Hi, I live in Carlingford and we want to get a better internet provider. Currently we are using BigPond but it is too slow and paying $90 per month for the internet and a phone we don’t use isn’t desirable... Is there anything better out there? According to TPG we are in a special area in Carlingford that has a "pairing system" are there ways to get around this? Thank you

Your telephone line is on what is called a pair-gain system. What this means is your copper phone line in the ground is being shared with your neighbours’ phone line. ADSL2+ cannot run on a pair gain line, but ADSL often can, so this will be your best option.

BigPond is quite an expensive ADSL broadband provider when compared with the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who resell off of its network. As you can only get ADSL1, sadly you will need to keep your landline telephone. The cheapest way to get ADSL is by getting a home phone bundle.

ADSL is priced by speed, but you should only go for the top two speeds, as the others are very slow. Don’t go less than 1,500kbps, but go for 8,000kbps if you want the fastest speed possible and you can afford to pay a little bit extra.

However, here are the best ADSL 1500kbps speed bundles available from the Carlingford exchange, and one stand-alone 1500kbps speed plan you can combine with a basic Telstra phone line rental:

The iPrimus 1500kbps ADSL Lite 20GB plan costs $39.95 a month, bundled with a $29.95 iPrimus landline rental. You get 10GB in peak and 10GB off-peak, and contracts can be either 12 or 24 months in length, with the longer contract receiving cheaper set-up and modem fees.

Here your total cost would be $70 a month, so you’ll save $20, and we bet you’ll be getting more data than you now receive with BigPond. Call iPrimus on 1300 137 794 for more information.

iiNet has a 1500kbps plan with 100GB available, split 50GB in the peak and 50GB in the off-peak times. This plan is $49.95 a month plus $29.95 for line rental, making a total of $79.90 a month. Although you will only be saving $10 a month, you will be getting much more data for your money. Give iiNet a call on 1300 137 765.

If you want to save even more money, keep your $30 landline rental with Telstra and go for the stand-alone Club Telco ADSL1 Max 10GB 1500kbps plan for $30 a month. You get 10GB to use anytime you like, the contract is month-to-month, and your monthly phone and internet cost will be $60, $30 cheaper than your current expenditure. Call Club Telco on 1300 138 155 for more details about this plan.