Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

[katydidthat]

Share your stories, your dramas, your complaints, comments and compliments.  

Recommendations welcome.  

Explanations even more welcome.  

[*crikey*mate*]

I'm still with T - they just finally put ADSL2 through to this area - no one else has enough coverage to reach here for some reason so I've had no choice but to stay with them and make do with what they provided.

But I don't have to deal with the broadband peeps now - it's all through T business.

[katydidthat]

Thanks, Crikey 🙂

[katydidthat]

Now, getting back to MY problems 😉 ... this is what I wrote in the other thread ...

Freaki, which aspects am I NOT confused about? 

What I want is unlimited downloads on the internet, 2 mobile phone connections, and maybe a home phone line which I think you need for ADSL.  NBN comes on here in May.  Not sure whether to wait for that or not.  Fed up with Dodo.  Don't understand about routers.  Need a connection where both my son and I can connect to the internet at the same time.  Want a net connection where my son can't use up the allowance and leave me disconnected.  And I want it all for about $100 a month.  Telstra does offer something  like this, but I don't know if I want to go back to Telstra.  Not going back to Vodafone, either.  

I looked at iinet, Dodo, Whirlpool, NBN and most of the other sites people have recommended, but none seem to offer exactly what I want, or they talk about things like BoB2TM or fetchTV and I just don't get it.  

[cueperkins]

Apparently Virgin have a prepaid deal on mobile phone for 29.00 per month where you get up to $500.00 free calls with no contract.  That would be fine for me, & I'm guessing they're on Optus towers = 3.5 kms (which is no guarantee of reception when the network is inadequate).  Internet wise their prepaid deals are much better than Telltales, but who knows.  I have a Yagi antenna on my roof and an Omni, so I guess I could try them out. 

Has anyone dealt with Virgin?  Are they a pain?  i.e. OS customer service is right out !!  it's it's it's....UnAustralian.

[mum*of*goldens]

For $120 a month with Westnet we get ADSL2 broadband which is unlimited downloads. [we have 1 desktop computer and 3 laptops that sometimes are going all at once, downloading TV shows etc]

That $120 also includes home phone rental, free local calls, $10 per month for each of the 2 mobile phones we have including over $300 worth of calls and texts, and a free protection pack for the internet which includes virus protection and an online vault.

Westnet are great, you always talk to an Aussie, and they are very helpful. After being with Telstra, Optus and TPG previously I have found Westnet much more efficient and excellent at customer service.

[katydidthat]

I used to have a problem with Virgin ... as in Richard Branson ... but he's become such a leftie recently 😉

You can get cheaper call plans on contract, but it depends how much you need to talk, and for how long, and to whom.  

One important thing I'd look at is whether you need to make a lot of calls to 13 or 1800 numbers because sometimes they are not free.  

[donnashuggy]

Is that wireless or ADSL Donna?  Contract involved? or pay as you go?

All I know is that it is a sim card that she hot spots from her phone to her laptop (she said they use the optus network), I will get the name for you when she gets back

[donnashuggy]

I used to have a problem with Virgin ... as in Richard Branson ... but he's become such a leftie recently 😉

You can get cheaper call plans on contract, but it depends how much you need to talk, and for how long, and to whom.  

One important thing I'd look at is whether you need to make a lot of calls to 13 or 1800 numbers because sometimes they are not free.  

You should look at http://www.amaysim.com.au/  that is what my kids are on

[cueperkins]

I have to say I'm becoming more and more a neo luddite because I'm over all the sales BS.  I don't currently use a mobile, because it's not reliable enough to replace the land line.  I have never texted because the keyboard was impossible to see or use for a touch typist. 

Personally I think this generation will end up with overuse of the thumbs.....lol.  The new QWERTY ones seem easier, but I'm not that interested in texting everyone.  It's a phone first & foremost & in my case, not even that.

Hey Mumofgoldens, I agree, customer service is my number one requirement followed by price.

[cueperkins]

All I know is that it is a sim card that she hot spots from her phone to her laptop (she said they use the optus network), I will get the name for you when she gets back

The fact that she's in Nimbin, resembles the same type of rural infrastructure we'd have where I live.  That's why I'm interested.