Netspace
www.netspace.net.au
Users cannot complete a connection to Netspace online-it is possible to register online but users must then wait for the connection CD to be sent by mail. Netspace does have online purchasing but it is limited to a couple of software packages, a Swann modem, and the ability to pay any excess charges you may have incurred on your existing Internet account.
There are six plans for home users ranging from a Home Casual plan with pay-as-you-use charges up to a Saver 200 plan that gives users 200 hours per month. The Casual plan has a yearly "service" fee of AU$27 and each hour is charged at a flat AU$2.20. All the other plans, including the Saver 200, have a one-off AU$25 connection fee and a monthly fee (in the case of the Saver 200 this is AU$41.50, which equates to a very low 20.75 cents per hour with excess hours charged at AU$2.20 each). Each plan includes 10MB of server space for e-mail and personal Web pages.
Netspace has quite an extensive list of services for business users from straight dialup accounts to Web Hosting, Secure Socket Layer Server, mail Gateways, Web site design services, and permanent connections.
Netspace's POPs are pretty thin on the map with Victoria the most blessed (six POPs). NSW has a grand total of three, and while the other states and Canberra manage at least one POP, the Northern Territory misses out.
On the other hand, modem connection speed and protocol support is very good with K56Flex and V.90 connections catered for and PPP, SLIP, and Unix Shell protocols available.
At first glance, the bandwidth for Netspace does not appear all that impressive but then if you do not have a zillion users a more modest bandwidth can still provide good throughput. Netspace claim a modem ratio of 11:1 and during testing we did not come across the frustration of a busy POP line. Also of note is the relatively large cache size for such a modest bandwidth.
Netspace customer support times are reasonable at 9am to 9pm weekdays and 10am to 6pm on weekends EST.
Netspace's performance in a word is brilliant. In both the national and international download tests the ISP led the field, and with very consistent performance. Performance across our three time "windows" was also great with only a slight dip in the afternoon. It also made no difference which POP, Melbourne or Sydney, we dialled in from with similar download speeds from both sites.
With great performance and reasonable prices for both casual and power users, the only real let down with Netspace is the low number of POPs. But if you are lucky enough to be located near one of them then you would be hard pressed finding a better ISP.
6%
1%
Do not use Dodo ADSL- They have really bad customer service. And technical support.
On their unlimited plan. You start downloading until it get to 1G and then the service starts to have ‘problems’ and you can’t connect no more.
When you call technical support, they give you a phone number to call only to find that a machine answers and ask you to leave your phone number. And then no one call back.
When you call customer service, you speak to a person, they redirects you to a blank line and then you hear a dial tone. Which means the line hung up.
I spoke to a customer sales representative called Steve to pay the bill using credit card. When I asked him to select a plan for the next month, instead of having to call back, his reply was : “ You have to call back next month to select.” And then he hung up on me. This is the kind of service Dodo provides.
I have never spoke to any customer service person who hangs up on the customer.
And then later I find that my service was suspended. Even though I had just spoke to Steve 5 minutes earlier to pay for that month using my credit card.
I am on a 3 months contract with DoDo. I still have 2 months left to go. After this kind of customer service I get I will not be using them after the 3 months period.
Note: If you disconnect before 3 months they charge you a disconnection fee $100.
Don’t sign any long term contracts with any ADSL Provider unless you are sure that you trust the service.