Orcon is dumping me, so how is Telecom's DSL Broadband?

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Orcon is dumping me, so how is Telecom's DSL Broadband?

Linuxluver

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#90869 1-Oct-2011 15:10

Orcon won't change my broadband plan without requiring my landline and i do want to change my broadband plan...so I guess I have to find a new ISP.

I have a Telecom landline and now my mobile phone is on a Telecom contract, too.....so what is the DSL connectivity like on the North Shore (or anywhere?).

I'm looking at the $105 / month plan for 60GB and my landline. That would be just over half what I'm paying now for Orcon broadband and my Telecom landline.....and Orcon won't reduce my data, so it is a fair comparison.

Orcon's performance has been crap in the evenings for YouTube and some other stuff recently. Of course Speedtest always reports the network as screaming fast....while actually using the network is at about 1/100th of that speed.

I use Bittorrent occasionally for Linux ISOs (700MB-ish) and phone firmware (80MB-ish). Does Telecom kill it?

If I have to, I can also use my Android phone over 3G for Bittorrent (the "Swarm" app is best) if I really need something....the files aren't usually very big and I don't do it often.

The kids tend to stream video in the evenings. How does that go on Telecom?

Thanks for any response. Sorry my requirements are a bit vague. We do pretty much everything on the Net. Is there anything that DOESN'T work well? Skype?

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nickb800

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#528025 1-Oct-2011 15:35

Telecom broadband is pretty good, speed & congestion should be better than Orcon.

Wouldnt worry about the connectivity issues, it should be as good as Orcon's at least

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Linuxluver

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#528026 1-Oct-2011 15:38

nickb800: Telecom broadband is pretty good, speed & congestion should be better than Orcon.

Wouldnt worry about the connectivity issues, it should be as good as Orcon's at least

Thanks, Nick.

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NonprayingMantis

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#528027 1-Oct-2011 15:39

you might be interested in this thread. They don't include Orcon for some reason,but Telecom fares very well against all the other ISPs for time of day speed drop-off

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=49&topicid=90850

Linuxluver

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#528029 1-Oct-2011 15:57

NonprayingMantis: you might be interested in this thread. They don't include Orcon for some reason,but Telecom fares very well against all the other ISPs for time of day speed drop-off

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=49&topicid=90850

Thanks for that. Latent anxiety rapidly dissipating. :-)

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NZFINEST

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#528049 1-Oct-2011 17:24

I was with telecom up until a few months ago, for ages. I think over the last few years they have got things sorted and never had any issues. Well I did with the modem that they supplied but that was sorted by buying a decent 1. It would be really great if there call center was in NZ, because the few times I did have to call it was a nightmare dealing with the overseas CSR . Once they put you through to someone in NZ things would get sorted
I would not hesitate going back to them

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vinnieg

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#528056 1-Oct-2011 18:11

NZFINEST: I was with telecom up until a few months ago, for ages. I think over the last few years they have got things sorted and never had any issues. Well I did with the modem that they supplied but that was sorted by buying a decent 1. It would be really great if there call center was in NZ, because the few times I did have to call it was a nightmare dealing with the overseas CSR . Once they put you through to someone in NZ things would get sorted
I would not hesitate going back to them

Same here, I was with them for a few years, went to Xnet, then back to Telecom for the last 5 years. Now I've jsut got on snap a few weeks ago. Not quite as fast at times, but is doing my well and I'm paying roughly $30-40 less

Telecoms CSRs are a pain, well the overseas ones. Cancelling my account and moving my landline was through NZ though and wasn't too painful at all

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

NZFINEST

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#528059 1-Oct-2011 18:16

Same here, I was with them for a few years, went to Xnet, then back to Telecom for the last 5 years. Now I've jsut got on snap a few weeks ago. Not quite as fast at times, but is doing my well and I'm paying roughly $30-40 less

Telecoms CSRs are a pain, well the overseas ones. Cancelling my account and moving my landline was through NZ though and wasn't too painful at all

Canceling my account was not as strait forward at all. Was on the phone for half a hour with overseas CSR . As soon as I was transferred to someone in /nz sorted in 2 minutes . Makes me think are they saving $$ with these overseas CSR because they just seem to go around in circles

Anything I suggest or say is my own thoughts and not provided by anyone else unless stated

jnimmo

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#528068 1-Oct-2011 19:30

Unfortunately I can't recommend Snap for you either as they will require you to bring your landline to them - does that really matter though?

Telecom are now pretty competitive with their broadband pricing though and I hear their speeds are good, as long as you don't need to talk to their overseas CSRs!

Peppery

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#528287 2-Oct-2011 17:06

We switched back to Telecom when they introduced Big Time (from Orcon) and we're now on the Total Home Broadband 100GB plan. I must say they're an excellent ISP. I haven't had any problems with speeds dropping off in peak hours, I can always max my line downloading from U.S servers :)

Linuxluver

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#528303 2-Oct-2011 18:12

Thanks All

I placed an order for the Total Home Broadband with 60GB, which in my case is just adding the DSL to what I already have.

I guess I'll have to reconfigure the router at some point - 4 working days - so Thursday / Friday.

In the 21 years I've been on the Net, this is first time I've ever used Telecom as an ISP. Let's see how it goes. I have to admit I;ve been happy with them for landline, and much more recently, mobile.

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jeffnz

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#528316 2-Oct-2011 19:41

Signed up with them last week after being away for years, they were very good and had modem in 3 days and phoneline going in 4 days so pretty painless. I'm on total home broadband as well and seems fine thus far

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danielm8

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#528329 2-Oct-2011 20:20

I'm on Slingshot and getting FS/FS (about 3MBPS on the north shore.. averaging 250kb/s to 300kb/s) and 50gb/month bandwidth for $50/month without calling (that's $25/month for first 6 months)... just thought it'd be worth a mention.