The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group ADSL Arrives at Melb PC! James Cox |
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Are you wondering about ADSL? Have you considered the options and perhaps done some research? Do you want a faster Internet feed? There are many reasons why you might consider ADSL... read on and allow James Cox to tell you the good news. |
For some time, Melb PC has been looking at how to provide members with faster
Internet access. As broadband access prices have literally fallen around us,
many members have been asking, when will the group introduce ADSL? After
investigating all available options and considering what would be the best deal
both for participating members and for the group as a whole, we have a solution.
We have decided to join forces with WestNet Internet Services and sell their ADSL feed. Melb PC will add value to that by providing extra services at no
additional cost. It only takes downloading an
additional 100 MB before you would be paying the same amount as for the 500 MB
plan which allows you 500 MB plus any free data before slowing your connection,
or charging you at the much more economical rate of 1> per MB. Nor do the Lite
plans offer the option of a static IP address. Also the 512k/512k speed is only
for those who need the fastest upload speed which is really only of any benefit
if you are running a server at home whose performance for others you want to
maximise. Given this and that it is also the most expensive speed bracket I am
not sure that it will be of interest to many members. Monthly Allowance Monthly Fee $29.95 Table 1 WestNet Pricing Plans as at
1st November 2004 Table 1 shows a summary of the remaining plans (leaving out those mentioned
above). To decide between the Premium plans you need to pick the speed and
monthly download allowance that you would like and which fits within your
budget. The best plan is the one that gives the best balance for you and will
vary from person to person. For myself, the 256k/64k plan with 500 MB download
allowance is fine but I know others who would find this too slow. The driving
factor for me is to have an always on connection and leave my telephone line
clear to make and receive calls. I used to avoid downloading large files not
because it was too slow for me, but because it tied up the telephone line for
too long. The speed boost is a very nice bonus but I don't feel the need to pay
more for a higher speed.
You may be asking why is Melb PC selling another ISP's service instead of
providing a service directly. It's an important question that we asked ourselves
and debated at length. Putting the answer in a nutshell: doing it this way
provides members with more competitive prices and a wider range of plans than we
could have offered by reselling our own service from a wholesaler. Many of the
smaller ISPs do that. This arrangement also removes any uncertainty we had about
our ability to provide a Melb PC direct service, plus the required support,
while facing the potential relocation of the group's premises to one location
and dial up Internet service to another.
Melbourne PC User Group is now an agent for WestNet Internet Services and we are
offering their ADSL Internet service. If you sign up through Melb PC you will be
paying WestNet directly and will receive support from them for the ADSL
connection and any of their services. Melb PC will provide additional services
and will receive a commission from WestNet to fund these. I will describe those
services shortly but first let's take a look at ADSL in general and whether or
not it's suitable for you.
What is ADSL?
ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line and it is a modem technology
that transmits data over existing copper telephone wire from residences or
businesses to the local telephone exchange. It does this at much faster speeds
than a dial up modem. It does it by modulating the data onto a broader frequency
range than is utilised by the dial up modems. This frequency range is above the
frequency range used for voice calls, enabling the simultaneous use of an ADSL
Internet connection and the telephone (or fax, or dial up modem for that matter)
on the same telephone line. In order to enable this, small inline filters are
inserted in the line to the telephone and any other devices that use that line.
The ADSL technology is used only to transmit data between the user and the local
exchange. In the exchange, the ADSL signal and telephone signal are split and
the latter goes through the telephone network as usual. The ADSL signal is sent
to specialised equipment that functions as a modem at the other end of your ADSL
link and passes the data signal to and from your ISP over Telstra's switched
data network.
Is It For Me?
There are a number of limitations that may mean an ADSL service is not yet
available to you. Firstly your local exchange needs to be equipped for ADSL and
have spare capacity for your connection. You can get an indication (not
confirmation) of this from the "availability checker" to which you will find a
link on our ADSL Web site. You also need a copper telephone wire, with a
standard telephone service between your premises and the exchange. It must be
dedicated for your use and not be "paired gained" to provide two telephone
services. The signal loss between your premises and the exchange must not exceed
a specified level and this means that you must be within a certain distance of
the local exchange.
If you apply, all these factors are checked and confirmed by Telstra to the ISP
before you are billed anything. In fact the only way to know for sure that you
can get ADSL is to apply. Even if you have applied before and your application
was rejected, perhaps because ADSL wasn't available, it is worth applying again.
Telstra is still installing ADSL equipment and has recently increased the
allowable signal loss, effectively increasing the service range from its
exchanges.
There are a number of benefits to having an ADSL connection over a dial up
connection. They are:
So, is there any reason not to get an ADSL service if it's available on your
telephone line? Yes, there is one reason - cost - for many people it will cost
more. However, you may find, not as much more as it first appears. You don't
have the call costs associated with a dial up connection and those who have a
second telephone line just for the Internet could cancel that service if they
have ADSL.
Let's look at some costs. Taking $140 p.a. ($11.60 per month) for your dial up
Internet service, 20c per telephone call and $26.95 per month for rental on a
second telephone line, it takes an average of just one call each day to put your
costs at $45 per month. You can get rid of the extra telephone line and pay for
a lower priced ADSL plan with change to spare. If you have only one telephone
line, three calls a day will end up costing you $30 a month. As you can see, the
dial up Internet subscription fee can be the least of your costs.
That said, for many members who do not average anywhere near one call a day and
do not want to pay more for a faster Internet connection, a dial up service will
remain the best option. We expect most members will stay with the group's
existing dial up Internet service while a significant minority transfer to ADSL
- based on our survey and other indications. So, for those who are not
interested in getting ADSL, while you might hear a lot about ADSL as it is
communicated to the membership, please be assured that our dial up service and
users will remain a core concern for Melb PC and will receive our continuing
attention.
WestNet and its ADSL Service
WestNet Internet Services is an ISP that started in Geraldton, WA in 1994 and
has grown to have over 50,000 customers, putting it in the top 20 of Australian
ISPs. Of that number 10,000 use the ADSL service. You may not have heard of it
before, as WestNet operated solely in Western Australia until 2003, but it is
well known at the Whirlpool broadband community Web site
http://www.whirlpool.net.au
where it is one of nine companies important enough to rate its own forum area.
In the independent Australian
Broadband Survey conducted late last year, WestNet was the most highly rated ISP
for customer service and support. It was also highly rated for speed and
reliability. This survey was conducted by Whirlpool and received over 10,000
responses.
In addition, WestNet offers the option to have a shaped service which many of
our members considering ADSL have indicated they would prefer. This means that
when you reach your monthly data allowance, your down-load speed is reduced and
you are not charged for additional data. However, if you do not want your speed
to be reduced you can elect the option of paying for excess data at a rate of
$10 per gigabyte (for the Premium accounts only), which is competitive and an
order of magnitude lower than the rate charged by some other ISPs.
These factors, together with plans that we feel will suit the majority of
members considering ADSL, were important considerations for Melb PC in deciding
to select WestNet as the provider of an ADSL service.
WestNet has plans that cover a range of speeds and data allowances. Uploaded
data is not counted towards the allowance or is free, as it is termed. There is
also unlimited free traffic within the "WestNet Neighbourhood" in your State
under all Premium plans. In Victoria that includes the WestNet Download Vault, a
file mirror where you can download many programs and updates, the 3FL game
servers that WestNet sponsors http://www.3fl.net and anything from any network
that peers with Internet exchanges VIX or PIPE - which includes many ISPs, one
of them being Melb PC. With all ADSL accounts you get WestNet e-mail addresses
and personal Web space.
Benefits of Signing Up Through Melb PC
We think WestNet's ADSL service will suit most members who are considering an
ADSL Internet connection, and as mentioned previously Melb PC will receive a
commission.
What's in it for you though? For members signing up through Melb PC, the group
will provide extra value in services that we think will be important to you.
These are:
Plans, Prices, and Options
All the details of the ADSL plans are laid out on the ADSL application form
included in this issue (see page 34). It will help if you refer to that as you
read the following sections. If you have decided that you want to get an ADSL
Internet connection through Melb PC, then you need to decide which plan you
want, the various account options and what hardware to get. For those not
familiar with the types of plans and options offered with ADSL, I will step
through the decisions and make some recommendations.
It will simplify some decisions first of all to be aware that Melb PC recommends
you do not take up one of the "Lite" plans unless you are absolutely certain
that you can stay within the monthly download allowance for these plans. If you
exceeded the allowance you would find that what at first sight might have
appeared to be the cheapest plans will quickly cost you more than other plans in
the same speed bracket. For example, in the 256k/64k bracket, the Lite plan
costs $29.95 a month which is $10 less than the next plan. However if you exceed
a total download of 200 MB you will be charged at 10› per MB, which works out to
be one dollar for every additional 10 MB.
Speed
(Down/upstream)
Peak
Off-Peak
Premium 256k/64k
Premium 256k/64k
Premium 256k/64k
Premium 512k/128k
Premium 512k/128k
Premium 512k/128k
Premium 1.5Mb/256k
Premium 1.5Mb/256k
Premium 1.5Mb/256k300 MB total
1 GB
14 GB
2 GB
14 GB
20 GB
14 GB
25 GB
40 GB
1 GB
14 GB
2 GB
14 GB
20 GB
14 GB
25 GB
40 GB
$39.95
$49.95
$49.95
$59.95
$69.95
$89.95
$109.95
$139.95
Speed
ADSL speeds are expressed as a pair of speeds representing the download speed
first and then the upload speed, eg. 256k/64k represents a download speed of 256
kilobits per second and an upload speed of 64 kilobits per second. That is about
five times the download speed and just under twice the maximum upload speed that
you get from a 56k dial up modem. For most people it is the download speed that
you will notice. It is important to note that the download speed refers to the
speed between your modem and WestNet and is the maximum speed you will get. If
you are down-loading from an overloaded Web server or there is congestion on the
route between WestNet and the site from which you're downloading, the speed you
experience may be slower.
So, what speed do you choose? The best thing to do would be to find out who
amongst your friends has a broadband connection and ask if you can try them out
to get a feel for the different speeds, but for many that will not be an option.
As a very rough guide if you mainly use the Internet for Web browsing and
e-mail, and are not terribly frustrated with the speed of dial up, then 256k/64k
may be enough for you and will put a bit of zip into your browsing at up to 5
times faster than dial up. However, those who are very frustrated with the speed
of dial up, frequently download large files or play multiplayer gaming will
probably want to get 512k/128k which can be about 10 times faster than dial up.
Absolute speed freaks or small businesses with a number of people using the
connection concurrently may want 1.5M/256k. But, I don't think anyone just
making the transition from dial up will need that level of speed.
Monthly Download Allowance
And now we come to selecting the monthly data allowance. At the very minimum you
should get the amount of data that you currently download over dial up. However,
it is more than probable that you will end up down-loading more than that when
your Internet connection is faster and always on, so you should bear that in
mind. This will apply particularly to those who plan to do more down- loading of
programs, MP3s, and videos, using streaming audio and video or multiplayer
gaming. These can lead you to download large amounts of data, although
maximising the amount you download from within the WestNet Neighbourhood will
help.
To gauge the minimum amount of data that you are likely to use, you can click on
the "Check Your Own Logins" link on the MOTD page. After accepting the
certificate and logging in, click on the "View Historical" link, pick a date
range of at least 30 days and click on the "Go" button. The report produced will
show you the data downloaded, in the "Bytes Out" column, in each dial up
session. The report wasn't designed as a monthly download calculator so you will
have to add up the figures yourself, but this will give you an indication of
your minimum monthly download allowance if you have no idea.
You are not locked in to the decision you make on speed and monthly download
allowance and you can request that it be changed at any time. Any changes will
take affect from the first day of the next month. Changes to your ADSL speed
will incur a fee of $55, but download allowance changes do not incur any fee.
Excess Data Option
An important decision to make is whether or not you want your account to be
"Shaped" or be charged for any data over your monthly allowance at a rate of $10
per GB. With the shaped account option, your download speed will be reduced to
72 Kbit/s once you reach the monthly allowance and then reduced again to 33 Kbit/s
at 150% of the monthly allowance. If you elect to pay for excess data, you will
be charged an additional $10 per gigabyte for any data over your monthly
allowance. This is a fairly good rate for excess data, but you may well end up
paying more than the next highest plan so you should monitor it closely if you
select this option.
Traffic from the WestNet Neighbourhood and uploaded data do not count towards
your monthly allowance and you are not charged for it. It is also not affected
by shaping and continues at full speed, when other down loads are slowed down.
Static IP Address Option
We would like all those signing up for ADSL to select the static IP address
option. This will enable Melb PC to make access to servers on the group's site
easier - just as if you were using one of our dial up connections in fact. A
static IP address is available only with the Premium plans.
You may hear or read that a dynamic IP address is safer than a static IP
address. That is debatable. In practice however, it makes no difference to the
precautions you should take. You should have a firewall (whether in a modem, on
your computer or both): antivirus software that you update frequently: and if
you run Microsoft Windows, your Windows system patched with all critical updates
whichever type of IP address you have. If you have taken all these precautions,
then you will be no worse off with a static IP address.
Hardware Options
To use an ADSL connection you need an ADSL modem. More and more these days
people are using units that are an ADSL modem combined with a router as the
price of these units has come down. The router enables you to have a firewall
that hides your PC or home network from the Internet.
Melb PC recommends you select the hardware that WestNet provides if you have a
single computer or wish to share the ADSL connection between computers via
Ethernet cable. The hardware will be delivered to you once ADSL availability is
confirmed and WestNet support will be most experienced with these models. For a
single computer select the USB/Ethernet modem (a Netcomm NB1300) and for a
cabled network select the Ethernet Router (a Netcomm NB1300Plus4). Both units
combine an ADSL modem and router, have a firewall, have one USB port and at
least one Ethernet port.
If you have specific requirements that these units do not provide, eg. an
included wireless access point, or you wish to research what is available and
purchase another type of modem you will be pleased to know that WestNet supports
all Austel approved modems. We will not be able to advise you on other modems,
other than to refer you to information resources on the topic.
If you plan to purchase a modem elsewhere, do not make the purchase until
WestNet have confirmed to you that final checks have been done and that your
telephone line will support an ADSL service. That does not mean the availability
checkers where you enter your telephone number into a Web page. That only gives
an early indication of ADSL availability in your area.
You will also need to plug in a line filter between the telephone wall socket
and any telephone, answering machine, fax machine, dial-up modem or any other
device (apart from the ADSL modem) that make use of the telephone line. One line
filter is supplied with the modems sold by WestNet, but you will need to order
more if you need more than one. For example, if you have three telephones
plugged into three separate wall sockets you will need to order two additional
line filters. However, if you have more than four such devices, fitting a
central filter is preferable for reliable operation of the ADSL service and may
be more cost effective. You may also need to have a central splitter if you have
a monitored alarm system on the line to be used for ADSL and you will need to
contact your security company to check this. Central filters are required to be
installed by a licensed cable installer.
How to Apply
Once you have decided on the above options, applying is easy. If you are paying
by credit card and you don't already have an ADSL service you can apply over the
Internet from a link on the Melb PC Web site. You can also complete the
application form you will find in PC Update magazine each month or on our Web site and
fax it to the office on (03)9567 8000. If you are paying by direct debit you will
need to download the direct debit form from our Web site and complete it along
with the application form and fax it to Melb PC. A connection fee of $99 will be
charged. If you are connected and cancel the service within six months an early
cancellation fee of $55 will be charged. Telstra charges ISPs for connecting
ADSL service to lines and for cancelling it within six months of the connection.
Moving the service to another line counts as a cancellation of the service and a
new installation.
If you do already have an ADSL service, then you will need to proceed
differently. If your current ISP is a participant of the ADSL transfer process
see
http://www.westnet.com.au/products/broadband/adsl/transferprocess.shtm you
will need to download and complete the ADSL transfer authorisation form and fax
it to us with the application form. If you use this transfer process the fee
will be lower (it can be zero) and you will experience just a short outage while
the service is transferred. If your existing ISP does not participate in the
process, then you would have to cancel your existing service and make a new
application for ADSL once that service is cancelled.
When completing the application form over the Web or with pen and paper, you
will have to enter personal details, ADSL line number, plan type and options,
payment details and an account name and password. Make sure you get the ADSL
line number correct and keep a safe record of your password! The ADSL line
number is the telephone number of the line where you want your ADSL service to
operate.
What Happens After the Application
Once you make your application it will be checked and then Telstra will be
requested to provision your ADSL line. They will make final checks on the
availability of ADSL at your local exchange and test your telephone line to see
that it is suitable for an ADSL service. At this stage the activation of your
ADSL service will be scheduled, which all takes place at the exchange and not at
your property. When the service has been activated, Telstra will notify WestNet
and they will set up your account and notify you.
The whole process can be tracked online if you wish. There is a link on the Melb
PC Web site. You will need a job tracking number and the password you entered in
your application. If you made your application via the Web you will have been
given this number; if you sent in an application form then you can contact Melb
PC for the number. For setting up, refer to the separate article in this issue
titled "Setting Up Your Melb PC ADSL"
That's All For Now
We hope that those of you who are considering going over to ADSL will find the
combination of WestNet's ADSL service and the added value from Melb PC to be as
good as we think they are.
Melb PC will assist you by answering any questions you may have about the ADSL
service, making an application and following how your application is
progressing. Please look on the group's Web site for further information and
contact us at adsl@melbpc.org.au for anything you can't find. Please do not
contact the office other than in regard to faxing completed application forms.
In forthcoming issues we will focus on some of the aspects of ADSL that we
haven't touched, or only lightly touched upon here: networking the computers in
your home to share your Internet connection, wandering the WestNet
Neighbourhood, multiplayer gaming on the 3FL network and administering your
account online.
About The Author
James Cox is a member of the Internet admin and help teams. He has recently
signed up for WestNet's ADSL service and is loving it.
Reprinted from the June 2004 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
