Mobile internet

the rocket · Guru

Mobile internet

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Hi Karen,

I have checked in on the different Internet suppliers but still prefer Telstra. I find if I actually go chat to them in person I get a good deal. I also prefer to be on a plan. My 4G device works better than my phone cover. I even set my phone to WiFi calling if I have a poor signal on the phone and make and receive calls through the WiFi device. The best thing is it doesn't seem to effect data.

Hope you are both well.

Rob Driver · Guru

Good morning the rocket,

We have our two phones on Boost which operates on the Telstra Network and for most purposes this system works fine and is a lot cheaper than the parent Telstra. We have a choice of plans each month when we renew which makes it economical if you estimate how much internet you anticipate using for that period.

We also have a mobile dongle with OVO which currently works on the Optus Network. We have this only for use if we need to download through wifi and for FaceTime for overseas conversations to our children.
OVO or Optus works fine from Cairns to Adelaide along the coast and for most areas we dont notice any difference.
I believe that all the other larger Telcos are updating services and coverage on a very regular basis.

OVO was our choice because it offers pre paid service at a much cheaper rate than Telstra and at this stage better coverage than some of the others like Vodaphone etc.

I have noted in recent times that some of the lesser known providers have dropped from the group but I would consider this a minor inconvenience if you only use a Pre Paid account.

I would add that if we felt we didnt need the wifi then the Boost on the full Telstra network is as good as the parent for service just far cheaper and you are not required to lock yourself in to any long term contract.

-- Edited by bentaxlebabe on Friday 14th of September 2018 10:04:53 AM

villatranquilla · Guru

I use Aldi data (pre-paid) in an unlocked dongle when at home - and buy credit that is good for 12 mths but have found since we have been away in QLD (not the coast) it is a bit hit and miss (and slow at times) even though they use the Telstra network. I found Aldi ok early morning and late evening but middle of the day I revert to the Telstra modem with Telstra data (pre-paid) that is also good for 12 mths.
The Aldi data is much cheaper than Telstra - 20gb for $95 compared to Telstra's 20gb for $150. As I don't download music or movies it lasts for 6 mths. (and I don't have a smart phone)
I believe there are other cheap alternatives but I would not give up Telstra as we travel outback for 6 mths at a time and they are the best in these circumstances.

Yes many other providers use the Telstra network but Telstra customers are given priority when the network gets overloaded.

-- Edited by villatranquilla on Friday 14th of September 2018 12:07:29 PM

-- Edited by villatranquilla on Friday 14th of September 2018 12:09:11 PM

ilcag · Member

just for info people there is an app called ( VIBER ) download this on your phone and it gives you free calls , sms , and video calls in Australia and overseas as long as your contacts have downloaded it as well , my wife is in uk at the moment and its great plus its free to load.

MikeL · Veteran Member

In terms of plans, if you are willing to accept slower speeds (adsl versus NBN) then the 3G network is OK for 1-2 people streaming at standard res. Optus have a 3G 200GB plan for $80 per month.

On another tack, I'm just looking at the various devices you can use for data reception. Phones are OK except signal strength can be a lot lower than a dedicated 4G device. Even amongst the 4G devices, reception can vary wildly and auxiliary antennas often end up reducing signal rather than increasing it (just tried a mid range 4G MIMO antenna that dropped the signal strength by 1 bar!).

I'm beginning to think that if you are a tech head like me who cant do without Internet access then commercial grade stuff is going to be the best way to go:

Netconn commercial grade stuff is awesome if a bit pricey:

www.netcommwireless.com/product/4g-m2m-router
www.netcommwireless.com/product/vehicle-mount-high-gain-5-1-antenna

These are used on boats, buses etc so should be good.

I will however be trying a little pocket 4G but mounting it up on a pole in a waterproof enclosure (plastic) and powering it off a USB extension cable leading into my caravan. Also, I'll be making up a passive 4G 'booster' to have a play: www.youtube.com/watch

I'll report how this goes.

MikeL · Veteran Member

ilcag wrote:
just for info people there is an app called ( VIBER ) download this on your phone and it gives you free calls , sms , and video calls in Australia and overseas as long as your contacts have downloaded it as well , my wife is in uk at the moment and its great plus its free to load.

I find Facebook Messenger usually more than adequate for phone calls and messaging plus so many people use Facebook that my friends and rellies are all immediately available without having to ask them to get another app.

MikeL · Veteran Member

Here are some comparison coverages for Telstra and Optus.

Mike Harding · Guru

MikeL wrote:
auxiliary antennas often end up reducing signal rather than increasing it

If you use an external antenna ensure you mount it with the correct polarisation. iirc the mobile phone system uses vertical polarisation so a yagi antenna should be mounted such that it's elements are vertical - if you mount it horizontally the signal loss will be significant.

Also, at mobile phone frequencies, the cable and connectors from the antenna to the device **MUST** be of the correct type and properly assembled, a tiny error in this area at these frequencies will likely cause major signal loss.

Also try raising and lowering (and of course rotating) the antenna to see if signal strength can be improved and keep in mind the bargraph on your phone is "smoothed" in software so allow, say, 15 seconds after any adjustment for the reading to settle.

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

I decided against the NBN as it required a phone & modem to be attached to our house & in the event of being away, we'd continue to pay for something we couldn't use. I use a Netgear Nighthawk (Telstra) modem (25GB) plus my Telstra mobile (15GB) while Pat has a Virgin - Optus phone but it doesn't always work where we go.

Basically it means if you are sticking to the coast, get a cheaper system via Optus, Boost, Aldi but if you're going to the inland, there I no option but to take Telstra with you.

the rocket · Guru

Wow. thanks everyone for taking the time to answer. Very inforMative. at present we have internet dongle n pay $45 per mth. For 10 g on a plan with telstra and use apple ipad. and have 2 phones each $30 per mth. Prepaid for phone calls n txt. We have finished outback touring n r now only along the east coast. Find with more n more ads the 10 g is not enough.

Had a look at boost but think it is just for phones. I use apple ipad n dongle for internet. Any deas?

-- Edited by the rocket on Saturday 15th of September 2018 08:56:52 AM

Rob Driver · Guru

the rocket wrote:
Wow. thanks everyone for taking the time to answer. Very inforMative. at present we have internet dongle n pay $45 per mth. For 10 g on a plan with telstra and use apple ipad. and have 2 phones each $30 per mth. Prepaid for phone calls n txt. We have finished outback touring n r now only along the east coast. Find with more n more ads the 10 g is not enough.
Had a look at boost but think it is just for phones. I use apple ipad n dongle for internet. Any deas?

-- Edited by the rocket on Saturday 15th of September 2018 08:56:52 AM

Good morning the rocket,

If the phones are suitable you can take a plan such as Boost are offering and Bluetooth the phone to your iPad as a hotspot connection

You can do this and for $40 per phone and you will have unlimited calls and texts and 15 gig per phone of data per month.

Boost works in any Telstra area with the same service, all you loose with Boost is a bit of internet speed. We find it quite ok for streaming Netflix, Utube etc.

I note when I renewed my boost that they have a special at the moment to get the $40 plan for $20 at the moment.

As others have indicated some other cheaper services using the Telstra network do not work in all Telstra areas.

Good luck with your choice.

SouthernComfort · Guru

the rocket wrote:
Wow. thanks everyone for taking the time to answer. Very inforMative. at present we have internet dongle n pay $45 per mth. For 10 g on a plan with telstra and use apple ipad. and have 2 phones each $30 per mth. Prepaid for phone calls n txt. We have finished outback touring n r now only along the east coast. Find with more n more ads the 10 g is not enough.
Had a look at boost but think it is just for phones. I use apple ipad n dongle for internet. Any deas?

-- Edited by the rocket on Saturday 15th of September 2018 08:56:52 AM

Someone above mentioned Aldi Mobile, which we use too. It is on Telstra network and has never caused us any signal problems. We have 2 x mobiles on a month-to-month sim only XL plan, so no long contracts. For $35 for each phone per month it gives us:

The usual unlimited calls/texts etc.

10gb data, plus roll over of any unused up to 30gb

Unlimited international calls to 15 countries (useful for us)

We use the mobiles as Hot Spots, or we can tether them to the laptops, for all our internet needs. The combined 20gb per mth is more than ample for us. No need for dongles or any other expense - our total bill is $70 per month.

We've tried them all, both Telstra and Optus based providers, and Aldi has proved by far the best value. We set ours to auto-renewal each month so never have to worry about top ups, but it comes with an online account if you want to increase or decrease your monthly plan. Too easy, especially if you're mostly on east coast.

PeterX · Senior Member

Just be aware that telcos actually have multiple networks, ie Telsra might have 3g, 4g, 4GX etc

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

As I mentioned before - Aldi, Boost & Woolworths, I believe all use the Telstra network but not the same network that I use - ie the range is limited but sufficient for those who are not as adventurous.

I was previously on aanet (based in WA & also a Telstra reseller, but who don't support the NBN) but it was tied to my phone on the wall at home so I was up for the cost of that each month PLUS extra funds when we travelled with the dongle. We are getting used to the Nighthawk modem now, it's very convenient.

While I guess we can see Aldi on the net, the company has refused to come north of Rockhampton (like several insurance companies).

Mobi Condo · Guru

We have used a TELSTRA Elite modem now since around Nov 2010 when our phones for some strange reason failed us as a link to the internet via USB to the laptop. This modem will serve 5 devices at once with a range of about 5metres.

Since then we have done all of our banking, research and emailing very successfully that way when out and about.

It has been so good that we now think that when NBN decide to actually attend our home area, (for three years now we have done the search for the date of service for our postcode and address and each time are told early the next year!) we will say no to them and keep our land line and go wireless for internet.

Cheers

ShortNorth · Senior Member

Mobi Condo wrote:

........ when NBN decide to actually attend our home area.......... we will say no to them and keep our land line and go wireless for internet.

Cheers

Sorry keeping your landline won't be possible, we had the NBN connection to our house last year, early this year the old landline was cut off - that's what the govt is doing, the NBN totally REPLACES the old landline services !

The normal thing is when NBN is connected in your area, all the landlines in the area are cut off about 12 months later, then ultimately, the old redundant copper cables will be ripped out of the street conduits (probably to recover all the valuable unused copper in the cables).

the rocket · Guru

bentaxlebabe wrote:
the rocket wrote:
Wow. thanks everyone for taking the time to answer. Very inforMative. at present we have internet dongle n pay $45 per mth. For 10 g on a plan with telstra and use apple ipad. and have 2 phones each $30 per mth. Prepaid for phone calls n txt. We have finished outback touring n r now only along the east coast. Find with more n more ads the 10 g is not enough.
Had a look at boost but think it is just for phones. I use apple ipad n dongle for internet. Any deas?

-- Edited by the rocket on Saturday 15th of September 2018 08:56:52 AM
Good morning the rocket,
If the phones are suitable you can take a plan such as Boost are offering and Bluetooth the phone to your iPad as a hotspot connection
You can do this and for $40 per phone and you will have unlimited calls and texts and 15 gig per phone of data per month.
Boost works in any Telstra area with the same service, all you loose with Boost is a bit of internet speed. We find it quite ok for streaming Netflix, Utube etc.
I note when I renewed my boost that they have a special at the moment to get the $40 plan for $20 at the moment.
As others have indicated some other cheaper services using the Telstra network do not work in all Telstra areas.
Good luck with your choice.

What is a hot spot and how is it used please?

SouthernComfort · Guru

A Hot Spot acts like your dongle, except that it's a wireless connection between phone and computer. Your smartphone has an inbuilt modem, so by enabling the 'WiFi HotSpot' and 'Mobile Data' buttons on your phone and pairing it to your computer, you can access the internet using your phone's data allowance. As I mentioned above, you can alternatively 'Tether' your phone to your computer via a simple USB cable, similar result to Hot Spot but creates a wired connection instead of wireless. You need to look at (google) the Hot Sot and Tethering settings for both your phone and your computer to set them up (all brands are slightly different), there are plenty of tutorials to be found - and it's very easy.

Rob Driver · Guru

Good morning the rocket,

Southern Comfort beat me to it.
As he said it works the same as your dongle except your dongle is now your mobile phone.
You generally get an option to connect from your phone to your computer or tablet or even to another suitable phone.
There are three options for connecting and they are;

By WiFi connection
By Bluetooth Connection
By USB wire connection

We use Bluetooth and provided the phones you are using are suitable the process is reasonably simple and secure.
It basically involves pairing your phone with you computer or tablet.
Bluetooth connection lets me sit outside in our annexe or awning and still tether to the mobile phone which may be inside or even in my handbag. A USB wired connection is fairly restrictive due to the physical connection between the two devices.

We had Samsung phones at one stage and they were able to be tethered just as easily to our IPads as do our IPhones now.

Any modern smart phone should be ok but be aware that all phones arent equal when it comes to receiving a strong signal.

We replaced our Samsungs for that very reason. Having said that, most phones would be fine on the east coast of Australia.

Instructions for connecting can be easily found on the net via a search engine or if you have grandchildren then they could probably do it for you. biggrin biggrin

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Just go to the local Kindy,Karen.The kids there will know all about it

SouthernComfort · Guru

bentaxlebabe wrote:
Good morning the rocket,

Southern Comfort beat me to it.
As he said it works the same as your dongle except your dongle is now your mobile phone.
You generally get an option to connect from your phone to your computer or tablet or even to another suitable phone.
There are three options for connecting and they are;

By WiFi connection
By Bluetooth Connection
By USB wire connection

We use Bluetooth and provided the phones you are using are suitable the process is reasonably simple and secure.
It basically involves pairing your phone with you computer or tablet.
Bluetooth connection lets me sit outside in our annexe or awning and still tether to the mobile phone which may be inside or even in my handbag. A USB wired connection is fairly restrictive due to the physical connection between the two devices.

We had Samsung phones at one stage and they were able to be tethered just as easily to our IPads as do our IPhones now.
Any modern smart phone should be ok but be aware that all phones arent equal when it comes to receiving a strong signal.
We replaced our Samsungs for that very reason. Having said that, most phones would be fine on the east coast of Australia.
Instructions for connecting can be easily found on the net via a search engine or if you have grandchildren then they could probably do it for you.

Sorry if I jumped in, I just saw the query while idly surfing the forum during breakfast!

I didn't mention connecting via Bluetooth as my phone is set up as a metered connection to control data usage. It prevents the endless automatic updates on Windows 10 soaking up all my data. For that reason, Windows 10 won't complete Bluetooth pairing to my phone. It's a pain. WiFi Hot Spot and USB Tethering are still metered connections, but are allowed by Windows 10. This is my situation with my equipment, but as you correctly say, not all phones are equal. Nor are all versions of Windows.

Rob Driver · Guru

Hi Southern Comfort aka Tony,

No concern here Tony, after all the forum is to help people.

As you point out it is always difficult to reply exactly the detail that the poster requires and nothing varies more than phones computers, internet and the software related to these.

I have a windows laptop that I have turned off auto updates due to the very reason you state. I found it sucked my old Telstra service dry every time we connected that device to the internet.
We also have an Apple laptop and I dont seem to have the same problem with that.

the rockets original question regarding changing Telcos is a fairly simple and low cost procedure as she may experiment with service providers on a pre paid basis and be up for no more cost than the charges for a monthly plan that she may feel will suit her needs.
She could even leave one phone with Telstra and just change the other one until she is happy. This is basically what I did.
If she is not happy then change providers the next month.
Having said that I would personally not go with any provider that will not allow you to keep your existing ph number but for many this may not be an issue.

The rocket,
If you are still with us if you do change services try to find someone who will not only help you with the change over and hotspot procedure for your equipment but also the transfer of your contacts list if required.

the rocket · Guru

Hello everyone, thankyou everyone for your most valued input. I do not know if i have a smart enough phone that can do the things you say. Think i need now, to go to say telstra or optus n ask them about what you have all said. Wis me luck biggrin

villatranquilla · Guru

the rocket wrote:
Hello everyone, thankyou everyone for your most valued input. I do not know if i have a smart enough phone that can do the things you say. Think i need now, to go to say telstra or optus n ask them about what you have all said. Wis me luck

I don't have a smart phone either so use a dongle - if you buy a dongle from Telstra it will probably be locked which means you can't use a sim from another provider - so ask them about un-locking it - cost involved but worth it

Rob Driver · Guru

Good morning the rocket,

This is probably getting more complicated than it needs to be.

If it is only internet you want then a dongle that will take a SIM card is what you will need but if you already have internet with Telstra then you may even have one.
Some IPads can take a SIM card and you could use the iPad as a hotspot to your phones if they are smart phones.

For anyone to provide you with accurate info rather than generalising they would need to know exactly what equipment you have now and what you want to achieve as far as service for both phone and internet.

You can buy unlocked dongles on eBay etc but some Telcos will want you to sign up to a plan if you get one from them so be aware that this can be quite expensive.

PeterD · Guru

villatranquilla wrote:
the rocket wrote:
Hello everyone, thankyou everyone for your most valued input. I do not know if i have a smart enough phone that can do the things you say. Think i need now, to go to say telstra or optus n ask them about what you have all said. Wis me luck
I don't have a smart phone either so use a dongle - if you buy a dongle from Telstra it will probably be locked which means you can't use a sim from another provider - so ask them about un-locking it - cost involved but worth it

If you require an unlocked wireless modem then go to an independent supplier like JB-HiFi. They only sell prepaid ones but you can go to Telstra afterwards and you will get a postpaid plan and a new SIM card to use with the modem.

Kooka · Member

I have toured very extensively Australia wide. I have two phones, Telstra of course and an older Optus connection.

I have to say that the Telstra out performs the other HUGELY and I get reception well outside their published maps.

IMHO none of the other players are even worth considering for the nomad - most use some or all of the Optus network

and Voda likewise as well as some of their own - all a bit smokes and mirrors, I think.

when you go to purchase a phone, ask what network they use.

My reception is hugely further enhanced as of recent - like a stuttering one bar to five instantly, with the addition of a tiny signal

booster that cost a whole $95 - included was a magnetic antenna for the car roof and cables and a small induction pad

that you just sit under the phone rear. I wouldn't advise a unit that has a radiating antenna for inside so that there's no

chance of interfering with other campers who may be really close to you.

I trade on the Stock Market and it's important that wherever I am I have instant and reliable service. Also I'm old and

might want to contact the Paramedics at the drop of a handky! aww

BE SURE that if purchasing from e-bay that you make a study of frequencies for your provider and purchase the

appropriate amplifier.

SouthernComfort · Guru

Kooka wrote:
I have toured very extensively Australia wide. I have two phones, Telstra of course and an older Optus connection.
I have to say that the Telstra out performs the other HUGELY and I get reception well outside their published maps.
IMHO none of the other players are even worth considering for the nomad - most use some or all of the Optus network
and Voda likewise as well as some of their own - all a bit smokes and mirrors, I think.

when you go to purchase a phone, ask what network they use.

My reception is hugely further enhanced as of recent - like a stuttering one bar to five instantly, with the addition of a tiny signal
booster that cost a whole $95 - included was a magnetic antenna for the car roof and cables and a small induction pad
that you just sit under the phone rear. I wouldn't advise a unit that has a radiating antenna for inside so that there's no
chance of interfering with other campers who may be really close to you.

I trade on the Stock Market and it's important that wherever I am I have instant and reliable service. Also I'm old and
might want to contact the Paramedics at the drop of a handky!

BE SURE that if purchasing from e-bay that you make a study of frequencies for your provider and purchase the
appropriate amplifier.

Fair enough, and that may be useful for some, but the OP has stated they will be travelling only along east coast and not outback. The many options shown above will suit their phone/internet needs on a more economical basis.

the rocket · Guru

Hello everyone, everyone has been a great help. Its going to b a tough one. Thanks everyone.