[plug] [OT] Looking for broadband

[Alex Nordstrom]

On Sunday, 7 Nov 2004 12:21, Ben Jensz wrote:
> TPG don't have the best reputation in regards to quality of
> connection (e.g. being able to get near your connection's max speed)
> and other things such as latency... people have reported 200-300ms to
> local Australian sites in the same city as them.  Just check the
> Whirlpool forums.

Forums aren't exactly a statistically reliable gauge. I'll be the first 
to admit my own anecdotal evidence isn't exactly the pinnacle of 
empirical research either, but since it's always the critical mass 
having the loudest voices, I think it's only reasonable to provide some 
balance.

I've been with TPG since I first arrived in Australia almost two years 
ago, first using dialup after thoroughly surveying the market and 
finding that they had the cheapest unlimited deal bar none, then with 
unlimited 256k ADSL in Victoria Park and finally 512k from St James.

I've had no major glitches, and the smaller ones I have had have 
declined steadily and are now *extremely* rare. Speeds are good; don't 
know about latency, but my housemate with whom I share the connection 
is an avid online gamer, and I haven't heard any complaints from him.

When I moved suburbs, they even waived the fee for changing speeds in 
the middle of the contract, as it was done at the same time as (paying 
a fee for) moving house.

> That plan is also making a clear loss.  They are charging less than
> the port costs them to buy from Telstra... so wait for TPG to change
> their plans again once they've signed up a bunch of customers.

Well, they are cheap now, and there is nothing to suggest they are more 
likely than anyone else to become expensive, for some arbitrary 
definition of expensive, just that they will increase prices (which any 
ISP could do), and even if they do become expensive, they can't change 
prices on you in the middle of a contract, so the only thing at stake 
are any connection fees involved.

It is sad to see that they have stopped offering some of the good and 
reasonably priced truly unlimited deals that they used to have, though.

Not sure what the other poster found so non-standard about their 
settings. If it's any help, my router is set up to do RFC 1483 routed 
encapsulation using LLC with VPI 8 and VCI 35 (i.e. "VPC 8/35").

-- 
Alex Nordstrom
http://lx.n3.net/
Please do not CC me in followups; I am subscribed to plug.