Hi All,

Just wondered if anyone could update us with info on which areas of Adelaide currently have or are getting broadband. We just got it in our village last year and I wouldn't like to go back to dial up especially when we are thousands of miles away from friends and family. Not sure where we are planning on settling yet. We visited oz earlier on this year and spent 4 days in Adelaide. During this time we had a bit of a drive round and I think that I would like to live near the coast but I'm still quite open about it. Have been impressed by recent posts on Hallet Cove and Henley Beach and I can't wait to get back out there and have another look round.
Wendy :)

This site could help ........ http://bc.whirlpool.net.au/

I am in Woodcroft - some ISP's say it IS available in my street and others say it is not. Who knows? Sometimes one company cannot supply broadband because of commercial reasons - the lines are all with Telstra and I think it depends on their relationship with the other ISP's whether you can have a specific one for your b/band choice.

THere's a cable for cable tv/phone services down our street. It crosses the road in front of our house and because it was neither one side of the road nor the other we were told we couldn't have cable broadband. Up the street where it's either one side or 'tother they manage to take wires from it to both sides of the road <_<

So that left us with broadband via the phones as the only option. It turned out we were on 'pair gain' ie a party line, with 2 lines on each physical copper wire. You need a whole copper wire to yourself to have broadband. So we were told we couldn't have this type of broadband either.

Eventually, after a couple of months of wrangling, they decided they could flick a switch somewhere at the exchange to give us a whole copper wire and hey presto - our dialup speed doubled from about 22kbps to nearer the 56 kbps of our modem on the instant! Then we finally got broadband, with TPG (see tpg.com.au) which we've been happily using ever since.

It was a right old game, and I strongly suspect it's pure pot luck on the individual street or even house whether you will get it or not.

you could go to http://www.westnet.com.au, on the left hand side there's a box you can put your telephone number and it will tell you whether or not broadband is available.

Both the sites mentioned in this thread tell me that my local exchange can handle broadband - but with the caveat that my phone lines may not be up to scratch... so still doesn't give you a definite yes, I think you'd need to actually apply in order to find out - or at least quiz the neighbours and see if anyone else has managed to get it.

I have the same problem Elaine - the exchange says the lines are available but my ISP says I can't have it, despite my knowing my ex is with same ISP, living on same estate, phone line through same exchange - and on broadband with no probs!

AND my ISP is continually bombarding me with adverts for broadband both online and through the post.

OK, there's a few issues here. There are three things necessary to allow you broadband (I'm talking ADSL here, not cable or satellite).

First the exchange must be broadband enabled - this is the only check you can carry out on the general websites like whirlpool. If you get a yes then you're well on the way but not home and dry yet...

Next the exchange must have capacity to give you service. Not often a problem but I'm told that there are a couple of areas where there's waiting list.

Finally, and this is usually the point where things start getting iffy. Your line must be up to the job. There are lots a reasons why it may not be: too far from the exchange, interference, unresolvable pair-gains etc.


Use the online area checkers as a guide by all means but don't bet the mortgage on the answer they give you. The only way to be sure is, when you find a place you like, speak to the agent or owner - Have they already got broadband? have the immediate neighbours got it (not the other side of the road though!) finally get the current number and get Telstra to check it properly, they'll do it in a Telstra shop if you ask. Don't rely on other ISP's (even if you actually buy from them later) all they do is ask Telstra or use a Telstra database which may be out of date. Telstra have a lousy reputation for not being as helpful to rival suppliers as they are to their own potential customers.

Perry

Hi
Where we lived in Hallett Cove, although we checked out our address on a broadband website which said we could get broadband (can't remember which one) we couldn't get broadband whereas here we can now. Think it is definitely pot luck!
Good Luck
Susan

Telecom Australia, or "Tel-stra" as it's been known since 1998, owns and operates the telelphone exchanges throughout Australia, so logging onto

www.telstra.com

should give you some idea on how well the local telephone exchange is up to date by typing in the local exchange details.
ADSL only carries for about a couple of miles (3 to 4 kms) from the local exchange before it peters out. If you live further out, ISDN which delivers a speed up to 128kbs, is your next option. That will reach up to seven miles (11 or 12 kms) from the exchange. That can be fast enough for a lot of things like webcamming.

Hi All, thanks for the replies - I guess we will have to be lucky that once we find a house, it is able to be connected to broadband. We anticipate moving out next year and maybe coverage will be better by then.
Don't know if it is available / or at a reasonable cost, but I know some people over here use wireless broadband from one of the mobile phone companies - any info?
Regards
Paul & wendy