Optusnet
www.optusnet.com.au
Optusnet does allow you to join online but when we were attempting to do so there was a minor glitch in the procedure. The page www.optus.com.au/ internet/1,1648,5008,00.html had the option to join online but when we attempted to go this route the next page presented us with the message that "the document you have requested is not found on this server" and to please call customer support. On the same page however, there was a "join now" link which, when we clicked on it, worked fine. In common with some of the other ISPs, Optusnet asks the user to insert a "registration code", unlike some of the competition however, if you do not have a code you can still continue on and register. The registration process is very simple and user friendly with a progress bar at the top of each page displaying how far through the procedure you are.
Optusnet does not exactly offer a great gaggle of plans for the home user with four at last count. With your first month, no matter which plan you select you get a bonus 100 hours. And, while we are on the subject of bonuses, if you are connected to another Optus service, say your local phone for example, then Optus will throw another five hours per month into your plan free or subtract AU$5 from the monthly access fee depending on your choice of plan. But wait, there's more: nominally up until December 31st this year, Optusnet are offering a dollar for dollar on your monthly access fee back in the form of a electronic voucher than you can spend at online shopping sites such as d-store for example.
Plans range from the NetSaver at AU$10.65 for five hours per month (10 hours if you have another Optus service as well) up to the NetMaster AU$42.80 (AU$37.80 if you participate in another Optus service), which buys you 200 hours per month.
Naturally there are some caveats-in the case of NetMaster only-when Optusnet is experiencing "extremely high network usage" time restrictions may be applied. Exceeding NetMaster's 200 hours will incur a charge of 55 cents per additional megabyte while NetSaver has a sliding scale: the first 20 hours in excess are charge at AU$2.20 per hour, there after until 200 hours excess the rate is AU$1.10 per hour and over 200 hours it drops back to the same as NetMaster just 55 cents per hour.
Interestingly, OptusNet has a plan specifically targeted at students, with unlimited access between 6am and 6pm Monday to Saturday. Outside of these hours the access is charged at a flat AU$2.20 per hour.
Each plan includes five e-mail addresses and 5MB of Web space to exercise your Web page creativity. And, if surfing the Web on a 56k modem reminds you of watching grass grow and you have a bit of cash to spare, then try Optus' cable modem plans under the Optus@Home brand. Installation fees, which include the cable modem, range from AU$199 to AU$398 with monthly access fees of AU$74.95 and AU$63.95, respectively. Optus appears a bit coy about the speed of the cable modem link but, needless to say, it is heaps quicker than the poor old 56k modem.
If you really want to keep a tight rein on your costs, then one of four offered prepaid packs may be the way to go. They range from AU$21.35 for 15 hours up to AU$85.70 for 100 hours. Businesses are also very well catered for with a very broad range of services including ISDN, DNS, Webhosting, and Telehosting, to name a few.
While Optus' POP list is not exceptional, some of the other ISPs have more, it is certainly very good with around 84 sites Australia wide and a presence in every state and territory. Modem connection speeds and protocols supported are pretty typical of this group of ISPs.
The customer service hours could not be simpler or more generous-24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Optus was slightly above average in terms of national download performance, and with consistent performance to boot. International download performance on the other hand was a little disappointing. On average Optus was the fourth slowest with some of the opposition almost 30 percent quicker. Although in this test Optus' performance displayed quite a deal of variation with peaks at 3.3KB per second and one low of 1.65KB per second. Throughput slid off slowly from morning through to the 6:30pm nighttime window but not to a degree that would concern us. Sydney is the lucky POP site compared to Melbourne with consistently higher download speeds than our Melbourne POP.
We must admit to being quite surprised, and confused, when comparing connections to Optus over both Telstra and Optus carriers. Our Optus carrier actually connected slightly faster on average than Telstra yet the download speeds with Telstra as the carrier were slightly higher. Optus' performance overall was good, nothing stunning but not bad either and if you are, for example, an Optus long distance or local telephone subscriber, the extra free five hours per month on their NetSaver plan actually makes it one of the most cost effective plans for the casual 10-hours-per-month user.
6%
3%
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.