My daughter is living in a unit at Darlington Sydney and needs internet access for university.
I would classify her as a heavy user of the internet. I would prefer wireless broadband with high speed and reliability. She does not have the landline connected at the unit. What plan or package would you suggest?
20/03/2011
Your daughter lives in an area which is most likely to be capable of receiving ADSL2+ broadband, which is great because it’s fast, cheap and stable.
When people refer to wireless broadband, they’re usually referring to one of two things: the first, mobile wireless broadband – a little USB stick which plugs into your computer. It can be used wherever it can receive 3G coverage (whether it’s on the train or in your backyard). I wouldn’t recommend this option for your daughter as the connection isn’t as reliable as ADSL2+, and it will be more expensive. She also probably won’t find a plan to suit her heavy usage.
The other wireless broadband customers refer to is wireless broadband within your home. Your daughter could still have the reliability of ADSL2+ broadband whilst using it wirelessly within her unit. All she will need to do is purchase a wireless modem with her plan which will create a WiFi signal within her home. When she sets up the modem, she should set a password on her network so people nearby can’t access her internet connection.
While your daughter may not need a landline because she already has a mobile phone to make calls, some of the cheapest plans available come with a home phone included. If she never wants to use the phone to make calls, that’s fine – she doesn’t need to plug a home phone in.
TPG has some very cheap home phone and broadband bundles which include large amounts of GB for her to use. The plans are on a high speed, and there are no excess charges if she exceeds her limit. The following plans may suit her usage:
TPG ADSL2+ 100GB $49.99 30GB (peak) + 70GB (off peak)
TPG ADSL2+ Unlimited $59.99
(Peak hours run from 9am – 1am)
The above prices include the phone line rental, and each of the packages is available on a six-month or 24-month contract, with a $129.95 or a $79.95 setup fee respectively. The setup fee includes connecting the landline, as long as Telstra’s copper lines are already installed into the unit and they are in satisfactory condition. Your daughter can purchase a wireless modem directly from TPG for $149.95 including delivery.
Call us on 1300 106 571 if you’d like to sign-up or find out more about TPG’s home phone and broadband bundle deals.
If you’d like to compare the above plans to something similar but with lower set-up fees, iPrimus has a Naked DSL plan which is on a 12-month contract. Naked DSL uses an ADSL2+ connection, so it’s still fast and reliable. The only difference is it’s broadband without an active home phone line – so she won’t need to pay phone line renal.
iPrimus NakedDSL Starter Plus 20GB (peak) + 20GB (off peak) $49.95
(Peak hours are from noon – midnight).
Because there are no excess charges on the above plan (the speed is just slowed), your daughter would never need to pay more than $49.95 per month. If your daughter goes on a 12-month contract, it’s a $59 set-up fee, or set-up is free on a 24-month contract. A wireless modem from iPrimus will cost $189 (or $129 on a 24-month contract).
If you’d like to sign-up with iPrimus, or to find out more, you can contact them on 1300 137 794.
For other cheap and fast plans in Darlington Sydney, you could also try Internode Naked DSL or Dodo bundle plans (1300 136 793).
