Whirlpool

Finally ive found a isp with truely unlimited downloads.
Dodo, yes dodo
they have Dodo ADSL 1500K Unlimited with unlimited downloads.
• All Dodo’s unlimited ADSL accounts provide unlimited downloads with no traffic shaping or data caps

Speeds from 256k download to 1500k download.
for more info check out:
dodo.com.au/plans_broadb...0kunlimited.html

IRC_Freak writes...

Finally ive found a isp with truely unlimited downloads.

1. They are not true unlimited
2. Get your facts right.

Fuzion if its not true unlimited...what exactly do you interpret as 'true unlimited' because from the link above, the plan looks like its unlimited download without data capping or shaping. Please explain yourself before going off on the OP

I have to agree with IRC and Dispacio. I looked through the general plan details, and skimmed through the T&c and AUP, and I couldn't find anything to say it's not true, and other statements that they had to say it is (such as "Not capped and not shaped.")

yup and i spoke to them a couple of mins ago and said truely unlimited. so i signed up immediatley. God Bless dodo :P

oh yea and i signed up with home phone too and got $5 discount a month so now its $94.90.

IRC_Freak writes...

so i signed up immediatley

What is their contention ratio?

IRC_Freak writes...

Finally ive found a isp with truely unlimited downloads.
Dodo, yes dodo
they have Dodo ADSL 1500K Unlimited with unlimited downloads.
• All Dodo’s unlimited ADSL accounts provide unlimited downloads with no traffic shaping or data caps

it's not truly unlimited.

for a start a truly unlimited connection has no contention ratio, i can guarantee you that if they were selling a link with 0 contention for $99 that they would have plastered it everywhere as a selling point.

this is the same old dodo practice..... shove a bunch of people in a bandwidth pool and let them fight it out.. no need to shape or prioritise cause it will all happen automagically once the link is saturated.

come back in a few months when your getting crappy speeds and tell me it's unlimited.

good luck to you anyway and i hope you at least get a few months of bliss.

Dispacio writes...

Fuzion if its not true unlimited...what exactly do you interpret as 'true unlimited' because from the link above, the plan looks like its unlimited download without data capping or shaping. Please explain yourself before going off on the OP

truly unlimited is a connection that has no contention.. ie an isp will allocate enough bandwidth for your own line to run 24x7 full speed. these types of true unlimited connections cost isp's hundreds of dollars a month to supply.

nuggets writes...

for a start a truly unlimited connection has no contention ratio,

Every residential ISP has a contention ratio. As long as the ISP has a large enough customer base (unless every user wants to use it non-stop which is extremely unlikely) that doesn't prevent the unlimited user from getting full speed.

manfred writes...

Every residential ISP has a contention ratio. As long as the ISP has a large enough customer base (unless every user wants to use it non-stop which is extremely unlikely) that doesn't prevent the unlimited user from getting full speed.

I was with dodo for around 9 months on 1500/256K unlimited download plan, I can attest that the download speeds were excellent and that I allways got 155-160KB/s pretty much 24/7, Even dodo tech support was quite impressed with my usage over that period :)

the only TURE UNLIMITED i have found is the WILD IT BG & PG plans with a 1:1 contention ratio, no shaping.

manfred writes...

Every residential ISP has a contention ratio. As long as the ISP has a large enough customer base (unless every user wants to use it non-stop which is extremely unlikely) that doesn't prevent the unlimited user from getting full speed.

the number of customers makes no difference.

if an isp has a contention ratio of 30:1 then it will be the same whether they have 30 customers or 300,000 customers. what can make a difference is the type of customer you have. ie if you have a ton of mum and pop users then you can use their bandwidth to subsidise the heavy users bandwidth. eventually this crumbles though, take a look at all the isp's that have tried it for long periods.

either way this is not true unlimited no matter how you slice it.

nuggets writes...

either way this is not true unlimited no matter how you slice it.

Of course not, you're always going to be limited by how fast your getting your data, and then theres how much you can store on your hard drive before you run out of space.

3.3 Terabytes over 8 months isn't that bad, if thats not close to unlimited, I don't know what is :)

nuggets writes...

the number of customers makes no difference.

I wrote "large enough" which doesn't refer to the number of customers, just that there is a sufficient number to provide that spare capacity.

eventually this crumbles though, take a look at all the isp's that have tried it for long periods.

Only because they stand out, and they get too many unlimited users to handle. In other countries where it's industry practice, that doesn't happen. I agree that it is very hard to manage here.

either way this is not true unlimited no matter how you slice it.

If the user is getting full speed, then it is truly unlimited to them.

manfred writes...

I wrote "large enough" which doesn't refer to the number of customers,

you write this and then in the same sentence write...

just that there is a sufficient number to provide that spare capacity.

is that a sufficient number of customers?

manfred writes...

If the user is getting full speed, then it is truly unlimited to them.

this has been done to death.

so a 200mb plan is unlimited if the user always uses less than 200mb
a 1gb plan is unlimited if the user always uses less than 1gb
a 2gb plan is unlimited if the user always uses less than 2gb... etc etc.

discord writes...

3.3 Terabytes over 8 months isn't that bad, if thats not close to unlimited, I don't know what is :)

So what you're saying is you actually downloaded over 400GB per month with the dodo's 1500k unlimited plan. This is almost as good as unlimited!

dtrpeter writes...

So what you're saying is you actually downloaded over 400GB per month with the dodo's 1500k unlimited plan. This is almost as good as unlimited!

Would of been more then that, but had a few computer issues (and a telephone line fault which took a while to isolate and have fixed) It was truely a great plan, i only left because I had other requirements for my connection which dodo couldnt handle (reverse dns delegation etc) Dodo didn't want to offer me a better deal at the time ($129.95/month) so I left.

I'm now on Wild and loving every minute of it, taking full advantage of the refer a friend rewards system and excellent technical support

nuggets writes...

is that a sufficient number of customers?

It should be obvious what is meant. If you only have one other customer's capacity, then you're relying on them to not use it to be able to use your connection. If you're relying on 10,000 other customers, then your chance is better.

And, no, there is no 'type' of customer (otherwise ISPs would probably advertise for that). Just because you download a lot doesn't mean that you never stop. And just because you're a 'mum and dad' doesn't mean that you never fully utilise your connection. Based on statistical probability, availability will approach average the greater number you have, hence why I wrote "sufficiently large". That doesn't mean 30 or 300,000 in absolute terms as you prefer.

this has been done to death.

It has indeed, so why bring it up again?

so a 200mb plan is unlimited if the user always uses less than 200mb

And if the user downloads at full speed, all the time, that's unlimited. Just because somebody doesn't have a 1:1 contention ratio, doesn't mean that the user won't get full speed.

manfred writes...

It should be obvious what is meant. If you only have one other customer's capacity, then you're relying on them to not use it to be able to use your connection. If you're relying on 10,000 other customers, then your chance is better.

but that's not how it works.

again it's a set contention ratio, so it doesn't matter how many customers you have because the ratio is always the same. so for a 30:1 contention ratio you would have 30 people using a set pipe (lets say 1Mb for simplicity) if you have 60 people at the same contention ratio then you would have 60 people sharing a 2Mb pipe. even when you get into the thousands it still works out the same.... under the same 30:1 contention ratio 30,000 people would be sharing a 1Gb pipe. it's all the same.

And, no, there is no 'type' of customer (otherwise ISPs would probably advertise for that).

of course there is more than 1 type of customer... if there wasn't then there would just be a bunch of isp's selling the same plans because all people want the same thing. isp's do sell to their own types of customer base, and some users are used to subsidise other users. it's standard practice.

Just because you download a lot doesn't mean that you never stop. And just because you're a 'mum and dad' doesn't mean that you never fully utilise your connection.

i never said anything like this. the mum and pop comment referred to the users that spend little time on the net so when their not around their piece of the pipe can be used for others in the bandwidth pool.

this is why unlimited never works.. there isn't enough normal low end users to subsidise the heavy users so the network gets clogged up with an influx of heavy users.

It has indeed, so why bring it up again?

because you are wrong.

And if the user downloads at full speed, all the time, that's unlimited. Just because somebody doesn't have a 1:1 contention ratio, doesn't mean that the user won't get full speed.

no, if the user can download full speed 24x7x365 days a year then that is unlimited, and the only way to achieve that is to have a 1:1 contention ratio.

nuggets writes...

but that's not how it works.

again it's a set contention ratio

It's not a "set contention ratio." The ISP can determine any ratio they choose, based on any client configuration they want. They may choose 20:1 for some users and 10:1 for others, and they may choose 1:1 when they start, and lower that to 30:1 when they have a few customers.

because you are wrong.

Easy to claim, but yet to be demonstrated.

if the user can download full speed 24x7x365 days a year then that is unlimited,

Glad you agree with what I said.

and the only way to achieve that is to have a 1:1 contention ratio.

That's untrue. With any sizeable number of clients, in an average ISP, they are not all going to be using it non-stop, flat out. Experienced administration will manage it successfully so that no client suffers contention.

manfred writes...

It's not a "set contention ratio." The ISP can determine any ratio they choose, based on any client configuration they want. They may choose 20:1 for some users and 10:1 for others, and they may choose 1:1 when they start, and lower that to 30:1 when they have a few customers.

i never said they couldn't.. an isp can choose whatever contention ratio they wish. they can buy more capacity which would lower the contention or they could drop capacity which would raise contention. my statement of set contention was referring to an isp making a business decision on where they are planning on setting their contention.

when an isp sets a price for a plan they have to take into account what contention they will be running at when deciding a price. they aren't going to go messing around with contention too much because it's either going to cost them extra cash by lowering contention or it's going to cost them less cash and more complaints by upping the contention. so for all purposes it's a set contention which the isp chooses at the creation of the plan.

Easy to claim, but yet to be demonstrated.

it's already been done.

Glad you agree with what I said.

but i havn't. you are stating that a user can download full speed 24x7x365 without a 1:1 contention ratio and i'm saying that they can't.

Experienced administration will manage it successfully so that no client suffers contention.

do you really belive this.... if it was possible then every isp in the country would be running this magical service and we would all be enjoying unlimited services. or are you saying that the large majority of isp's are incompetent and don't have the "experienced administration" to make it happen.

THIS IS tru unlimited I AM ON IT Downloading 300gb a month for 99.90, is it really worth 100 replys, geeez

Half Tyme Playa writes...

THIS IS tru unlimited I AM ON IT Downloading 300gb a month for 99.90, is it really worth 100 replys, geeez

As they have done the unlimited but capped scenario to death, they now need to do the contention ratio side of it.

All the experts need to get it out of their system, it even helps them boost their posts tally. Why do so many of them who dislike Dodo that much read the Dodo threads is anyones question.

At least those who are signed up with Dodo know what speeds we get and how much can be downloaded.

Let them have their little rants mate. :-)

all i can say is that i had there
SO called Truely unlimited internet, and in one way it is ad another way it is not...

eg i was with bigblue before dodo, and ahd the 1.5mbs/256 connection, and when useing bittorrent, or winmx or P2P in general, speeds i was getting were about 150k depending on the connection

then i moved to dodo on the same line to there 1.5 unlimited plan.... that is not ment to be shaped and that is what there customer service says aswell... but anyway, i was getting speeds on p2p programs of around 10k (ten) and i was pushing that....
now i know most people would say that it is all depending on the uploader/s and traffic... but this was at all times and no matter what the connection is...
downloading from like HTTP, was fine... max speed was on that it was just FTP and P@P were very slow...

when i confrounted them about it they said that there is no Shaping and that the speed is fine.....

i then churned to TPG.... to finish off dloading the file that i was getting i instantly went tto the max of 160k... which is what it should be not 10k...

TPG do have truly unlimited Downloads, on the 1.5/256 connection, but it is $149.00 and it is on there business plan....

so i dont know if this helps but in my mind there are, not UNLIMITED, and considering i do about 170gig to 250 per month on TPG, at max speed... compered to the 30gig that i struggled to get on dodo

My total usage has been 1.15TB in 12 months....800 Gig which was downloads...Compard to bigppond where i would be pushing to get 120Gig in a year for about the same price im not complaining and now that its down to $99 im really happy.... Long live the DODO

devil writes...

but anyway, i was getting speeds on p2p programs of around 10k (ten) and i was pushing that....

I to use P2P programs, and I'm getting full speed on my ADSL 1.5/256 unlimited connection.

In the last 2 days I've already downloaded 8GB's.

I have no real complaints about dodo.
Apart from the stupid courier company they use, still waiting on my modem, went out and bought one from the local computer shop....
Dodo had sent it, but the courier company are being difficult in delivering it...long boring story.....

400gb per month!?
13.33gb per day!?
.555gb per hour!?
1.6Mb internet service dodo is providing!?

assumed you never switch off the computer and non-stop full speed!!

nuggets writes...

you are stating that a user can download full speed 24x7x365 without a 1:1 contention ratio and i'm saying that they can't.

Yes they can. You see a contention ratio works on the often correct assumption that not everybody will be downloading at the same time. Unless everybody is downloading all the time then most users can get full speed (seemingly) all the time.

OMG!! writes...

400gb per month!?
13.33gb per day!?
.555gb per hour!?
1.6Mb internet service dodo is providing!?

assumed you never switch off the computer and non-stop full speed!!

Hahaha..
it is funny man, dodo sales lack of computer knowledge while they are selling the service.

i love the comments that start with " back when i was with dodo " they could be the most pointless comments ever posted.. comments about dodo should be limited to current customers because im sick of these posers coming in here and bagging out a service they used way back in the day.. for the last time P2P IS NOT SHAPED ON DODO.. even though im on the 256 plan i still download over 50 gig a month host my own webpage and transfer large amounts of data between home-tafe-work-friends.. if all you have to contribute to the discussion is " back when " dont do it because its worthless

Ce MoI writes...

the only TURE UNLIMITED i have found is the WILD IT BG & PG plans with a 1:1 contention ratio, no shaping.

This is not true.
These plans are not on a 1:1 contetion ratio, if they were there monthly fees would be in the thousands of dollars.

A 4:1 contention ratio alone costs ~$500/m for a 2MB SDSL service.

It is uneconomical for the ISP to even think of offering 1:1 services to non-business clients.

Think of it this way, 1:1 means if they have 100 people on 1.5mbit they need a 150mbit line to cope. This NEVER happens on residential/low grade business plans.
Considering bandwidth can cost isp's around $1000 per megabit, its understandable.

Dodo use Comindico for there services, the contention ratio on Comindico is 30:1
Thats 30 users per line size *

* Line size is grouped per speed, so 30x 256k users per 256k pipe. Also Comindico used to be on this 30:1 ratio, but has opted for a better non-fixed contention ratio and ship around bandwidth based on demand. This is good, but at the same time there are 'limits' that they don't go beyond.

This is oversubscribing.
It works because the majority of people don't download 24/7 and the ISP generally has a high amount of bandwidth that even if 30x people were to be, it wouldn't affect the network.

Generally a business contention ratio is 20:1 or less. Some residential lines can go upto 200:1 if the ISP is struggeling. Except dialup speeds from an ISP that uses this ratio, i don't think any ISP wil lever go to that level, but you never know.

flexo writes...

so why are you lepers argueing bout contention - is this to substitute your pathetic sex lives, or tiny the size of your

Please refer to my post above.

I have never noticed or seen any shaping or capping.

There are just some that can not for the life of themselves admit to being on a worse deal for more money.

There are the others that think they know what Dodo used to be like, but I look at their membership number first, and if it is above around the 65,000 mark I know they have no clue, or very minimal on what Dodo was like.

I am around the 3year mark with Dodo, and have never experienced any problem that was worthy of starting a thread here. Hand up all those that have been with Dodo that long. I have been called a fanboy and a few other terms, but I can live with them. I have thick skin.

It seems that here, others have thicker brains than my skin though.

I'm not here to attack or defend Dodo in any way, just to point out a couple of things.

First off, I commend Dodo for having a high speed unlimited plan at a decent price point. It takes balls.

Because as those of us who've been around broadband for a long time know, high speed unlimited plans (at these prices) have NEVER worked for any substantial time frame. Almost every ISP has tried it in some shape and failed.

It may take a few weeks, a few months, or even a year but eventually the leechers come running, and I don't mean 60-80gig heavy users, I'm talkin' 200+gig a month idiots who end up downloading everything just because they can. And no ISP can support a lot of those.

Dodo's poor perception (deserved or not, I don't know because I've never used them) in broadband circles is probably the reason why the effects haven't been felt already. Eventually though, there will be peak time slowdowns, followed by lots of complaints, followed by plan changes (caps, or price increases), followed by the leechers evacuating (and some disgruntled normal customers too) to the next target.

The only chance this plan has of ANY longevity is if (somehow, someway) Dodo can avoid the leeching brigade. I really hope it can, but I strongly doubt it.

Eagleizer writes...

There are the others that think they know what Dodo used to be like, but I look at their membership number first, and if it is above around the 65,000 mark I know they have no clue, or very minimal on what Dodo was like.

so, i can safely ignore noobs that have a membership number above or around the 10,000 mark. great. oh wait a second...

I am around the 3year mark with Dodo ... Hand up all those that have been with Dodo that long.

Lessee, Tech. Team leader for Dodo 2+ years, check. 5+ years ISP industry experience, check.

All the residential & commerical ISPs i have either worked for, or purchased services from, have used contention ratios to manage network resources. You may be lucky enough to never have encountered these as restrictions on your internet service, and great for you if this is the case, but they are there.

This i not a reflection on Dodo specifically, just a reality that all us retail customers live with.

Jeeze.

Ce MoI writes...

the only TURE UNLIMITED i have found is the WILD IT BG & PG plans with a 1:1 contention ratio

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't a 1:1 ratio mean that the ISP has 1MBIT of bandwidth per customer ? eg if they have 100 customers, they also run 100MBIT of bandwidth

If so, to offer a contention ratio of 1:1 they would need to charge at least $500 per connection just to cover the cost of a MBIT of bandwidth.

Eagleizer writes...

Hand up all those that have been with Dodo that long.
Dodo is great! It's so great that I wonder why it has such a bad reputation.

Would be interesting to know how long they plan to keep these plans "truly unlimited".

Dodo are known for changing the rules frequently much to their customer's frustration.

KidRen writes...

Would be interesting to know how long they plan to keep these plans "truly unlimited".

Dodo are known for changing the rules frequently much to their customer's frustration.

This is a load of rubbish. In all the time that I have been with them, yes there plans and prices have changed, but not once have Dodo changed my plan or charges unless I called them and changed them.

I would not be surprised if there are still people on the old 1500 unlimited price of $129, but if they are it is because they did not change them. If they are, then they should see about changing to the new rate, but I think that they would find that they would add extra time to their contract.

If you are saying that Dodo should automatically reduce the cost to a user if the rate changed, I think that that is wrong as well because there was a period where Dodo did not offer unlimited. I am sure those that were on unlimited would have been impressed if their contract was changed without being advised.

Beside that, TPG are worse for changing things - ask any Regional 2 classed customer!

It's true, i was on the 129 unlimited plan untill i realise that it was changed to 99.90 and had to call them up to change it.

u wont be happy with them for long i can assure u wat a waste of moeny :)

i agree with eagle - no probs whatso ever

and just recently swapped from the $129 to the $99 plan - so i now basically get my phone line connection charge paid for (i joined the dodo phone plan - as i never use my landline apart from for the adsl connection)

orginal plan 129 + 32 per month = $161
now 94.40 +32 per month = $127

all good in my book

I have just signed up to the 1.5mbit unlimited and it is fantastic! The speeds are faster than anything I have had on other 1.5mbit plans and this is the first trully unlimited plan that I have seen for a long time! Hope it lasts because leechers will flock to it.

Dude, hate to burst your bubble but Koala have been offering the same deal for some time and if you sign up under the “WP PROMO” pricing is even cheaper.

Yes and with koala you'd have a subject header:

Truely Unlimited Downloads For $79.95.

I guess you Wild Internet guys must feel sort of cheated but I wouldn't' worry too much Wild will have to reduce your plan prices to compete or lose it's userbase. A saving of $240 a year by churning to Koala from Wild is a huge saving.

Koala - Where your dollar goes further.

What about 512/128 Unlimited $49.95

Kenny Everett writes...

Koala - Where your dollar goes further.

FREE CHURN :)

Koala - Where your dollar goes even further.