We are planning on doing the big lap starting around Easter in 2010 and was wondering what the best service provider is for wireless internet access while travelling. We want to be able to keep in touch with family and friends plus do a small amount of business onine eg banking etc. Optus vs Telstra next G. Does Telstra really give that much better service. they are more expensive, but is it worth it and is it the best option? comments please.
Gary and Kerry said
11:26 AM Nov 26, 2009
When travelling ,Telstra is the only way to go, unfortunately, no one else has the coverage outside of big towns. We did our trip on telstra pre paid for the internet .but utilised macDonalds and other free wifi spots for doing big uploads including updating virus checker and windows.
-- Edited by Gary and Kerry on Thursday 26th of November 2009 02:21:33 PM
Disco Duck said
12:07 PM Nov 26, 2009
Yep...............as Gary said...............Telstra is the only one to use as they have the best coverage. However they are also the most expensive. So the choice becomes coverage v price.
I use Telstra for my mobile but if there was another carrier with their coverage I would be out of there. Such is life!!
Ejoy you lap around and make sure you keep in contact with us miserable sods at home via the forums
Stay safe.
Halls said
12:32 PM Nov 26, 2009
Thanks Gary, Kerry and Disco Duck, It looks like Testra will be the G O.
How many gig did you use each month when you were travelling? We are mainly wanting to be able to use email, banking, facebook and similar stuff. Not into downloading big files.
We have been planning our trip for years now and finally it looks like we might actually be able to do it. Work is such a kill-joy! I think I will believe it when we have left town and are settle in for our first night in the van. we don't have any specific travel plans, other than to head toward the NT (we are in Redland Bay - 40kls SE of Brisbane) and then work our way around and down the WA coast and on from there. My husband and I are soooo looking forward to escaping our daily grind. oh well, only 5 months to wait now ......
Gary and Kerry said
03:27 PM Nov 26, 2009
Halls wrote:
How many gig did you use each month when you were travelling? We are mainly wanting to be able to use email, banking, facebook and similar stuff. Not into downloading big files.
I HATE telstra and refuse to go on a internet plan with them, hence the pre paid option. We would buy a $20 recharge each month and that gave us enough data to do emails, banking, next town research and updating our blog.For uploading our photos we used maccas as that counts towards your allowance. we also turned off all our automatic updating for the same reason. It worked for us.
Popeye said
04:07 PM Nov 26, 2009
I use Maccas & Libraries. Theres a lot of them out there.
jimricho said
05:46 PM Nov 26, 2009
I buy the "browsing packs" from Telstra. These are charged against your normal Telstra mobile account on a monthly basis based on your billing cycle. They can be turned on or off or changed at any time and the charges are "pro rata" if started and/or stopped during the billing cycle. I have installed "DU meter" to monitor my usage.
I use my next G phone as the modem via a USB cable and software that came with the phone.
Hi Halls we use telstra as well and the phone as modem..but use their $10.00 150meg plan each month. plenty for a few emails and a small browse.. and those other ideas sound good never used mackers. on wifi.. see some thing learned... safe travels ...Bob
Halls said
12:56 PM Nov 27, 2009
thanks everyone, I will work my way through your suggestions and let you know what we end up with. all the best from the Halls
PeterD said
10:26 PM Nov 27, 2009
Back before I got the blue toaster I used my mobile phone as a modem during "my hour." For large downloads and Window$ updates I paid for time at internet cafes (where they would let me connect my machine.) Many internet cafes will pull the network cable out of one of their machines and plug it into yours. They charge the same hourly rates as using their machine.
I found that it only took a few minutes to download your e-mails and in the remaining free time I could download and save quite a few forum threads. I would keep my connect time to 18 minutes (in fear of going over the 20 minute time limit.) I would generally reconnect for a second go and save a heap more threads. I then had 23 hours to compose the replies for my next reconnect period.
Never got billed for the mobile phone time once.
Now I have the blue toaster I pay $50 per month, which I consider good value knowing the cost of installing networks in the bush. When I was associated with the remote rural telephone systems (DRCS) in the 80s the base stations were costing between $100,000 and $300,000 a piece. I don't know the current cost of those phone cells across the Barkly or Nullarbor but the costs would be similar. If you want remote area access then you have to pay up.
The non Telstra networks have also oversold their networks or have inferior networks. A while ago APC magazine did a survey of download capabilities of the networks. Telstra was the only one capable of downloading video from the ABC network without problems. So if you want wireless and get some good download speeds then it is Telstra again and pay for the service they give.
Below is a summary of the APC article I composed:
Answer to Questions on Telstra Pricing
The Telstra net covers an area vastly bigger than any of the other networks. With each base site costing a few hundred thousand dollars you are going to pay significantly more for this wide area coverage. Too many people bleat away about the high cost of BigPond and do not take this into account - I think these members are expecting the service for nothing.
I have posted the above sentiments for a long time. Then the other day I got the October 2008 issue of APC magazine and there is a good comparison of the wireless broadband services. On page 56 they say:
But, in our testing, we can see why. Next G wireless broadband services really work well. We were able to playstreaming YouTube videos in high-quality mode with no buffering delays at all. And the fact that you can use it basically anywhere with full network speed makes it perennially useful.
Speed tests showed a download speed of over 4Mbit/s and an upload speed of 800Kbit/s. It was the only wireless broadband service we tested that provided enough performance to view ABC's TV-on-demand service, iView, consistently well.
They then rabit on a little about pricing and then finish off the Telstra bit with:
Telstra is maintaining its network quality by restricting demand with its high prices. But at least for the money you pay, you get a service that actually works reliably.
They finish off the comparison with some test results. Two of them describe downloading YouTube and ABC TV. None of the other networks went within a bulls roar of doing that properly. Whilst you are probably not wanting to do this on the road you will want to download some large files like pictures and not have to wait too long to do this.
The bottom line is do you want to pay for promises and get poor results or pay for performance and receive value.
bill12 said
07:36 AM Nov 28, 2009
G,day I have just come home from the big lap , and used Dodo wireless, Which was a darn sight cheaper than telecoma. I got good coverage when near any reasonable town. and if you can,t get coverage, the local library is a good standby. They use an Optus carrier, and its definately getting better(more coverage). I reacently got good coverage between Ayr nad Bowen , Qld, at less than half the price of telstra for twice the megs! I hope this helps you, See you on the track, Bill
justcruisin01 said
12:24 PM Nov 28, 2009
Halls wrote:
We are planning on doing the big lap starting around Easter in 2010 and was wondering what the best service provider is for wireless internet access while travelling. We want to be able to keep in touch with family and friends plus do a small amount of business onine eg banking etc. Optus vs Telstra next G. Does Telstra really give that much better service. they are more expensive, but is it worth it and is it the best option? comments please.
Also read general forum . page 2, better service in van .
safe travells .
Mick themungrel said
12:31 PM Nov 28, 2009
Gday I have tried Vodaphone and Dodo around Adelaide and they are next to useless , with less than dailup download speeds , continuous drop outs , both companys admitted they were over subscribed and congestion was a major problem . They cancelled my comtracts and I have now gone back to Telstra (BP) for wireless internet .
milo said
12:48 PM Nov 28, 2009
im on bigpond, yes its dearer , but u do get the better coverage
reza said
11:30 PM Nov 28, 2009
I know Bigpond is expensive but if you want the cover it the only one i have been on wireless with them now for over three years worked all over the Pilbarra nothing else works if you get mobile cover on your next g phone the net works from the WA SA border to Norseman nothing but from then on everywhere outback in WA i been it works Maybe in the future other carriers will catch up and be cheaper
Wombat 280 said
11:12 PM Nov 30, 2009
Not one to get into this free camping I use van parks and I found that those parks of note now provide a net hook up and you buy the time you need If staying a week or so I get the 5 hour package for about $10.00 that gets me an access code and I'm away . Just remember to log off when you are finished otherwise the meter keeps running .
In most of the park directories they indicate if net access ids available to help with your trip planning
Disco Duck said
03:22 PM Dec 1, 2009
One VERY important thing to remember about using public wireless internet, such as Maccas, libraries and van parks etc. They are an unsecured wireless network system and as such.... any potential hacker ......near the site you are on...... can access your personal details such as pin numbers etc etc.
Be very careful!! I don't know if you security is worth a few dollars per month??
twobob said
07:31 PM Dec 1, 2009
With Vista the computer can be hidden on public networks, to overcome the problem with 'hackers'
use the 'Public' place
Public place
Choose this location for networks in public places (such as coffee shops or airports). This location is designed to keep your computer from being visible to other computers around you and to help protect your computer from any malicious software from the Internet. Network discovery is turned off for this location.
Note
If theres only one computer on your network and you know you wont need to share files or printers, the safest choice is Public place.
For older systems, I believe and from memory only, with 'users must enter password' selected, this should keep most at arms length. There is a setting in the network//wireless section for 'do not transmit BSID' or do not transmit base station ID, also. Not sure if this prevents the IP address being sent.
Pam said
09:57 PM Dec 1, 2009
How does macca's internet connection work?
What do you need to hook up there?
What does it cost?
Gary and Kerry said
09:44 AM Dec 2, 2009
Pam wrote:
How does macca's internet connection work? Start button, bottom left of your screen. Select .. Connect to , Highlight Macdonalds FreeWiFi as your internet connection, accept terms and conditions.
What do you need to hook up there? A wireless enabled laptop
What does it cost? Free
Cruising Granny said
07:29 PM Dec 2, 2009
I've been using Telstra Bigpond Wireless Broadband with USB card.
I've had some problems but I soon sorted out Bigpond. I think the little Philipino Parrots had me, and I don't care.
If you're only using it to top up a blog or email friends a free public internet is probably sufficient.
I use mine to work, communicate, researching publishing etc and other information, as well as annoying fellow Grey Nomads on that website - you know the one - er, what's it called now.... oh yea, this one.
Pam said
09:13 PM Dec 2, 2009
Thanks Gary and Kerry
Disco Duck said
09:27 PM Dec 2, 2009
Don't know that I would trust the Microsoft protections too much Twobob. I may be wrong......but...............
Have you tried with another laptop at Maccas to see if it really does hide it. I would be interested.
This is my opinion.........may not be fact.
"I thought I was wrong once.....but I was misteaken!"
Gary and Kerry said
07:31 AM Dec 3, 2009
Disco Duck wrote:
Don't know that I would trust the Microsoft protections too much Twobob. I may be wrong......but...............
Have you tried with another laptop at Maccas to see if it really does hide it. I would be interested.
This is my opinion.........may not be fact.
"I thought I was wrong once.....but I was misteaken!"
We have tried it with 2 laptops, my work one and ours. Ours was hidden, work one wasn't.
Hylda&Jon said
10:31 AM Dec 3, 2009
We are travelling with Next G Big Pond & we have noticed often we have good reception in places where my fiancee's Optus mobile has no reception at all. Bigpond is expensive & their phone service is an absolute joke as in the past 3 months I have spent about 12 hours talking to them trying to fix problems, even now about 6 days ago I attempted to upgrade my plan & 3 phone calls later I am still waiting for it while they come up with apologies, excuses & promises. When you ring tech support you first have a computer voice leading you through about a half hour of useless repair steps till finally you're put through to a foreign call centre that you struggle to understand(I had to request new operaters twice on one problem as I just couldn't understand them) Unluckily your between a rock & a hard place as their isn't much choice if you want to do extensive traveling. Good luck Jon
Cruising Granny said
12:54 PM Dec 3, 2009
Unfortunately Telstra owns most of the infrastructure, Optus owns the rest.
They only lease out "enough", but not maximum space, hence the variation in service & range
Disco Duck said
02:57 PM Dec 3, 2009
Thanks Gary.........Sorted that out!!
I only use XP so I have to be a little more careful.
PeterD said
05:08 PM Dec 10, 2009
Cruising Granny wrote:Unfortunately Telstra owns most of the infrastructure, Optus owns the rest.
They only lease out "enough", but not maximum space, hence the variation in service & range
As far as I know, Telstra do not share any of their mobile phone network. This ceased with the closure of the CDMA network. The bit they share is the fixed line network.
In the early days it was decreed that networks were to share their buildings an towers. Up until that time they had separate com sites on each hill top. You will find that Vodaphone and Optus share most of their installations, but their networks are separate.
-- Edited by PeterD on Thursday 10th of December 2009 04:14:35 PM
Gary and Kerry said
12:49 PM Dec 19, 2009
Here is a couple of sites listing free and paid wifi hotspots around the country.
We did our trip on telstra pre paid for the internet .but utilised macDonalds and other free wifi spots for doing big uploads including updating virus checker and windows.
-- Edited by Gary and Kerry on Thursday 26th of November 2009 02:21:33 PM
Thanks Gary, Kerry and Disco Duck, It looks like Testra will be the G O.
How many gig did you use each month when you were travelling? We are mainly wanting to be able to use email, banking, facebook and similar stuff. Not into downloading big files.
We have been planning our trip for years now and finally it looks like we might actually be able to do it. Work is such a kill-joy! I think I will believe it when we have left town and are settle in for our first night in the van. we don't have any specific travel plans, other than to head toward the NT (we are in Redland Bay - 40kls SE of Brisbane) and then work our way around and down the WA coast and on from there. My husband and I are soooo looking forward to escaping our daily grind. oh well, only 5 months to wait now ......
We would buy a $20 recharge each month and that gave us enough data to do emails, banking, next town research and updating our blog.For uploading our photos we used maccas as that counts towards your allowance.
we also turned off all our automatic updating for the same reason.
It worked for us.
I use my next G phone as the modem via a USB cable and software that came with the phone.
Go to http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile/browsing_packs.html for further info
DU meter can be downloaded from http://www.dumeter.com/download.php
I found that it only took a few minutes to download your e-mails and in the remaining free time I could download and save quite a few forum threads. I would keep my connect time to 18 minutes (in fear of going over the 20 minute time limit.) I would generally reconnect for a second go and save a heap more threads. I then had 23 hours to compose the replies for my next reconnect period.
Never got billed for the mobile phone time once.
Now I have the blue toaster I pay $50 per month, which I consider good value knowing the cost of installing networks in the bush. When I was associated with the remote rural telephone systems (DRCS) in the 80s the base stations were costing between $100,000 and $300,000 a piece. I don't know the current cost of those phone cells across the Barkly or Nullarbor but the costs would be similar. If you want remote area access then you have to pay up.
The non Telstra networks have also oversold their networks or have inferior networks. A while ago APC magazine did a survey of download capabilities of the networks. Telstra was the only one capable of downloading video from the ABC network without problems. So if you want wireless and get some good download speeds then it is Telstra again and pay for the service they give.
Below is a summary of the APC article I composed:
Answer to Questions on Telstra Pricing
The Telstra net covers an area vastly bigger than any of the other networks. With each base site costing a few hundred thousand dollars you are going to pay significantly more for this wide area coverage. Too many people bleat away about the high cost of BigPond and do not take this into account - I think these members are expecting the service for nothing.
I have posted the above sentiments for a long time. Then the other day I got the October 2008 issue of APC magazine and there is a good comparison of the wireless broadband services. On page 56 they say:
But, in our testing, we can see why. Next G wireless broadband services really work well. We were able to playstreaming YouTube videos in high-quality mode with no buffering delays at all. And the fact that you can use it basically anywhere with full network speed makes it perennially useful.
Speed tests showed a download speed of over 4Mbit/s and an upload speed of 800Kbit/s. It was the only wireless broadband service we tested that provided enough performance to view ABC's TV-on-demand service, iView, consistently well.
They then rabit on a little about pricing and then finish off the Telstra bit with:
Telstra is maintaining its network quality by restricting demand with its high prices. But at least for the money you pay, you get a service that actually works reliably.
They finish off the comparison with some test results. Two of them describe downloading YouTube and ABC TV. None of the other networks went within a bulls roar of doing that properly. Whilst you are probably not wanting to do this on the road you will want to download some large files like pictures and not have to wait too long to do this.
The bottom line is do you want to pay for promises and get poor results or pay for performance and receive value.
safe travells .
I have tried Vodaphone and Dodo around Adelaide and they are next to useless , with less than dailup download speeds , continuous drop outs , both companys admitted they were over subscribed and congestion was a major problem . They cancelled my comtracts and I have now gone back to Telstra (BP) for wireless internet .
use the 'Public' place
Public place
Choose this location for networks in public places (such as coffee shops or airports). This location is designed to keep your computer from being visible to other computers around you and to help protect your computer from any malicious software from the Internet. Network discovery is turned off for this location.
Note
If theres only one computer on your network and you know you wont need to share files or printers, the safest choice is Public place.
For older systems, I believe and from memory only, with 'users must enter password' selected, this should keep most at arms length. There is a setting in the network//wireless section for 'do not transmit BSID' or do not transmit base station ID, also. Not sure if this prevents the IP address being sent.
Ours was hidden, work one wasn't.
Unluckily your between a rock & a hard place as their isn't much choice if you want to do extensive traveling.
Good luck
Jon
As far as I know, Telstra do not share any of their mobile phone network. This ceased with the closure of the CDMA network. The bit they share is the fixed line network.
In the early days it was decreed that networks were to share their buildings an towers. Up until that time they had separate com sites on each hill top. You will find that Vodaphone and Optus share most of their installations, but their networks are separate.
-- Edited by PeterD on Thursday 10th of December 2009 04:14:35 PM
Libraries;
SA
http://www.libraries.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=52
WA
http://wa.gov.au/search/index.html?cx=013143409236470047600%3Aw3rlsolxaty&q=library+internet+policy&sa=Search&cof=FORID%3A11&siteurl=wa.gov.au%2Fgovernmentservices%2Flifestyleenvironment%2Fyourcommunity%2Flibraryservices%2F#938
NT
http://www.ntl.nt.gov.au/services/wireless_access
TAS
http://www.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/aboutus/library/internetandcomp/access
QLD
http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/services/int
NSW
http://www.nswnet.net/databases/libweb.cfm
VIC
Couldn't find any listing, but I do knbow from experience you can book internet sessions at libraries, cost varies.
WiFi hotspots
http://www.freewifi.com.au/hotspot_listings.php
MacDonald WiFi locator
http://wirelesslans.com.au/wifi/mcdonalds-australia-store-wifi-locator.html