Farmside: Is it really that bad ?

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Farmside: Is it really that bad ?

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#1130934 17-Sep-2014 19:17

Avoid satellite at all costs.
If you can get away with using a 3g usb stick and an external yagi antenna off trademe, its still much better value until RBI comes around.

With satellite its not just the slow speed / congestion, but also the high ping times that make surfing so slow.

In the meantime you may also want to see if there is a local WISP operating in your area.

Ray Taylor

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hio77

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#1130943 17-Sep-2014 19:25

raytaylor:
In the meantime you may also want to see if there is a local WISP operating in your area.

normally ild suggest this. but the guy who does WISP in the area can be a total pain to deal with.

if hes not interested, he will simply stop showing up. no communication at all. - refer to the little story in my earlier post here..

Due to that ild not recommend that particular WISP... which is disappointing really..

To my knowledge, there are no other WISPs operating around the area, unfortunately..

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raytaylor

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#1131041 17-Sep-2014 21:45

Which wisp may I ask?

Ray Taylor

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hio77

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#1131046 17-Sep-2014 21:49

raytaylor: Which wisp may I ask?

I try to make a point of not rubbing names in it.. thus is why up till now i did not name them.

Geolink

They nolonger list their plans on their site, for what reason i have no idea...

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quickymart

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#1131090 17-Sep-2014 22:37

That is one bad-looking site.

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#1131093 17-Sep-2014 22:38

quickymart: That is one bad-looking site.

yes. i almost said their site was down. but turns out it just takes AGES to actually load.

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raytaylor

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#1131097 17-Sep-2014 22:47

Unfortunatley small WISP operators are usually only one or two man bands.
Personally I take sales calls while i am up a tower hanging antennas etc.
With a small number of subscribers, its rather difficult to be able to hire staff for a call centre etc. and so you get rushed off your feet because everyone wants you in every direction.

But then there are some that simply dont have the right attitude.

I have posted your sales lead to a couple of wisp's who operate in the auckland region and will see if any of them are able to help.

Right now I think the best course of action might be to investigate RBI and if its not avaliable, then a 3g cellular stick with an external antenna if you can already get a smell of cellular coverage.

Ray Taylor

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jaybeedee

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#1131600 18-Sep-2014 17:08

raytaylor:

Right now I think the best course of action might be to investigate RBI and if its not avaliable, then a 3g cellular stick with an external antenna if you can already get a smell of cellular coverage.

Thanks Ray (and everybody who has taken the time to contribute, GZ is a fantastic community)
I'll get up on the roof if it is still light tonight. (But I know the kids need to climb to the top of a serious hill to get/send a text so I'm not hopeful.

Our needs are quite basic, and we certainly won't be video-calling, you tubing, games or online meetings etc. And everyone will be told to update their Itunes or OS when they are back in the city.

Will report back on how we get on.
Cheers

jaybeedee

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#1135043 23-Sep-2014 22:33

Well, I thought I wasn't going to have to find out about Farmside because I got a text from Tele, er Spark saying our broadband would be connected by tonight, Much excitement. Very straightforward process to put the filters on both jackpoints, connect it up, looking good if slow.

So I successfully do one speedtest

Hmm, Farmside might be better than this. Then the phone rings and we lose ADSL despite being fltered at all jackpoints. Ths becomes the repeatable pattern.

Typical speedtest is then like below (when it completes) or worse with ping times between about 260 and 600ms . Sometimes drop ADSL even without a voice call.

It has to be said that even POTS is problematic at this location and often drops out.

So with zero cellphone coverage and completely unstable ADSL farmside is looking better by the minute. Lets see if they can deliver (their sales and provisioning process is not filling me with confidence I have to say!)

John

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#1135050 23-Sep-2014 22:44

Ild get a master filter installed, should clear up the phone causing issues.

Squeeze what you can out. WAK/J is a Conklin IIRC however.. so peak congestion will be bad.

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dcole13

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#1135055 23-Sep-2014 23:40

+1 Get a master filter. They are real cheap on trademe and are real easy to install, or if you don't feel comfortable doing it Coffeebaron can do it for you. Is there any noise that you can hear on the phone line?

Home ADSL: School:

jaybeedee

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#1135243 24-Sep-2014 08:54

dcole13: Is there any noise that you can hear on the phone line?

The voice line has always been pretty crackly, and often will have periods without dial tone. I'll swing by jaycar or somewhere and get a master filter.

On the drive in this morning I managed to get enough 3G coverage for a voice call from on top of a ridge 1km away as the crow flies. the coverage patch is very narrow (20m either side and it is gone) Would that be enough to consider a rooftop aerial ?

meesham

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#1135291 24-Sep-2014 09:02

jaybeedee:
The voice line has always been pretty crackly, and often will have periods without dial tone. I'll swing by jaycar or somewhere and get a master filter.

Jaycar don't sell them, I got mine from the local Radcliffe Electrical / JA Russell

dcole13

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#1135306 24-Sep-2014 09:07

jaybeedee:
dcole13: Is there any noise that you can hear on the phone line?

The voice line has always been pretty crackly, and often will have periods without dial tone. I'll swing by jaycar or somewhere and get a master filter.

On the drive in this morning I managed to get enough 3G coverage for a voice call from on top of a ridge 1km away as the crow flies. the coverage patch is very narrow (20m either side and it is gone) Would that be enough to consider a rooftop aerial ?

If there's a noisy line get a master filter asap. If it still is there, log a fault with your isp for a pots fault. Noisy line could be a bad line. You can get a master filter off trademe. And maybe Jay car but I don't knowm

Home ADSL: School:

dcole13

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#1135309 24-Sep-2014 09:56

Also, if you get Vodafone broadband and a sure signal you can repeat your mobile signal over your adsl, but I can't remember the minimum speed. You will need to ask JohnR

Home ADSL: School:

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