UFB Question to Spark

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maxeon

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#171738 29-Apr-2015 14:49

Hi,
We have been with Spark for too long now. Planning to move to Fibre shortly and Bigpipe seems to be very attractive for their speeds of 200/200. Anyone know if Spark is going to offer anything like that in future?

I really want to remain with Spark as their customer to continue using their xtramail - and also keep the same Landline number, but the speeds are only 100/50.

Bigpipe offering is very good, except I will probably end up paying for two ISP's for Phone & Internet and possibly for xtramail.

Thanks

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#1293613 29-Apr-2015 14:49

Hello... Our robot found some keywords in your post, so here is an automated reply with some important things to note regarding broadband speeds.

If you are posting regarding DSL speeds please check that

- you have reset your modem and router

- your PC (or other PCs in your LAN) is not downloading large files when you are testing

- you are not being throttled by your ISP due to going over the monthly cap

- your tests are always done on an ethernet connection to the router - do not use wireless for testing

- you read this topic and follow the instructions there.

Make sure you provide information for other users to help you. If you have not already done it, please EDIT your post and add this now:

- Your ISP and plan

- Type of connection (ADSL, ADSL2, VDSL)

- Your modem DSL stats (do not worry about posting Speedtest, we need sync rate, attenuation and noise margin)

- Your general location (or street)

- If you are rural or urban

- If you know your connection is to an exchange, cabinet or conklin

- If your connection is to a ULL or wholesale service

- If you have done an isolation test as per the link above

Most of the problems with speed are likely to be related to internal wiring issues. Read this discussion to find out more about this. Your ISP is not intentionally slowing you down today (unless you are on a managed plan). Also if this is the school holidays it's likely you will notice slower than usual speed due to more users online.

A master splitter is required for VDSL2 and in most cases will improve speeds on DSL connections. Regular disconnections can be a monitored alarm or a set top box trying to connect. If there's an alarm connected to your line even if you don't have an alarm contract it may still try to connect so it's worth checking.

I recommend you read these two blog posts:

- Is your premises phone wiring impacting your broadband performance? (very technical)

- Are you receiving a substandard ULL ADSL2+ connection from your ISP?

I am the Geekzone Robot and I am here to help. I am from the Internet. I do not interact. Do not expect other replies from me.

These links are referral codes: Sharesies | Mighty Ape

wasabi2k

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#1293653 29-Apr-2015 15:35

phone numbers are portable and why on earth would you want to keep using xtramail?

Just change to gmail/something isp independent. It really isn't that difficult.

maxeon

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#1293656 29-Apr-2015 15:40

wasabi2k: phone numbers are portable and why on earth would you want to keep using xtramail?

Just change to gmail/something isp independent. It really isn't that difficult.

I was always in the opinion of "It is always good to keep a Local ISP based email address".
Phone lines are portable which means I have to take up VOIP line which is paid by minutes.

If spark is intending to offer (200/200) speeds as bigpipe in the near future, I prefer to stay with them. Also the simplicity of switching from one plan to another with the same ISP :)

richms

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#1293658 29-Apr-2015 15:43

maxeon:
wasabi2k: phone numbers are portable and why on earth would you want to keep using xtramail?

Just change to gmail/something isp independent. It really isn't that difficult.

I was always in the opinion of "It is always good to keep a Local ISP based email address".
Phone lines are portable which means I have to take up VOIP line which is paid by minutes.

If spark is intending to offer (200/200) speeds as bigpipe in the near future, I prefer to stay with them. Also the simplicity of switching from one plan to another with the same ISP :)

I use 2talk, and their base plan is super generous with the number of minuites that you get. I only really use it when I want the call recorded because no matter how many apps I try on the mobile I cant ever get it to work.

Changing to UFB even on the same ISP isnt easy. And they will often get a sucess from chorus and turn the copper off when really the fiber isnt working yet.

Richard rich.ms

maxeon

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#1293660 29-Apr-2015 15:46

richms:
maxeon:
wasabi2k: phone numbers are portable and why on earth would you want to keep using xtramail?

Just change to gmail/something isp independent. It really isn't that difficult.

I was always in the opinion of "It is always good to keep a Local ISP based email address".
Phone lines are portable which means I have to take up VOIP line which is paid by minutes.

If spark is intending to offer (200/200) speeds as bigpipe in the near future, I prefer to stay with them. Also the simplicity of switching from one plan to another with the same ISP :)

I use 2talk, and their base plan is super generous with the number of minuites that you get. I only really use it when I want the call recorded because no matter how many apps I try on the mobile I cant ever get it to work.

Changing to UFB even on the same ISP isnt easy. And they will often get a sucess from chorus and turn the copper off when really the fiber isnt working yet.

I have checked 2talk and their offerings. From what I can see we might end up using a lot more than their base plan and might be better of sticking to Telecom Copper.

richms

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#1293672 29-Apr-2015 15:48

Wow ok. I could never see myself using 2000 mins in a month. That's over an hour a day!

Richard rich.ms

BigPipeNZ

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#1293674 29-Apr-2015 15:49

maxeon:
richms:
maxeon:
wasabi2k: phone numbers are portable and why on earth would you want to keep using xtramail?

Just change to gmail/something isp independent. It really isn't that difficult.

I was always in the opinion of "It is always good to keep a Local ISP based email address".
Phone lines are portable which means I have to take up VOIP line which is paid by minutes.

If spark is intending to offer (200/200) speeds as bigpipe in the near future, I prefer to stay with them. Also the simplicity of switching from one plan to another with the same ISP :)

I use 2talk, and their base plan is super generous with the number of minuites that you get. I only really use it when I want the call recorded because no matter how many apps I try on the mobile I cant ever get it to work.

Changing to UFB even on the same ISP isnt easy. And they will often get a sucess from chorus and turn the copper off when really the fiber isnt working yet.

I have checked 2talk and their offerings. From what I can see we might end up using a lot more than their base plan and might be better of sticking to Telecom Copper.

Out of interest, how much calling do you do? It's pretty rare for a standard lineline + calling to work out cheaper than using VOIP (or just using mobile)

For example, you can get unlimited calls to NZ + Australia, landlines and mobiles, for less than $50 with Skinny from your mobile. That's better value than any landline option in NZ. (especially when you take into account what you already spend on your mobile)

The only time it might be better to keep a landline is a) if you do a lot of international calls (but then any sane person uses Skype or similar for those anyway) or b) if you receive a lot of calls and want to receive them onto a landline number so the other person gets 'free' local calling.

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lxsw20

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#1293676 29-Apr-2015 15:54

Also out of interest do you have a lot of people using one connection? If not do you think you will really notice a difference between 100mbit and 200mbit /says the guy having 1000mbit installed on Friday.

maxeon

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#1293719 29-Apr-2015 16:28

BigPipeNZ:
maxeon:
richms:
maxeon:
wasabi2k: phone numbers are portable and why on earth would you want to keep using xtramail?

Just change to gmail/something isp independent. It really isn't that difficult.

I was always in the opinion of "It is always good to keep a Local ISP based email address".
Phone lines are portable which means I have to take up VOIP line which is paid by minutes.

If spark is intending to offer (200/200) speeds as bigpipe in the near future, I prefer to stay with them. Also the simplicity of switching from one plan to another with the same ISP :)

I use 2talk, and their base plan is super generous with the number of minuites that you get. I only really use it when I want the call recorded because no matter how many apps I try on the mobile I cant ever get it to work.

Changing to UFB even on the same ISP isnt easy. And they will often get a sucess from chorus and turn the copper off when really the fiber isnt working yet.

I have checked 2talk and their offerings. From what I can see we might end up using a lot more than their base plan and might be better of sticking to Telecom Copper.

Out of interest, how much calling do you do? It's pretty rare for a standard lineline + calling to work out cheaper than using VOIP (or just using mobile)

For example, you can get unlimited calls to NZ + Australia, landlines and mobiles, for less than $50 with Skinny from your mobile. That's better value than any landline option in NZ. (especially when you take into account what you already spend on your mobile)

The only time it might be better to keep a landline is a) if you do a lot of international calls (but then any sane person uses Skype or similar for those anyway) or b) if you receive a lot of calls and want to receive them onto a landline number so the other person gets 'free' local calling.

I know it sounds strange but there are some good reasons why we prefer to keep our copper land line. There are some adults in the house that prefer to stay old style and they really enjoy speaking to neighbors for hours on the phone. In addition to that the ability to have a working phone during power outages is also a plus.

Some people in our house are not capable of using mobile .. :(

maxeon

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#1293721 29-Apr-2015 16:30

lxsw20: Also out of interest do you have a lot of people using one connection? If not do you think you will really notice a difference between 100mbit and 200mbit /says the guy having 1000mbit installed on Friday.

We will have around 15 to 20 devices connected to the internet. This includes TV's, Computers, Laptops, iPads, Phones and other devices that has the ability to connect.

muppet

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#1293727 29-Apr-2015 16:44

Regarding the phone:

I know change is scary and all that, but with 2Talk (or any other VoIP provider) you can just buy an ATA (it does all the VoIP stuff and just gives you a phone jack) and then you can keep using your existing landline phone(s). We use 2Talk here in Napier for exactly the reason you're talking about, my wife's parents ring on the landline as do other members of her family. They all just think that "landline is cheap/easy". Which it is, I agree. All 2Talk local calling is free, I think. Or a bunch of minutes are included anyway.
The only big issue you'll hit is that rotary phones won't work and yes, you'll lose your ATA/Internet in a power outage, so you'll have no landline. This can be mitigated with a UPS however. If you're getting a fibre connection now, isn't your phone being provided by the ONT anyway, using your power? Or do you still have the real old-school actual copper?

Regarding needing 200/100:
How are all your devices connected, via Wifi? If so, you'll probably never realise the benefit of going over 100Mb/s download anyway. I would question your requirement to go from 100 down to 200 down, and from 50 up to 200 up. Are you really flatlining your existing UFB on a regular basis? And if yes, are you really SURE you are? More likely your router or your Wifi/network can't keep up.

Finally: It's kinda pointless to have a really fast access tail (200/200) feeding into an ISP with little headroom during peak times. I don't know much about BigPipe, but seeing as they're newer to the game I'd have to question if they're better connected than Spark. Are you 100% you're not going to be swapping a faster tail for a slower "body"?

Finally:
None of that answers your original question, which you'd be much better off asking Spark directly. It's unlikely they're going to give you any "advanced notice" of their consumer plans, but I'd suggest there's no way any Spark employee is going to "leak" what their plans might be on Geekzone either. A direct question has a better chance of getting a reply.

Yours in realising this probably didn't help at all,
muppet

richms

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#1293728 29-Apr-2015 16:45

Any word on if spark have a plan to get people off copper yet?

Richard rich.ms

lxsw20

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#1293739 29-Apr-2015 16:52

richms: Any word on if spark have a plan to get people off copper yet?

They have a solution in trials apparently. Can text you when you miss a call etc.

richms

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#1293742 29-Apr-2015 16:54

Probably delaying the roll out till they can figure out how to charge more for caller ID and messaging etc ;)

But hopefully the "security" of having a copper landline from spark will be a short lived thing for anyone that chooses to go with them for a fiber connection.

Richard rich.ms

wasabi2k

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#1293754 29-Apr-2015 17:13

maxeon:
wasabi2k: phone numbers are portable and why on earth would you want to keep using xtramail?

Just change to gmail/something isp independent. It really isn't that difficult.

I was always in the opinion of "It is always good to keep a Local ISP based email address".

I don't understand why. Something like Gmail is far more reliable with a much better feature set?

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