# Who's your ISP and what plan are you on?



## weatherbill (13 June 2010)

I was wondering what internet service is everyone using for live market feeds.

Ide like to find the best service, but not too expensive or limited to small GB usage


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## GumbyLearner (13 June 2010)

*Re: What's everyone using for Internet live market feed?*



weatherbill said:


> I was wondering what internet service is everyone using for live market feeds.
> 
> Ide like to find the best service, but not too expensive or limited to small GB usage




I use the normal feed. How about you? What do you use? A delayed feed??


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## Timmy (13 June 2010)

*Re: What's everyone using for Internet live market feed?*

DTN IQ

http://www.dtniq.com/


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## weatherbill (13 June 2010)

*Re: What's everyone using for Internet live market feed?*

No, I was referring to basic high speed internet service.

Who is your provider and what plan are you on???


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## nulla nulla (13 June 2010)

Big Pond ADSL 2/2+ (25gig $49.95pm). 7500 download speed and 865 upload speed. Too far from the exchange (2.2 klms) to get the possible 20,000+ download speed of ADSL 2+.


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## newbie trader (13 June 2010)

Optus 7gb on peak 7gb off peak 46kbps...


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## Timmy (13 June 2010)

Sorry WBill, I misunderstood.  I can recommend TPG or iPrimus.  TPG offer some very good plans, great value.  iPrimus not quite so good, but still OK.  Tech support from TPG is OK, from iPrimus its great. 

I have been on different plans with both providers, ADSL and ADSL2/+ .... depending on service availability etc., all good.


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## RazzaDazzla (13 June 2010)

AS an IT boffin, I can not strongly enough recommend making use of Naked DSL.

Effectively, you give Telstra/Optus the heave ho for line rental and you pay ~$50/month for very generous data allowances. 
As you don't have a standard telephone line you don't pay line rental.

So you have a physical copper line coming into your property, but there is no PSTN telephone (dialtone) signal on the line, just an ADSL signal.

You then get an all in one modem/router/VoIP ATA for ~$200. 
Phone line plugs into this device, then your PCs connect to this device either via network cable or wirelessly.

A standard telephone, or cordless phone then plugs in to this device too. This device then allows you to make VoIP calls using your standard every day phone. You can even 'port' your existing telephone number to your new VoIP provider.

VoIP calls to any landline in Australia (excluding 13, 1300, 1800 etc) is generally $0.05 untimed! Calls to mobiles are about $0.20/minute.

Benefits, cheap, cheap cheap cheap!

negatives, power failure and you have no telephone access as the router/ata won't be powered on to convert VoIP to PSTN and vice versa. You also need a little bit of technical understanding to comprehend how this all works and to rectify any issues.

I have set my parents up with a similar service, albeit there not naked yet. So any calls that they receive come via the PSTN line. When they dial out, the ATA device is programmed to send out bound calls via VoIP to save them $. If for some reason the VoIP fails or power failure, then all calls will default to using the PSTN.

For any technical queries and in particular an ISP comparison there is nothing better out there than Whirlpool!(http://whirlpool.net.au/)

If anyone has any questions, fire them my way! 

Raz


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## boofhead (13 June 2010)

I use Internode's 100 GB Fast plan.

Have you looked at Whirpool's Broadband Choice plan search tool?


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## $20shoes (13 June 2010)

If you can get yourself onto an Internode Agile DSLAM port that's probably as good as it gets. 

That is, unless we all want to move Smithton in Nor-West Tasmania - Internode are offering dirt cheap fibre-to-the-home there...so envious (NB - they are not the only providor offering this - it is part of a trial for the National Broadband Network)


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## Boggo (13 June 2010)

$20shoes said:


> If you can get yourself onto an Internode Agile DSLAM port that's probably as good as it gets.




I agree, my results on Internode Agile below.
I also have VOIP phone hooked up to the modem, 18c interstate calls etc, excellent.

On the 30 gig plan for $49.95 p/m.

(click to expand)


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## Kryzz (13 June 2010)

+ 1 for Internode also, currently with the SOHO connection, unlimited downloads too, rarely drops out, when it does though can be down for a while.


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## ers_6 (13 June 2010)

Boggo said:


> I agree, my results on Internode Agile below.
> I also have VOIP phone hooked up to the modem, 18c interstate calls etc, excellent.
> 
> On the 30 gig plan for $49.95 p/m.
> ...




Boggo, seems to be pretty good!
Im moving to adelaide in a week and looking at ISP options, this seems to be something worth exploring. 
Any drawbacks?
How is it for an IT idiot like me to setup?


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## Boggo (13 June 2010)

ers_6 said:


> Boggo, seems to be pretty good!
> Im moving to adelaide in a week and looking at ISP options, this seems to be something worth exploring.
> Any drawbacks?
> How is it for an IT idiot like me to setup?




Shouldn't be any issues, I bought the Billion modem from Internode, they set it up with VOIP and a number that you can select from a list, then you just plug it in and go.

After your initial setup my understanding is that you will be the Telstra hardware at the exchange until they switch you over to their Agile hardware/software, usually in less than a week, that's when the speed kicks in.

Their site is very helpful...
http://www.internode.on.net/residential/broadband/adsl/easy_broadband/features/


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## RazzaDazzla (14 June 2010)

Naked DSL with Exetel, no complaints.


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## Bill M (14 June 2010)

RazzaDazzla said:


> AS an IT boffin, I can not strongly enough recommend making use of Naked DSL.
> 
> Effectively, you give Telstra/Optus the heave ho for line rental and you pay ~$50/month for very generous data allowances.




I agree with Razza here. When I was in Sydney I used naked DSL with iinet, got more than enough gigs for $49.90 p/m. Did not need the landline and used VOIP with my connection and was clear as a bell.

Now I moved up to the Central Coast, no ADSL ports available to me here so I had to go on the Telstra Next G wireless network. 3 gigs for $49.90, not bad for me as I don't download music or movies. Rarely goes down and is good value. 

I also use the Vodaphone high speed wireless network on my laptop. I buy pre paid for that and pay $150 for 12 gigs and you got 12 Months to use it, very handy when you are travelling or moving about a lot, also a good service.


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## nulla nulla (14 June 2010)

I suspect your speed results can be influenced by the server you are connected, trying to download from as well as upload to.


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## gav (14 June 2010)

TPG Naked ADSL 2, 130GB per month for $60.


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## pixel (14 June 2010)

Bill M said:


> I agree with Razza here. When I was in Sydney I used naked DSL with iinet, got more than enough gigs for $49.90 p/m. Did not need the landline and used VOIP with my connection and was clear as a bell.
> 
> Now I moved up to the Central Coast, no ADSL ports available to me here so I had to go on the Telstra Next G wireless network. 3 gigs for $49.90, not bad for me as I don't download music or movies. Rarely goes down and is good value.
> 
> I also use the Vodaphone high speed wireless network on my laptop. I buy pre paid for that and pay $150 for 12 gigs and you got 12 Months to use it, very handy when you are travelling or moving about a lot, also a good service.




I can get ADSL2+, although the distance from my exchange makes it "borderline". After the big storm in March, our landline was RS for 10 days (cable tunnel got flooded.) That's when I "discovered" the Vodafone wireless BB - also prepaid, $19/Gig. 
The landline setup with AAPT LiveNet 40 - Unlimited still meets my needs ($50 for 40GB a month), and since Telstra replaced the flooded cable by fibre, I get speeds well above 2Mbps. 
I only experience the occasional drop of QoS at some late hours; during the day, it's usually around 40-50%, but late at night it may drop below 10%, coinciding with really low speeds as well. Possibly some neighbours watching blue movies, now that SBS has replaced theirs by FIFA Cup broadcasts?


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## JimmyJimbo (14 June 2010)

Razza + those with VOIP,

How is the quality? ie: does it sound exactly like a "normal" telephone?

When I think of VOIP, I think of the sound of the Indian Telemarketers, or when you call some of the Share Registries in OZ, and when no one is speaking it "cuts out" until some starts talking again.


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## DB008 (15 June 2010)

Telstra Bigpond ADSL2+
I think that it's a 50gb per month plan. About $100 per month, l think from memory.
The result below, is about the quickest l've ever seen it at my place. Varies a lot though. I did the test 5 minutes later, twice, and it went from 49mb/s to 37mb/s and 19mb/s.


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## Wysiwyg (15 June 2010)

DB008 said:


> Telstra Bigpond ADSL2+
> I think that it's a 50gb per month plan.



Mate are you sure that speed is right? Like that is instant type of speed. LOL.


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## DB008 (15 June 2010)

Yes l am sure. I did not photoshop it.
Like l said though, it does drop down when there is heavy usage.
It's a good speed, but honestly, l don't use it to it's full potential. All l do is check e-mail and shares.


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## nulla nulla (15 June 2010)

DB008 said:


> Telstra Bigpond ADSL2+
> I think that it's a 50gb per month plan. About $100 per month, l think from memory.
> The result below, is about the quickest l've ever seen it at my place. Varies a lot though. I did the test 5 minutes later, twice, and it went from 49mb/s to 37mb/s and 19mb/s.






DB008 said:


> Yes l am sure. I did not photoshop it.
> Like l said though, it does drop down when there is heavy usage.
> It's a good speed, but honestly, l don't use it to it's full potential. All l do is check e-mail and shares.




You must be living right on top of the telstra exchange. Interesting that the upload speeds were still under 1 megabyte.


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## nulla nulla (15 June 2010)

DB008 said:


> Telstra Bigpond ADSL2+
> I think that it's a 50gb per month plan. About $100 per month, l think from memory.
> The result below, is about the quickest l've ever seen it at my place. Varies a lot though. I did the test 5 minutes later, twice, and it went from 49mb/s to 37mb/s and 19mb/s.




Your proximity to the telstra exchange must be close and the quality of the copper inbetween your place and the exchange must be excellent. As a matter of interest, what modem/router are you using?


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## gav (15 June 2010)

Far out, and I thought my internet was fast! (17MB to 19MB)  I live about 500 metres from the exchange.


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## DB008 (15 June 2010)

Don't know where the exchange is, must be close by the sounds of it.

Standard Telstra Modem. Came in the mail. Thomson Gateway something?
Interestingly though, the copper line from the street to the house is very bad. When l make a phone call, l can hear cracking noises in the handset, that's how bad it is. Telstra won't fix it and when l had Optus before, they said it was Telstra copper line, they should fix it. Talk about passing the buck.


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## Julia (24 November 2010)

I'm completely fed up with Westnet.  They continually advertise that they are vcted No. 1 for customer service.  There's an easy explanation why:
if you have a problem which is solved over the phone then they send you out a customer feedback form where you tick that all is good.

But if they are unable to help (I've just spent an hour on the phone with them because of pages taking more than two minutes to load and they have no idea why, but put me through a heap of 'troubleshooting ' all of which made no difference at all), then you don't receive one of these feedback forms.

So they guarantee that all the 'feedback' they receive is positive.  What a con.

Can anyone recommend an ISP who is able to provide good, consistent connections?


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## drsmith (24 November 2010)

I got 10.44mb/sec (Iinet ADSL2+), about 1km from the exchange.


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## derty (25 November 2010)

I used to be with Westnet quite a while ago and they were great, though I believe they have slipped a bit since then. I now use Internode and have had not problems with them at all. My exposure to their customer service has been excellent to date. 

Have a look at the whirlpool site for a good comparison of ISP providers and also each ISP has a forum where you can see some of the issues that customers are having. http://bc.whirlpool.net.au/


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## Boggo (25 November 2010)

I have used Internode for over four years now and seldom if ever have any issues, I would have no hesitation in recommending them.

I am on the 30 gig $49.95 plan
http://www.internode.on.net/residential/broadband/adsl/extreme/

Included in that is the nodephone voip with up to $10 of free calls
http://www.internode.on.net/residential/home_phone/nodephone/call_rates/

I did purchase a Billion wireless modem from them which they had configured so all I had to do was plug it in and attach a $19.95 cheapie phone from Dick Smith and I make cheap calls worldwide.
http://www.internode.on.net/residential/home_phone/nodephone/hardware/


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## drsmith (25 November 2010)

JimmyJimbo said:


> Razza + those with VOIP,
> 
> How is the quality? ie: does it sound exactly like a "normal" telephone?
> 
> When I think of VOIP, I think of the sound of the Indian Telemarketers, or when you call some of the Share Registries in OZ, and when no one is speaking it "cuts out" until some starts talking again.



I purchased a Linksys VOIP thing-a-me that connets to a 4-port router and subscribed to Iinet's $10pm VOIP talkpack. Calls take longer to dial than landline and occasionally there are issues at the other end such as voice loudness (my voice is too quiet) and echo which I have not yet been able to isolate.

It does not inspire me to turf the landline quiet yet.


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## son of baglimit (25 November 2010)

Boggo said:


> I have used Internode for over four years now and seldom if ever have any issues, I would have no hesitation in recommending them.
> 
> I am on the 30 gig $49.95 plan
> http://www.internode.on.net/residential/broadband/adsl/extreme/
> ...




im with internode and agree, cannot complain. apparently run by a tech head who empathises with users so does his best to maintain quality first.

i used the whirlpool forums to help decide - users telling everyone their thoughts.


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## 56gsa (25 November 2010)

Iinet naked DSL 50GB/50GB (peak/non-peak) 69.95 / month free calls on VOIP (BOB) within Oz 

liked the customer service so much after moving from Telstra i bought some shares (@2.20 sold at $3 which paid my bills for a couple of years!)






500 metres from exchange


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## nulla nulla (25 November 2010)

DB008 said:


> Telstra Bigpond ADSL2+
> I think that it's a 50gb per month plan. About $100 per month, l think from memory.
> The result below, is about the quickest l've ever seen it at my place. Varies a lot though. I did the test 5 minutes later, twice, and it went from 49mb/s to 37mb/s and 19mb/s.




Kind of odd that the ISP rating is still only 2.5 stars with a speed of 49 download and .8 upload. My speed is still arround 7.5 download and .8 upload and the star rating is also 2.5.


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## DB008 (28 November 2010)

Moved to Sydney a few months ago.

Oldies have been using Internode for years and never had a problem. Ever.
From memory, on a 50gb plan with VoiP, for $50. SOHO plan maybe? Uploads don't count either.

Speed test is below. (wireless to my laptop)







As l said in a previous post, you can do the test 5 minutes later and get totally different results due to how many users are on the bandwidth at the time.

Nulla, more stars on this rating. Strange if l don't say so myself.


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## pixel (28 November 2010)

You guys don't know how lucky you are.
I'm on ADSL2+ over copper, nominally with AAPT, but the exchange only has iiNet or iPrimus gear I'm told. So it must be on-sold. Quite reliable, can't complain (touch wood). Last breakdown was in March after the big storm, when all cable channels drowned and our suburb was left powerless for 2 days, phone-less for nearly 2 weeks. Couldn't even blame Telstra for that one.






Still, for my purposes: trading and watching the odd youtube vid, it's sufficient. Up to $50 worth of calls around the world, line rental, 40GB downloads, free uploads: $99/month


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## Logique (28 November 2010)

At the risk of seeming a complete innocent, 
how do you do that impressive speed test, is it as simple as browsing to speedtest.net and following the instructions? Have just gone to ADSL2+ (Telstra) and would like to test the speed.


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## Julia (28 November 2010)

Re my earlier question and following about ten days of minimal connection success, problem was finally diagnosed as unstable modem.  New one now in, and all is well, thank heaven.

To paraphrase Mr Rumsfeld, 'we don't know what we don't know'.


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## newbie trader (28 November 2010)

Have recently upgraded our net. To get anything over the 64kbps we were getting with optus we had to change to Telstra (and pay significantly more money). We now get 100gb of cable a month.

We get about 10mbps with wireless and 20-30mbps wired. Upload is about 1.1-1.3.


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## derty (28 November 2010)

Julia said:


> Re my earlier question and following about ten days of minimal connection success, problem was finally diagnosed as unstable modem.  New one now in, and all is well, thank heaven.
> 
> To paraphrase Mr Rumsfeld, 'we don't know what we don't know'.



Good to hear they finally problem solved your issue Julia. 

99.9% of the time all is fine. However, when issues arise we are usually at the mercy of the ISP and good and courteous tech support are worth their weight in gold.


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## pixel (28 November 2010)

Logique said:


> At the risk of seeming a complete innocent,
> how do you do that impressive speed test, is it as simple as browsing to speedtest.net and following the instructions? Have just gone to ADSL2+ (Telstra) and would like to test the speed.




That's exactly how I did it, Logique 

I also have a few others I'll run from time to time, bookmarked for easy access:

the frog: http://internetfrog.com/mypc/speedtest/
MacAfee: http://us.mcafee.com/root/speedometer.asp?cid=9438
Time Warner: http://speedtest.nyc.rr.com/
and the one below: http://www.speedtest.net/

And for all things Technical, I'm subscribed to the Whirlpool Forums. It's free:
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/


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## Logique (29 November 2010)

Awesome, many thanks Pixel.


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