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| Thread ID: 70005 | 2006-06-19 05:21:00 | Broadband - what do I need? | Beemer (6956) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 464425 | 2006-06-19 05:21:00 | I've coped quite happily with dial-up for five years but after using broadband on a contract job recently, I realised it could make my life a lot easier! While Paradise is my ISP, I'm still with Telecom for my landline and tolls, so I'm guessing it would be cheaper and easier to go with them for broadband (especially if it's when they've got a free modem/connection deal on offer), but I don't really know what I need and I'm hoping someone will be able to help me. I don't play online games and I have never downloaded music or videos (apart from in emails people have sent me), but I am a photographer and it would be great to send photos via email more often - currently it's so slow I burn them onto a CD and post them! I see that Xtra has a 1GB flat rate plan ($39.95) that I think would probably be sufficient, but I'm not sure. I want more speed when downloading emails and opening websites but I have no idea what I would download (forgive my blondeness, but is opening a page on a website considered downloading or do I have do save something onto my hard drive for this to be a download?) in a given 28-day period. How do I find out? I have my landline phone number printed on my business cards so changing the number (if this has to be done to use an ISP other than Xtra) is not an option. Is Xtra okay? I had problems with them before, which is why I changed to Paradise, but I am getting desperate for a connection that doesn't take minutes for me to view each page! Any advice would be gratefully appreciated. This is - of course - assuming I can even get broadband in the first place - we live in the country and have trouble with our landline on a regular basis! |
Beemer (6956) | ||
| 464426 | 2006-06-19 05:29:00 | Click Here (jetstream.xtra.co.nz) and enter your phone number to see if you can get broadband. Trevor :) |
Trev (427) | ||
| 464427 | 2006-06-19 05:32:00 | You might be best to go with Xtra (Telecom) as they charge less if you have phone/tolls with them... more if you don't. They also have the 'free connection/router' deal going at the moment I think, but be aware that if you sign up there will be a penalty for early disconnection (usually less than 1 year)... so if you don't like them and go back to Paradise you'll pay. I've been with Xtra a while and no great problems, was with paradise in the old dial-up days and they were good. A 1gig plan sounds ok if you just want to send photos etc in e-mails. Yes they include upload and download in your monthly allowance, although some ISPs I believe have free downloads from NZ sites. Xtra have a usage meter page that you can log into to check your usage, not very accurate but gives you an idea of what you've used. Here's a page of ISPs and their plans if it helps : http://www.ispfind.co.nz/ PS your phone number for your business will not change whatever ISP you go with... you will still need the phone line and it is seperate- supplied by Telecom, not Xtra or Paradise |
Shortcircuit (1666) | ||
| 464428 | 2006-06-19 05:34:00 | You might also want to check out Slingshot. If your not doing anything too drastic then they offer 5gb (5x more) for the same price ($39.95). I have had tons of problems with xtra beforehand, so I moved to ihug. I'd recommend that you check ihug out too if your not too worried about the pricing. | greeny (2356) | ||
| 464429 | 2006-06-19 05:35:00 | Thanks Trevor, I'd already done that and it came up with a message to say that although broadband was in my area, it would depend on how far from the exchange we were so I had to enter in my contact details and someone would get back to me with an answer. Thanks Greeny and Shortcircuit. I don't know if Slingshot cover our area - we're 8kms north of Levin - and also would it mean changing my landline number and going with them for toll calls? Currently I pay $20 a month for 250 hours and I have never gone over that (but I did occasionally go over the 150 hours I had before!) but it's just the speed I'd like to rev up. Even a rough guide of what I use per week would give me an idea of whether 1GB would be enough - I'm pretty sure it would be. Edit - I just got an email back from Xtra to say that broadband is available, but (there's always a but!) "please note however, that your telephone line will not support the download speed of our fastest broadband plans, which are up to 50 times faster than dial-up. These plans are popular due to their large monthly data allowance so you are still welcome to choose them, but please be aware that if you do you will only be able to download at speeds up to 24 times faster than dial-up." So is it worth me getting broadband? I know dial-up is slow, but is the 24 times faster a minimum or a maximum? |
Beemer (6956) | ||
| 464430 | 2006-06-19 05:40:00 | Hi Beemer, Stay with xtra and get a spectacular improvement. Like you I have been on dial up for nearly 9 years, was getting cheesed off at the boring ,frustrating slow speed- I tried the $39.95 as you suggest, and with a matter of moments, finances aside, decided never to go back. xtra went out recently and I used my old dial up to send two e mails to contacts who would wonder why I had stopped- cost 46 cents. I went back to broadband as soon as I could and sure enough -that completed any doubt worries, as to whether it was worth it. :D . I know this forum has some very virulent critics of xtra, but that is not fair.I have had answers to any (of my making) problems, always answered well and nicely 1 gb will let me listen to online music as well as chat with msn,open up the web and use it - all at the same time-in other words using my computer in a new world. At this moment 19 days into the next month-690 mb used .- even after sending and receiving many photos, and movie "funnies" O K I would love a bit more but finances preclude that. Enjoy Broadband - it sure is worth it :D effie c |
effie c (6856) | ||
| 464431 | 2006-06-19 06:09:00 | It sounds pretty good Effie! I have contacted Xtra to ask a few questions (like how much is the wiring charge likely to be?) and will see how that pans out. I just dread leaving my contract job at the end of next week and going back to waiting (and waiting and waiting...) for each page to load and each email to be sent! Your usage sounds a bit like mine - if I had the speed I would probably do a lot more online. And not tying up the phone line will be bliss - although can I still take it off the hook so my mother-in-law thinks I'm working?!!! |
Beemer (6956) | ||
| 464432 | 2006-06-19 06:15:00 | Edit - I just got an email back from Xtra to say that broadband is available, but (there's always a but!) "please note however, that your telephone line will not support the download speed of our fastest broadband plans, which are up to 50 times faster than dial-up . So is it worth me getting broadband? I know dial-up is slow, but is the 24 times faster a minimum or a maximum? Hah, your phone line? More like their exchnage . . . . But yes, even if you get 256k its still better than dial up . Everything you do on the net counts toward data uage, viewing webpages etc etc . Most of that doesn't add up to much though so 1Gb should be OK . You can always change your plan to one with a higher cap later if you find you are using more . You shouldn't need any wiring charges either . |
pctek (84) | ||
| 464433 | 2006-06-19 06:15:00 | It is worth upgrading to ADSL and, as you have found, it is hard to go back to dialup once you have had a taste of it . The 1GB plan should be plenty for you as long as you don't start downloading movies, music and other large files . I have been on a 2GB plan since October last year and, thanks to a careless family member who got a bit carried away downloading large files, I went over my cap for the first time last week . It was rather painful being reduced back to 64KB/s speeds but fortunately it was only for a week . Normally 2GB is plenty and I download a lot of program and Windows updates for my work . Yes, opening a page on a website is considered downloading and ALL traffic is counted, both to and from your computer - even the "invisible" traffic going back and forth in the background whilst your computer is running . Sending and receiving emails is also part of the traffic counted . Regardless of which ISP you choose you will not lose your current phone number, even if you go with that ISP's tolls plan in exchange for a cheaper plan . It just means that Telecom will bill you for your phone and your ISP will bill you for your internet and tolls . Go for it . :cool: |
FoxyMX (5) | ||
| 464434 | 2006-06-19 06:23:00 | Thanks everyone, sounds like a goer then! | Beemer (6956) | ||
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