wireless bigpond broadband

Eric

If you go wireless make sure you put a pass word on it. If not people with wireless bb will be able to use yours and down load off the net at your expense. They can be in their car 100mtrs away with a laptop.

My understanding is that bigpond does not have a password facility when you first get it. So, you need to get someone to do the job. It should cost about $50.

Regards Bob

Sorry!

Bob

Hi Eric,
I recently went through the exercise myself so I will be interested in comments. I got aroused after the ads on TV with 'I've been everywhere'.
When I visited the Telstra site, it looked like about $75 per month which quickly disaroused me.
Steve

Eric, I've got a mini-max thingy I use for the laptop when I'm away from home which is, I presume, the sort of thing you're looking at? Forgive me if I'm wrong!

It works off the CDMA network. Speed is broadband, or close, in the capital cities (I'm not sure if this is CBD only, or extends to suburbia . . . I've only ever noticed it in the city). Dial up speed elsewhere. I find it very expensive if surfing the net, so now I only use it for email. Used very sparingly!

I certainly wouldn't think of replacing my broadband with it - if you're in the city and can therefore get broadband speed over it, odds are you can get conventional broadband much cheaper.

Cheers,
John

I my opinion the wireless part is bleep e.Had the wireless set up for about 12 months.The wife needed it for her laptop so she could study in the bedroom, toilet, back garden etc....The dam thing slows every thing down which is typical for wireless systems.It drops out all the time depending on the weather.In all honesty I would get the 2 computers hard wired to one modem next time around. no drop out and loss of speed.And if you have a metal frame house or live in apartments forget it.Bring back carrier pigeons I say!
Niffty
Perth

EricMWA

Hi l have a wireless bigpond broadband PCMCIA card, and it works great.
We have just completed a trip across the paddock west to east and back and it worked good any town or site we camped that got CDMA I could get the internet and check out anything.

It,s a dial up system and is password protected, I would recommend it if you need (or want) access to the internet

Regards

Richard Kovac

p.s. it beats the 45.33 kps i have here in Bruce Rock tonight ( up to five times faster)

We got the bigpond Wireless Broadband on our laptop the other day, went for a trip to the country to try it out and it worked perfectly. Of course you have to be in the CDMA area, our daughter bought a minimax for her work, much more expensive though. Telstra have a deal on the wireless at the moment, $24.95 for the first twelve months and then $49.95 for the next twelve months on a 2 yr plan.
You have a choice if you want to go with time consumption, 10 or 20 hours or on volume which you have about 234 megs of download. We chose hours because it will work out cheaper for us with all the downloads that we do.
We are heading up North of WA on Sunday for a few weeks so will be using it then, will let you know how it goes but the trial we did the other day it seems like it is going to be great.

Cheers

D&B

I have used the service for a few months. Within mobile card coverage areas (1xEV-DO) Telstra suggest that broadband speeds are available. This may be so, probably about four or five times faster than 56kbps 'dial-up' modems.

Outside these areas described as Bigpond Wireless Broadband Mobile Card Only Coverage (CDMA1X) the speed is decidedly slower, probably closer to your standard 'dial-up' modem.

Coverage though is pretty good except for some of the smaller isolated towns where even a CDMA won't cut it. It worked for me in Central Australia, the Gulf of Carpentaria and Cape York.

Although slower than a good broadband connection it is quite usable for email, forum browsing and similar tasks but a burden in CDNA areas if serious surfing is your objective.

Been on Bigpond wireless 7 months 1GB month with 50% discount for $40 a month. Have PCMCIA card but mostly use phone with USB data cable and external marine type aerial. Travel all over Australia in the back blocks and no problems with coverage. Surprised at the places you get coverage. Speed would be 2X dialup as a minimum. With the big marine aerial find you get cover up to 100k from tower. Flogged the satellite phone as we never used it. Invest in decent CDMA only marine type aerial. Would recommend Bigpond wireless

Hi All,

Just watchout you don't invest too heavily in extra CDMA antennas and stuff because the network IS closing in 2008 according to Telstra.

For those of us (including myself) that have the CDMA data products like min-max modems and cards Telstra have published on thier site a bulletin that covers the transition to the new 3G network for data services and the fact that those of us on plans will get "Free Upgrade" equipment for the new network. Doubtless though they will want to put you on a new 24 month plan!

Go here and check out the link called "Telstra Mobile Broadband Migration: Frequently Asked Questions (35Kb DOC)" for more info.

Cheers
Muddy

Hello, we use bigpond wireless broadband (laptop card) and it is great. Very reliable, reasonably fast and ultra convenient. The CDMA connection applies outside of major areas and this can be slow, but it's better than nothing given the locations that this can be accessed. Yes it is not cheap but we have ditched the land line and just use mobiles. Works out cheaper that land line + broadband.