[Snap] Should I sign up to Snap UFB?

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › [Snap] Should I sign up to Snap UFB?

eth

74 posts

Master Geek

#140603 14-Feb-2014 16:54

Hi Everyone,

UFB became available at my house in Christchurch in the past few weeks. I have looked at all the different ISPs (and taken into account that the only ISPs offering UFB on Enable Networks are Snap and Orcon) and the most suitable plan I have found is the Snap Lightwave 30/10 200GB plan for $90 per month. Numerous people have recommended Snap to me and it looks like a really good ISP with great value plans. I was all ready to sign up on Snap when I also saw that a new fibre only ISP MyRepublic, which launched in Singapore in 2011 is planning to start selling plans in NZ by mid 2014. By the looks of it they will offer great value plans at competitive prices. My question is, should I go ahead and sign up on a 24 month contract with Snap, or it is worth it to wait around and see why MyRepublic offers?

Also, I live up a shared driveway. Would anyone know roughly how long the whole process will take from sign up to install, assuming the neighbours all promptly sign their consent forms?

Thanks, Ethan

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#987395 14-Feb-2014 17:02

1. MyRepublic may or may not reach NZ by mid-year.
2. Orcon UFB have a 12-month contract.
3. 200Gb is a very small data allowance for UFB - you could go though that in a day. I suggest Unlimited (Orcon - $99pm).

Sideface

DarthKermit

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#987398 14-Feb-2014 17:09

It can potentially take months to get installed, based on some of the stories mentioned on these boards.

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

SteveON

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#987403 14-Feb-2014 17:32

Took me 2 weeks and I'm only on 30gb ...

steve98

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#987758 15-Feb-2014 13:43

Sideface:
3. 200Gb is a very small data allowance for UFB - you could go though that in a day. I suggest Unlimited (Orcon - $99pm).

Depends what you're doing with it. I have a Snap UFB connection with 150GB cap and we are using it to stream Netflix / Hulu several hours per day and have never gone over it.

Lorenceo

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#987777 15-Feb-2014 14:31

You should also remember that if you have a data pack you get unlimited off peak. If you schedule all your heavy downloading to run during that time you'll have a lot more unused on peak data to play with.

timmmay

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#987782 15-Feb-2014 14:44

It can take from weeks up to many months to get UFB installed regardless of which ISP you use. Mine took 4 months. There's a whole thread on it in the UFB forum.

Snap seem good. So far they seem decent value, good service when you call them though slow email service, much smarter routing than Vodafone cable (eg Sydney ping 34ms going direct, VF is 200ms going via who knows where).

200GB is HEAPS for most people. I have a 100GB plan and will struggle to get through it. Or get a 100GB plan, add the extra data for $15, and get free bandwidth 1am - 7am or so.

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#987882 15-Feb-2014 17:50

timmmay: 200GB is HEAPS for most people ....

Its heaps if you're on ADSL - but not heaps if your connection is 10 times faster.

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timmmay

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#987902 15-Feb-2014 18:01

I use about the same amount of bandwidth on UFB as I did on cable, which was about the same speed as ADSL.

steve98

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#987903 15-Feb-2014 18:03

Sideface:
timmmay: 200GB is HEAPS for most people ....

Its heaps if you're on ADSL - but not heaps if your connection is 10 times faster.

Just because you have a faster connection, doesn't necessarily mean you mean you use more data.

bbunnys

321 posts

Ultimate Geek

#987935 15-Feb-2014 18:55

My advise is go with Orcon.

Ive had noting but trouble with Snap and UFB. 4 months on and still no fixes.

Also call center guys are pretty poor, had 6 times they have promised me they would call me back with info and it only happened 1 of the 6 times.

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#987941 15-Feb-2014 19:03

timmmay: I use about the same amount of bandwidth on UFB as I did on cable, which was about the same speed as ADSL.

I am surprised - I get download speeds of 12Mbps with ADSL, and 130Mbps with cable. (I use both at the same address.)
And usage ALWAYS goes up with a faster connection - it's human behavior, not technology, that makes the difference.
If you have a performance car, you tend to drive it faster.

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cjmchch

264 posts

Ultimate Geek

#987949 15-Feb-2014 19:22

Data: 11:00am 31 Jan 14 - 11:00am 28 Feb 14 861.14 GB

AidanS

458 posts

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#987955 15-Feb-2014 19:28

Sideface:
timmmay: I use about the same amount of bandwidth on UFB as I did on cable, which was about the same speed as ADSL.

I am surprised - I get download speeds of 12Mbps with ADSL, and 130Mbps with cable. (I use both at the same address.)
And usage ALWAYS goes up with a faster connection - it's human behavior, not technology, that makes the difference.
If you have a performance car, you tend to drive it faster.

That's correct, although the 30/10 Fibre plan isn't "much" faster than standard ADSL2+ when comparing download speeds, typical 3-1.5x fast (obviously upload speeds are an entirely different story - ten to one.). So data usage from ADSL2+ to 30/10 fibre probably won't be a very big jump for most people. It'll be the 100/50 fibre plans that'll see a bigger data usage jump.

-A

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#987957 15-Feb-2014 19:35

AidanS:
... data usage from ADSL2+ to 30/10 fibre probably won't be a very big jump for most people...

I can't see the point of 30/10 fibre, apart from the better upload speed. If you want fibre, do it right and get a FAST connection :)

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AidanS

458 posts

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#987958 15-Feb-2014 19:38

Sideface:
AidanS:
... data usage from ADSL2+ to 30/10 fibre probably won't be a very big jump for most people...

I can't see the point of 30/10 fibre, apart from the better upload speed. If you want fibre, do it right and get a FAST connection :)

+1. TBH, I think a 50/X plan should have been introduced from the get go. The 30/10 to 100/50 is too big of a jump in both speed and price. The 30/10 is too similar to a good ADSL2+ connection (bar, upload speeds) and the 100/50 speeds are "too" much for the '"average" for the next ~5 years or so.

-A.

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