Broadband FAQ’S

All About Quota and Shaping

Will VoIP affect my quota?

No, VoIP only uses small amounts of data. This data is included in the freezone and therefore does not contribute to quota usage.

What is off-peak time?

For customers on current plans off-peak times are either 2am – 8am or 1am – 9am, depending on your plan type. This is when the network is typically less congested. To check which peak/off-peak timeframes apply to you, please visit MyNetspace.

Note: If you are in the Northern Territory, your off-peak time will be based on Adelaide time due to our server configurations.

Where can I view my quota?

Volume usage can be viewed in MyNetspace under "Volume Usage". This allows you to view remaining quota, used quota and can give you a monthly, daily and hourly breakdowns of usage.

What is counted towards my monthly quota?

It depends on which plan your on. Some plans only count download traffic where others may count both upload and download traffic against your plans monthly quota allocation.

What is shaping? What happens when I exceed my quota?

Shaping is the term used to describe the slowing of a connection that has exceeded its allotted download allowance for a period. Netspace broadband services are shaped to 64kbps, 128kbps, 256kbps, 384kbps or 512kbps (dependant on your plan) for the period in which you have exceeded your quota. Shaping may be applied to the upload or download stream (dependant on your plan). For example, if you exceed your off-peak quota, your connection will only be shaped during off-peak times; on-peak will operate at full speed. At the end of your monthly cycle, the normal speeds of your plan will resume and your quota will be reset.

What constitutes a month for my monthly data allowance?

A month is defined as the period between anniversary dates. This can be checked via the "Volume Usage" section of MyNetspace.

What quota do I get when I bundle?

Bundling results in additional peak and off-peak quota. The exact effect can be found on the products page.

What happens to my quota if I change plans part way through my billing cycle?

The quota you have used so far will be deducted from the peak and off peak quota allocation of your new plan. At the start of your next monthly cycle you will receive the full quota available on your new plan.

Your internet traffic is automatically time stamped so we know which time allocation (peak or off peak) to deduct it from. This means that if you are moving from an anytime plan to a plan with peak and off peak quota, we will be able to count it appropriately.

Does traffic usage on the backup dial up account contribute to my quota?

Yes. Usage will be deducted from the monthly quota allocated to your broadband account.

What is the Freezone?

All broadband accounts accounts include access to the Freezone. The Freezone is a selection of servers and sites on the Internet that you can access without it counting towards your quota allocation. If you do reach your quota, downloads from anywhere in the Freezone are not affected by shaping, so you can still access it at full speed.

Broadband Explained

What is ADSL2+?

ADSL2+ delivers the next generation of broadband speeds taking your connection as fast as your line can go. More information on expected speeds is available below.

What is ADSL1?

ADSL1 is available bundled or unbundled and gives you speeds of 256kbps, 512kbps, 1500kbps or up to 8000kbps (depending on phone line quality, distance from the exchange and a few other factors).

Is ADSL2+ the same as ADSL1?

No, ADSL2+ allows speeds up to the theoretical ADSL2+ maximum of 24,000kbps (24Mbps). If your area does not have ADSL2+ availability, you can still get speeds up to 8000kbps on our ADSL1 plans — that’s up to 30 times faster than standard 256kbps broadband.

Do all Netspace broadband plans have a backup dial up account?

Yes. All Netspace broadband products include a backup dial up account. This can be used if your broadband service fails or if you need internet access away from home through a dialup connection.

Please note that you cannot use your broadband account and the dial up account at the same time due to login restrictions. If you intend on using your dial up while you're away from your broadband connection, it’s a good idea to switch your DSL modem off prior to leaving or ask someone to do so while using the dial up connection. If you do forget to do this, you can still dial in but this will disconnect your broadband connection.

Broadband Speeds

Do I have to purchase a bundle to get ADSL2+ speeds?

No. You no longer need to bundle to access to speeds as fast as your line can go — up to 24,000kbps. However, bundling with Phone1 and/or VoIP gives you huge bonus usage quotas, access to our great call rates and the convenience of a single bill for your phone and Internet. In fact, by bundling with VoIP you can make 15c untimed calls Australia-wide and free calls to friends and family on the iiNet VoIP network.

What do the faster broadband speeds like up to 8000kbps and ADSL2+ mean to me?

Simultaneous downloads, file sharing, gaming, music downloads, and video-on-demand all require bandwidth (faster speeds) to work well. And over the next year we can expect many new online applications and services, all demanding faster connection speeds. With an ADSL2+ bundled plan you pay no more to enjoy all the benefits of a super fast Internet experience. With your phone or VoIP and broadband switched to Netspace, we simply offer you the best speed available.

What sort of speeds can I expect on your ADSL2+ plans?

If you are on the iiNetwork (ADSL2+) we offer ADSL2+ speeds as fast as your line can go. ADSL2+ ensures a smoother and more satisfying online experience with download speeds typically much faster than standard ADSL. More than half of our ADSL2+ customers experience speeds in excess of 10,000kbps with a small percentage clearing 20,000kbps, up to 24,000kbps.

Below is a list of the different factors that impact on broadband speeds:

  • The distance you are from your exchange
  • Internet traffic congestion
  • The quality of your line
  • Signal strength
  • The number of joins in your line
  • The speed of the websites you visit
  • Factors within your home, such as unfiltered devices and lengthy phone cords

In addition, you may require ADSL2+ compatible hardware to access speeds up to 24,000kbps. If you are an existing customer you can purchase new ADSL2+ hardware through MyNetspace.

Why do you say "up to 8000kbps" on some of your ADSL1 plans?

Most of our customers on one of these plans will receive 8000kbps broadband speeds. However, due to factors including your hardware, the condition of your phone line and the distance you are from the telephone exchange, exact speeds experienced by individual customers do vary.

Do I need special equipment or hardware to get ADSL2+ speeds?

An ADSL2+ compatible modem or router may be required to access the highest ADSL2+ speed possible on your line. You can purchase ADSL2+ compatible hardware supported by Netspace at any time through MyNetspace. If you require assistance determining whether or not your hardware is compatible, call us on 131 456 or email us at support@netspace.net.au.

Data Packs

What are data packs?

Data Packs are blocks of quota available for purchase for customers who may have hit their limit. Each service has a quota limit (broken into peak and off-peak periods) that will result in shaping if exceeded. By purchasing a Data Pack, the total usage so far for that billing period will be reduced by a set amount. Think of it as shaving off a few gigabytes from the total usage of that billing period..

How are they implemented?

Data Packs can be purchased and monitored in MyNetspace. Upon activating a Data Pack, a shaped service with a limit of 40 gigabytes a month purchasing a 20 gigabyte pack will bring the total used data for the month down rather than increasing the total to 60 gigabytes.

Billing information

Each of the services above are eligible for Data Packs provided they are not on a Granfathered plan.

Notifications sent out to remind customers of high usage or possible shaping will also have Data Pack details for ease of use.

Current Data Pack sizes and prices:

Each Data Pack can be applied to either Peak or Off-Peak periods.

Further information.

  • Customers can not purchase a Data Pack for more data than they have used, or have available.
    E.g. 50GB/50GB customers cannot purchase a 100GB Data Pack.
    Likewise, a customer having only used 48GB cannot purchase a 50GB Data Pack.
  • Purchases are made through Toolbox / MyAccount / MyNetspace
  • The Data Pack can be applied to either Peak OR Off-Peak periods.
  • Data is removed from usage, not added.
    For instance, a shaped service with a peak period of 100GB that has a 20GB Data Pack applied will have the total usage for that billing period reduced.
    100GB to 80GB, leaving 20GB still available for that period.
  • Updated usage notifications will notify customers of Data Pack options if they are on an eligible plan and service.
  • Extra quota does not roll over to the next billing period, the usage will reset to original limits at the end of that period.

 

 

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Broadband FAQs