What’s the best and worst you’ve had with getting internet at home?

[Catsmere]

I’m in Geelong and use my phone’s hotspot because getting home broadband is waaaay too expensive and I only need it for my iPad. But Telstra’s signal here is dire! Two bars of 3G fercryinoutaloud and loses signal just sitting in my bedroom. It’s not as bad as in the wilds of Queensland, but it still sucks. No idea if Optus (known to a friend as ‘Opeless) or Vodafone’s networks would be any better.

What are your experiences, fellow downunderers?

Belong is shit. Sorry that isn’t very helpful.

I think it is just a case of talk to the neighbours and find out what is the least worse in your area.

I suspect you’re right.

Irks me that Woolworths use Telstra’s network, because otherwise they offer a good deal on their phone plans - 10% off the groceries every month is worth it when I only use them to get the monthly purchase of rather pricey cat litter.

Telstra had a massive outage yesterday which (I think) even affected government and defense VOIP phones.

Welp! Interesting, it was no worse than usual here …

I'm in point Cook and have Vodafone which I have had no issues with.
Attended virtual lectures 6 yrs ago for uni and can WFH. Admittedly I only WFH the odd day

Thanks!

I've actually just been googling about home internet; needing to upgrade, and unsure if I should go for nbn or 5G.

Coverage really depends on your area, and environment. I remember years ago I signed up to Vodafail after they checked coverage in my area was all good, got home... no coverage. I called them and complained because they had said I'd get coverage, and they said oh yes you do have coverage at your address... outdoors 🙄I said well how the heck does that work, do you seriously expect me to go and set up my desk and PC in the backyard?? Dickheads. Then I had to argue and argue to get the contract cancelled without a fee.

Telstra is usually great, but they're just so expensive. Optus is good in my area.

Vodafail! 😂

I had my first phone with them long ago because of the ads Michael Schumacher did for them.

Yeah, I was checking coverage in my area and theirs only lists “outdoor” - wtf??? If I’m going to sit somewhere other than my unit I might as well go into the community room and use their crappy wifi.

Telstra are morons as well as expensive. I just got a “congratulations, your account is in credit” email bill from them for an account that was closed and (supposedly) refunded weeks ago.

I've been with a few over the years and telstra is always the best, sadly.

Now that’s a tragedy …

What about Starlink or whatever Elon Musk’s satellite internet is called. Great coverage in otherwise shitty areas apparently. Expensive though.

My daughter has a prepaid mobile SIM from Woolworths Mobile using the Telstra network. Works fine. I hate Telstra too but they have the best coverage and the mobile account gives me 10% off groceries twice a month. Once online and once in person. Do online first. It’s a handy little glitch that Woolies hasn’t fixed! You can also get the discount if you subscribe to Everyday Extras at Woolworths. $59/yr for the discount and extra Rewards points. Definitely worth it for me. They offer a one month free trial. It means between the Extras subscription and the mobile account I can get a 10% discount 4 times per month.

For home internet I have NBN through Aussie Broadband, which uses the Telstra network.

If you have a local community FB page or WhatsApp group or whatever, ask on there and find out who others use.

I recommend Starlink. Works well in areas where broadband fails.

I just went over to Woolworths too! I don’t know why the coverage is so shite here, it’s even worse than when I was with Telstra, but it’s the same network! I have a refurbished iPhone XR, surely that isn’t worse at getting signal than an 8? 😟 I know so little about these things I wonder if I need a modem and router, even though I don’t have home broadband (let alone the NBN) or a PC, just to catch the flaming signal for my personal hotspot …

Woolworths uses the 3G? and 4G Telstra networks. Only Telstra customers get access to the 5G network, which is probably what you need. Bastards keep the best shit for themselves.

I was astonished when my phone started flipping over to 3G. I thought it had been killed off already.

Even Telstra have only a tiny section of one main road covered by 5G in my area. Pathetic. Opeless and Vodafail have even less. Nothing like living in a poorish suburb to get the big ignore!

Optus has 5G in some areas. I just signed up today! I haven't bothered to plug it in yet lol but the guy assured me it'll be great, it does have a minimum guaranteed speed (which is twice as fast as my 4G), and he said if it sucks I can bring it back within the month.

Hope it goes well!

I went over to Optus last week and ermagerd I have a decent wifi service! First time ever! Four bars and it doesn’t drop out (well unless the modem battery goes flat - it doesn’t have a particularly long life). It’s so silly, there are Telstra and Optus towers all over the place a kilometre away from here, but Telstra’s signal may as well not exist, it’s so bad even outdoors. Now to find an extremely cheap Optus network plan for my phone, since I won’t be needing it as a hotspot anymore. I don’t think Woollies’ 10% off groceries offer once a month makes up for the hassle of trying to get a signal.

Telstra here, and good service. Mind you that was after my now late DH got on the phone and actually got through to, IIRR, the CEO/someone very high up indeed in Telstra about how crap it was (2012) and what were they going to do about it. It got done.

He was a champion complainer.

Brilliant! 👍

Best we've had and still have is Aussie Broadband, we were with Belong which was rubbish

Happy with Optus. Never had issues.

I’m so glad I switched over to them.