Internet Limbo

I've been having a nasty time with my internet of late. To start things off my Unwired Wireless Router decided to die a couple of months out of warranty. Unwired has been really useful when I didn't have a permanent address, I've been in serviced apartments for the last year or so. However its relatively slow and has only a small download quota even on the top plan. Definately time to get a nice fast ADSL2+ connection now that I have a permanent address. I began drooling over TPG's 150Gb download limit. I know a lot of its off-peak but thats fine by me, I'm happy to schedule downloads for the wee hours of the morning.

Obviously the first step to getting ADSL2+ would be getting the home phone connected. I know there are Naked DSL plans available, and if I'd taken one of them instead of going after TPGs monster downloads for minimum cost option I wouldn't be writing this post. Naked DSL has it's benefits, but the plans are more expensive and they take longer to get connected. Picking fairly randomly I chose Optus, which as it turns out was a poor roll of the dice. They took 2 weeks or more to get the phone connected (it was finally done today), and afterwards I go to TPGs website and put in my shiny new phone number.

Incorrect.

I'm sorry?

Incompatible.

Why?

Well because optus services that exchange itself and doesn't share its DSLAMs.

I hop on the phone to Optus. After getting through the friendly computer, I talk to a consultant. She transfers me to the right department. I explain the problem. She proceeds to test my line, not failing to mention that Optus has Internet plans (3 or 4 times), I explain to her that Optus doesn't have plans with enough quota. You can refer tomy naked DSL cost comment above at this time and realise that I made the mistake of assuming that I could have the best of both worlds, cost and quota. Realistically I don't care about the cost, if Optus offered the same level of quotas that most of the other broadband providers offered (50Gb - 150Gb) then I'd just hack the extra cost and get on with my day.

They don't however. 30Gb is their biggest plan, and not only is it puny compared to iiNet/Internode/TPG (and i'm not even talking Naked DSL), but it costs more. Additionally the consultant informs me that since the connection report hasn't been filed I should wait till tomorrow to disconnect the phone.

*Sigh*

All this time I've been in internet limbo, and its beginning to wear on me. Going down the road to check my email, etc. The solution for me at this point is to signup for a new naked DSL connection with Internode and just leave the Optus home phone as it is until I can confirm that I have the naked DSL. There is thankfully 2 lines going into my apartment though whether the second line works or not is another matter entirely.

I'm still in internet limbo till the 9th of September, unless of course Internode can somehow fast track my installation. Top lesson of the day though, naked DSL is theway to go. No line rental. No incompatibilites. No phone contract to get out of.

Hopefully someone at Optus will read this. I'm happy to use them as a broadband service provider *if* they can compete, and *if* they realise that people want massive download quotas.

24Mbps/150Gb Today, 100Mbps/1Tb tomorrow. I live in hope.