from Today Optus is offering unlimited cable internet, unlimited landline calls and calls to any GSM + fetch tv with 1 TB recorder and free international calls to some 15 countries. Offer available in store or by phone. contract 24 months
Price Drop for Optus Unlimited Cable Broadband - $90 from $115/Month
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LJammy on 08/12/2014 - 18:04 optus.com.au (12557 clicks)
Last edited 27/01/2015 - 18:40 by 2 other users
Last edited 27/01/2015 - 18:40 by 2 other users
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Might be a little off topic, but anyone have any experience on the "new" netgear modems/routers they are sending out? I'm on an old surfboard docsis 2.0 modem, and have my own home network and router I'm not interested in replacing. Is there any issue putting it in bridge mode and just using it as a plain old modem?
It is impossible to get any real documentation on this device. Just some retarded quick start quide, assuming you have a computer and nothing else and don't have an existing network….
No issues with bridge, in fact initially in un-bridged mode it was very unstable as a WiFi modem.
Kept losing the connection, had to switch on and off.
After putting in bridge mode and attaching separate WiFi modem it's super (touch wood) stable!
Thanks for that.
If you can remember, is there nothing more complicated than going into an advanced settings page and clicking a bridge mode option? Eg no mucking about disableing nat, wifi, putting a static IP etc?
Yup, it was as easy as clicking a bridge mode option.
More info here http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2179609
Brilliant. Thanks for the link. I was searching and checked whirlpool yesterday, but didn't find that thread.
Well, it wasn't too hard setting up the router in bridge mode so just a modem.
Registering however, I did have to call. Their online registration (newmodem.optushome.com.au) just didn't work at all - I think the site is buggy in that it is trying to register the mac address unformatted, without the colons, and the back end processing is expecting colons. So after I had it manually registered, I looked again and it showed the mac, with the colons.
[deleted]
Tell them you are breaking your Telstra contact to do this and it is expensive end fees. Gave me $250 credit.
Just tried to use the online chat
Gabriel V:May I know which plan your looking to change to?
You:$90 Unlimited Cable Bundle
Gabriel V:Alright!
Gabriel V:You can call our service team and have a check on that.Wtf. 2nd time I tried use the live chat.. How did others get past the bot?
Just received and email confirming 10 days delivery for the Fetch TV and there was a table of charges at the bottom including
"Optus TV Connect Package $15.00 1-month Contract"
Hmm also Entertainment pack $15
WTF, I thought I read the T&C's fairly carefully and I did not see mention of it, did anyone else get this?edit
Looks like when I've ordered it either I have positioned it wrong or the operator has rolled in the entertainment pack ….maybe my bad, trying to sort it out now
I just signed up to the new deal from a month to month deal i was on.
When i asked the operator for the speed pack he told me the deal came with the 100mb speed pack free of charge? and when i asked if i could grab a couple of power line adapters he told me there is no such thing and said its something the support guys will offer free of charge if i have issues with speed. Ill be calling to see if i can get the power line adapters tomorrow. Sooooo hopefully he isnt bs'ing me. Atleast i got him to replace my 10yr old modem with a new one.Sorted my issues in the online chat.
Speed pack works, I've had it for a while but speeds drop off in peak times, regularly get 100Mbps off peak, peak maybe 50Mbps….but really you don't feel the difference, unlike if you were on 50Mbps and dropped to 10Mbps
Powerline adaptors are advertised on the offer page and have nothing to do with speed clearly they don't know that….
so now you get 100 Mbps at peak time as well?
You said you sorted the issues, does that include the:
"Optus TV Connect Package $15.00 1-month Contract"
Hmm also Entertainment pack $15I received the same message and I am wondering what the end result was?
Interestingly, I was told that the fetch unit would be sent out mid January i.e. 10 days after activation of the upgrade to this $90 plan which was to take place 1 Jan 2015. Well the fetch unit turned up on the doorstep today!!
Reddog sorry for the late reply, yes both charges were reversed and she confirmed my free speed pack.
I'll be checking my bill obviously but she gave me a job ticket number and I copied the chat text just in case.
Damn I should have asked her not to charge me for the power line adaptors as many are getting them for free but $40 is not much to pay anyhow due to getting a $30 per month reduction in my phone charges….
I was told 1 January billing but 5-10 days for the fetch unit.I was told mine was just something to be disregarded that the wrong template was sent out. Nothing reversed. Hopefully it is the case, but will wait and see.
I also got the email with the 2X$15 charges for fetch, I've currently ignored them until I get my first bill. I did have to call back and argue to get the speed pack activated, even tho I had 3 optus reps tell me that the speed pack would be included for free when I called back after the upgrade he tried to charge me for it, so I will be looking closely at my first invoice to make sure it hasn't been charged.
For the ozbargainers that are on Optus cable are speeds ok during peak? What kind of speeds are you getting on torrents/usenet? Are gaming speeds ok too?
I had Optus cable a couple of years ago but speeds were ridiculously slow during peak periods so not sure if things have changed
Im on adsl2+ (exetel) and get a steady ~700KB/s even during peak periods
I can't really comment on the torrents as I don't use them anymore, other than to question isn't it a bit of a moot point with them, unlesss you are just leaching? Eg, aren't you basically supposed to upload as much as you download with them. And given that optus cable is knobbled to 2MBps upload on standard AND the speed pack, isn't that the overall limiting factor?
I'd say it depends on the torrent you download.
On wireless alone, I can get up to 3MB/s(again, dependent on torrent you download)
I have had no issues whatsoever with Optus Cable unlike other customers though.
http://i.imgur.com/VW4GYx9.png
Yeah and don't critize on my DL/UL ratio; it's currently at 0.88
Upload speeds are pretty slow
Yeah they are terribly slow. And I wasn't criticizing on ratio, just more poijting out with the ridiculous knobbled upload speeds we get, that really is the limiting factor for peer to peer. So speed pack pretty useless imho.
For those already out of contract - did you need to re-contract for 24 months
Yes I had to recontract for 24 months
Still no confirmation email or sms, 2nd day now. Sigh
Was reassured it would be sent in 48 hoursSpoke to service then retentions - they couldn't budge on the need to sign-up for another 24 months in order to get this deal.
No deal for me. Will have to stick with my $110 ($95 with loyalty bonus) 500GB, Unlimited Australian calls & premium speed
Well, if I was considering jumping ISP in under 24 months (which I'm not) then a 24 month contract would not make me take up the $5 saving. but if I was intending on staying anyhow, I'd take it.
Unfortunately my current by the month plan with them is $70 for cable and phone so I'm really struggling to justify it to myself. The 24 month isn't an issue for me. Just something to make it worth an extra $20…
Just had it installed yesterday, here's how the process went:
Submitted an application online Monday night. Decided to call on Tuesday morning to check, they said they had nothing in the system. So reordered over the phone and asked for the free 100mb/s upgrade, originally refused but said I probably won't sign up if it wasn't offered. Rep agreed to give it after speaking to manager, booked for installation for Thursday AM on the same call. No confirmation email or SMS.
Had it installed yesterday at lunch time (thought they might cancel due to strong rain and wind in Sydney). Took about 2 hours for a fresh cable connection.
Was promised the 100mb/s upgrade for free over the phone, but running a few speedtest shows it was running max 30mb/s. Called Optus today, said they did have it down for the free upgrade, so when I go home today it should be activated.
All done in 3 days (just waiting for Fetch TV), happy switching over from Belong. Thanks OP.
The Netgear CG3000 V2's Wifi seems to work a bit better than my old TP Link W8980.
Seems like the submit application today, call up tomorrow to check on the status to be told they have nothing in their system is a very common occurrence for this plan.
Same thing happened to me, only difference being my installation date is 10 days away. No confirmation email or sms for me too.
How long did it take for you to receive the modem or did the technician have it with him on installation?
Did the technician call you prior to his arrival?The technicians brought the modem and installed it, also ensuring that the modem went through self-updating of firmware.
I had to call up yesterday morning to ask them to check if the technician was going to give me a call before he arrived - apparently they didn't have my number down so he wasn't going to call, but they can add it to his instructions. He called me about 20 minutes before he arrived.
You say that you did an application on Monday but the offer wasn't valid until Tuesday 9th, so that could explain the lack or a record of the order on the system
That could be what happened, since someone here was sent the link of the plan (by Optus online rep) on Monday night when this deal first appeared, so I applied soon after.
Or they put it into their cable database and only checked the adsl database when we call, hence not appearing in their systems
Went through online chat, got free speed upgrade and modem (apparently not normally included for existing customers) on 24 month contract
Just got off the phone with Optus, i believe the lady on the other side of the line is possibly not from Australia,
She told me the speed pack is offered for $110 which i wanted discounted and i was somewhat persistent that i have been a customer for over a decade.
She had a chat with her supervisor came back and said she couldn't offer it, I asked again in a slightly disappointing tone and she went to check with her supervisor again.And she came back and told me the speed pack can be included free of charge
Does anyone know if the modem supplied CG3000v2 supports local calls via a smart phone app like the fritz box does with myfritz?
I want my wife to receive and make local calls on her iPhone using the existing technology we have.
In addition to that - can you use any standard home phone with this ? ie is it RJ12 or RJ45 connection ?
Yeah, you can use any conventional telephone or fax machine (it's an RJ-11 port).
You can download the guide/s below:
http://www.optus.com.au/shop/support/answer?answerId=1419&qu…
I don't believe so. At my house they installed the phone line in another room. The cables both run back to the grey box outside. I just got a standard uniden phone in it.
Regarding the iPhone, you might be able to just do this now using Google Hangouts calling capabilities now, over wifi. I have used android to iphone hangouts to hangouts calls, and they do seem to cater for just calling phone numbers too. Worth trying anyhow
So from the grey box outside - it has a coaxial cable AND telephone cable running to it ?
Yes. I just had a look
Strange,its after all just voip. All you need is an internet connection.
In my case i just have the phone plugged in to the phone socket on the back of the Netgear CG3000v2 cable modem and thats it.
Which cable modem are you using? Maybe it does not have any voip ports….Ok so ONLY a coaxial comes from the grey box to your modem (inside). And that's it.
Then from your modem you plug a telephone cable in to that, and other end into the telephone ?
They must have changed it. That said, remember mine was connected back in about '97… I have two grey boxes outside. One is the one the cable from the powerline connects to, with the electronics board in. Then some cables run from that to another box, but that is just a cable junction box with splitters and stuff. And I have coax from that to my modem (via a wall point in my study) and a phone cable to my lounge.
But you are right - I just checked the manual for the Netgear CG3000v2 and it does have a phone port. My current old one doesn't
Buying this unit to solve my problems, does anyone have an experience with the quality, reliability and usage of this? http://www.thegoodguys.com.au/panasonic-advanced-cordless-ph…
Scored this on special from the Dick for only $104.74 as I couldn't sleep knowing that I was about to buy this at full RRP from The Good Guys.
Signed up Wednesday, Cable installed on friday. 100Mbps speed pack fixed up today. Now just waiting for the fetchtv unit… 10 days from install apparently.
Did you have to call Optus back to disable your adsl? Assuming you are an existing customer?
So when the technician left you had cable internet from that moment on?
Mines getting installed in 3 days, hopeful for a problem free installationADSL was with TPG, with Tel$tra Phone Line. Tel$tra was easy to cancel line. TPG want 30days notice and in writing (email), so i have to pay for the 30days…until it gets cancelled..won't be signing up with them again… lol
After tech left, Internet was working, but i changed the CG3000v2 to bridge mode and am using my Asus router.
or you can just ask for free
I am currently out of contract on the Extreme speed 500gb + fetch plan. Been an original Optus cable customer for a lonnnnng time!
Yesterday arvo I tried to negotiate similar extras as described here, like 10% loyalty discount and replacement modem. 'Blake' the sales chat guy wasn't interested, quoting that i am already going to save heaps because the offer is really worth $145 @mth retail. He did confirm though that premium speed (100mbps) is now standard for the plan offer. Told him I would consider the Optus stance that there is NO loyalty consideration for long term value customers and see what Telstra has to offer to get my business.Could other ozbargainers on the old 500g plan please advise what extras they were able to get above the plan critical information summary.
Cheers to all.I'm in a similar situation. 16+ year customer, out of contract, and they can't offer me anything. I just can't justify the extra $20 for what I've got, to what extra this plan actually means to me. I mean all these "extras" may be great for some people, but to me it means nothing. The only thing of it that means some value is the lack of quota. The speed pack isn't even of personal use. So paying an extra $20 is something I can't justify.
I'd be happier with an $80 plan without fetchTV honestly… :) I could justify an extra $10 for the plan without the fetch.
10 year customer on $110 500GB Fusion Plan but off contract ($90 after loyalty discount). Signed up to this offer and received a free modem (not meant to be provided for existing customers) and free powerline adaptors for the fetch tv. They would not budge on the $90/month price and the 24 month length of contract.
We are already on Optus ADSL2+ with home phone, will there be any downtime at all if we switch to this plan?
The premises is able to get Cable installed as well.
Just signed up!!!
Free 100Mbit speedpack too…We received our free new modem yesterday, and the Fetch TV box last Friday, so all is on track for the upgrade to the new plan on 1 Jan. …….. Very happy here.
Just a note for the future, I was reading that, now the Telstra and Optus cable systems have been sold to the NBN, users will need to have a DOCSIS 3.0-compliant modem when they are made to connect. Those people who do not have one will be made to buy one (good work Malcolm. So …. push for a free upgrade of your modem.
I was also one of the first to order this plan and i am now on the new plan now and getting better speeds than before and have the phone service working but my fetch tv box has not arrived yet even though i am not in the middle of nowhere. I can see the melbourne CBD from my house. But the incompetent idiots in optus still dont know whats going on. From the time that i have signed up with optus for this plan i have had to call umpteen times for various things.The impression i am getting is that most of the support staff are clueless.Apparently the mumbai staff are not even allowed to access the internet!!
http://optus.startrack.com.au/ is where you can track the delivery of the fetch tv box according to optus info on the web.
when i put in my order number it shows as already delivered to someone in 2013!!
Nobody in optus can explain why this is so.
Each person says a different thing. Some guys actually told me that the customer cannot track the delivery and only they can.The optus website meanwhile says…."CAN I TRACK MY DELIVERY?
Yes, your Optus TV with Fetch delivery can be tracked via the StarTrack Website using your Optus TV with Fetch order number. Online tracking is visible 24 hours after your Optus TV with Fetch has been dispatched from Optus."
I got my new modem as well but no Fetch TV box yet.
did you replace your old modem with the new one? I'm thinking of replacing mine now but not sure if it will work (it may only work on 1 Jan when new plan is active). Any thoughts?What was your old one? Was it just a modem so you have your own router and home network? If so it is a bit more work Eg you need to configure the new modem router in bridge mode so it just acts as a modem, something you have to do by plugging a PC in it direct and configuring it. So a bit more work.
Mine turned up the other day, but I'm leaving it until the weekend when I might have more time…
my old modem is the previous version of CG3000 (v1.0?). so I recon it will just be "unplug old then plug new" however I'm not sure if the new one would work now or is there such thing as Optus needs to activate the new modem first?
@pums04: yeah, unless your old one had been configured in bridge mode. Are you using another router? Or is the cg3000 your router and wifi?
On the activation I believe you can do it online when you connect it, just go to here:
newmodem.optusnet.com.au
The "quick start guide" is here where it advises this:
http://smb.optus.com.au/opfiles/Shop/Shared%20Media/OtherAss…Note the quick start guide is all the doco I can find on this, which is pretty damn pathetic for a full wifi blown router.
@Mobe1969:
thanks for that! will try tonight if time permits. I'm using my old cg3000 as router/wifi and plan to use the new one the same (probably do the bridge mode config later).@pums04: You only need to worry about that bridge mode if you are going to setup a different router/wifi (eg a better one). It is basically just telling the modem/router to just act as a modem, not a router.
Just had my installation today, technician came on time and rang me 20 minutes prior
Apparently I already had cable at my place and he just hooked it from the street, Im not very technical when it comes to these things. Took about an hour tops, the tech was very informative and friendly bar the swearing when things weren't working for him initially, terms used were shit and effing kidding me. He was joking and saying it to himself but still I found it a little unprofessional
In terms of the internet and the installation he did a good job, everything is working though I dont have my speed pack on atm, was told to wait 24-48hrs for it to kick in apparently. So overall the technician was good
Was also told to leave the modem on 24/7 and never turn it off? is that normal for cable?
If my modem goes off then theres no phone connection for me ;(
The phone should work even when there is no Internet (modem turned off)
If you've got an old install yes (e.g. 2006), installs from last few years+(?) no.
No modem = no phone, as it is voip over the cable network. I have mine on a UPS…
Hey guys regarding the fetch tv and the adaptors for $40, I can connect it to a tv in any room in the house through the adapter? It doesnt have to be a room next to where my modem is at?
Yes that's correct, I have set up my powerline adapters with the Fetch TV on the other side of the house to the modem and it works just fine.
How long does it take for the speed pack to be activated?
Was told to wait 24-48 hours, its been a day and still no speed pack. Still on 25-30mbpsring up support..thats the way i got mine activated…
Yerh I did and thats what they told me, something about it being a new connection.
Was told they already activated it and that I should wait for 48hrs.How long did it take for you to receive the speedpack after calling them up?
Was it instantaneous?i spoke to tech support after the 48hours had elapsed. They passed me to accounts (who confirmed that I had the speedpack on my account). They then passed me back to support, who tried a remote reset of the modem and then had to call me back as it didn't work. Once they called back, i tested it remotely and all was good!
Installation date for me is 5/1/15.
Still no speed pack added on for me, cant get over 30mbps. Sigh…
Its apparently already turned on from their end, they did a reset on it from their end but still no where near 100mbps.
Its better than my old crappy adsl connection but still not the promised 100mbps, at least 70-80mbps I'd be happy with but its hanging around the basic 30mbps onlyEDIT - On my wall plate where the cable was installed into the room I have the cable connection plugged on the far right, middle has a picture of a phone and on the left is a picture of a modem/adaptor(not sure). Anyway the technician plugged my phone socket into the left one, I thought it seemed odd and thought phone should be plugged to the middle one which has the phones picture.
Anyway, I've just changed it now and plugged my phone into the middle phone socket and into the modem and my speeds have increased dramatically and getting at the very least 50mbps with the best being 70mbps during peak hour.
Would like to ask which of the 3 sockets(not sure what they're called sorry) is your phone plugged into? Which leads to the modem
PS Optus throttles torrent speeds during peak hour, a gazillion threads on Whirlpool
It's mainly torrent speeds which are heavily throttled. Everything else seems fine to me. Nothing a VPN can't fix.
Anyone else still waiting on their Fetch TV to arrive? I ordered on the 9th and still not here….
If you dont get within a week after you order,you will never get it unless you call them up and chase it.I havent got it even after calling them up 8 times.Apparently the order was "stuck" and now they have finally cancelled old fetch tv order and done new one. Hope i get it in the coming days.
I did call but the guy said "yeah it's on it's way", that was a week ago.
Anyway on hold with them again as we speak :(
Just called them and they clarified that the fetch box is dispatched 10 days after you activate your account. Means it could potentially take 3 weeks to be delivered.
I also spoke to a guy in an Aussie call centre and he said the $90 deal is on the 100mbps and includes a PowerPoint adapter.
I don't think this is right, but he wrote it on my notes and sent me an SMS
Is that so?? Then why is that lots of people have received the fetch tv box within a few days of their order?My mate ordered the 90$ plan on 12th Dec Friday and received the fetch tv box on 16th Dec Tuesday. The actual fact is that most of the optus staff are completely clueless…..
I spoke to three 'off shore' representatives who said the same, then spoke to the Aussie call centre in Collins St, Melb and even he said is takes 10 days. 1 guy did say he would try talk to a higher up and get it to me 'within' the 10 days. Just alot of hot air though.
To put in perspective, I had my installation on the 18th of this month and its now the 27th and will be the 28 in 2 hours and still no fetch tv box. And to make matters worse, the order number that they sent to me via sms doesnt seem to be valid when I enter it in.
Customer service along with the rest of the Optus staff are completely clueless, everytime I call I get transferred one after the other. The cable department would transfer me to the adsl department who will then transfer me to the sales or accounts department and so on….
The cable internet is working ok though but dont expect anything close to 100mbps during peak hour, off peak Im getting 98mbps top speed at around 3-4am. Peak hour is unstable but hell of a lot better than my old crappy adsl.
Just got to deal with their incompetent service is all
I'm getting the felling they are waiting until Jan 1st to start doing stuff. That's when my $90 plan starts… So damn frustrating. No one will say anything and keep moving me to different apartments.
Well out of no where, it just showed up. Optus didn't even know I was receiving it. Now just trying to get an activation code.
aaargh!! I havent received the fetch tv box yet inspite of calling them 8 times. And i initially went on to this plan on the 9th of December.
I did get one guy who said he would email his higher ups and get it sent to me quicker. Maybe he wasn't lying.
Had to all up and get an activation code, now it's sweet and I'm watching ESPN and Nat Geo :-)
Received mine today as well lol, woke up and it was outside my door. Got my adaptors in the the same box which I ordered, $40 if I remember correctly. Didn't know they came for free? Rep said they were an extra $40 and not free. Lucky for you ;)
Anyway, buying a longer ethernet cable atm since my modem is too far from the powerpoint where the adptor is plugged into. Will see how it goes when its all hooked up.
Ok everything is set up and ready to go, was worried about the setup but it was so freaking easy lol.
All good atm, now just waiting to see if Optus screw up my bills.
Regarding the fetch box, am I supposed to leave it on 24/7 now since I cant watch tv if its off since the antenna cable is plugged into it?
Looks like i am very unlucky.I called optus again and surprise ! apparently even the latest fetch tv order is "stuck" in "pending" status.This looks to be a long and painful saga…..
What kind of streaming speeds are you getting with the channels when you do the ip channel test if I may ask?
@HTID09:
Do you mean free to air channels HTID09?
I watch FTA tv through the fetch box so it's only on when I need it anyway.The way I've set it up is to have the antenna cable plugged in to the 'in' port of the fetch tv box and then another antenna cable from the 'out' port of the fetch tv to the actual tv.
This is just so I can picture-in-picture FTA and Fetch channels at the same time.Same here, just realised FTA tv still works when the fetch box is on standby ;)
Im getting like 1.7mbps to 2.5mbps when I go do the ip test for the streamed channels in the settings menu during all hours of the day. Is that normal or on the slow side of things? Some channels seem not as clear and are definitely not 1080 while others such as ESPN which tested at 2.5mbps are pretty damn clear. Using the adaptors
During peak hour my internet speeds are around 60-70mbps and 90-100mbps during off peak.
Finally resolved !! Received the fetch tv box today and set up successfully and watching channels now.
Well I had my service installed on Friday after a few minor glitches.
Recieved email saying FetchTV is being dispatched - link doesn't work to track.
Link on email with instructions on FetchTV are outdated for generation 1 box.
Speed pack after calling tech support and billing etc 3 times now enquiring is still not active.
No instructions on features provided with landline phone providedOn a negative side
Discovered port 25 is blocked so I cannot get my fritz box to email my midnight utilisation reports. I believe this can be unblocked if you log into the customer portal - which I cannot do as I do not have my account details (account number, passwords etc) provided
Port 80 is blocked
Torrents are throttled (which for legal ones is a bit frustrating but fortunately optus has a local mirror of debian iso images so thats cool - I ftp'ed 45gb overnight at 2.3mb per sec :).
Will call them in the morning 4th time to hopefully resolve speed issue, then I should be happy (oh and after the Fetch TV box arrives).
Compared to my ADSL2 service with TPG (~7mbit) the cable service is a much enhanced internet experience.
Can you explain the mirror and how you achieved those speeds?
The debian mirror is a local copy, not a torrent, so was able to just copy it via ftp, faster.
The port 80 and 25 blocking is odd, and I'm not sure why they've always seem to have done that.
Lol, the calling up and order not showing thing happened to me too. In my case I had to do the whole thing all over again but was still given the speed pack
I had some guy on the phone who kept spelling out my address as if he was 5, every time, letter by letter slowly lol.
Still no confirmation email yet for me