Quick question on broadband in Chch

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Jezza

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#139096 28-Jan-2014 07:05

Hi there and thanks for reading.

I'll be moving to ChCh (from London) with my Kiwi girlfriend in mid February. We'll be living in Central Chch. I've been reading tons about ISPs in NZ but really are none the wiser. Finding a decent ISP here in the UK is a minefield and I prefer NOT going through that in NZ. I've been looking at 'Snap'. The girlfriend reckons Telstra is decent but I would be doing a bit of torrenting (all Linux distro off course ...) and apparently they block p2p from the get-go. Even during off peak hours. That just wouldn't do. I'm preferably looking for something unlimited but could live with a very high data cap. 150gb p/m I could swallow if I get free off peak. I do a bit of online gaming but not much. Once a week if that. Streaming is more important as we'll be bringing the Apple TV with.

Can any of you folks in ChCh tell me which ISP would play nice around Central ChCh and would cause me as little grief as possible? According to the various ISP sites I've checked our place gets ADLS2 and UFB. No VDSL2

thanks guys/girls

maslink

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#975501 28-Jan-2014 07:13

If you can get UFB then that is definitely the best option.

I'd personally recommend Snap UFB - their base plan on 100/50Mbps is 150GB, with reasonably price data packs. Once you've added a data pack then off peak data is unlimited

I believe Orcon do an unlimited data plan on UFB

Chris.

Jezza

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#975503 28-Jan-2014 07:16

I've had a look but there appear to be hefty setup costs. Is this the norm in NZ?

antoniosk

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#975504 28-Jan-2014 07:18

>> The girlfriend reckons Telstra is decent but I would be doing a bit of torrenting (all Linux distro off course ...) and apparently they block p2p from the get-go. Even during off peak hours.
TelstraClear doesnt exist anymore, it was acquired by Vodafone in 2012, but as for torrents that will be news to a lot of people I think.

>> 150gb p/m I could swallow if I get free off peak. I do a bit of online gaming but not much. Once a week if that. Streaming is more important as we'll be bringing the Apple TV with.
Most boutique (Snap) and mainstream (Telecom, Vodafone) ISP's offer huge cap or 'unlimited' options, and performance is pretty solid across the board.

>> Can any of you folks in ChCh tell me which ISP would play nice around Central ChCh and would cause me as little grief as possible? According to the various ISP sites I've checked our place gets ADLS2 and UFB. No VDSL2
The TCL/Voda network is a combination of Cable (HFC) ala NTL/Telewest/Virgin/Whatever theyre called now, UCLL or wholesaled ADSL2+ or wholesaled UFB (Which is the new fibre broadband network).

Just check where you're moving to and the state of services these days - a large part of christchurch was damaged in severe earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 - and the rebuild of infrastructure is well underway but everything is prioritised of course.

Snap are a local outfit with a good reputation for support but they are boutique and with tiny market share. They are one of the better ones at getting you connected to wholesale networks, according to many geekzone contributors (Ive never used them). Be aware most fibre broadband connections will be new installs meaning there will be minor digging or connection work to install at your property, whereas copper has been connected since the 50's and cable to many places since the 90's.

UFB is probably your best bet - it's a common network meaning if you tire of Snap you can switch ISP's (after your contract expires!) without needing new network connections - and it's the one most of the industry is paying attention to now.

________

Antoniosk

Coil

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#975508 28-Jan-2014 07:22

Find out where you are moving to and then evaluate what is available.

NonprayingMantis

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#975509 28-Jan-2014 07:22

Telstra don't exist anymore,they were bought by Vodafone. They don't block p2p and never have, although they (Vf) do have the smallest caps in the market

Having said that, Snap are still your best bet for ufb, which you should def get if you can.

Just be aware that unless the house already has it installed, you may be waiting quite some time for it to be installed, especially if you have a shared driveway. (We're talking months in many case)

Snap do non-ufb connections too (adsl) butt here are other ISPs that also do them with unlimited data. Have a look at slingshot, flip, bigpipe, and orcon. Only flip and bigpipe offer no 12 month contract, so if you want to switch to snap ufb in, say, 4 months then theywillbe the best bet (pr justgp with snap from day 1)