My Journey Down The VDSL2 Road by Jason Liddiard

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letsgetjase

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#87741 5-Aug-2011 17:28

Hi Everyone

I thought it might be useful to some people out there to "learn" from my journey that I about to undertake to go from "whoafully" slow ADSL2+ broadband to VDSL2.

The driver behind this journey is the slow upload speeds the ADSL2+ currently offer meaning that my work files that I create while working take about 15-20 mins to upload each day. I roughly average about 4 uploads a day meaning that I loose just over an hour of work every day. At $150 per hour, I am loosing about $750 per week by the slowness of my broadband connection.

Now while most people might say, "Get an Office", I actually am far more productive at home. I have the space and quiteness to think, and I enjoy being close to my girl.

So with this in mind I am setting out on a journey to connect my house to the wonderful stuff called VDSL2 while I wait for fibre to the door.

So to begin with, lets find out where I live and what speeds I am currently connected with.

Location:     48 Mt Taylor Ave, Glendowie
Exchange:   Glendowie GDW
Distance:    700 meters

ADSL2+
Downstream: 13553 (Kbps)
UpstreamRate :1049 (Kbps)

Currently connected with Telstraclear, I gave them a ring to talk to the business department about their VDSL2 product called BizNet Premium. After 2 transfers and a couple of confused people, I talked to Lynn who informed me that only Auckland CBD, East Tamaki and Ellerslie are currently connected with VSDL2+. It was a dead end.

Next, Orcon. Spoke to two really helpful guys there, Chris and Ben who were excellent.

Again, similar story. They cover main business areas, but don't offer full VSDL2+ service out to outer resendential areas. I would need to contact a sort of niche provider. Turns out that Telecom NZ are Wholsaling this

Even though they couldn't help, they even provided the details of two possible compaines that could. X-Net and Kiwilink. Now that's a big respect to the Orcon guys. As a consumer, my value is of Orcon gets lifted as they are making it clear that they have my best interests at heart. Points to Orcon.

I next spoke to Craig at Kiwilink who was really helpful. He explained that while in my location there were areas defined by the Cabinets that houses are connected to that are VSDL2 ready. I got very excited until he discovered that my house was just on the boundaries of one of these connected areas. I used an online tool at http://www.telecomwholesale.co.nz/ to discover where these VDSL2 cabinet areas are.

VSDL2 Location

So on to the next part of my jorney. Pretty much nothing (as far as I am aware) can happen until my house becomes part of the "green" zone and my line is connected to a cabinet that has VSDL2.

Craig from Kiwilink was really helpful and would love to connect me to his VSDL service, however I am now at the hands of getting my cabimet connected.

I am putting it out there, if anyone has been/done/currently working with Telecom/Chorus to get their cabinet connected, I would like to hear your story and if any, successes that you might of had. Any advice on what to do next would be more than useful.

Next part of my story will be after I have called Telecom and gone through their process to get on a "waiting list" perhaps.

Subscribe to this post and find out how I get on!

Thanks
Jason

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30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

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Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#502503 5-Aug-2011 17:38

You'll typically only reach the required signal levels for VDSL if you're within 500m of an ISAM - this is around 50% of customers, with 90% within 1km (based on Chorus stats). Because of the greater frequency range of VDSL2 it drops off a lot quicker with the attenuation over longer distances so simply won't work.

It's a shame that Annex M isn't an option in NZ, but if you understand the bandplans for DSL you'll realise the problems it can cause.

You can't just be "connected" to a cabinet. A street has a MPF that either terminates at at a cabinet or exchange, and it's not possible to just change a single house. If you want faster up stream you'll have to wait until UFB or look at SHDSL services that will offer faster upstream but comes at a cost.

letsgetjase

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#502509 5-Aug-2011 18:19

Thanks for all that info. That's good to know.

BTW, what is a MPF?

Zeon

3916 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#502535 5-Aug-2011 20:20

Hey Mate. Firstly here are the ISPs who I know offer VDSL2 using Telecom Wholesale (Telstra have their own copper network and their service is different):
- Xtreme Networks
- Unleash
- Kiwilink
- Snap

We have had VDSL2 with Unleash (who are hands down our choice out of those providers) in our Wellington office for about 1 month. We get 30mbps down and 10mbps up but not sure how far away we are from the cabinet/Exchange. It was a real mission getting it installled with both a cable fault and Telecom Wholesale Handover issue but got it working within 5 days of when it was meant to be installed (get yours installed on a seperate line to avoid outage).

We are getting VDSL2 to our new office in Albany in 2 weeks time using Unleash too. They are very flexible with bandwidth and we get 500GB national and 50GB international we can share between the 2 connections.

If you can't get VDSL2 now you have other options for faster upload. You could get fibre, I believe Telecom has dropped their prices significantly. Based on prices pre UFB announcement Probably expect a $2k install cost if its in the street then maybe $700 a month for 10mbps symmetrical connection.

Could also look at HSNS copper which may be cheaper now too. Can get up to 10mbps on copper but VERY pricey for what it is. Other option is fixed wireless with the likes of Araneo which can go anywhere up to 1gbps symmetrical. My bet would be maybe Araneo if you can get it TBH.

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jjnz1

1363 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#502554 5-Aug-2011 21:19

Is Araneo suitable for rural farms (consumer type connection) that are unable to get broadband?

I know the price may be a little high but how much? 1Mb/1Mb for $150 p/mth?

Regs

4066 posts

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Snowflake

#502565 5-Aug-2011 21:43

how much are you willing to pay for the connection? if you were talking to telstraclear about vdsl, then a couple of hundred at least. last time i spoke to iconz, they were able to offer symmetirc wireless circuits using araneo wireless links starting at a couple of hundred a month.

Sales Engineer
Snowflake
www.snowflake.com

about.me/nzregs
Twitter: @nzregs

letsgetjase

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#502579 5-Aug-2011 22:03

Hi Guys

Thanks for all your wonderful feedback and advice, knowledge etc.

I really really want faster broadband and the business can pay for it up to a sensible and cost efficent ratio. I would happily pay $200 per month and even up to $300.

$400 is probably starting to get a little pricey unless I get some really good deals on data and an awesome upload speed. I just about would want 100 mbps both ways to warrant that kind of expenditure.

Thanks Zeon for all your info. Glad your business is on VDSL and you are enjoying the benefits. Fibre at only 10mbps and $700 per month seems like a really second rate option compared with VDSL2.

Looking at Kiwilink at even their biggest plan of 100GB and possible download at 30 mbps and upload at 10 mbps for only $230 per month, it just seems to make economical sense.

Zeon, I would be interested in knowing what Unleash are charging you for your 500GB per month if you don't mind?

Zeon

3916 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#502773 6-Aug-2011 16:01

letsgetjase: Hi Guys

Thanks for all your wonderful feedback and advice, knowledge etc.

I really really want faster broadband and the business can pay for it up to a sensible and cost efficent ratio. I would happily pay $200 per month and even up to $300.

$400 is probably starting to get a little pricey unless I get some really good deals on data and an awesome upload speed. I just about would want 100 mbps both ways to warrant that kind of expenditure.

Thanks Zeon for all your info. Glad your business is on VDSL and you are enjoying the benefits. Fibre at only 10mbps and $700 per month seems like a really second rate option compared with VDSL2.

Looking at Kiwilink at even their biggest plan of 100GB and possible download at 30 mbps and upload at 10 mbps for only $230 per month, it just seems to make economical sense.

Zeon, I would be interested in knowing what Unleash are charging you for your 500GB per month if you don't mind?

Fibre and DSL are 2 very different beasts though. Fibre you know exactly what you are getting IE we have a 10mbps CIR (committed information rate) back to our ISP that means we ALWAYS get that speed no matter what. VDSL2 is a best efforts service so Telecom may say that it will guarantee 100kbps but it can go anywhere up to 50mbps so a huge disparity.

The problem really is most fixed business connections are very much about ultra high uptime and a perfect service so you pay for that. The UFB will change this by providing the higher speeds but without the dedicated ( and thus costly) nature.

I would really push for VDSL if I were you. We pay Unleash $350 a month for a /28 IPv4 subnet, 500GB national and 50GB international. Our new connection might be another $200 or so and will share this. They do also have unlimited national options.

If most of your transfers are National I would take a look at Xtreme Networks. They are quite price competitive with unlimited National.

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letsgetjase

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#504247 10-Aug-2011 10:52

Update from Tuesday 9th Augus 2011:

Got a phone call from TelstraClear yesterday from a Business Sales Rep. Very interesting conversation. Talked about getting me onto their Business Premium product (which would be vDSL) for a connection 50mbps download and 4mbps upload for $149 per month plus data.

The really interesting thing about the whole conversation was that it wsn't until the very end that the sales reps asked me for my address. I kept on asking him to confirm that the service he was trying to sell me could actually be connected to my property.

Yes, Yes, Yes... he replied... now what's your address. About 3 minutes of slience with the occasional Ummmm thrown in before I said to him to go away and do his research and get back to me. His reply was it would 2-3 days before someone would be get in touch.

Interesting... to see that even sales reps in large telco's don't even swtich down to the location early on in the sales calls as did Craig from Kiwilink who from the start wanted my location before our conversation could begin. Maybe this is the change in the new wholesale communication economy where having smaller companies that understand local conditions on the ground are more informative, trusting and reachable when getting your business/service connected.

I know I would rather deal with the smaller provider, even pay more, to get a more "real" experience when dealing with commodity providers such as an ISP.

Just got a PM in my mailbox from someone offering 40mbps down and 4mbps up. Will see how this goes and keep you posted.

Kind Regards
Jason Liddiard

letsgetjase

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#512709 26-Aug-2011 21:20

Still chasing TelstraClear and getting nowhere fast.

All promise and no delivery so far.

That's 3 phone calls and 2 voicemails.

Will keep you posted.

NZFINEST

202 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#512732 26-Aug-2011 22:30

Most new cabinets are capable of providing VDSL2, but they are not loaded with the correct software this can be a hasle getting it sorted out. My cabinet is now VDSL2 capable in blockhouse bay auckland. If you are looking at offices site's you could PM the address and I could advise if a connection can be had at that address off a telecom wholesale connection through someone like snap or wxc.
You can now get fibre connections off the cabinets as well now for HSNS light but think there is a limit to 300meg per cabinet for this

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

letsgetjase

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#513588 29-Aug-2011 18:17

Spoke with TelestraClear business today after getting tired of them waiting to call.

After along conversation about how their Sales Rep stated that they have the Telstra network running pass my door, including Fibre, it was disovered that there is in fact NO Telstra Infrastructure running past the property.

Business Sales rep then went away to talk to their IC (Install Co-ordinator) to verify if there was anything that they could do provide VDSL 2+ to my door.

He is calling back tomorrow.... the saga continues.

ALTRON

577 posts

Ultimate Geek

#513610 29-Aug-2011 18:58

My exchange has been vdsl enabled since last year. I'm on telecom Adsl at under 1km from exchange.
It's still not avaiable to normal customers?

wjw

162 posts

Master Geek

#513641 29-Aug-2011 20:24

ALTRON: My exchange has been vdsl enabled since last year. I'm on telecom Adsl at under 1km from exchange.

It's still not avaiable to normal customers?

Snap tell me they will have consumer pricing by the end of the week. I'll keep chasing

jjnz1

1363 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#513670 29-Aug-2011 21:22

That'll be exciting, I have been asking Snap every time I need to ring them for something else about their pricing for VDSL as I would really like to replace my 2 adsl connections.

Let us know if you find out first!

Zeon

3916 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#513676 29-Aug-2011 21:32

ISPs who offer VDSL2 over Telecom Wholesale NOW:

Confirmed:
- Unleash
- Xtreme Communications
- Worldnet
- Kiwilink

Unconfirmed:
- Vibe Communications

Those who don't:
- Telecom Retail
- Orcon
- Vodafone

+ many others

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