wondering what internet to buy ?

I agree about Westnet service, but you will not recieve WB out side of larger towns.....YET, I live about 90 K's from Darwin and it is not available here....YET.
The only service is Bigpond WB

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Yes, I believe WESTNET is the best Net

Service and ability to be able to communicate effectively is the key for new people and I can assure you that Westnet will be able to do anything telstra can and in words you will be able to understand too, spoken by a person born an bred locally with-out an accent that you don't understand.

If there is a waiting time they phone you back, so you don't have to wait on line, a real benefit when your on your mobile with no way of charging the battery and costing you 20c per 1/2 minute just to listen to a Telstra add telling you how good they are grrr.

Maîneÿ . . .

Ive been a big supporter of Westnet for many years now.

Westnet uses the Optus Network for their Wireless Broadband.

In my case - our town recently got Optus Mobile phone coverage, but this doesn't include Wireless Broadband coverage.
I made inquiries about other nearby town that have also received Optus coverage lately and they dont have Wireless Broadband coverage either.

Westnet Wireless Broadband is for not for W.A.'s north west. (Yet).

Geoff, I have the same as you, im currently on my second year. Go to the web site if you have not already they have a great bargain for 3g you can change over easily. My extension Velcro's to the lid of my lap top using the usb extension cable that came with the unit. We use to be with Westnet but when we started our nomadic life style the mobile units were not available at the time.
Now they have a small box that can run more than one wireless unit at the same time a bit like the ones in homes. Technology isn't it great. (small box) sorry I do not know the correct terminology.

Sharon

it all goes over the same 850 mhz network, unless you are talking about satelite service for Bigpond, which you should have mentioned.

As for speeds I have reached a peak of 6mbs per sec with average speeds of 2-3 mbs on prepaid.

how fast do you need?

They might have improved it over the 13 months since I tried it, and not only that the plan he was on would cost a fortune , and why for Pete's sake would I need to mention Satellite , they will be on the move travelling Australia. go read the rules.

•Separate dwellings on a single farming property,
•Retirement villages or nursing homes,
•A caravan permanently located in a caravan park or a boat (but only in a nominated home port and only when technology makes delivery of the service possible).
.

while I'm reading the rules, for this hypothetical slip, you go read the technical specs for the said product and realize you were advising the WRONG info and we will call it even, or you could just sook and run away from the forum and vow never to return AGAIN! hahahahahaha

Being wrong does bother you doesn't it

Have a nice Day Douggy

I don't know where you get the idea I was wrong, let me say 2 things, 1 I'm not afraid to admit when or if I'm wrong, it seems you don't know well, 2 the forum is is www. meaning it's a world wide web site that people all over the world can view , to set an example to those people the Forum is not the place to conduct a heated debate.

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WWW.................World Wide Wait if Telstra is involved

I value "everybody's" opinion thanks guys.
What a great help you have all been. Im am sooo looking forward to heading off really soon.
Take care and stay safe,
Ozmum (",)

We have just come back after traveling around australia for 14 mths. As far as the Telstra rural phone goes if their internet is as bad as their phone support then all I can say is I wish you luck.

We have got more results from our laptop with and (dont laugh ) when we got back we went up to geraldton and went with dodo for 20.00 for 60 days. On free parking sites we had no phone many times yet we had internet on the laptop.

So as far as that guy on telstra ad on TV saying that they have a 97% coverage around australia. That is all wrong. But that is my personal opinion only good luck. Eileen

I'm with you Kinswoodwagon, I have the Elite Gateway and it is the best way, especially if you have kids home schooling...,assuming you have more that one laptop.

My wife and I both play/research on our computers...no, not during the day.., and therefore the Turbo modem isn't any good for us. For those that are not sure of the differences, The Turbo Modem is a USB device that plugs into your computer and gets its power supply from the computer.

The Elite Gateway, is a stand alone modem, the same as your home modem except that it is wireless in and wireless out although you can hard wire to your computer if you wish. in my case it plugs into 240v either in the caravan or portable inverter when on 12v.

I might say however that I feel ripped off as I am paying $49.95/month on a year contract and have only had it for 3 weeks, so how did you get yours for $30/month..., I may go and complain. I don't want a 2 year contract as we are off overseas for 6 months or so when we get back from our trip around the block.

Don, have a look on Telstra web site. The new fees have not been in for long.
Cheers.

Sorry Don your correct.
Moving along now.

Don,

The plan I'm on is the $49.95 and there is a "BigPond Wireless Multiple Product Holding Benefit" discount of $10 and "BigPond Wireless Member Benefit" discount of $10. This for the whole 2 year contract.

I don't quite understand what those are but there to do with my Telstra mobile plan and a Telstra landline.

TO Morry H

Get your facts straight Telstra DONT say they cover 97% of the country

They say they cover 99% of the POPULATION

and as most of them live in about 10% of the area of the country is a totally different thing.

It could be your phone is a city model and wont pick up in fringe areas.

I have an Iphone and a Nokia 6120 and the Nokia will connect where the Iphone wont but the modem will as well

I have been travelling for 12 months and using a Telstra 5 gig plan for $89

Now they have prepaid for much cheaper I woiuld use that.

You can just buy a sim card and use it in whatever modem that takes it.

I use an old Bigpond home modem that has been unlocked and it beats the USB ones hands down.

People confuse the issue with references to Bigpond and Telstra.

Whilst they are the same company they are in competition with each other.

When you have a TELSTRA connection you connect automatically.

With a Bigpond acct you usually have to have a login name and a password.

Hence the different pricing which TELSTRA PREPAID has reduced from FEB 18th last..

Also a Telstra USB modem can be reused but a Bigpond one cant.

I have changed the sim cards in the one I had and it still connects.

However it was hopeless out of cities so I got the old Maxon one and all was good. Have lent it to friends who are on their trip and just changed Sims and away they went.

Graham,

The prepaid Telstra USB modem is not cheaper than Bigpond

Telstra 3Gb $60 and lasts 30 days
6Gb $100 and lasts 30 days

Bigpond 3Gb Plan $49.95 per month
6Gb plan $79.95 per month

And I seem to be always disagreeing with you but Telstra and Bigpond are one in the same. Just go on to their website (Telstra) and in one case, you go to Telstra prepaid wireless broadband, then click on the main Wireless Broadband link and you get taken straight to Bigpond Elite. Probably because Telstra don't market the full Elite Gateway and rely on USB modems for business and leave Bigpond to take up the domestic, if thats the word, market.

And the Elite comes in two forms, the Elite gateway and the Turbo Elite USB, both have faster download speed than the standard turbo modem and the Telstra USB pre paid. I had a Telstra prepaid USB but I found I was forever topping it up so gave that to my daughter.

I now have the Elite gateway and it is faster than my previous cable modem that I had at home. (cable in/wireless out) and certainly faster than a previous ADSL modem I had previously.

And I don't need a password to connect incidentally.

Firstly I did not say Telstra was cheaper than Bigpond

I said the Telstra Prepaid is now cheaper than what I was using.

Telstra wireless internet and Bigpond are NOT the same.

Whlist they do use the same network they are different entities.

You can buy Telstra wireless through the Telstra mobile section and they are data packs.

You can buy wireless internet through Bigpond which is different.

My account comes from Telstra and has nothing to do with Bigpond at all.

If you want to talk to someone about problems with TELSTRA wireless,

Bigpond cant help you I know, been there done that.

You have to talk to TELSTRA mobile support

When my friends went in to get a new sim card for my old modem we bought a TELSTRA sim NOT A BIGPOND one. We had the choice of either


When i was having trouble with my ZTE TELSTRA USB modem i took it to ZTE

in Melbourne and asked what was the difference between the Telstra and

Bigpond modems and the prepaid models.


The answer was that they have different firmware and will not work with each others sim cards.

Like wise my Maxon Bigpond home modem. It was locked to Bigpond and wouldnt work on Telstra so we hacked the software and now it works with any sim on any network.


It uses Minimax Connection Manager and the choice of connection is to Telstra internet or 2 different Telstra Data pack connections NO BIGPOND


So does that explain it for you.

Telstra as a compamy is big Dadday Bigpond and Telstra internet are cousins but related to Big Daddy

Why woulkd someone on a trip want a plan unless they are going to continue with exorbitant charges when the get home as to get Bigponds charges that you quote you generally have to sign up for two years.

I might be slow but Im not stupid

There are heaps better deals than anything Telstra can offer for home use.

Most for instance only charge for downloads

Telstra or Bigpond if you like charge for both up and down so effectively you get less for your money.

I must aplogise for the error I made above

It was BIGPOND prepaid which reduced their prices on 18th FEB

Telstra have also altered theirs but not as good as Bigpond.


Humblest apologies

You see that is the point. You can all go on about this plan and that but at the end of the day if you want access in the most remote places - mostly, you need a next G option. It may suck but that the point of Telstra. Bigpond get to use there nextwork and there will be additional deals with other providers soon.

Wireless selection here

Forgot to include the wirless selection area.