Broadband internet???

[TroyGFC]

I am thinking about pi$$ing off my dial up and home phone, do you need a telephone for broadband? Currently I am paying dodo $10 plus more for excess useage so it is costing me $23.90 a month and my home line (prepaid) about $15 a month (service fee and calls).
If I am to go buy a laptop, would wireless internet be best for me, in way of cost (less than $40/mth) or can you get satelite internet as I do want to disconnect my home phone and just use a mobile.
rEGARDS Troy

[zipzap]

I am thinking about pi$$ing off my dial up and home phone, do you need a telephone for broadband? Currently I am paying dodo $10 plus more for excess useage so it is costing me $23.90 a month and my home line (prepaid) about $15 a month (service fee and calls).
If I am to go buy a laptop, would wireless internet be best for me, in way of cost (less than $40/mth) or can you get satelite internet as I do want to disconnect my home phone and just use a mobile.
rEGARDS Troy

Gee I don't know the answers to many of those questions though Id assume you need at least a phone line, if not a phone, to get ADSL connection. Do we get satellite broadband in SA?

Either way, check out the Whirlpool forums which are a good source of info about broadband in Oz

[Wedgie]

Ive got wireless but actually use it more for transferring files between my pc and laptop rather than use the internet.
Only time I use the wireless internet is when Im hung over and don't want to leave the lounge.
The novelty wears off pretty quickly.

[Dissident]

Ive got wireless but actually use it more for transferring files between my pc and laptop rather than use the internet.
Only time I use the wireless internet is when Im hung over and don't want to leave the lounge.
The novelty wears off pretty quickly.

He might mean Wireless Internet though - not Wireless "in house".
You can get satellite access, for example, to your home.

For Troy - I'd say going to Internode, Adam, etc (I prefer 'node) and getting a basic broadband plan.
You do need a phone line BUT you can go on the basic telstra budget plan (although calls cost more).

[Wedgie]

He might mean Wireless Internet though - not Wireless "in house".
You can get satellite access, for example, to your home.

True, but I don't think its cost effective at this stage.

[TroyGFC]

At present I am on a pre=paid homeline phone, its about $12 per month but it does give me the $h!ts as when credit runs out I cant get on internet and I keep on trying until I finally decide to check phone account balance. I then have to go into a telstra shop to recharge, all that because I refuse to pay a monthly bill.
With ASDL ($) does it cost you a phone call to connect?
Also can you get pre-paid broadband?

[papcs]

does it cost you a phone call to connect? No it is free
Also can you get pre-paid broadband? No

[Wedgie]

Honestly, steer clear of Telstra, there's no excuse, even with their discounts for having mobiles and home lines with them studies have clearly shown you'll still lose out big time.

[RoosterMarty]

I have a question to ask and thought I would ask it here rather than start a new thread.
I have broadband and i'm with Internode and I have noticed my net speed hasn't been as fast as others, and lately it's been a bit slow and sometimes I've even been disconnected.

Is it a problem with my phone line? Modem maybe? My modem does seem a bit crap, would this affect speed much?

[Wedgie]

I have a question to ask and thought I would ask it here rather than start a new thread.
I have broadband and i'm with Internode and I have noticed my net speed hasn't been as fast as others, and lately it's been a bit slow and sometimes I've even been disconnected.

Is it a problem with my phone line? Modem maybe? My modem does seem a bit crap, would this affect speed much?

Probably your modem I'd say but it could also be your PC, Im attached to the worst and oldest exchange in SA and get awesome speeds.
Is it USB or ethernet?

[RoosterMarty]

My PC is a pretty decent speed, but I'm guessing maybe there are other things i could tweak on it.

It is USB.

[Psyber]

You do need a phone line to get anything but expensive and unreliable wireless ADSL, and the cheapest way to go is Telstra's basic $19.95 landline cost, if you don't make a lot of calls. I THINK if it is available in your area cable is possible without a phone line.

PC Authority did a review of ISPs based on two years of subscriber feed back in the January 07 issue - there had to be 100 subscriber reports to get on the list. Adelaide's own Internode averaged 6 out of 6. It got 5 for "Support". BigPuddle on the other hand averaged 2 out of 6 and 1 for "Satisfaction".

Rankings were;

1. Internode
2. Westnet
3. I think Netspace?

Primus and iiNet in the middle of the pack - Telstra bottom.

I just churned from iiNet's 512 Kbps 600MB download plan to Internode's 1500Kbps 10GB plan - my exchange can't deliver ADSL2+ yet.

[Psyber]

I have a question to ask and thought I would ask it here rather than start a new thread.
I have broadband and i'm with Internode and I have noticed my net speed hasn't been as fast as others, and lately it's been a bit slow and sometimes I've even been disconnected.

Is it a problem with my phone line? Modem maybe? My modem does seem a bit crap, would this affect speed much?

Probably your modem I'd say but it could also be your PC, Im attached to the worst and oldest exchange in SA and get awesome speeds.
Is it USB or ethernet?

Telstra's strategy is to let the copper cable rot in the ground in the hope that when it all fails the other ISPs will collapse and then it can run in fibre-optical cable from the nodes to houses and get exclusive use of it thus having a monopoly that lets them charge what they like. The deteriorated copper lines are a common cause of these problems. I managed to pressure Telstra to switch my phone to another line that worked better with a little help from my federal MP.

I also contacted the Minister concerned - Helen Coonan - via my federal MP, and one of her assistant's rang me back over the Telstra strategy described above. He agreed it was Telstra's agenda, but assured me that so long as the Libs are in charge Telstra will be obliged to let other ISPs access the fibre connection too when it replaces copper. Telstra are holding back hoping to force the government to back down, and/or that a change of federal government will let them get away with it.

[Wedgie]

My PC is a pretty decent speed, but I'm guessing maybe there are other things i could tweak on it.

It is USB.

Ethernet is a lot better and could make a difference.

[RoosterMarty]

Do I simply get an ethernet modem or is there something else i need to do? I am a bit clueless when it comes to modems etc.

[firstblood]

Do I simply get an ethernet modem or is there something else i need to do? I am a bit clueless when it comes to modems etc.

If you want to use broadband instead of dial up, you can use a broad band modem in 2 ways.
either through a usb cable or ethernet it should have the option of both..ethernet is better but you must have an ethernet card installed inside your'e pc. Hope that makes sense.

eg.. i'm with aapt and have a home / internet bundle account with them. i am paying $39 per month. i get adsl broadband which gives me 512k speed and 12,000 mb download per month.
If i use all my monthly limit there are no download fees but the speed reduces to 128kb. a free modem and no set up costs..also NO CONTRACT.

[Wedgie]

To tell if you have ethernet installed there should be a plug in the back that looks similar to a phone line in plug but a bit bigger.