Well in 7 days I'll be in my new place, and with that, will finally be able to do away with the evil that is Bigpond Cable! My new area is fully geared for Adsl2 and currently I'm toying with either Internode or iinet, primarily I'm checking out iinet's home 7 plan with voip (70gig peak/90gig offpeak). What I'm curious with is there phone/modem gadget "Bob". Does anyone have this set up and if so, what can you tell me about it. Is it reliable? Easy to set up? And what of iinet, how do they stand up? I'm an old internode customer from a few years ago and what I can remember they were pretty good. Any feedback you guys can provide would be appreciated.

Thanks!

isn't your topic sort of.... useless.

i woudlnt use any other isp: (ok, maybe inode)

i just get iinet with a phoneline though, dont do voiping;

depends what u want and need... personally i would go Internode with Naked as VoIP is fine for me i dont want to pay voice rental. Plus i download alot from usenet and all their unmetred sites...

I have iinet ADSL1 at home, use a Billion 7404 router running voip through a standard s***ty $50 panasonic cordless.

I have no problems with iinet, they got the best phone support, instantly through to an Aussie in seconds everytime.

VOIP works good, sometimes there's background static but it's never dropped out or failed to connect.

VOIP works good, sometimes there's background static but it's never dropped out or failed to connect.

That more the router doing the converting... however if you went out and bought Siemans C470IP phone you wouldnt have any issues..

I have used iinet for what seems like forever now, it could possibly be 10yrs?? I honestly can't remember having a problem in that time.

I'm with iinet naked adsl2+ and never had any problems. Aussie phone support but i've never had to call them anyway.

Only prob is with my voip, the people on the other end get a s***ty echo. I don't know how to fix this and whether or not it's an iinet or hardware issue.

Only prob is with my voip, the people on the other end get a s***ty echo. I don't know how to fix this and whether or not it's an iinet or hardware issue.

hardware issue.. what do you have???? if ya got billion which i guess u do try turning down the volume on the setup screen on ya router...

Been with iiNet for 8 years now. Only ever improves :)

iiNet tops, Internode tops - had both for extended periods, love both. And VOIP is the way to go, but easiest approach is connect normal landline, then get VOIP (which disconnects landline). Costs connection fee (~$60) but is a lot lot quicker than waiting for VOIP with no landline connected.

i woudlnt use any other isp: (ok, maybe inode)

i just get iinet with VOIP though, dont do landline;

i just get iinet with VOIP though, dont do landline;

They count upload on these plans, but the service is rock solid. I had some land line troubles (the actual copper) and their technicians were much better than the contractors from telstra (who had to access the pit).

Several of them spent far longer then they needed to trying to help me every way possible, which was kind of weird. The phone support varies between person to person i had called, but I did get very helpful replies. Give them a call for support, press a button for them to call you back, play video games, your call is in queue and they call you back when you're up.

If you have another internet service available (like mobile 3g) you can check call waiting times online.

Otherwise internet works as internet does. Pretty alright.

id just like to add that i was using iinet before any of you were

i was paying my iinet account at 17, how old were you?

(i'm just kidding)

brand spanking new iinet Bob Naked DSL 2 convert here.
had it on for about a week
i concur with all above
great service
easy to set up
noticed vast speed improvement straight away
have set up 2 x xbox 360, spare PC, and wifes laptop wireless from Bob - easy
using existing phone but am getting Bob phone as part of package (none in stock)
phone calls over VOIP are good
help line is above standard

all in all s***s on Telstra with rates and plans

so far i'm extremely happy and Bob looks pretty sexy to!

had iinet for about 5 years and loved it
never had a problem with them

then i moved out of home and got tpg ...... and it makes the baby jesus cry.

i wish i was still with iinet.

I've been on iinet for over 5 years now and they have been great. No plans on changing anytime soon.

I'm iiNet and they have been great. Been overcharged once or twice but a quick phone call fixed it both times no questions asked.

Well guys, I think you've all sold me. Just the feed back I was looking for!
Many thanks.

I didn't want to start a new thread considering this one was already here. (yes yes I've read whirlpool, but I still like asking here because I've been reading these forums for a good 8-9 years and respect SOME peoples opinions here:P)

But as of the weekend I've moved into an apartment in the city, and I'm looking at starting a new ADSL2+ contract from scratch. I'm less than 500m from the spring hill exchange so speeds shouldn't be an issue.

I'm considering going with TPG naked ADSL2+ the 50GB for $60/month, Don't need a home phone at all so naked makes sense. The iinet naked plans are a bit more expensive; 52GB $72/month but I've never really been with any ISP besides optus/bigpond/iinet so I was just wondering what you guys think for TPG vs iinet especially in the inner city?


Cheers

DONT DO IT!

Whilst there plans look generous there customer services is seriously lacking.
The offpeak times are lame and i find there service to slower and more unreliable then others... essentialy.. you get what you pay for.

Id gladly spend a bit more and be with iinet again...

I'm an internode fanboy. Decent plans, service and extras. No upload counting and they even have an iPhone app for checking usage and give you free premium newsgroups. I don't bother with p2p anymore premium newsgroups gets all my Linux isos at max speed.

My only complaint is their unintuitive website.

iiNet are s*** just ask AFACT......bunch of pirates!

<3 iiNets phone support, fkn uber.

Just be warned Tana, going from cable to ADSL is a huge pain in the ass, well at least it has been for me. Need filters, isolation tests, everything just f***s with the ADSL single and u gotta trouble shoot it all... Nothing like cable where it's pretty much plug and go.

hardware issue.. what do you have???? if ya got billion which i guess u do try turning down the volume on the setup screen on ya router...

Yep got a billion, will try your recommendation, thanks!

OK, my two bits, iiNet is an OK service provider, and the BoB box looks cool, also I haven't heard anything but good stuff about them. Then there is my personal experience, please take with grain of salt, last time I moved I asked that they provide my home line and ADSL2+. According to their website, and Whirlpool my area was under their ADSL2+ coverage, then the day before they were to hook up the internet they called to inform me that they were out of ADSL2 ports and they were going to place me on ADSL1, well I'm like WTF? How long would it be before ADSL2 came available, they couldn't give me a time frame. So I canceled there and then on the land line phone (that they were providing) and went with TPG.

Then a month later I get a huge $300 telephone bill, with no breakdown of calls. I called them up to get it and they said they couldn't provide it as I wasn't an ADSL customer, again WTF? I could view it online, as long as I logged into their website with my broadband account (which was canceled). Well needless to say I never got the call charge breakdown, nor did I get a refund, instead my wife called Telstra up and switched it over, Telstra told her that they'd bring the charges across from iiNet so we could pay it all off, considering Telstra provides iiNet's landlines anyway.

A couple of more months went by TPG's going good and Telstra, when I get a letter in the mail from Dunn and Bradstreet, we owed iiNet $170 for overdue telephone charges??? Calls to iiNet were fruitless, everyone in accounts said it's my fault for not paying as I could view the bill online and that I'd been emailed the bill numerous times (to an iiNet email address that no longer existed due to me canceling my ADSL).

TPG's been great, I'm on one of their super plans, 90GB per month, no peak periods, if I go over it only slows down to 256k, not 64, I pay a bit more of a premium, $90 per month, but it's worth it. If I have an issue I make a phone call and talk to someone up in Ryde, not overseas. Connection when I moved recently was fast, less than a week from where I lived to the new exchange.

I highly recommend TPG, but if you do go iiNet, go Naked ADSL, and see if they have a plan that doesn't have peak periods.

i was with iinet for 4 years, love the service, but when i moved back to an area that could get adsl2+ again, i have just signed up with TPG.

i did call iinet however, to see if they'd match the deal, because they rock, but they couldn't.

I'm considering going with TPG naked ADSL2+ the 50GB for $60/month,

here's a little cheat way. get the naked DSL VOIP plan, $60 for 40gb/40gb + voip calls. i don't even have a voip modem, i just use it because i get bumped to 80gb instead of 50gb for no charge :)

and TPG's naked DSL doesn't count uploads :)

Just be warned Tana, going from cable to ADSL is a huge pain in the ass, well at least it has been for me. Need filters, isolation tests, everything just f***s with the ADSL single and u gotta trouble shoot it all... Nothing like cable where it's pretty much plug and go.

heh that's been my experience so far too
I miss my bp cable

its not rocket science though and once its working, it works
also, its cheaper and you get more data

adsl* > anything telstra can offer (even their adsl product sux)

The problem with adsl is some of the copper lines have been untouched in 50 years, whereas your fiber cable was probably only layed out 10 when your street got foxtel.

Just accidentally damage the cable so that way telstra are forced to replace it.

ADSL s***s over cable for gaming with more than 2 players on the line. (unless you've unlocked your cable using an old surfboard modem with custom firmware which isn't exactly within your contractual rights, nor am i sure that hack even works anymore).

Internode + Pennytel + draytek = god mode.

Thanks heaps for the tip Erik, so just to be sure I don't need any special kind of modem (although I guess they're going to send me one when I sign up anyway)? I'm probably going to go with that.

If you are renting, buy your own modem and don't go on contract. They'll send you a modem if you go on a contract but i think they are probably 24month. If you have housemates its much better to have the ability to ditch it when you leave.

I'm getting a 6 month contract, it's like $150 set up fee but then i'm not too fussed about it, contracts not in my name, if I leave it's not on my head. I'm just selecting the plan & ordering it.

I just put in the the form to join Internode as my last attempt to switch from Bigpond ADSL 2+ to iinet failed :( Hopefully the churn works for Internode. Fingers crossed...

iiNet + iiTalk + Pennytel + Billion7404 = god mode plus full weapons (IDDQD & IDKFA)

I just put in the the form to join Internode as my last attempt to switch from Bigpond ADSL 2+ to iinet failed :( Hopefully the churn works for Internode. Fingers crossed...

Sorry to resurrect but just FYI, am now an Internode user and I must say I couldn't be happier. Their support is freaking awesome, very technically proficient, polite and most important of all patient. I had some problem yesterday of churning my new account from Bigpond to Internode (too long to explain) anyway, the dude was great even called my mobile so that I could use the ADSL phone line properly and even try to get me to use old ADSL modem to connect etc. Eventually there was nothing he could do, seem it was something had gone wrong with the churn itself.

So he logged a job with priority (so he said) and this morning, try to connect again and BAM all working perfectly. Well done Internode :)

Hopefully this is not a one off good experience thing. Sorry if this sounds like a whingepool post :)

Internode are the premium, but they weren't available with their own hardware on the exchange i was on. If i had to list the best to worst it would be internode - iinet - aapt business - tpg - optus - telstra.

But also following that is the costing/download models. internode you don't get a lot of download compraed to iinet or tpg but you get a lot more in quality of service and admins who spend a lot of time making sure their network works well for gaming on :)

I rate iiNet and Node equally. Both have advantages, disadvantages.

Huge iiNet advantage for me was streaming EPL.

Node advantage for me was uncounted uploads on Naked plan (although you can't get those plans anymore...)

games.on.net <-- awesome gamers
iinet <-- also awesome for gamers

They are much of a muchness. But yeah, I wouldn't go anywhere else.

I miss my bp cable

Wow this is the first time I think I've ever seen anyone miss being financially buggered by Telstra.....least they could offer a reach around for the price they charge.

Node advantage for me was uncounted uploads on Naked plan (although you can't get those plans anymore...)

Yeah I don't want naked phone line because I need the land line but their plans don't count upload anyway (unless I'm mistaken)

http://www.internode.on.net/residential/broadband/adsl/twoplus/features/

As for it being more premium and iiNet hey I was Bigpond customer, anything is cheaper! :)

nah, no special modem needed, just adsl2+ compliant. just means that i have the ability to use VOIP if i get another modem, but works out cheaper if i leave it as is

I saw a sign today claiming AAPT has unlimited d/l from 8pm to 8am.

Also Optus Cable has 60gb plans now.

but their plans don't count upload anyway

Correct, I'm on Naked with node and uploads definitely don't count.

Maybe he was referring to the Optus wholesale plans not being available anymore.

I saw a sign today claiming AAPT has unlimited d/l from 8pm to 8am.

NEVER go AAPT, ever, end of story.

f***ing douchebags, you get connected directly to india, the support people lie directly to you and simply refuse to ever put you onto the manager... that's what you're looking at.

Piece of s*** company.