Category: xDSL

Billion BiPAC 7800DXL Router Modem Unboxing

Leading on my article from yesterday I had to replace my old Dynalink RTA1025W ADSL2+ router modem given that it no longer worked. Even after having the line speed reduced on the DSLAM did nothing so out I went and fetched the Billion BiPAC 7800DXL router modem. Unboxing video is below: This router modem has …

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Rationalising Network Hardware

Well, as luck would have it on a day when I am working from home the ADSL router modem bites the dust but fortunately I had a couple of 3G connections as backup. The trusty old Dynalink RTA1025Wjust couldn’t manage to sync up to the exchange anymore and would have pushed at least a couple …

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Diagnose Dataflow Issues: The Ping Test

Suboptimal Ping Test Results

Some time yesterday evening, the ADSL connection at home started playing up. Usually, our connection is quite solid save for a few hiccups back in the TPG network so my first thought was that this was just another one of those hiccups. However, this was not the case in this instance. Anyway, there are some …

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Whirlpool Australian Broadband Survey 2010

Whirlpool Australian Broadband Survey 2010

Just a quick heads up for this evening. Many of us use broadband in Australia these days at home and on the move and with a service that keeps us socially and informatively connected with our family, friends and colleagues we are bound to have an opinion on the standard and quality of the service …

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Mi-Fi Devices – A Convenient Mobile Data Solution

A friend and colleague of mine has been without her fixed line broadband at home for the best part of a week which has hindered her ability to work remotely as well as allowing her family to conduct their online activities (like checking personal and work e-mail accounts as an example). Today, it came to …

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NZ: Double the Fibre to the Home – Wise or Wasteful?

Across the ditch in New Zealand, the Kiwis are planning their own fibre network but in an interesting twist, homes will have not one but two fibres entering the premises. The idea behind this approach is to have retailers battle it out in the home but not for the home. Now, I’m not privy to …

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1TB Internet Plans Make Their Debut

You could be forgiven for missing this due to the coverage of the Australian federal election but iiNet, iPrimus and TPG have begun to offer internet plans offering at least 1TB (yes, that’s 1000GB). The plans are fairly similar but the breakdown is as follows: iiNet: 1TB quota (upload inclusive), 500GB peak usage, 500GB off-peak usage, 24 …

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Should Broadband Become a Utility Service?

These days, everyone should have access to electricity, water and a telephone line (although I have a brother-in-law of mine that doesn’t have drinkable tap water). Back in the days of analogue and digital dialup modem technology, the telephone line was not only there for emergencies and keeping in touch with people but also opened …

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TPG Unlimited 24×7 – One Month On

A month ago, I wrote a blog entry regarding TPG’s introduction of their new ADSL2+ Unlimited 24×7 plan at selected exchanges. TPG is still rolling out the availability of this plan at exchanges as it requires the provisioning for suitable backhaul (presumably using the recently acquired PIPE as the, umm, pipe). So how did the …

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Circuit vs Packet Switched Networks – Packets are the Future

Having studied data network and telecommunications concepts and principles at university, I know the difference between circuit and packet switched networks but I suspect that the regular person on the street does not have the same level of knowledge or awareness. As such, I thought I would flesh this out a bit so that people …

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