Downgrading from cable to ADSL2+

I am moving house and I have a Scientific Atlanta cable modem which combines phone and internet. The new provider, Netspace (iinet), which uses Tel$tra infrastructure can't provide cable. Indeed, as the area is a new estate, Tel$tra have locked everyone else out such that only Tel$tra resellers can provide services.

According to heat maps in the area, I am going to drop from 18,000 mbps (2.4Mbps), to around 1.0mbps (125Kbps), for the same price...

They want me to use a thing called a BoB. What is that?

I would prefer to supply my own modem. Does that mean I have to get something that does ADSL2+ and phone in one box? The sales guy I spoke with was pretty clueless.

Any suggestions on a good modem?

Can I keep my existing DIR-655 router too?

Does anyone know if I have to install any software with Netspace on every computer that wants to access the internet?

Do I have to install a line filter? For something of good quality, would would I expect to pay?

If I have a wireless phone system will there be any issues with the internet as a result of using a 6 handset wireless phone system?

thanks
Tanya

Tanya,
As a fellow Australian in the grips of Telstra & the resultant inefficiency you have my sympathy.

Re Netspace / Iinet & the questions you have asked here....
From personal experience Iinet support is excellent.
I would suggest you address these questions to them.
They will be better able to tell you exactly what is required.

Phone Man said:

You should check with your new ISP and see what modems they support or recommend. DSL is different from cable as the service is over a phone line. The phone line plugs into the modem and then you use a filter on another phone jack to plug in you phone. Your wireless phone system will work fine just plug the base station into the filter and the filter into a phone jack. You can then plug your router into the lan port of the modem and you should be ready to go. The only time additional software is need is when the modem has a usb port and you want to plug the modem into a usb port on you pc but not needed when using the lan port.

Jim

Thanks for the info.

The phone line plugs into the modem and then you use a filter on another phone jack to plug in you phone

So I don't plug the filter into the wall socket and the modem and phone both into the filter?


ISPs seem to push specific brands. I have contacted so many ISPs in the last few days I forget who reccomended what, but I do remember reading reviews on iiNets reccommendation and it was a pretty poor modem.

Since I can connect the router to my modem, I dont need wireless, and any security (right???) Since my router will take care of that as it has done in the past

So, something that syncs well, has good reliability and performance, and a long warranty. I'll ask iiNet again, but anyone have any of their own reccommendations?

I gather that if I want to use my existing router I am going to need a modem that supports bridging?

Any good or bad experiences?

thanks

WEll, it looks like, after several days of research, about 50 phone calls and alot of frustration that answer is going to be a DSL-526B ADSL modem, which will connect to my DIR-655 for the routing and security.

And going from 2.4MBps to 100KBps. Gosh Australia is the lucky country!!! Such advanced Internet services

Have you checked for any wireless services in your area? A wireless provider I was formerly with was getting me 3Mbps. Still a big drop in speeds from what you were dealing with, but still bearable.

electrotune1200 said:

Have you checked for any wireless services in your area? A wireless provider I was formerly with was getting me 3Mbps. Still a big drop in speeds from what you were dealing with, but still bearable.

Hi, I'm finally back online.

No, I haven't checked wireless services. I'll look into that next week.

I have moved to a new estate. Tel$tra claim that the land developers only requested phone line technology be installed in the estate so the estate runs on a pair gain system.

This means I could only get ADSL 1. 1536/256. I feel like I'm back in the stone age.

Have gone from 19400 Mbps to 1500 Mbps. In reality, around 100 - 120KBps. Around 4% of the speed I used to have before, with half the download allowance for 20% more $$ than the previous location.

I think Australia must have the worst Internet services in the world

As usual, Tel$tra could not meet their own SLA's in terms of provisioniong of the new service.

Have a D-LINK DSL-526B, which I'm about to attempt to set up as a full bridge to my existing DIR-655. I pray it doesn't slow things down any more.

Optus were unable to provide any services in the new estate. They claim that Tel$tra have blocked them out of the estate.

Join the club of "Deprived Ones."
Telstra & pair gain ugh!
I know all about it.

Man, I feel sorry for you guys. I run ADSL thru Telus Communications and I have a 15Mbps connection. Speed tests actually confirm me at around 11 Mbps download. (Megabits)

Upload is about 400 Kbps (Kilobits)

Translated into megabyte speeds thru uTorrent or similar, about 1.3 MB/sec download and 60 KB/sec upload

I am actually pretty happy with it. Hopefully they don't hit me with limits.