"The problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you're finished" - Benjamin Franklin

jetj · Guru

What do you use for the Internet?

Grams · Guru

Hi,

When my husband and I begin travelling I will need the Internet to keep in touch with our children (adults now). I have a Mac Book laptop and an iPad that I want to have Internet access for.

I have been looking through Telstras shop, as they seem to have the better coverage Australia wide. So my question here is:

What can I use to connect both the laptop and the iPad to the Internet? A USB is not an option for the iPad.

What would the costs be?

What is the coverage like?

Anything else I might need to know?

vk6tnc · Guru

I use a Telstra Elite pre-paid Wifi access point. It allows up to five devices to connect at once and will take an external antenna......

http://www.cnet.com.au/telstra-elite-mobile-wi-fi-339313587.htm

msg · Guru

I have this setup too.

justcruisin01 · Guru

Using a 4G wi-fi modem, will run multiple devices, has provision for external ant which is handy for travell.

After a lengthy discussion with telstra last night they informed me that they are trying to have all towers 4G by the end of the year.

JC.

brickies · Guru

It all depends on how much download you need but Telstra is the way to go , We use wireless broadband 8 GB per month it is $50 a month if you take it by itself, but we have other telstra products and get the 8 GB a month for $40 a month . We have this set up so we use it when we are home and also when on the road . It will all depend on your useage and how much time you will be on the road and do you have internet on at home

Dougwe · Chief one feather

I use my iPone 4s as my Internet modem now, it has the blue tick so gets a little better coverage. I find it great so far and I use it out in the playground and at home for my iPad or Lap Top. The next 6 months will be the big test as I will be in the playground but I'm not expecting many or any problems.

Edit.....Sorry forget to mention, I'm with Telstra (Plan)

-- Edited by Dougwe on Saturday 16th of March 2013 08:43:44 AM

Clare46 · Senior Member

I paid $99 for my pre paid wi-fi about 12mths ago.

It came with 5 gb good for 2 mths

-- Edited by Clare46 on Saturday 16th of March 2013 09:43:31 AM

hokianga · Senior Member

I have a 4g wifi modem and paid $180 for 12 gig, back in November, I am still using it and so far haven't run out, and I have been browsing a lot!

brickies · Guru

How much did you pay for the 4G wifi modem or do you get one with prepaid

Grams · Guru

Thank you for the replies,

I plan on setting up a blog for our trip, and the usual surfing the Internet, so no downloads of movies or music etc., maybe a game or two at most. I will not have Internet at home as the van will be our permanent home when we start our journey.

I have the iPhone 4S too, but I didn't know you could use that as a hotspot. I was worried I'd have to wait until I got into a free wifi area each time. At least now I know I can have the internet as I travel, we won't be going into out of the way places, so this will be great.

Thank you again everybody :)

johnnz · Senior Member

I use Telstra prepaid wireless broadband. I'm amazed at some of the remote areas I've had good strength service. Have just traveled from the Gold Coast to Melbourne using the New England and Newell Highways, I had good service everywhere I stopped, even more amazing was the lack of service in the Melbourne area!! figure that one.

Johnnz

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Grams wrote:
Thank you for the replies,

I plan on setting up a blog for our trip, and the usual surfing the Internet, so no downloads of movies or music etc., maybe a game or two at most. I will not have Internet at home as the van will be our permanent home when we start our journey.

I have the iPhone 4S too, but I didn't know you could use that as a hotspot. I was worried I'd have to wait until I got into a free wifi area each time. At least now I know I can have the internet as I travel, we won't be going into out of the way places, so this will be great.

Thank you again everybody :)

Just turn "Personal Hot Spot" and "Wifi" ON connect your Lap Top through settings, then set up to Auto connect.

Depending on your Data allowance on your iPhone you might need to buy a little more data. I get an extra GB making 2.5 GB in total anif have found that enough for the last two months now.

Cruising Cruze · Guru

on what plan are you Doug ,if I may ask

John

Olley46 · Guru

Well I am going to stick my neck out,we did a three month trip outback Queensland through to Normanton and across to cairns and back home to Geelong,over the three months we were without the Internet three nights and we are with Optus,great coverage and cheaper..

Lance C

Duh · Guru

Ask Yeoeleven about Optus, he prefers that but in his full time travels around Oz had to buy a prepaid Telstra/Bigpond to get coverage in the areas that Optus didn't work.

Telstra/Bigpond has the best coverage around Oz and beats Optus in that department hands down.

I was in a coastal camping spot not so long back with two mates on a fishing trip. One had Virgin and the other Optus. I had Telstra.

Those who did not have Telstra were walking around looking for high spots trying to ring home without success. Me? Inside my caravan without an outside aerial making calls as normal. I was very popular with those wanting to borrow my phone.....

However, even Telstra don't have coverage everywhere. I found with bush camps going over the top that no coverage in a lot, so best waiting to get near a town within range, finding a nice parking spot and making your calls/internet use there. You can get maps showing the coverage of the different providers which are a great help.

Grams · Guru

Thank you Doug for that :)

As to coverage, I too have found Telstra out shines the others. I live in a small town in the Mid North of SA, we have a tower on the hill which I can see from my house. My son had Optus and couldn't get coverage here, later he swapped to Virgin, still no coverage here. He now has Telstra with no problem.

Maybe in a few years when we start to travel the other companies will have better coverage...I won't hold my breath lol

herbie · Guru

Telstra is about the pick of the whole lot..and that is not always reliable ,but more so than the others. Ithink John has a nick name for Optus ....He refered to it while in Tassie as Floptus.Melbourne has some real bad black spots regarding internet service. from any server. Some parts of WA if you are not with Telstra do not expect to have any service at all.....Telstra like to sing this motto of 98 % Oz coverage ..well that other 2% covers a hell of a big area ,as we have travelled all over and that %2 must have followed us.....If you have no Telstra service you can get a rebate from them.

Duh · Guru

You may find the info on this link useful also;

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/

justcruisin01 · Guru

herbie wrote:
Telstra is about the pick of the whole lot..and that is not always reliable ,but more so than the others. Ithink John has a nick name for Optus ....He refered to it while in Tassie as Floptus.Melbourne has some real bad black spots regarding internet service. from any server. Some parts of WA if you are not with Telstra do not expect to have any service at all.....Telstra like to sing this motto of 98 % Oz coverage ..well that other 2% covers a hell of a big area ,as we have travelled all over and that %2 must have followed us.....If you have no Telstra service you can get a rebate from them.

Why is it that every one reads it wrong ?? Its 98% of populated areas.

I have had a crapy service here over the last 3 weeks, complained & now getting a months credit.

After having a lengthy discussion with telstra I think the problem is the saturation of the market place with all these smart phones which is overloading the system. Think about it, dont need a home/office computor or laptop to access the nett.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Cruising Cruze wrote:
on what plan are you Doug ,if I may ask

John

I pay $65.00 a month and more than happy with that. At this stage anyway.

way2gokev · Senior Member

G'day. Justcruisin you are so right the smart phones saturate the bandwidth in a deal with FB, twitter etc and is especially bad after 5pm till about 10pm of a night. Sometimes it slows to the extent that it is just not worth the bother.

Cheers

Kev

Cruising Cruze · Guru

Thanks Doug

justcruisin01 · Guru

way2gokev wrote:
G'day. Justcruisin you are so right the smart phones saturate the bandwidth in a deal with FB, twitter etc and is especially bad after 5pm till about 10pm of a night. Sometimes it slows to the extent that it is just not worth the bother.
Cheers
Kev

Thats the exact problem that we have been experiencing of late.

During a conversation with telstra tech they showed me a way to check the connection speed, if that connection is too busy then disconnect for 10/15 sec & reconnect & check again.