years ago, my neighbours tried to get Foxtel, but couldn't. They were told to get a satellite dish if they wanted it. So no cables in here.

      Can anyone in a block of units with NBN, tell me what happens? Does every unit get an external box from NBN, then we have to deal with an ISP to get from the box to a router inside? Or do we have to share one box somewhere on the property? That's gonna slow things down even more if 15 units have to share one box. Or will NBN just connect a box on my wall to the existing incoming copper phone line?

      I am very confused by all this, and there is no rock solid, easy to understand information anywhere.

      Grateful for any advice or answers.

      Thanks

  • Geekomatic on 28/03/2017 - 14:45

    So far, (knock-on-wood), Internode has remained very good in their service & support & I've been with them since 2009. Easily above the rest of the pack (I know, because I do tech work & hear the horror stories about the others). I've only ever gotten an Aussie when I ring & they do the "call-you-back" when it's your turn in the queue, which I appreciate vs. hanging on hold.

    I went for their "silver unlimited" @ $79.99. We have FTTN. I opted for the free VoIP phone at no cost unless calls are made. We don't use the house line, as me & the kids all have our own mobiles, but nice to know it's there.

    Because I signed for 24 months, the new modem was free ($15 shipping, tho). As I was already a customer, no set-up or other fees, so I basically went from about ADSL 5mb down to a now usual 20-25mb down & my bill dropped $20!

    HTH

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