Whirlpool

Hi all,

Ive recently moved and have been with TPG for a month now and I'm having a few problems with my connection.

I keep getting operation aborted messages in IE and also my downloads time out sometimes with a "connection to server was reset" message, and I get TPG proxy errors when browsing.

This is not related to my computer, my equipment, etc. It has to be a TPG issue as I've done as much troubleshooting as I can.

TPG's support answer is to "reset the settings on the modem this one" and if you try to tell them it could be a proxy issue they say "I've refreshed the proxy on this one"

I don't really want to have to change my proxy in IE manually as this is a pain and my grandmother wont be able to figure it out.

Some questions –

1) Do all ISP's use this proxy thing or is it just TPG? I haven't come across any of these errors with other providers in the past.

2) Are there any good ADSL2+ providers that have the same generous usage per month with a static IP

3) Out of the options from number 2, which of these have Australian based technical support? I don't consider myself racist, but the language barrier and lack of knowledge of off-shore support is not suitable for an ISP.

4) Is there any way to get out of my contract without being hit with a fee? Has anyone had any sucess lodging a complaint and getting out of it? I'd try myself but have a feeling it may be a big waste of time.

Any comments/help would be greatly appreciated!

Bryan

Bry writes...

Are there any good ADSL2+ providers

Buy Internode to your grandmother and she will love you.
Very good customer service, very good internet connection.

TPG 'seems' a bit cheaper but if you compare the two products, you'll realise that Internode will give much more.
http://www.pcauthority.com.au/awards2007/bestisp.aspx

Ah.. TPG Customer Service 2 times shut down the phone while I politely was trying to explain their problems, they are overseas.

Has anyone had any sucess lodging a complaint and getting out of it

You can always try through the TIO, the list of problems is very long.

Stoneyyy writes...

Internode is overpriced and suffers just as many issues as any other isp and really does

Not overpriced if you compare the product itself, TPG forgot to account the Customer Service plus there are too many unpredictable problems related to that they call 'transparent proxy' but isn't transparent at all.
http://www.pcauthority.com.au/awards2007/bestisp.aspx

does not have many dslams of its own

It's no matter, you just need to check if they cover your area.
http://www.internode.on.net/residential/internet/home_adsl/extreme/coverage/

Bry writes...

this is a pain and my grandmother wont be able to figure it out.

G'Day,

If you want a plan for your grandmother then I suggest that ADSL is NOT an option with any ISP..

For my grandmother, I would recommend only Optus or Telstra cable.

It has the advantage that there is only "one throat to choke" when there is an issue and from my experience it just works. There are no line quality or distance from the exchange issues etc.

Yes, it is more expensive IF you have a PSTN telephone line as well but from a son/grandson perspective your life will be much... much easier !

Just a view from my experience.

regards

vaint writes...

http://www.pcauthority.com.au/awards2007/bestisp.aspx

That artical says westnet... which is iinet now

Not overpriced if you compare the product itself

I have and its way over priced oh and they get disconnection threads too

/forum-replies.cfm?t=1019815

emails black listed

/forum-replies.cfm?t=1018650

and a heap of other issues, they actually have had more outages then tpg in the last 3 years

Stoneyyy writes...

That artical says westnet... which is iinet now

You didn't read it but just clicked with your mouse. http://www.pcauthority.com.au/awards2007/bestisp.aspx
The heading: Winner Westnet Highly Commended Internode

Westnet and Internode are on the top list while TPG is far below together with Optus, I know TPG's fans here will be disappointed about it!

The research: "Reliability & service Awards 2007"
Yet it means 2008 is still not ready but by following the thread title I can suggest that TPG is going worst and worst while Internode is getting much better by offering a much hight value product.

and a heap of other issues,

I didn't get the point.

Who in their right mind would take notice of a poll with a few thousand voters?
The individual isp voters would be so negilible as to make the survey irrelevent
To make the point,i didnt vote in it as the overwhelming majority of broadband users didnt
Waste of time

Hi Bryan,
Obviously if your grandma isn't tech savvy then i don't think TPG would be suitable for her unless of course shes on a tight budget.

1) Not all isp's use proxies but some do such as aaNet and TPG, although i haven't experienced any issues at all with the proxies.

2) TPG probably have the best/cheapest adsl2+ plans out there nowadays but they do have ordinary customer support whereas other isp are relatively expensive as they focus more on customer support. But strangely enough TPG customer support has been excellent for me(phone dropped out and they rang me back 2 mins later apologizing for the dropout), all my issues if i have any either get resolved by the TPG wp reps, via their own forum or sometimes on the phone.

3) Internode, westnet, iinet, aanet all have technical support based in australia

4)I'm not quite sure about this one but once again you did sign the contract so they MIGHT/probably will hit you with an early cancellation fee which i think is $350.

It is pretty easy to enter the proxy in manually but also it can be annoying but i'm saving so much money on this super plan 150gb adsl2+ compared to my old isp (iinet) so i don't mind :).

Hope this helps.

F

vaint writes...

The research: "Reliability & service Awards 2007"
Yet it means 2008 is still not ready but by following the thread title I can suggest that TPG is going worst and worst while Internode is getting much better by offering a much hight value product.

Really? TPG have been excellent for me and my family not to mention the people who i advise to come over aswell. Yes they don't have the BEST customer support out there but it is good enough for small enquirers, etc. For the price you're paying at the moment when with TPG i don't think you can expect to have a stable connection with big quotas and top class customer support. I think you expect too much mate!!

Freddie. C writes...

Really? TPG have been excellent for me and my family not to mention the people who i advise to come over aswell.

Maybe you and your friends are happy with TPG and this can only be a family based opinion/option. Often people don't understand what plan to choose and which ISP as well so your friends are happy with your advices and you got more and more credit from TPG for referring other customers.

By the way, I would better consider an authority well recognised in the world such as the one I already linked: http://www.pcauthority.com.au/awards2007/bestisp.aspx

For the price you're paying at the moment when with TPG i don't think you can expect to have a stable connection with big quotas and top class customer support. I think you expect too much mate!!

I'll just give you (and others) an example:
my TPG plan is adsl1 512/128 20GB quota $50/month.
Internode Home-512-Value 25GB quota $54.95/month.

With Internode I get 5GB more download quota plus a 'Customer Service' which TPG doesn't have at all but only on the paper.
The difference? Only $5 more per month. Is that so much $5 per month?
Ah... Internode doesn't require you to play around with proxies as well as you don't have to be an IT expert to just click on a web link.

vaint writes...

With Internode I get 5GB more download

Which you pay $5 more for

Ah... Internode doesn't require you to play around with proxies as well as you don't have to be an IT expert to just click on a web link.

No but they have this problem with some of their ip addresses
/forum-replies.cfm?t=324246

homersmithson writes...

Which you pay $5 more for

Yes I said that and I would love to pay that in exchange of a stable internet connection, no stress, no complaints, a real Customer Service where no one will shut the phone off!

By doing an elementary calculation... TPG costs me $2.50 per GB while Internode will cost me only $2.20 per GB.
TPG is advertised as the most convenient, well facts show that this isn't true.

vaint writes...

I'll just give you (and others) an example:
my TPG plan is adsl1 512/128 20GB quota $50/month.
Internode Home-512-Value 25GB quota $54.95/month.

Well i was obviously referring to adsl2+ as the OP was talking about that wasn't he? (obviously correct me if im wrong here :P)

I was comparing the plans adsl2+ wise
eg:
TPG: ADSL2+ 50GB $59.95
Internode: ADSL2+ 25GB $59.95
TPG: ADSL2+ Super 150GB $69.95
Internode: ADSL2+ 40GB $74.95
(btw these figures were from WP so correct me if im wrong here aswell :P)

Theres a big difference when comparing the two for adsl2+ wise, and you don't have to be smart to figure which one is better value :P

Freddie. C writes...

Well i was obviously referring to adsl2+ as the OP was talking about that wasn't he? (obviously correct me if im wrong here :P)

Right but I wasn't wrong too as the OP's thread title is: 'Ned some advice on TPG'.

TPG: ADSL2+ 50GB $59.95
Internode: ADSL2+ 25GB $59.95
TPG: ADSL2+ Super 150GB $69.95
Internode: ADSL2+ 40GB $74.95
(btw these figures were from WP so correct me if im wrong here aswell :P)

TPG ADSL2+ only gives 30GB download quota, for the remaining 20GB you must be asleep from night time until early in the morning and playing around with proxies, routers etc. and trialing against other TPG users cause that is a very busy time on TPG's servers.
About the other TPG plan you figured I just don't take in consideration cause that only shows huge number that it will be impossible to reach.

Said that, if I was the OP, I would surely choose Internode. I'll get a true Customer Service also within Australia (as requested by OP), and again I won't need to play with proxies or being an IT expert to just browser internet.
Sorry to disappoint you.

vaint writes...

for the remaining 20GB you must be asleep from night time until early in the morning and playing around with proxies, routers etc.

Who said you had to? i never have too? not sure what ur tripping on here :s

About the other TPG plan you figured I just don't take in consideration cause that only shows huge number that it will be impossible to reach.

Impossible to reach yet majority of the people who choose this plan get capped in the 2nd/3rd week all the time? k.

If the OP wants a cheap reliable internet with ordinary customer support then TPG is ur answer but if you want more than ordinary cs then choose internode.

And No you haven't disappointed me :)

Freddie. C writes...

And No you haven't disappointed me :)

No worries ;)

Thanks for all your replies.

I'll just clarify, its not just for my grandmother. My brother and I live with her and am a pretty heavy user.

I think internode might be worth a try but I guess I'll wait until my plan with TPG expires as I only signed the contract 2 months ago. It seems better to wait than to try to explain to an off-shore tech support rep what your problems are, and I would gladly pay up to an extra $10 per month for decent support, even if I dont use it that often.

I'll also watch the usage and see if I really need the 30GB or so I get.

I got this reply from a TPG support email I sent:

I conducted a test on your phone line and have seen 2 interfering devices that affects the ADSL speed connection. Please make sure that you have the proper filters for each device connected to your phone line. For regular phones, use a regular microfilter. For other devices such as cordless phones, fax machine, or efpos, it is advisable that you use a central filter or a filter/splitter instead of a regular ADSL inline filter. If you have alarm system or you are connected to a PABX commander system, make sure that it is connected to a central splitter.

To test your speed, kindly isolate your telephone line. Disconnect all the devices connected on the ADSL phone line except for the modem. Make sure the modem is connected to the wall socket and that its phone cord is less than 3 meters in length.While the line is isolated, verify if you are getting the right speed in two ways. Kindly refer below:

1. Check the System Status of your modem
– Refer to your modem manual or contact the modem manufacturer on how to check the Downstream Rate or DS Rate of the modem web page
2. Run a Speed test.
– Type http://www.tpg.com.au/test3.iso on the address line of an Internet web browser
– It will bring up a dialog window. Click on Save and save it in your desktop.
***Note: You don't have to save the whole file. Check at what transfer rate it stabilize with. If the transfer rate is staying in a particular, you may cancel the speed test***

The transfer rate should be the DS rate divided by 10. For example, the DS rate is 4000kbps, the transfer rate should then be 400kBps.

If you noticed an increase in download speed, look for the faulty filter, you need to replace it. For regular phones, use a regular microfilter. For cordless phone set, it is advisable that you use a central filter or a filter/splitter instead of a regular ADSL inline filter. If you have an alarm system or you are connected to a PABX commander system, make sure that it is connected to a central splitter.

Please inform us if we could be of further assistance.

Should you have any other issues, concerns, inquiries, or any other problem with regards to our product or service, please feel free to contact us at 1-300-360-855 or visit our Helpdesk website at http://www.tpg.com.au/helpdesk.

Thank you for choosing TPG Internet.

So basically, he is blaming my central filter, which doesnt make sense since I've done an isolation test and still experienced the problems.

My setup is not an everyday home setup either. I have installed a comms cabinet under the house and connected the hardline from telstra in the street directly into a patch panel. Have the filter plugged into that and the modem off the end of the filter, and the filter goes to other phones in the house via the patch panel. After installing this my modem was able to provide an extra 1500kbs downstream.

Short story – its not a problem with my line.

I also have a mobile with SOUL which I will be changing too.

/end rant.

Thanks for all your help

Bry writes...

Short story – its not a problem with my line.

The tests show interference, like or it or not you have it, get someone that knows what they are doing to come over and test the opdence of your internal lines etc