Internet Telephone

[Barry_White]

How come you do that? Mine just plugs straight into a COM port, no modem in my machine. Is it charged as a data call or a voice call when you connect? Maybe that's cheaper if you have a local number to dial in to. I get charged 30 cents per hour for the data calls because I'm using Bigpong. ISDN 64k is about $66.50 / month.

SilentC

When I signed up I stayed on my normal dial up plan which allows you to connect to via either through dial up or through the ISDN box with a USB connection. I had occassion to use the normal modem when there was a fault in the ISDN box which incurred a local call charge using their 0198308888 number which you use either for dialup or ISDN. See their site. http://www.bigpond.com/internet-plan...al/default.asp

Quote from their site:
You can access any of these plans from most fixed phones Australia-wide, for the cost of a local call on a PSTN connection or usual ISDN call charges if you are connected to ISDN. End of Quote.

You really shouldn't be being charged for being connected at an hourly rate because they dropped that back in August last year. As well as that there is no charge to connect for each time that you connect for a data call. See their site.
http://www.bigpond.com/internet-plans/isdn/500/12/
Quote from their site:
ISDN Data call charges to BigPond 0198308888 access number are included in the BigPond ISDN monthly fee. End of Quote.

[silentC]

It's probably all changed since I set it up in March last year as a result of the push to privatise. I don't pay the bills, the company does, so I'm not sure what they're being charged now.

I've never used PSTN over it, so not sure how it compares. Apparently I'm connected at 115.2 Kbps at the moment. It's faster than a 56k modem, which is what I have at home, but nothing like broadband.

I ditched the USB connection early on because it kept dropping out. I spoke to a tech at Telstra and he told me they have endless problems with USB. I use the RS232 interface which has been solid ever since I set it up.

[Barry_White]

I ditched the USB connection early on because it kept dropping out. I spoke to a tech at Telstra and he told me they have endless problems with USB. I use the RS232 interface which has been solid ever since I set it up.

Silent
I am using a laptop that doesn't have a RS232 port so I have to use USB. I was having the same problems before with my desktop computer before it got zapped but they have upgraded the software and the USB is reliable now.

KevM
That maybe so with a normal dialup connection but I hate call waiting and if I am on a call the other party can call back because I have it permantly off or they can leave a message on the message bank. But because with ISDN you have two lines and you don't give out your data line for people to call and if a fax come in on the data line the internet goes off line untill the fax is finished and then comes back on. And if you want people breaking in on your conversations you can turn it on, but from memory call waiting may not work with ISDN.

As Silent C say it is old technolgy but is reliable and for a long time that is all Internet Providers had to use

[Bob Willson]

I know everyone bags Telstra but all the others out there, are out to make a killing as well and I say that sometimes it's better the devil you know than the devil you don't know.

They set the price that other companies have to charge by the amount that they charge those other ISPs for their access top the backbone of the internet.

See also this site to meet other people who have Telstra problems. See also what they have to say about pair gain cables that Telstra sells to toher companies so that they have major problems.
I really do think that all the other ISPs should get together and take out a writ against Telstra for the hundreds of thousands of fully documented cases where Telstra has deliberately ripped off others. Ah I can't go on. I get too excited and go all incoherent when I rave about $%^&*+# Telstra. :mad:

[echnidna]

Since making sure call waiting is permanently off about 1/2 hour ago I have drooped off 3 times. I suspect that telstra pair gained my line to get the other house down the road a few months ago.

I can see a reasonably strong possibility that Telstra may end up with a class action by people like me. Theres some good city lawyers who will do it "No Win - No Pay"

[jackiew]

I've been using Telstra ISDN for over a year now and found it to be more reliable than ADSL. ...... It's quite old and well understood technology. It's just slow.

:confused: i remember writing firmware for ISDN Muxes when it was cutting edge technology .... oops .... just added it up on my fingers ..... 19 years ago .... yep its definately old technology !!

[silentC]

You have 19 fingers? No, don't tell me, you can count in binary.

[ozwinner]

Is this any help to anyone?

http://bc.whirlpool.net.au/

Al

[Bob Willson]

From the link that Al supplied.

Published Wednesday 23rd June 2004 13:22 GMT
Telstra - Australia's incumbent telco - should be fined more than AUS$100m (£38m) for its anti-comptetitive broadband pricing, according to the boss of a rival ISP.

In February, Telstra cut the cost of its retail broadband service undercutting what it charged other operators for wholesale broadband. Rivals said this was unfair and an abuse of Telstra's dominant position.



In March, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) agreed that Telstra had engaged in anti-competitive conduct and slapped the company with a competition notice.

Although the ACCC has yet to decide what further action, if any, to take against Telstra, the watchdog has been given a rather forthright pointer by the MD of one of Australia's leading ISPs.

Greg Wilson, the boss of Primus, said that Telstra should be fined more than AUS$100m to deter the telco from engaging in such behaviour again, The Age reports.

He told an American Chamber of Commerce lunch in Sydney: "Boy, I'm hoping that a massive great stick will come down on Telstra. They need to be given a massive disincentive not to do this to the industry again."

"Telstra cannot be allowed to get away ever again for what they did. For two to three months they raped and pillaged everyone else's customer base. They should be punished for that. Punished severely."

Go on, Greg: say what you really mean.

[Barry_White]

Man did I open up a can of worms starting this thread. Talk about going sideways.

[echnidna]

Telstra should be privatised completely.
That way it will go belly up.

[ozwinner]

Man did I open up a can of worms starting this thread. Talk about going sideways.

[Barry_White]

Oz

Love the can of worms I'd give you a greenie only it told me I have to spread it around before I can give you another one.

[Tankstand]

Barry,
I would like to thank you for making us aware of Freshtel, I missed that ACA episode, I've signed up for the free Firefly option, Bloody Fantastic! I can now Yak to my sister up in Port Augusta For Nix!

[Phil_H]

Hi Guys

Another one that I have been using for a while is

SKYPE

Works really well and is free too

Cheers

Phil