Anyone with good Slingshot reports?

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BenG

4 posts

Wannabe Geek

Topic # 30036 27-Jan-2009 15:51

I know people mostly post when there is a problem, so that's why I'm asking for good reports with Slingshot.
I just moved to NZ from the US, and will be here for two years. I need a pretty good broadband connection, so I can work from NZ though. I'll be using VPN to connect to work and transferring large files. I will also be using VOIP and video chat to the US as well. I was most interested in Slingshots nDSL, until I saw they don't offer data banking and free off-peak usage for it.
I expect I will be using around 100 GB a month, and currently don't have need for a local landline (mobile for NZ calls, VOIP for the States). I'm looking at Slingshots Inferno plan (I'm in the Bay of Islands area, so no Next Big Thing for me) and a landline. I'm also thinking about XNet (and posted a similar question in that forum) but am open to other suggestions as well.
So, anyone happy with their service and speed, especially to the States?
Thanks.

nzkc

485 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 96

Reply # 192306 27-Jan-2009 15:58

Ive been a broadband customer of theirs for 3 years. Had the odd problem but on the whole I have had fantastic service.

Actually I have phone, tolls and broadband with them. I'm on an older broadband plan and do not have the data banking option but at the moment I don't need it so havent bothered changing.

With regards to "the odd" problem I've had, they were:

Something on my bill I didnt understand. Answered by the helpdesk staff member I spoke to (quite a while ago now!)

Issue with the modem losing connection and taking a while to reconnect - not had the issue in over 18months. Definitely helped with an upgrade of the modem firmware but in taking a while to reconnect once I contacted their helpdesk and they confirmed there was a fault at the time. Again - not happened in ages.

There's been some bad reports in the last few months about slow speed and problems with their transparent proxy but I have not really experienced them. I may be lucky with where I live (Whangaparaoa peninsula). Ive only ever used Slingshot for a broadband provider in NZ so cannot compare with a competitor directly I'm afraid.

But that said; in short: I'm a happy customer.

richms

21620 posts

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Subscriber

Reply # 192341 27-Jan-2009 18:11

Peak time speeds are low again - utorrent is moving along at 45k/sec exactly. http wont do much better even with 7 threads.

Was ok 2 weeks ago.

Richard rich.ms

Detruire

1260 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 64

Reply # 192408 28-Jan-2009 02:49

Speeds are slow, some gaming is awful (other gaming is fine), the support of non-existant.

However, it's reliable. The first bit of downtime in ages occured ~40 minutes ago (and was for ~10 mins)

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hellonearthisman

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Reply # 192441 28-Jan-2009 10:44

Well I like Slingshot, last month I got just over 100GB of data in the freedata time, this month I have not had the need to DL so much.

Speed, Slingshot Prioritises their traffic, with sites like RapidShare that are mass downloading sites do get slowed into 60KBps pool.
You can still use the rest of the internet at FS but you don't get FS to there. Some people using VPN have also been ID as mass downloading sources, but I only think that happens when you use it for mass downloading, but it's a case by case thing.

My connections good, can always get to the sites I need to, even when the nets congested.

The only poor area is the helpdesk. They out source to a country where english is a 2nd language, this means it's hard to expain random problems as if feels like they are reading off a card. Still that's been getting better too.

Detruire

1260 posts

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Reply # 192502 28-Jan-2009 14:54

hellonearthisman: The only poor area is the helpdesk. They out source to a country where english is a 2nd language, this means it's hard to expain random problems as if feels like they are reading off a card. Still that's been getting better too.

I've been lucky enough (or is that unlucky enough...) to get people who sound like they're in NZ.
However, I haven't ever had an issue resolved without contacting someone else to follow it up...

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raytaylor

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Reply # 192615 28-Jan-2009 22:36

I am pretty sure its only the telemarketing department that gets outsourced. I seem to usually get the same guy when i call in the evenings over the last year.

Ray Taylor
Taylor Broadband (rural hawkes bay)
www.ruralkiwi.com

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hellonearthisman

1818 posts

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Reply # 192643 29-Jan-2009 01:37

It's been awhile since I really needed to call the helpdesk.

Speed. Sustained downloading looks like it get put into a 200KBps pool. but I still get an extra 300KBps when I'm doing surfing places like geekzone.

cokeman2

650 posts

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Reply # 192826 29-Jan-2009 22:52

hey guys been with slingshot for 5 months , unfortunately there off peak is going downhill could easily do over 100gb easily .....only manage 2.5gb a night if that unlike 6 to 7 gb a nite last month seems to throttle it heaps now , as i see the download manager shoot up to 500kbs when it starts a new files , then goes down to 170 kb/s.

even there on peak is slow around 70kb/s of my ftp server .....

please check out my android page on face book do click "like " thanks https://www.facebook.com/pages/Android-Zone/445604175475114

MikeGayner

183 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

Reply # 193826 3-Feb-2009 21:51

Like the OP, I do around 100gb/month so I'm a fairly heavy user. Don't really care about free off-peak traffic, as to me it's just a bonus not my reason for downloading. You'll find most people moaning about it are leechers, almost all of whome are downloading from illegitimate sources anyway so they get no sympathy from me.
My experience has been largely positive. I went from Ihug about 3 years ago to Xnet, with whom I lasted 6 months because the speed was such a joke. Slingshot have had their bad moments, but on the whole they're very good. Today I had a download travelling at 1mBps and I was like WTF because my sync speed at my new house (6 months) has been around 2000kbps. To my surprise, my exchange has been upgraded to ADSL2+ this week, and now my speeds are blistering, even at peak time. This was taken around an hour ago.

Detruire

1260 posts

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Reply # 193828 3-Feb-2009 22:05

MikeGayner: Like the OP, I do around 100gb/month so I'm a fairly heavy user. Don't really care about free off-peak traffic, as to me it's just a bonus not my reason for downloading. You'll find most people moaning about it are leechers, almost all of whome are downloading from illegitimate sources anyway so they get no sympathy from me.

I use between 6GB and 10GB of entirely non-free traffic.
Yet my speeds are terrible (I'm currently doing 2.9kBps combined - No, that is not a typo - from Internode's SourceForge mirror and a German mirror of Warsow).

I'm definitely not capped yet (speeds occasionally spike abover 200kBps), and I sync at over 5000kbps.

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MikeGayner

183 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

Reply # 194236 5-Feb-2009 11:52

Probably exchange congestion TBH.

Batman

Mad Scientist
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Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 195639 12-Feb-2009 22:25

slingshot's good. but only with the fs/fs one. everytime i change to fs/capped the peak hour speeds are dial-up like (well feels like it anyway). no problems with dropped connection etc. my only misery is i'll always remember that 5 days after i joined they offered 1 terabyte of data free to new clients! the next big thing is even better.

however if you dont plan to use the 1am-7am free data thing and you're not within the next big thing coverage, then telecom xtra gives 20gig for $60 at adsl2 speeds.

Swype on iOS is detrimental to accurate typing. Apologies in advance.

cokeman2

650 posts

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Reply # 195641 12-Feb-2009 22:47

yeah i agree the next big thing is not as big for most adsl customers at present time . slingshot seems to be focusing more on that than anything else .
we still haven't got free data period or or data banking on naked dsl and been with slings for nearly 6 months there seems to b no progress on that at all , i want to get voip but thats holding me back ....

please check out my android page on face book do click "like " thanks https://www.facebook.com/pages/Android-Zone/445604175475114