Broadband: Which plan is for you?

How we tested
The test methodology uses one centrally located Main FTP server, located in Melbourne in a multi Tier 1 data centre. At this level of backbone there is no hard path routing and all routes are dynamically assigned depending on the conditions. From a practical perception point pings to sites on the same backbone are sub 5ms. Full redundancy for power and data is also provided.

A PC is provided by each ISP which is connected to their service just like a typical subscriber.

The main server invokes an FTP connection to the ISP PC and uploaded and downloaded a 1MB compressed file. The time taken to upload and download is recorded into a Log file and from these results the actual speeds in kbits/sec are calculated.

All testing started on the 12 September at midnight and concluded on 26 September midnight covering a total of 14 days.

Each upload and download test ran on the hour and a ping test was executed every five minutes from the main server to the ISP's PC to ensure reliable connectivity.

Execution steps

  1. File upload from main server to ISP server.
  2. File download from ISP server to main server (file automatically deleted from ISP server after transfer completed).
  3. Results analysed by main server.

Test results
When the actual download and upload speeds of the various plans were compared, as a percentage, to the claimed speeds there were certainly some surprises. All of the 512/512 plans were at least acceptable in terms of their download speeds ranging from a very impressive 98 percent of its rated speed for AAPT down to 87 percent for Primus. Uploads under the same plans varied more dramatically with Netspace consistently sitting at 110 percent. Uploads were in fact significantly higher than downloads for this ISP -- and a low of 83 percent for Westnet.

AAPT had the most reliable service with only one ping failure in the entire two weeks of testing, Primus and Westnet were not far behind, with only one ping dropped, although there were some relatively long ping times when compared to AAPT. Westnet only dropped three pings and along with Primus had the shortest average latency of the plans tested. Most of the other ISPs experienced many more lost pings -- Netspace had its test PC crash for several hours resulting in a swag of failed pings and, of course, failed performance tests as well. Even so, Netspace still experienced many more dropped pings than any of the other ISPs.

What to look out for

  • Download charges: Some providers only include minimum data of around 200MB with their plans, charging excess data charges for data over this limit downloaded per month.
  • Upload charges: Similar to download charges some providers charge for uploads as well as downloads -- Bigpond and Dodo are two of these.
  • Beware of offers: Some seem to too good to be true -- they generally are.
  • Speed: If you have a broadband service try to ascertain what speed you are really getting. Don't just accept what the ISP puts on their invoice every month.

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Talkback 11 comments

    Broadband review WOW ! Anonymous -- 14/11/05

    Wow what an excellent review, keep up the great work. This is what we love to see

    Legends Anonymous -- 14/11/05

    You guys really know your stuff great test and informative review. Pity there were not a whole lot more broadband providers included.

    Great Review... NOT Anonymous -- 14/11/05

    Love that fact that when I went to that page there was an AAPT ad at the top!!!

    I can't really see how this review is measured nor does it seem to be discussed.

    Why is the static IP options mentioned for Netspace and AAPT but not internode?

    Don't AAPT buy their international bandwidth though someone else?

    What the hell is future proofing? and how the heel can it be measured?

    I'll review the review..... poor very poor.... Some of the lines don't even have similar information.... and there not categories as to what they are there for...

    I think someone needs a kick in the arse for this review.... I'm now dumb from reading it!

    Read the How we Tested Anonymous -- 15/11/05 (in reply to #120123270)

    If you read the review you would see the How we Tested section.

    http://www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/software/internet/0,39023437,39221708-7,00.htm

    Pretty much covers it all.

    Wow, you really got this one correct... NOT. Anonymous -- 15/11/05

    How about you get a clue. Then have another crack at it.

    Why no mention of VOIP Anonymous -- 15/11/05

    Surely, a big component of any broadband review must focus on wireless and the elimination of line rental. All DSL does is give unearned revenue to Telstra.

    VOIP and Wireless present a big saving without the $30 dead money each month.

    Yes I have dumped the home phone..

    Very informative Martin Hamil -- 15/11/05

    Seems not all services are created equal despite purporting to be so!

    Very interesting to see the critics of this report don't publish their details or whom they are affiliated with.

    This is a bias article Anonymous -- 18/11/05

    This is a bias article for a number of reasons:

    1. It forgot to include Telstra and Optus
    2. It recommended AAPT and their website/banners have AAPT ads everywhere.

    I would not believe everything you read in this article.

    Did you even read the review before commenting? Mark Jacobs -- 24/11/05 (in reply to #120123486)

    It seems you did not even read the first few paragraphs! before commenting my friend. Both companies you mentioned are described and the reasons they gave for failing to participate.

    START QUOTE >>> "This month we invited the Internet service providers generally considered to be the top 10 in Australia to submit a plan for this review. Interestingly, both Optus and Telstra declined to submit, as did Exetel.

    Telstra's response was that they were simply too busy to participate as this extract from their e-mail shows: "Telstra Business and Government have declined your invitation and the BigPond production team has been flat out and indicated it's not able to assist at this time."

    Optus states that it does not have DSL available in the area of the Test Labs, and were clearly not willing to use Telstra's." >>> END QUOTE

    Seems to me that this review was very well put together and each provider thoroughly tested over time by an independent organisation Test Labs it seems. To wit an excellent and thoroughly scientific test methodology has been described, provided and used by them, and the resulting facts are supplied in a easy to understand format.

    Seems to me that AAPT have won fairly and squarely and have advertised complementarily.

    By the way what organization do you represent your post was marked anonymous, perhaps this Telstra or Optus hmm?

    WiMax Anonymous -- 24/11/05

    I am on a Hibis airspan Wimax service. It generally seems really good and the speeds are not bad - according to ZDs tester it is generally around 450Mbs. However I use alot of Voip and I am not sure that it isn't abit lumpy/has some lag problems..(I have tried pinging my Voip server and it generally comes in at 400-500ms)...any thoughts from anyone..any similar experiences

    What a review! I Anonymous -- 26/10/09

    Thanks so much for such thorough insight. I was a bit iffy in considering AAPT as a provider, but they're serious contenders now. Thanks!

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