Singapore Expats

Advice on broadband, cable and mobile subscriptions request

Moving to Singapore? Ask our regular expats in Singapore questions on relocation and their experience here. Ask about banking, employment pass, insurance, visa, work permit, citizenship or immigration issues.
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JR8
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Post by JR8 » Tue, 17 Jul 2012 3:40 pm

zzm9980 wrote:The only ISP I've consistently heard good things about is a company called "Super Internet". You'll probably still be on a Singtel backbone, but it seems like anything in their control to make nice they do. I don't have them personally as they're not available in my flat, but I have a few highly technical friends with opinions I trust that do.
I looked into this. They charge you $200 for the router, then tie you into a 24 month contract at $50pm.

I wonder how they justify the contract term, or are they a monopoly provider?

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zzm9980
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Post by zzm9980 » Tue, 17 Jul 2012 8:19 pm

JR8 wrote:
zzm9980 wrote:The only ISP I've consistently heard good things about is a company called "Super Internet". You'll probably still be on a Singtel backbone, but it seems like anything in their control to make nice they do. I don't have them personally as they're not available in my flat, but I have a few highly technical friends with opinions I trust that do.
I looked into this. They charge you $200 for the router, then tie you into a 24 month contract at $50pm.

I wonder how they justify the contract term, or are they a monopoly provider?
I'm pretty sure all of the providers tie you into a contract. I have a pretty hefty penalty if I cancel or even downgrade a tier on my Singtel MIO. And the prices are significantly higher than 50pm.

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Post by JR8 » Tue, 17 Jul 2012 8:35 pm

zzm9980 wrote: I'm pretty sure all of the providers tie you into a contract. I have a pretty hefty penalty if I cancel or even downgrade a tier on my Singtel MIO. And the prices are significantly higher than 50pm.
Hmmm... strange. I'm used to it when the provider is subsidising something else (ex: a mobile handset), but not simply a connection, especially when you're paying for the extras like the router.

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Post by Global Player » Sat, 18 Aug 2012 2:21 pm

zzm9980 wrote:For home internet, if you're a 'power user', you'll find yourself frustrated. Every outgoing HTTP/HTTPS request goes through a bank of caching web proxies. You can't stop this. So while you'll have one IP for all of your web traffic, everything else you will do will have another IP. This will cause massive headaches with certain non-browser Internet applications that check you by IP address. If you only ever use a web browser for your internet traffic, you'll probably be OK unless you try to visit web sites that have banned Singtel IPs for bad behavior. Since all hundred thousand+ of the Singtel subscribers will appear to come from 1 of ~500 IPs, a lot of forums have banned this block. Wikipedia has banned editing from Singtel IPs as an example.
Same thing with Starhub. As zzm9980 said, if you are a power user it gives you a lot of headache... most of the sharehosters have your IP banned. Nor Singtel or Starhub offer static IP. An option might be http://www.myrepublic.com.sg. They offer static IP and no contract plans but you need to be on OpenNet. I've no experience with them but might try it once my Starhub contract expires. Hope I get OpenNet until then.

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Post by dpot » Sun, 26 Aug 2012 11:30 pm

The starhub broadband is fine...the service leaves something to be desired at times...we got the 30mbps package, and one week later our condo got fibre...we called because I wanted the 50mbps fibre package and they told me that I'd have to pay a penalty first for canceling the 30mbps package. it was hundreds of dollars. :shock: they couldn't seem to understand that I represented a larger income stream by upgrading...i didn't upgrade,natch, so the get less money and i don't get the service i desire...really daft. I'm afraid this is an example of irrational behavior that you'll discover firsthand once you get settled in. Nonetheless, the bb is fine.

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Post by nakatago » Mon, 27 Aug 2012 9:05 am

dpot wrote:The starhub broadband is fine...the service leaves something to be desired at times...we got the 30mbps package, and one week later our condo got fibre...we called because I wanted the 50mbps fibre package and they told me that I'd have to pay a penalty first for canceling the 30mbps package. it was hundreds of dollars. :shock: they couldn't seem to understand that I represented a larger income stream by upgrading...i didn't upgrade,natch, so the get less money and i don't get the service i desire...really daft. I'm afraid this is an example of irrational behavior that you'll discover firsthand once you get settled in. Nonetheless, the bb is fine.
Wait till it's the school holidays and you'll be cursing Starhub.
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