Just purchased a place, that is able to get UFB (in Christchurch - on enable networks), however is not connected, so went looking for a short term option (ADSL), and stumbled upon Big Pipe. Absolutely seamless experience, and although no phone support / no modem isn't for everyone - its perfect for me. Speeds are poor so far - but I highly suspect that is mostly due to the rubbish internal phone wiring - will be sorting that over the weekend. Now - to line up a UFB install.
I've just made the switch to Bigpipe too, my experience with the switch was also mostly painless. But I'm right on the edge of a UFB area, not quite close enough, and it's funny my ADSL speeds are slower than previously with Orcon (8Mbps now down from 13Mbps).
I contact Bigpipe support via email and were impressed with their response speed and overall knowledge. They explained the speed difference was due to "your original Orcon connection was a UCLL line. This means that it was not owned by Chorus beforehand. Since this is the case Orcon had control of the line and were able to lower the line attenuation to boost speeds by a bit. However this has a downside of lower line reliability and stability. Since we are now using the Chorus lines. We won't be able to change the attenuation. This is why there is a small drop in speed."
Which seems legit I guess, we had occasional connection dropouts before the switch to Bigpipe, so we'll be sticking with them for now anyway. I do especially like not being on a contract, and hopefully UFB will be installed by the end of summer.
petes117: I contact Bigpipe support via email and were impressed with their response speed and overall knowledge. They explained the speed difference was due to "your original Orcon connection was a UCLL line. This means that it was not owned by Chorus beforehand. Since this is the case Orcon had control of the line and were able to lower the line attenuation to boost speeds by a bit. However this has a downside of lower line reliability and stability. Since we are now using the Chorus lines. We won't be able to change the attenuation. This is why there is a small drop in speed."
That's well answered, I suspect you would not get as clear an answer from a 1st level ISP phone help desk at another ISP.
Chorus uses 12dB noise margin by default and Orcon 6dB. Noise margin is the buffer of un-used frequency in the spectrum, higher noise margin lower line rate but more stable.
Quick update - after sorting the phone wiring in our place, its now got a more respectable speed for ADSL2 (15Mb/s instead of <2MB/s). Which will do until we get UFB.
I also recently moved to Bigpipe (already had UFB with another provider). Was a seamless/easy experience
Only issue I had throughout the process was the terrible customer service when closing my acct with my old ISP so nothing to do with Bigpipe. Bigpipe customer service on the other hand was very quick and easy
Yup, I just moved, too and similarly painless. The only issue I had was with the initial scoping appointment, which was set for a morning (between 9 and 12) but no-one had turned up by mid-day, which messed me up completely. I called Chorus who said they'd get back to me after they found out what the delay way but they never did, though the technician did call me just before he was "due" to head over to my place ("due" as far as he was concerned, and head office never contacted him after my call). I was angry at that but the technician was great (I might have been lucky, from some of the chats we had) and completed everything (three visits in all) fairly smoothly, though there weren't many hitches.
The only thing that worried me was that the technician was uncertain about whether my existing router (Netcomm NF4V) would work. Bigpipe said it would, but I was slightly worried. I needn't have been; it worked like a charm. There didn't seem to be any tie up between Chorus and Bigpipe but it worked immediately after the installation, once I'd set up the router.
My 2talk VOIP is also working, though I'm yet to connect it to my home phone wiring (after disconnecting the outside line, of course) as I'm wating for a number port.
All the old wiring was left in, with the fibre, so I still have a phone and could still get on the Net, with my old provider, until I'd set up the router.
The account log-in, though, doesn't seem to have any facilities at all, merely showing the current charges and a way to change my payment method.
The only thing that worried me was that the technician was uncertain about whether my existing router (Netcomm NF4V) would work. Bigpipe said it would, but I was slightly worried. I needn't have been; it worked like a charm. There didn't seem to be any tie up between Chorus and Bigpipe but it worked immediately after the installation, once I'd set up the router.
Is there anything Bigpipe could've done better in this area?
The only thing that worried me was that the technician was uncertain about whether my existing router (Netcomm NF4V) would work. Bigpipe said it would, but I was slightly worried. I needn't have been; it worked like a charm. There didn't seem to be any tie up between Chorus and Bigpipe but it worked immediately after the installation, once I'd set up the router.
Is there anything Bigpipe could've done better in this area?
Not in this area specifically but the technician had no idea who the provider would be, so I had to keep reminding him as he seemed to be assuming it was another company (Spark, maybe?). He did question the use of the router a few times and expected the provider to send a router to use. So perhaps Bigpipe could have communicated better with Chorus to explain what the job is and what Bigpipe's method of operation is, so that the technician might have a better appreciation of the context of the work. Whether that would have changed anything, I don't know.
It worked out OK in the end, but I'm somewhat IT savvy. Someone else may have had a different experience.
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