NBN Discussion

[Lynda2475]

Stable in the rain (would have dropped out if it were ADSL)
Waiting for lightning to see about the DPU resilience.

Was reading an article the other day re lightning strikes and subsequent power surges killing the nbn supplied FTTC modems repeatedly in Blue Mountains area - lets hooe the copper is in a better state where you are.

I cant fault Aussie Broadband, always recommend them. Im on HFC do dont have any of the weatehr problems I used to have with Naked DSL.

 

[DC3]

... I still have Telstra mobiles on the account. But otherwise good riddance Hellstra.

I moved from Telstra to Boost (same 4G network) about 12 months ago. Much better deal for my situation.

 

[Quickstatus]

Telstra to Boost

Exactly the same towers or only a proportion?

 

[DC3]

Exactly the same towers or only a proportion?

The same Telstra network. I’m only a light user, so 5GB of data and Oz calls/texts for $20pm does me. Mine is specified as 28 days, but using direct debit, it’s on the same day each month.

Edited

 

[Quickstatus]

The same Telstra network

I checked and apparently Boost uses the full telstra network except the 4GX network. the 4G network is capped at 100Mbps
However it appears that the plans are prepaid and no datasharing allowed.

Currently $285 for 5 mobiles for 340Gb with Hellstra
Usual data consumption 250Gb
Without datasharing resulting in higher plans for some of the phonesI estimate it would cost me $310 to ensure everyone has enough data.

 

[DC3]

I checked and apparently Boost uses the full telstra network except the 4GX network. the 4G network is capped at 100Mbps
However it appears that the plans are prepaid and no datasharing allowed.

Currently $285 for 5 mobiles for 340Gb with Hellstra
Usual data consumption 250Gb
Without datasharing resulting in higher plans for some of the phonesI estimate it would cost me $310 to ensure everyone has enough data.

Yes, horses for courses.

It’s that for my situation, I’m way ahead (half the cost for the same required service) so Telstra is no longer a contender.

 

[Quickstatus]

I’m way ahead

I wish for a simpler life but Im not sure if I can get to 5Gb data per month
I used to wish that Telstra would just make the customer interaction easier but Ive given up.
Got a letter from Telstra yesterday to advise that NBN is almost available.

 

[DC3]

I wish for a simpler life but Im not sure if I can get to 5Gb data per month
I used to wish that Telstra would just make the customer interaction easier but Ive given up.
Got a letter from Telstra yesterday to advise that NBN is almost available.

I have ABB for NBN at home. The mobile data is only for when when out and about and no need to download bigly.

 

[Quickstatus]

The mobile data is only for when when out

Yes same.
Im hoping that the overall mobile data usage will come down because used to have to use 4g at home when ADSL is down/bad. Now I dont.
Will see over the next few months how that pans out.

 

[DC3]

Yes same.
Im hoping that the overall mobile data usage will come down because used to have to use 4g at home when ADSL is down/bad. Now I dont.
Will see over the next few months how that pans out.

For over 20 years I was with Telstra for HFC internet and Foxtel, home phone and mobiles (2). The home phone is now gone. ABB for internet, Foxtel is satellite, and Boost Mobile.

I am now Telstra-free. It did wonders for my mind (and pocket).

 

[Quickstatus]

The home phone is now gone

I am debating whether to still use a home phone. Will have to be VOIP. In our area 4G is often poor and in the major storms after the bushfires the 4g was out of action for days due to widespread power blackouts which drained the tower backup generators. NBN improves things - so VOIP might be a good idea.
Except that our NBN fibre is aerial. Here is a picture of the aerial fibre - the fibre is at the top, the two cables under it are the legacy telstra copper.
Note the proximity of the pole to a large gum tree. Large tree (and it actually has a lean into the fibre), strong wind, fibre under it....
The smarter thing to do would have been to route the fibre on the other side of the tree touching it.

No underground conduits in my street. Not even gas or town sewer. So it is reasonable to go aerial. I'll wear that as I nearly got Fixed Wireless.
Only 700m to nearest FW property.

 

[Quickstatus]

lets hooe the copper is in a better state where you are.

I dont think the state of copper will have any bearing on DPU resilience. It is active electronics in the street with copper wires all over the place.
What better way for it to fry with some electromagnetic field due to a storm.

The FTTC NCD seems less resilient than the DPU. Will be adding the NCD to the list of equipment to disconnect in a storm

 

[TheRealTMA]

I am debating whether to still use a home phone. Will have to be VOIP. In our area 4G is often poor and in the major storms after the bushfires the 4g was out of action for days due to widespread power blackouts which drained the tower backup generators. NBN improves things - so VOIP might be a good idea.
Except that our NBN fibre is aerial. Here is a picture of the aerial fibre - the fibre is at the top, the two cables under it are the legacy telstra copper.
Note the proximity of the pole to a large gum tree. Large tree (and it actually has a lean into the fibre), strong wind, fibre under it....
The smarter thing to do would have been to route the fibre on the other side of the tree touching it.

No underground conduits in my street. Not even gas or town sewer. So it is reasonable to go aerial. I'll wear that as I nearly got Fixed Wireless.
Only 700m to nearest FW property.



View attachment 239502

Just get a VOIP service if you wish to keep the extra phone. $10 a month. easy.

 

[Quickstatus]

$10 a month.

At ABB, $0 for casual.
Just PAYG. Basically will be for 000 and if 4g not working. Landline calls are very rare

 

[TheRealTMA]

At ABB, $0 for casual.
Just PAYG. Basically will be for 000 and if 4g not working. Landline calls are very rare

Ok. Maybe misunderstood. My comment was for an extra second VOIP line. The first is ”free” with an NBN connection.

 

[marki]

This is what Superloop shows for my POI (Aussie has a very similar graph). My understanding was it they had a capacity restraint for both. So you're saying real utilisation should be the sum of those two and that the sum can't exceed 100%?

View attachment 235460
Looks like upload utilisation barely hits 5%. Seems like plenty of scope to offer more generous upload bandwidth without having to got for a 1000Mbps plan, which is not currently offered for HFC.

I would have thought either make the 250 plan have at least 40Mbps upload or at the very least, offer a second 250 plan with an uplink of more than 25Mbps. Bit like they have a 100/20 plan and for about $10/month more you can have a 100/40 plan.

Foxtel downgrade to 100/40 to 100/20 end of January with no compensation at all!

quote-
Hi Marki,

Your Foxtel Broadband’s current premium speed tier has a maximum download speed of 100 Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 40 Mbps, referred to as a 100/40 Mbps plan.

From 28 January 2021, you will be switched to a 100/20 Mbps plan, keeping the same powerful download speed, but with a maximum 20 Mbps upload speed.

We are making this change to better align with the rest of the Australian broadband market. There is no action required from your side.

We appreciate your understanding and will apply a $50 voucher to be used on your Foxtel account.* The credit will be automatically applied to your account on the 28 January 2021 and can be used at any time within the next 24 months on the Foxtel Store to rent a movie or Main Events.


Don’t understand why ? 50 dollar voucher seems not a great solution.
anyway I think it is time to move! ABB looking good.

 

[Quickstatus]

Foxtel downgrade to 100/40 to 100/20 end of January with no compensation at all!

ABB also downgraded similarly end of last year.
Basically RSP are on razor thin margins having to buy CVC

i note that peak evening speeds on the 100/20 and 100/40 plan is now 99 instead of 89
Did NBN over dimension the AVC so that customers are getting what they pay for?- they sell a 110 AVC as 100?

 

[Lynda2475]

Did NBN over dimension the AVC so that customers are getting what they pay for?- they sell a 110 AVC as 100?

Yes nbn essentially did this.

Aussie Broadband (ABB) do still sell 100/40 , you just need to go into the "Build Your Own" section, where they also have 75/20, 250/25 and home ultra fast (on fttp and hfc only where its basically whatever you can get up to

You will notice ABB now guarantee the full speed on 12/, 25/5, 50/20 and 100/20 plans, but on the 100/40 still on give typical 99.

 

[Quickstatus]

You will notice ABB now guarantee the full speed on 12/, 25/5, 50/20 and 100/20 plans, but on the 100/40 still on give typical 99.

I dont think they are guaranteeing speeds - rather they are quoting "typical" speeds.
50/20 below the typical speeds is the advertised.
100/20 and 100/40 it is 99
But interestingly 75 is only 66.

And interestingly not obvious what they are quoting for "typical" uploads

My sister said her HFC is now gigabit capable. However there the "guarantee" according to ABB is 215 but "typical" is 500-700
The 250/25 plan has a "typical" 248

 

[RAM]

I wish for a simpler life but Im not sure if I can get to 5Gb data per month
I used to wish that Telstra would just make the customer interaction easier but Ive given up.
Got a letter from Telstra yesterday to advise that NBN is almost available.

For mobile - another virtual provider using the Telstra network is Aldimobile - which much to my surprise have people who answer the phone, don't rely on scripts & (don't laugh) know what they're doing. At times you get their UK phone center which has much more experience under their belt & even provide answers/suggestions unprompted.

No sharing within family but unused data gets rolled over for some months & can change plans from month to month - not sure what it does to rollover data but suspect the worst.

Where we are despite being in Randwick - our location is a blackspot for Optus (0.1mbs speed!) as well as for Vodafone (around 1.0mbs) - so no choice but Telstra for mobile data use at home.
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Still think that one of the NBN's biggest design flaws is that any power cut means zero home communication if you don't have a mobile (around 15 to 20% of population I think it is but not seen an update for a few years.