Wireless connection

Why?

Bad customer service.
Over priced services.

If anyone wants to use wireless internet away from cities and in small country town, Telstra is the only way to go. I have had good customer service for Next G internet so far but poor customer service trying to get my ISDN removed. Must be two different companies

Just wait until Dec 08 - ISDN will die then anyway according to the letter we just received from Telstra. No wired broadband in our suburb in Adelaide so we will have to go wireless or back to dial up. And which is the only high speed wireless net in our area Telstra at $$$.

My work laptop has Vodafone wireless, $39 per month for 5Gb. It gets 3G or HSPDA in cities, GRPS at dial up speeds most other places. OK for email. I can get 3G at home if I park the paj at the top of the drive and sit up on the roof rack.

Grrrr

Pete

"park the paj at the top of the drive and sit up on the roof rack"

LOL Do you get room service up there :)))

Pete, surely you could get ADSL2? There is no way I want to pay Telstra extra to maintain a faulty ISDN system, even using just one of the two lines and no internet, I have had to reset the NT1 PlusII twice in the past two weeks.

3 gig download is RS at $109. Telstra extortion!

No room service at the top of the drive Al.


John, not even ADSL 2. The nearest exchange is 8 km away, and our line quality is appalling. We have been complaining since we moved in 8 years ago without success. Once we had ISDN we had similar issues with the NT1, needing to reset it once per week and it was good to see the sucker leave.

Oh for some competition in our area. We had a public meeting where Telstra sent a rep to talk to us. He explained that the reason Telstra was unwilling to improve the line quality was because it was commercially unviable because the ADSL take up in the area was so low. One very angry man explained to him in words of one syllable that the reason for that was because no one could get it!

We are now on the Telstra 3 gig $109 plan you mentioned.

Pete

Doug on one of the MSN Caravan forums they have some info on running the BP modems off of an 12v-6v converter to eliminate the need for an inverter.

Hi Doug. Why do you say Bigpond is the only choice. I'm prepared to bow to your clearly greater knowledge on this subject. I've not yet used wireless internet while travelling, but looking to get it set up for our next trip - commencing just before Easter if the Qld flood abate enough for us to head north.

I was planning on using a Telstra data pack. 200M I think for $59 per month or 1G for $89 per month. No contract necessary - just order it on a month to month basis as necessary. Our plan is to use our Next G phone as a modem, which saves the cost of buying a modem, or signing up for a 2 year contract to get one for 'free or subsidised'.

As I say, I've never done this, but I'm assured this works well. The casual purchase ability is a plus for us. We have cable broadband at home and travel for 5 or 6 months per year. I don't need the cost of long term plans at home and wireless as well. Plus my plan saves approx $300 in modem cost.

Do you have any knowledgle or experience with what I am planning? We will be using a Samsung A 412 phone with a patch lead to a 6db Broomstick antenna. Plan on starting with the 200M pack. If it seems to be not enough, we'll just move to the 1G pack for the following month.

Norm C

Norm
I say the only service for rural area's is Bigpond Because when I decide to something or buy something I do my homework, I live just 17Klm from the nearest reasonable town to the South and 35Klm to another North ,oh by the way thats road Ks and If there was another Internet provider ie Westnet to name one of the best in the country my url would end in *____ .westnet.com.au instead of bigpond.com,
About the Inverter I did if you read my answer say IF you had , of course if you did not have then yes your idea would be ideal but IF you had an inverter of course why would you waste money on an item not needed,
As for using a Next G phone as a modem , I am not clued up with that but would it not cost big bucks every time you connected, that I don't know,
I might also add that prior to me living where I am now I resided in Perth and I have used the modem/Inverter during travels all over WA at most towns to the North, basicly where ever I had Next G phone service I could use Internet wireless,, If I had any other than Telstra I would have left it at home because it would have been useless.
Got me buggered why I have to explain my self after every post or answer I do, I didn't sit around on my butt , I was doing in excess of 160,000 Ks per annum in WA,NT,SA,Qld,Vic,NSW, and I took notice of things and situations, which included phones,UHF CB's, GPS , HF Radio, always trying them here and there. Still trying this and that though.

.

Doug,
You want a medal or something---it seems you are the only one ever travelled Australia!

Rambler
No I don't want a bloody medal you fool, The fact is I did do a a lot of travelling during my Job, are ya jealious ,
Someone ask a question, I gave my opinion, so what.

There.... that should get you burred up.

.

Wow Doug. I was about to thank you for your response, and come back with a follow up question. Sounds like you've had a tough day, so I think I'll leave it for another time.

If your 'Got me buggered why I have to explain my self after every post or answer I do' comment was aimed at me - I have no idea why. I just commented on an idea I had and asked if you had any knowledge or experience with it (given your regular posts and experience with wireless broadband). I wasn't challenging anything you do or say - just seeking advice, which I though was why we are all here.

Anyway, your answer seems to be, no you don't have experience of knowledge with it, so I'll leave it at that.

Norm
No my comment wasn't directed at you, it seems a general practice on EO that if one answers a question you get shot down by someone else, not that I mind getting shot down providing I have my chute, It's a bit like Politics really eh, or worse still religion,
Your eyes must scanned what I wrote to fast, I didn't say I know nothing about wireless, I said using a phone as a modem , not tried it and have no need to,
What Pi$$es me off is when one posts about diff locks and then some clown butts in with LSD's, no comparison

We are not communicating very well tonight Doug. When I said "your answer seems to be, no you don't have experience of knowledge with it', I was referring to my plan to use Telstra broadband data packs with my phone as a modem.
Clearly you have experience with wireless broadband - I think you are using it right now. Just not with the way I currently plan to do it.
Thanks anyway,
Norm C

Norm
As 2 Queenslanders I thought we were communicating very well indeed, I'm sorta doin' 2 things at once , answering and watching TV ....LOL
Catch ya later

.

WOW good old Internet forums & PMS, you add a tid bit to hopefully help someone that may not have had the information only to get spat at.

Anyway for those that ARE interested
here is the link to running the BP "Toaster Modem" without using an inverter.
http://tinyurl.com/3yzwar

Mogul, it is often not even an issue of price. In most of Australia (geographically) it is Next G (well CDMA as well for the moment) or nothing. It is very expensive, but if you want broadband in remote areas, it is the only real choice. I fully understand Telstra's pricing policy. If I had a monolopy business, I'd be charging a healthy premium as well. As a Telstra shareholder, I'm happy. As a customer I'm not.

Norm C

Norm....as a Telstra share holder you should be really pi$$ed off with the way they run the company and the price of the shares.

Well yes Brew. But at least they have 5% odd fully franked div, and the price is above what I paid. But you have a good point. I'm particularly cranky about the massive salary and bonus the CEO and his senior managers get, when the company is not doing well. I'm happy to see big performance bonuses when the performance is there, but it is a long time since you could claim that of Telstra. Although it only adds up to a few 10s of millions in a massive company, it sets a very poor culture in the business with respect to performance.

Yes Norm the dividend is ok. Seems to have all gone pear shaped since the massive success of the T1 shares.............well those that sold them i mean.

Err Norm "It is very expensive, but if you want broadband in remote areas, it is the only real choice".
Trust me,she don't work in "remote" area's,even with an external antenna like i have.
Cheers Lyndon

travelbugs, the Vodafone cover area in Victoria is good if you live in Melbourne and don't go further than Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, the LaTrobe Valley, Lorne or the Mornington Peninsular. In the North, Shepparton or Albury

From Vodafone itself
Vodafone currently covers 96.36%* of the population throughout Victoria while 99.73% of the population is covered in Melbourne.

Important: While the highest standards have been applied in preparing these maps, 100% mapping accuracy cannot be guaranteed. In addition, coverage information is based on outdoor analysis and may differ when indoors. There may also be a number of factors beyond Vodafone's reasonable control that could cause coverage to vary within a stated area. For example, the age and type of handset, local weather conditions or areas of variable reception (e.g. basements, lifts, underground car parks, large concrete buildings, or road cuttings) may mean reception is unavailable or subject to interruption.

Don't expect to log in at Big Red anytime soon

Phil, do you use a modem, or your phone as a modem? Do you 'surf' on the phone, or via a lap top?
When you say :
'If you are going on a trip you have to remember to cancel the data pack when you get back, as you cannot buy just one. They stay on your account.'
I assume you mean when you activate the data packs, you will be charged for that pack every month until you cancel or change the plan? If so, I guess it is handy in one way - you don't have to remember to order a new pack every month. But as you say, you need to remember to cancel when you get back.

It is this flexibility that attracts me to it. For me, it is better than signing up for a two year plan, when I only need it for 5 or 6 months of the year.

I do the same as Phil on a $10/20mb plan which is fine for Emails and banking. As said does get expensive if you blow your monthly limit.
I use an LG TU500 NextG phone as a modem for the laptop.
Can't get online with 1 bar of reception but OK once you get to 3. Full signal is pretty good.

Thanks Phil. That's the sort of set up we are planning, only with the Samsung A412 phone. Your response gives me a bit more confidence with the plan
Norm C

Using your mobile as a modem is by far the most expensive way of connecting to the internet.
Also remember their claims of reaching 98% of the population dont mean much when you consider that the 98% live in less than 5% of the land area of the country. A smart marketing ploy to catch those who dont think it through.


Bigpond plans

. If your needs change, you can always change plans without
penalty.

Plans for Mobile Wireless Broadband

Speed1downstream/upstream Monthly Price Usage Allowance
3G Fast 256kbps/up to 128kbps $34.95 10 hours

Super G Fast 7.2 Mobile Card550kbps - 3.0Mbps/up to 1.3MbpsStandard Mobile Card and Built-In Devices
550kbps - 3.0Mbps/up to 384kbps $54.95 200MB

$84.95 1GB
$114.95 3GB


Telstra Plans

Mobile Broadband Data Packs summary
Monthly access fee Included eligible data allowance per month Excess usage charges Plan availability
Casual 24-month contract~
$5^ 5MB $1.00 N/A
$10^ 20MB $1.00 N/A
$29^ 80MB $1.00 N/A
$59~ 200MB $0.25
$89~ 1000MB $0.25
$119~ 3000MB $0.25

Pay-As-You-Go charges
GST incl.
Session fee 0¢
For each 1000KB sent or received in a particular session (charged per KB block) $2.00