Compare Australia's Best Broadband Plans

Compare the Best ADSL2+ Broadband Plans

For those of you looking for superfast broadband through a conventional phone line, ADSL2 could be just what you need.

The table below has been compiled by our team of broadband experts to feature Australia's best 20 ADSL2 broadband plans, all with speeds af upto 20Mbps.

ADSL2 Broadband

ADSL2 broadband is an updated version of ADSL, which provides much faster download speeds. It is fast becoming the minimum standard acceptable to most users today, as everyone searches for superfast Internet speeds.

What do I need?

You’re going to need three things to set up your fast broadband.

1. A phone line.
2. A Router.
3. A central filter.

It pays to check with your chosen provider to see whether they include the router and filter as part of their package, free of charge to you.

You will need a phone line because ADSL transmits data down the same line. Some companies will reward you if you sign up to their phone service. You may get extra data allowances, so make sure you ask about this in your investigation stage.

The central filter is needed to eliminate the “white noise” that may result from the dual usage of your phone line. These are very inexpensive pieces of equipment which are usually provided free of charge by your service provider. Don’t worry, they will come with full instructions and are easy to install.

A router is needed to direct the Internet signal into your computer. In other words this is the equipment that actually connects you to the Internet. Some ADSL2 plans will include a free router, but you may find yourself having to pay for this vital piece of equipment. It will also need to be installed properly, but they always come with their own installation CD. Even the most non-technical person will find it easy to install as the software does all the work for you.

How do the plans work?

Most ADSL2 plans will allow you to bundle your services so that you can save money. So, what does bundling mean?

Service providers are able to offer you a home phone, mobile phones, Internet connections, VoIP and special deals with phone calls to other customers using the same network. It makes sense to use the one service provider for all of these needs if you can get a better overall package. That’s what bundling is all about.

What you should do before deciding on a bundled plan is look at your exact usage requirements. Most providers will allow you to provide them with an estimate of how much you will be using each of their services and then they will automatically suggest the appropriate plan for you.

Given that not all service providers provide the same range, it may be difficult to obtain an accurate comparison between them. The important thing to do is to examine exactly how you use each of the services. For starters you should try to provide an estimate of the following:

• How many hours you spend surfing the Internet each day.
• How many e-mails you send and receive.
• How many local calls you make
• How many international calls you make and which countries you call.
• How many movies do you download.
• How many songs to you download.
• Do you play many games online.

This will give you a fairly good gauge of your usage, and each service provider will estimate the best plan for you in response to your answers to these questions.