NBN HFC - Kogan VS Vodafone VS Optus

LurvinOZB on 03/12/2018 - 19:14

Recently transited over to NBN HFC.

Am on Vodafone 50/20 plan, just upgraded to 100/40 plan. Still within 30 days network guarantee.

Been troubleshooting with both Vodafone support and TP Link support (I use TP Link routers) and finally finished setting up my local network using Vodafone Wifihub as the main router.

Speed wise, VF is pretty good if I use very specific parameters to do speed test (on Speedtest.net, using only Optus server in Melbourne).

Now is the cost crunch. Couldnt go past fellow Ozbargainers' views and opinions when it comes to number crunching.

VF 100/40 Plan:
$89/mth with a "locked-in" modem ($180) that you pay over a 36 mths period. That said, the modem does come with 3G/4G failsafe so if the network is down, I am still able to pull 12/1 on their mobile broadband services. Plan itself has no contract although I'm bound with their modem for the said period. No upfront/ activation cost.

Kogan 100
$85.90/mth with BYO router (in my case since its HFC). Riding on VF's network so I assume the speed I should be getting are exactly the same. Support Call Center is the same as Vodafone's. Plan is month to month. A grand savings of $3.10/mth or $37.20/yr with no modem to repay as opposed to Vodafone's. No upfront/ activation cost.

Optus NBN Unlimited Speedpack 4 (100 plan)
$100/mth with an upfront cost of $200 (presumably for the Sagecom modem that is required). Pricier but I do get a landline (which I never used when I was with Optus Cable) that is chargeable for every call that I make and (I think) a certain percentage or dollar amount off as we have Optus mobile lines. I think we have $18/mth discount when we had Optus Cable and Optus mobile together but not sure if that still applies for NBN plans.

I am inclined to staying with Vodafone as I spent a few days mucking around with all my devices, routers and their Wifihub in order to get things going. I can save that $3.10/mth and not having to pay the Vodafone's modem penalty by spending a weekend mucking around my network again but then again another perspective would be paying that $3.10/mth for the 3G/4G internet continuity should an outage occurs. But then again … we do have a combined 50-60gb of mobile data shared between our household that we can use should an outage occur. Conflicting and contradicting views it seems …

Between the three, who would you have to go with?

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Comments

  • kahn on 03/12/2018 - 20:17
    +4

    I just blew my data cap downloading all that text.

  • cloudy on 03/12/2018 - 21:19

    As you said, everything with kogan is done via voda, so will be no different to going with voda but cheaper. And as every ozbargainer knows, $37 bucks is in hand is circa $60-$70 of goods (when you consider we get everything cheaper than others haha)

    • LurvinOZB on 03/12/2018 - 22:12

      true … but wouldnt the 3g/4g failsafe be an incentive?

      • cloudy on 03/12/2018 - 22:43

        paying $37 for what i would imagine to be maybe once or twice failsafe?

        I guess you should ask youserlf. How much per hour do you value your NBN? and ask yourself how many hours does $37 buy you? Then take a guess how many hours you might be down in a year(and will u be home to notice it?

        I'd say not not much, coz i can use mobile if my NBN is down for 2 hours eveery now and then. Up to you

        • LurvinOZB on 03/12/2018 - 23:10

          hmmm … i just spent yesterday and today resetting three TP Link routers and setting DDNS and static IPs and the NVR!

          Looks like this weekend I might see if Arris play well with the TP Link routers; bypassing the Wifihub

          Agree with the off chance of outages, not a deal breaker on the $37 (might lose my OZB licence for this remark), more bothered about the 3 years on the modem (locked in contracts are ughhh)

      • jimbobaus on 04/12/2018 - 08:32
        +1

        You loose the 4g back up if you bridge the device to another router.
        You can always unbridge if the net goes down though.

        • LurvinOZB on 04/12/2018 - 09:40

          Bridge? Altho I'm no network guru, pretty sure I did not bridge Wifihub to my router as there is no function on Wifihub that allows for bridge mode? And VF support said VF plans are on dynamic IPs and cant bridge.

          All the TP Link routers are connected as APs.

  • jimbobaus on 03/12/2018 - 22:31

    All three services use Optus for backend… so you will get same results no matter which of the 3 your choose (Kogan is a resold vodafone product)

    • LurvinOZB on 03/12/2018 - 23:12

      ahh … didnt know VF was on Optus backend. No wonder they insist I use Optus Melbourne as speed test server.

      Speed test thing doing my head in. Testmy.net spew out horrendous results. Speedtest.net gave impressive results based on Optus Melbourne server, whereas US servers are a sore to the eyes.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/12/2018 - 23:20
    -2

    Dudes, do you think Musk will actually bring free hi-speed internet globally, 2025ish?
    Not really worth finishing NBN, upgrading to 5G etc, if it's so.

    Be nice not to hear the words Vodafone, Optus, Telstra again. They won't be needed by most people.

  • follow on 04/12/2018 - 12:28

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/421922?page=1#comment-6676…

    Much better if you're able to get that

    • LurvinOZB on 04/12/2018 - 13:29

      I actually had quite a difficult time trying to grasp/ read and understand that post.

      So in summary: OP is paying $89/mth for 50/20 or 100/40(?), plus the slower 6/1 modem, a casual fee of $240 which is now negotiated to $66.27, local and mobile calls, a google mini that can be gotten for between $30-$40+? I am not sure what does TV2 means

      • If its 100/400 for $89, isnt it on par with VF?
      • There is an upfront of $60+ … if i am reading it correctly
      • If TV2 is really Foxtel (which I dont think so but i might be reading it wrongly), I already have netflix
      • Their modem speed is slower than VF
      • My mobile does the job of unlimited calls local and mobiles. Not sure when was the last time i use landline.
      • Google mini is essentially paid with the upfront
      • follow on 04/12/2018 - 13:41

        100/40
        No upfront fees (pretty sure)
        TTV 2 with Foxtel now
        Yes backup is only 6/1
        Google mini
        Calls, not needed in your case
        $89
        I'd say Telstra network is better.

  • LurvinOZB on 04/12/2018 - 15:55

    If so, its a pretty good deal (only because its Telstra). Two Telstra boxes with free Foxtel on a 100/40 with free calls and a Google Mini and 6/1 failsafe! Dang! I go pester Telstra chat now.

  • LurvinOZB on 04/12/2018 - 19:53

    Tried Telstra 4 times to no avail. Gonna try tomorrow and the day after before calling it quits.

    • cloudy on 06/12/2018 - 03:58

      I like your persistence!

      But if you have this much trouble trying to be their customer, maybe imagine what it’ll be like trying to get an issue fixed!!! Lol

      • LurvinOZB on 06/12/2018 - 09:40

        hahah true. i actually gotten one of the rep to agree but didnt go through with telstra. its a nightmare liaising with them, especially with their credit control.

        going with kogan

  • 4agte on 07/12/2018 - 09:24

    I asked a friend what I could get for saving $37. That didn't go down to well. Sorry I hoped to give you some advice.

  • follow on 17/12/2018 - 21:23

    who did you go with?

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