can people who are travelling on here please tell me when and how they use the net do you buy some optus on a stick, which im told is very expensive so how do others
use the net when away ?

just interested for future travels when we take our laptops

any info would be interesting thanks :)

I,m with Dodo, which is $19.95 for 1 gig, and they throw in an 8inch eeee pc when you sign up for 2 years. The only problem is its optus carrier, but seems to work in most towns.

We use Telstra - coverage is pretty good, however, as you say its damm expensive, especially when it comes on top of our Optus cable at home which still has to be paid for but not being used when away....

I use Telstra stick which is included on our home phone account. 3gig $30. Altogether phone account is around $70 per month. That's on a 2 yr plan. Quite expensive. You can get a prepaid stick but not sure of costs.

We use telstra for the coverage, same with phone.

We have a Telstra Bundle. For $30 dollars a month you receive 3 gig, smaller bundles are available. Your mobile phone is the modem and there is no contract. You can travel for a few months, ring up and switch it off and next time you need it, they switch it on again.

This is, without a doubt, the best and cheapest option we found and also the best coverage is with Telstra. We chose 3 gig because we run a business and also wanted to upload photos. Never went over it once.

I use a library or a school. Works for me.

thanks guys we are with internode at home 49.95 a month untold downloads hubby u tubes heaps i download music and also watch u tube but was interested in the travel part so thank you

We are also with Internode and happy with them and use Telstra pre paid wireless when on the road, but still paying for the Internode while away so paying twice . we are thinking of taking out a wireless plan with Telstra so that we use wireless at home and also be able to use it on the road . Telstra has a plan $39.95 a month for 7 GB looking good , has we pay $39.95 for 10 GB from Internode and then have to pay for prepaid wireless while on the road

Hi i use telstra prepaid as we are on the road all the time i find this gives me the best coverage i pay $150 for 4gb and that gives me 180 days before i have to top up.

use Bigpond full time home and away. Cheap cheap $29.95 for 3Gb
why have 2 when you can have Bigpond full time.
get modem not USB stick. modem has lot advantages

I use Telstra Wireless Mobile @ $39.93 per month. I can't remember how many bytes, but it slows down when I meet my limit, which hasn't happened yet in 3.5 years. If you have next G mobile phone you will have internet. The other services are limited, and you will have less range than Telstra/Bigpond, mostly because they lease space off Telstra. Optus does have some of its own service and once again the others lease space off them. You may be travelling away from cities and major centres, and you have to bear this in mind. I've just done Cairns to Adelaide, and Barrow Creek was the only place I didn't have wireless mobile internet or mobile phone. I had this service at every other town or road house I parked at. Considering where I've been, that's very impressive. You could do mobile wireless prepaid with Telstra.

had Optus poor coverage
some places like Eyre peninsula non existent
now with Bigpond and great

Happy Lucky Jacko

-- Edited by Jacko on Sunday 21st of November 2010 09:47:18 PM

i have telstra bigpond on our travels, 7 gigs @ $59
but have internode at home, which im quite happy with,
bigpond also works where my optus mobile wont..
so we skype when out of mobile range

ps if using more than one laptop on the road you need a wifi thing that your
usb modem can plug into and you can have your own wifi to use with while on the road

-- Edited by milo on Monday 22nd of November 2010 12:10:33 AM

Hi Della
If you want reliable coverage outside big towns & cities then unluckily you have no choice but to pay for Telstra Next G. We have found Hylda's Optus phone rarely has had any coverage during our 1st years worth of traveling

The next decision is how much do you need. Hylda & I love our computers so have one each & use them a lot for many things from research to keeping in touch with family & friends to the odd video download etc so we're willing to pay $89 a month for 12gig which does us most of the time.

We have a modem instead of a stick so both of us can go on the net wirelessly at the same time plus I had a directional aerial mounted on the back of the caravan which I raise when necessary to improve coverage even more.

Cheers
Jon

Hi all, What's the speed like when using telstra 3g. I was told it was about 7mbs is this true. thanks

with the latest wireless dongle can be 8mbs to 20 mbs depends where you are big city could get 20 remote 8

we left telstra of optus some 2 years ago. were told by the saleman that we would have no great problems with coverage. january/february this year we spent 6 weeks in tasmania. we are now back with telstra. yes a bit dearer but at least you get coverage and can use it. with optus we we had no coverage in tasmania except hobart launceon but still had to pay. brian & kerry

Yes Brian and Kerry, our experience exactly!

I'm with Telstra, have a wireless stick 3 Ggs for 29.95. Use it at home too so its my permanent and only connectrion. Someone asked how fast is it. Don't ask me figures but it is immediate, nothing slow about it. Have a trelstra package which totals 90.00 a month for home phone, internet and mobile phone all in one bill.

Telstra quoted me $20 for one gig.They definately have the best coverage.Dodo was cheaper, but is , at the moment,dropping out at times .I am thinking of changing. My home phone and mob are with Telstra.I will ring them and see if I can get a discount,Will keep in touch.

They gave us a dicount on our bundle for having the home, mobile phones and internet all on the one bill mate. Our travel bundle should have been $39 a month but is only $29 for the 3 gig with the discount. We were very happy with that.