Hi, On 2/08/2015 5:49 PM, bnis@fastmail.fm wrote:
On Sun, Aug 2, 2015, at 04:03 PM, Andrew McGlashan wrote:
Why people are using Telstra for Internet, well that is very sad too as they are usually the most expensive option or amongst the most expensive on the rare occasion that they are not the most expensive. There are times when there is not much choice and if the line is in bad condition, it is easier to get it fixed if you use a Telstra only "solution", <snip>
Thanks for the info Andrew (I snipped it into my notes). I do appreciate it. On the issue of Telstra I think you have answered your own query above about why one would choose Telstra. Out here in the sticks the wires have been so regularly corroded, burnt out by lightning strikes, pulled down by tree falls, been flooded out in the pits, torn up by excavators and more. Talk to a linesman and see what he says about the condition of the network up in the hills. It's not good. So when you need a fix it's the Telstra man that does it and going through the other providers has just been an utter hassle over the years. So it's become a matter of expediency that I have to pay a little more for.
I absolutely understand your pain, this is very unfortunate, but a reality in lots of places; even in city locations. My DSL lines are too long, I am not on a RIM (keep reading), so my speeds are not as good as I would like and I get plenty of dropouts too at times; although the dropouts seem [touch wood] to be much less regular these days. In the past some newer estates had RIM or Remote Integrated Multiplexers; these typically limited services to TW (Telstra Wholesale) product. These days, many of those RIM's had "Top Hat" equipment added to it which gave those in the estate much faster connections; but it also limited them to only using TW services. And in some areas where speed is an issue (not a physical issue due to line condition), then TW will limit the speeds available to the customer utilizing the TW service. There are clearly situations where being with Telstra is advantageous or even necessary. And of course, if there are significant line issues, then paying that bit more to be a direct Telstra customer can certainly be worth doing. Oh and a little bit about PPPoE vs PPPoA -- it is the modem/router that typically handles this, nothing on the client machine. If the modem is in bridge mode, then your only option is a PPPoE connection (unless the modem is physically installed inside the PC). If you ever get to a point where everything is working reliably, then i may be worth changing to a different ISP that will use TW. Whatever you do, don't ever rely upon an ISP mail server as that will lessen your options down the track; it will be like an anchor to some and make it very hard to change ISPs as you might want. And if you ever want to run your own Internet services on your DSL, then you want to know what is and is not allowed; which ports are open and which are blocked .... and then you'll need to make other considerations too. Cheers A.