I'm surprised how much traffic plain web browsing with images/flash and social share buttons disabled can consume.  Managed to use 25MB in a few hours.  Hardly browse the web from home now (yay for work internet).

Maybe I should go out and get another 1 month SIM - hopefully manage to get on fibre soon.
Oh and the connection still keeps dropping out.  Unsure if it's the phone or Vodafail.  Apparently my phone doesn't pick up calls some times.

Its possibly the network coverage ... my brother have vofone android and im telling you its going crazy , the internet is fast and expensive!

So Telstra reduced the price of their plan by $10/mo.
Actually, probably not too bad: $78/mo (includes phone) for 200GB/mo 100Mbps/2Mbps if you like the speed.  Not sure about the upload - pamphlet below which came in the mail claims 2Mbps, but I thought Telstra coupled 100Mbps with 5Mbps up:



What's also interesting are the transfer times.  Downloading 111MB on a 100Mbps connection, from a local Bigpond server should be like 12 seconds, not 120.  I guess they factor in the time for you to navigate the site, but still, downselling their speed by 10x seems funny.

Exetel's $35+$25=$60/mo plan for 300GB transfer on 30Mbps/1Mbps with only 12 month contract (vs Telstra's 24 month) seems more attractive.
IDK if NBNCo is going to buy the South Brisbane fibre - if not, well, Telstra basically has a monopoly, so I guess 24 months wouldn't be too bad.

(This post was last modified: 06/02/2012 06:32 PM by ZiNgA BuRgA.)

So dad found an iPhone 3GS that was thrown out.
Obviously didn't work, so he replaced the battery, and it turned on.  Didn't charge though, so got a replacement charge port and thing is mostly working.

Problem is that it's protected by a passcode, so wee had to jailbreak the thing to get rid of it (although it seems that firmware updating without a backup works).
And that's where I came in, and my dislike for Apple products just seems to keep growing.
Seriously, iTunes is a big piece of sh*t.  Run the thing to update the firmware of device and it keeps failing - at least my dad couldn't get it to work.  The reason?  Most likely because the computer is set to sleep after a period of inactivity.  The damn iTunes is:
1) too stupid to disable sleeping
2) too poo poo to be able to resume the download, in case it breaks for whatever reason (I guess most people rich enough for Apple stuffs are rich enough to afford expensive connections where a ~400MB update is like nothing)
3) [most annoying] Apple seems to be so damn afraid of displaying error messages or something, because when it fails, it just acts as if nothing happened - double you tee eff? At least give some goddamn notification that the update failed

(I also heard that iTunes updates aren't always signed, and have been used as a means to exploit peoples' computers, big double you tee eff @ Apple)

Okay, so I download an .ipsw firmware update myself, because iTunes sucks balls, and the option to install from an .ipsw isn't obvious anywhere.  You apparently have to hold down the Shift key whilst pressing update.  Of course, this isn't mentioned anywhere, even in the manual - only found out through random Googling.  I generally dislike hidden features like this, but I guess it's better than not having it at all.

After all that, the iPhone seems to refuse the activate without a SIM card.  double you tee eff?  Seriously, why?  Plain stupid if you ask me.
Fortunately, installing a jailbreak gets around this stupidity.
But wee have a valid SIM card in there, and it doesn't seem to recognise it - well it detects a SIM card there, but claims no service.  Possibly a baseband issue with the firmware I'm guessing.  Will have to see how to fix.  Still, switching basebands on my Galaxy Nexus is damn easy, and I don't expect this to be the case with the iPhone.

(This post was last modified: 14/02/2012 06:51 PM by ZiNgA BuRgA.)

Okay, this South Brisbane fibre is bullsh*t.
Exetel won't sign me up because they can't confirm a date.  TPG doesn't accept new signups (existing customers only).  Telstra obviously will do it, but it's like a 24 month contract an $88/mo for 200GB 100Mbps.  Next step down the line is a 5GB/mo plan for $78/mo (ie totally pointless - in fact, wireless plans are cheaper).  Might be able to get in on their $78/mo special, but ultimately, it's still $18/mo more than Exetel, longer contract, for less quota (Exetel is $60/mo for 30Mbps 300GB, 12 month contract).

Internode will probably do it, but they cost more than Telstra for larger quota plans.  Their 100Mbps plans start at $100/mo.  30Mbps 60GB is probably their best, but that's still $80/mo (might be an alternative if I can't get Telstra's special).
Alternatively, seeing as Internode doesn't have contract periods, I could go with them for a while and switch, but the stinger is a $100 setup fee, and Exetel may impose setup charges after February.

And I can't find info on any other providers.  Maybe I'll just randomly phone some up to see if they'll do anything.

$60/mo, okay, but $80/mo for internet is walking into bullchocolate territory...
Current thinking is that I'll stick with crappy wireless internet until Exetel can get me fibre.
Gah, this sucks.

(This post was last modified: 23/02/2012 07:13 PM by ZiNgA BuRgA.)

At least you can get fiber at all.

I don't know when the fuck fiber will come to my part of Canberra.

Over here in Spain, Telefonica are refusing to the expand in areas that don't guarantee customer adoption.

So yeah, apart from certain areas in major cities most everywhere else are fudgeed.

Better chance of seeing LTE replacing main line internet at this rate.

(This post was last modified: 23/02/2012 08:15 PM by S7*.)

(23/02/2012 08:08 PM)Assassinator Wrote:  At least you can get fiber at all.

I don't know when the fuck fiber will come to my part of Canberra.

I'd seriously much prefer ADSL2+ over this Telstra poo poo.
TPG and Exetel have like unlimited (or near unlimited) plans for $60/mo (6 month contract), and fairly usable plans for like $50/mo at 24/1Mbps.
From Telstra, the minimum for a usable connection is like $88/mo (or $78/mo if I can get the special) and being locked in for 24 months.  Awesome speed (100Mbps), not as good quota, but you pay a fair bit for it regardless.

(23/02/2012 08:14 PM)S7* Wrote:  Over here in Spain, Telefonica are refusing to the expand in areas that don't guarantee customer adoption.

Kinda the same everywhere I'd say.
Thing is, this is right next to the city centre (South Brisbane, about 1-2km from Brisbane centre).

With wireless, unfortunately, they won't necessarily get good signals out where there aren't any towers, and I beleive LTE typically works in higher frequencies?  Higher frequency = higher attenuation, so less range.

(23/02/2012 09:23 PM)ZiNgA BuRgA Wrote:  

(23/02/2012 08:08 PM)Assassinator Wrote:  At least you can get fiber at all.

I don't know when the fuck fiber will come to my part of Canberra.

I'd seriously much prefer ADSL2+ over this Telstra poo poo.
TPG and Exetel have like unlimited (or near unlimited) plans for $60/mo (6 month contract), and fairly usable plans for like $50/mo at 24/1Mbps.

What, your place has fiber but not ADSL2?  That's strange.