The totally off-topic thread

[equus]

Am with Optus and due to living in the lee of a small hill, mobile reception is patchy - but fine if I stand on the top if my letterbox (it's a large solid brick one, but I can see the jokes formulating in your minds ).

Assuming you have a reasonable broadband connection, you may like to check out the Optus Home Zone. Your own personal poco-cell which routes the calls via your broadband.

We have a large iron roof, with bull nose verandah which does a great job of making mobile reception lousy in the house. It is fine outside.

Got one of these devices a couple when Optus first released them, and haven't looked back - perfect reception in the house now.

 

[markis10]

. Your own personal poco-cell which routes the calls via your broadband.

Optus Alcatel Lucent Femtocell actually!

 

[docjames]

Telstra can do ADSL as best I can tell.

 

[drron]

Lindsay if you have to stand on your letterbox for reception isn't it a requirement to have your red underpants on your head?

 

[Pushka]

We are with tpg adsl 2 unlimited download for $69 a month. Hate to think how much number 2 son downloads. Only had 1 issue with them in 10 years and I got into whirlpool forums and their rep telephoned me 10 minutes after sending him a whim.

 

[equus]

Optus Alcatel Lucent Femtocell actually!

Indeed - excuse the typos from the iPhone. I think they went through a few different models early on.

The only issue (took some time to sort, as it was supposedly "fixed" when found earlier prior Iaunch) was an issue with lack of connectivity through a Telstra Dslam (resold through Intenode).

Who would have thought Telstra would "accidentally" keep stuffing up something which was aimed at improving life for Optus mobile customers?

Since then, it just requires an occaisonal reboot.

 

[Ewing]

Free coffee at the office today - associated with a rebranding and marketing exercise that's ongoing.

I'm not going to complain

 

[NM]

Not necessarily, there may be no ports available as opposed to a pair gain/RIM issue, the DSLAm footprint for iiNet/Primus and TPG does differ significantly from Optus both in footprint and port density.

Which is why I suggested checking with Telstra Bigpond first, before concluding it won't be available. And why I used the word "may". In most cases, if Optus has run out of DSLAM capacity at an exchange, they will already have a plan for adding capacity and the response to an availability request will generally result in being given an availability date not too far into the future. So if the answer is a flat out "not available" then its generally a pair gain/RIM issue rather than DSLAM capacity issue. So definitely worth checking other ISPs, but once you get a few "Not Available" responses, the likelihood of an exchange limitation starts to outweigh the likelihood of a specific ISP capacity limitation.

 

[NM]

Lindsay if you have to stand on your letterbox for reception isn't it a requirement to have your red underpants on your head?

or at least on the outside of his trousers :shock:

 

[amaroo]

Lindsay if you have to stand on your letterbox for reception isn't it a requirement to have your red underpants on your head?

And look like the nutty professor.......AKA Jerry Lewis

 

[cove]

Around June 30 my big four bank decided that we were fair game for some pretty big transaction fee increases.
Naturally I fought back by maxing out my new Amex version of their credit card to score almost 150,000 Kris Miles in 10 minutes paying you know who.
Time to book some SQ Suites as compensation for their charges is what I am thinking.
I often wonder why they have to pay their MDs special money when all that is happening is the big four banks are raising charges relentlessly and trashing their costs.
I waited 30 minutes twice in the month of June and no one answered at their call centre so that must have really saved them a bunch.

 

[drron]

Amaroo you can read my mind.

 

[Katie]

Quote from Little Miss 6 last night while discussing some general travel stuff:

"What is economomy?"

:shock::shock::shock::shock:

(Yes, she has mostly flown in Y, but isn't yet tall enough to realise what extra legroom is all about. And as long as her seat has PIFE, she's set).

 

[markis10]

Meanwhile, over at Volkswagen Australias HQ, the sales manager is pondering "Why people are not taking zee Golf"?

 

[JohnK]

For some us that cannot to pay Telstra rates for Mobile broadband does that mean we should accept inferior service from other companies.

Why are they allowed to get away with providing inferior service?

Mobile broadband still dropping out and home phone down.

 

[Pushka]

For some us that cannot to pay Telstra rates for Mobile broadband does that mean we should accept inferior service from other companies.
.

In life ya gets what ya pay for.

But TPG is really good!

 

[docjames]

Internode?

 

[JohnK]

In life ya gets what ya pay for.

But TPG is really good!

Mobile broadband? What sort of coverage?

Inferior service should not be tolerated. If you cannot provide what you are supposed to provide then you shouldnt be in business.

 

[Ewing]

Internode?

Internode are an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) and use the Optus network, so if Optus isn't the right fit for you then Internode likely won't be either.

In the interests of full disclosure: Optus pay my bills. My role however doesn't have anything to do with the network, nor is it a public facing one so I'm not in a position to comment on any issues you may be experiencing there (sorry!).

 

[jukebox333]

Meanwhile, over at Volkswagen Australias HQ, the sales manager is pondering "Why people are not taking zee Golf"?

I thought from the numbers being bandied around, the Golf was about the only VW model that was [relatively] unscathed in the discerning customers* exodus from the dealers showroom floors.

*Discerning customer = someone who might want an automatic transmission, but definitely only wants a fully manual throttle.