Super Fast Broadband: Optus SuperSonic

[Cam]

Originally Posted by balthazarr

Signed up about a week ago... pretty impressed with it so far.

From the Optus test server (so best possible transfer speeds), I'm getting 85-90Mbps download - not too shabby. Uploads between 1.8-1.9Mbps.

Would be interested to see what you get in real time downloading..

On my optus cable plan I get about 2.2MB/s (megabytes) downloading torrents.on a 85gb/85gb plan.. To be able to triple the speed excites me.. I was looking at going to tpg for the upload speed, we'll see..

[csv8]

http://speedtest.net this will check your speed

[Cam]

Originally Posted by csv8

http://speedtest.net this will check your speed

I'd prefer a more accurate test then that..

But for the records..


But doing an ftp to our work 100meg link I am getting about 7meg/s down and about 1.7 up.. Not too shabby i spose.. I am downloading torrents at about 4meg/s..

[balthazarr]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Telstra was responsible for holding back technology, they got fined by the ACCC a while back for holding back ADSL2+ on their capable exchanges until a competitor started servicing the area.

They also have a nasty habit on using RIMs in many estates, even new ones which means you can't get ADSL/ADSL2+, or if you can, its limited to 3mbps, then you get massive latency because of voice has priority and its congested.

Go through the last three years of whirlpool australian broadband forums and its only very recently Telstra has seemed to rise up.

IMHO, this is the most important reason to back the NBN. Along with all the other benefits, it will bring true competition to Aussie telecommunications.

Sorry Cam, didn't notice your posts until just now. 2.2MB/s for torrents seems pretty good to me; 4MB/s even better. Is it worth the $15/$20 extra per month? I guess that depends.

For me, the additional upload speed is useful as I often access my computer at home from work.

[kyro_02]

if there weren't so many regulations, we could easily put faster net to every home??

think of it as, you have a ranch, with 10 bungalows on it, all you do is start digging and start feeding it through
im not an electrician, but im sure i can hook up some wires if required :P

edit:
come to think of it, they aren't putting new wires through homes, but rather, upgrading the exchanges? even easier again

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by kyro_02

if there weren't so many regulations, we could easily put faster net to every home??

think of it as, you have a ranch, with 10 bungalows on it, all you do is start digging and start feeding it through
im not an electrician, but im sure i can hook up some wires if required :P

edit:
come to think of it, they aren't putting new wires through homes, but rather, upgrading the exchanges? even easier again

Problem you have there is that the exchange gets upgraded, sweet, but with current technology (FTTH labor proposed means fibre to your house which is freakin awesome) which relies on phone lines, is that the copper going to your house degrades over time, causing slower speeds.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Problem you have there is that the exchange gets upgraded, sweet, but with current technology (FTTH labor proposed means fibre to your house which is freakin awesome) which relies on phone lines, is that the copper going to your house degrades over time, causing slower speeds.

Your talking bout ADSL (or ADSL2), in which it's the distance to the exchange that will cause problems with your speed.

Fibre is good as it has a much much higher bandwidth. Funny enough cables send info down the cable quicker then fibre but fibre sends so much more down the line that the slower speed doesn't matter.

[Cam]

Originally Posted by balthazarr

Sorry Cam, didn't notice your posts until just now. 2.2MB/s for torrents seems pretty good to me; 4MB/s even better. Is it worth the $15/$20 extra per month? I guess that depends.

For me, the additional upload speed is useful as I often access my computer at home from work.

Yeah mate I really wanted it for the uploads, mainly for ftp.. But its not as good as I'd hoped. I work in IT so the bandwith is always handy for RDP and VPN and if i was getting 4MB up I could host my server at home. I'll probably move it to a data centre instead..

Is it worth the dosh? Probably not..

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Your talking bout ADSL (or ADSL2), in which it's the distance to the exchange that will cause problems with your speed.

Indeed AND quality of the copper in the ground. Originally in the NBN they wanted to do FTTN which only goes up to the "Node" (Exchange I think), but you still have the problem of copper going to your house, with the new FTTH, Fibre all the way to your doorstep, 100mbps+ here we come.

[balthazarr]

Originally Posted by Cam

Yeah mate I really wanted it for the uploads, mainly for ftp.. But its not as good as I'd hoped. I work in IT so the bandwith is always handy for RDP and VPN and if i was getting 4MB up I could host my server at home. I'll probably move it to a data centre instead..

Is it worth the dosh? Probably not..

It's interesting that the upload speeds were substantially increased. When I signed up, I was told that the upload speed would remain the same - 256kbps, so I was pleasantly surprised.

Of course, it's still not fast enough... but it's miles better than 256.

I'd be careful of running a server from home on Optus cable, especially if its on any standard ports. From what I understand, Optus don't allow servers on their cable network and actively pursue the policy. (It's possible that the T&Cs have been updated, but I doubt it.) Having said that, their IP lease policy is interesting, considering they lease out the same IP for months on end.

[Tuddy200]

If the National Broadband Network had only been FTTN(E), then it would not have even been a headline act for the ALP. Telstra Exchanges mostly are already fibre enabled, further then that though is costly.

Currently Telstra are likily to own the "pit and pipe" that runs across your front door. They however, under Telecommunications Act have to share that with other Telco's etc. However, NBN Co. will be buying all this infructure for a nice sum of 11 billion including the optic fibre running through them already if still in good shape.

Brownfield Estates in terms of NBN are non-fibre estates in the pit running across your front door step.
Greenfield Estates are new and current estates with fibre that run across your door step.

Those in the NT in a new estate will have fibre as the NT government mandated any developer has to lay fibre in the pits not copper.

What does this mean? NBN Co. will come along to places with copper in the pits, buy the pits from Telstra, and put fibre in replacement of the copper. You can continue to use your ADSL equipment and recieve a very slight speed increase or go to full 1Gbps service from a retailer (lot more then just Telstra).

If you already have fibre running across your front door step then if the pit and fibre is in good nick, it'll be brought from Telstra by NBN Co. and Telstra to continue the service they provide you will become the retailer.

Bascially, Telstra won't be the wholesaler anymore, NBN Co. will, and only a wholesaler. Telstra, Optus other ISPs etc. will only retailers.

Advantages other then speed? TV, Movies, VoIP, Gaming, Security Systems, etc plus the 11 billion Telstra get from NBN Co. will obvisouly then go towards thier wireless solutions for mobile services. Telstra are already working with government to get mobile blackspots covered, the Next G service will get faster and hopefully thier customer service.

Building a new home? Talk to your sparky now about making sure it's wired ready for fibre. Usually copper points are placed into houses being built still, then once fibre comes if you want it in more rooms then whole house re-wire is required, so save time and money now.

How do you know it's coming near you? NBN Co installers will do a letterbox drop to inform you, get your permission, cause they lay the fibre in the pit then install a ONT (Optical Network Termination) Unit on your house, so they need permission to be on your property obvisouly.

Those that believe this money could have been better spent? Sure, hospitals and such could do much more with 50 billion, however, still to this day in regional areas it is so hard to get a relieable, fast internet connection to your business, that is also cheap-ish. For 1Gbps connection per month now from Telstra it's already in the thousands for business grade services.

This project WILL benifit businesses a lot. Everybody knows online marketing is a key part of selling your services these days and doing business, and this will finally give us the ability to do so on the same level as our counterparts the USA, China etc.

I posted all this information purly for those that aren't 'Tech Savy' and not sure on what all this NBN stuff is exactly and how it will cost them (which is nothing other then tax dollars) and it is how I understand it all so someone more involved with it may correct me if any of it's wrong.

[Skotty]

My plan is with Amnet Naked DSL... $78.95 a month, I get free voip, 10cents a call any land line in aus, and 55gb on, 75gb off.. 130gb... I always go over my cap... but thats alot of heavy downloading, plus I have 5 people using my connection and we quite oftern all go on PSN at the same time...