We recently changed our Internet Service Provider to "Just Internet" because they offer internet connection for $100 per year with unlimited time and 500Mb/month free downloads.:thumb

BE WARNED!!! There was an option to use Just Internet as our phone line carrier, which we DID NOT select. After some rather expensive bills, we have discovered that Just Internet have indeed taken over as the carrier of our phone service. This means that we no longer have a capped rate for STD calls or any other deal that we had established with our previous carrier.

There are several other problems we have discovered, including server drop-outs that leave us disconnected after anything from 2 minutes to two hours. Unfortunately, its usually closer to two minutes, probably about 20-30 minutes on average.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT ANYBODY SIGN UP WITH "JUST INTERNET"!!!!

ooh sorry to hear about that. Thats scummy that is!

Telstra is pretty bad as well!

telstra sux

as does alot of other big names.

i've gone local & have had no probs even when i was sucking mp3s for weeks on end.

have alook at goconnect.com.au for a cheap reliable service

That is so bad!!!!

Some dodgy companies about for sure

Telstra used to be bad with drop out on their dial up connection but at least you got deals on STD calls etc. We made a lot of O/S and interstate calls and it would have killed us to pay full rate.

Use the internet a lot and no other vices really so I'm happy to pay for basic cable. You get a small $% off for number of services used with Optus.

When I was studying I used to go crazy waiting for stuff to load, it got slower as more people started using.

I use Optus Cable. Worked out cheaper than Primus dial up, with the kids dialing up the internet up to 25 times a day. If you are a heavy user (as this family is) Cable works out cheaper in the long run. Also frees up the phone line (so the kids can talk to their friends and go on the chats)
Was with IPrimus and the sevice was good.

Colin,

slamming is illegal here - if you've lost a plan but not consented to a change of carrier or plan, that's called slamming, and the telco can be done for it.

Complain to the TIO ombudsman here:
http://www.tio.com.au/

Also, you can change carriers at any time, or simply ring up the scuzzbuckets and threaten them with a TIO complaint.

Realistically, OptusNet have a local POP at Traralgon and Warragul. It's not $100 a year, but for $29.95 - $39.95, you will be on a capacity planned backbone, with 10 hour maximum before disconnect and unlimited hours (ie redial immediately) and unlimited downloads.

Their plans:
http://www.optus.net.au/Vign/ViewMgmt/display/0,2627,1033_28174-3_25747--View_311,00.html

Their POPs

http://www1.optusnet.com.au/helpdesk/pop.html

I've worked on the security of that infrastructure for three months, and I know how the guys run it (very well by very clueful Linux geeks).

Andrew

The problem was never with Telstra (in this case), it was about my ISP, not my phone lines. I have never tried Telstra as an ISP.

I wish I could get cable, but I can't.

The issue has been taken up with the ombudsman already, but thanks Andrew.

The problem is now fixed: Dodo, $69.95 for 3 months with unlimited time AND unlimited downloads (How much can I really download with a dial-up anyway?)

:thumb

3GB / month. I'm serious - that's why all the ADSL and cable plans limit you to that. Carriers think of how much a 28.8 kb/s modem can download flat chat for a month, and bill you that as a unit.

A 56 kb/s modem can download about 4.1 kB per second, so that's 246 kB per minute, 14,760 kB per hour, 354 MB per day, or around 10 GB per month. But people rarely if ever get it that high.

Andrew

my record is 6gig on dial up (ihug) but now I've got optus cable with a 3gig cap but I still managed 7gig last month..but it did take the whole month I'd recomend optus to anyone really, very good service. Apparently there dial up access also goes through there thick coax so you can be assured of a true 56k however after having cable there is no turning back.

Ok ' my ISP is itconnect, they have in the last couple of months been giving me a rated 57.6 kB on my 56 k modem ..cost 14.95 per month with a tiny add banner .
Unfortunately they have slowed their speed in last three weeks, now 48 k. Still good value.Qld Based.

We use Kooee which I think is fairly local servicing the Hunter, Central Coast and probably aways to the north a bit. They have been ok. No dropouts, reliable connection everytime, faster than other carriers of the past and only 24.95 for the month unlimited.

The minister of telecommunications is thinking of changing to Optusnet though as she now works for them flogging phones and its cheaper to have the moblie (optus) and home phone and the net all through the one. Optus is offering good local dial out (15c) and good net prices. The mobile rate still sucks as always so we have the optus for recieveing calls and ring out with as orange phone.

We would like cable eventually but for that you guys would have to be posting a lot faster cause here and the tech and club sites are the only ones I visit now. Sometimes I read the geocachings posts and visit webshots to refresh the desktop.

The Bronze.