FAQs

How does the TelstraClear Cable Broadband service work?

Your computer is linked to a broadband cable modem that connects to TelstraClear's cable network and the Internet. There is no need to dial up.

How does TelstraClear Cable Broadband service connect to my computer?

The Internet signal is carried over a cable line that is connected to your home. It links through a cable modem to your computer via an Ethernet connection or USB port.
If your computer does not have an Ethernet port or compatible USB port, you will need to have an Ethernet card installed before you can connect.

What will Cable Broadband mean for me?

It means you get very fast Internet access that is turned on 24 hours a day. You can access content like movies, music, sport and news or down load large files or applications at a high speed.

Will I still need a telephone line?

TelstraClear Cable Broadband service is provided over the TelstraClear cable network. So all you need to do is launch your browser, leaving your phone line free for voice calls. The phone line is not used for Internet access.

What computer equipment will I need?

LightSpeed Plans:
As a general rule, the newer and better specification your computer, the better your Cable Broadband performance. The minimum requirements are:

Windows ME, 2000, XP, Vista or Windows 7, with Pentium 166 MHz Processor OR
Apple Mac OS 9 and above
Internal Memory 64MB RAM
Hard Disk 40MB Available Space
Ethernet card with RJ-45 connector (100 Base T).

NOTE: USB connectivity does not provide optimal performance and is not recommended with these plans.

WarpSpeed Plan:
As a general rule, the newer and better specification your computer, the better your Cable Broadband performance. The minimum requirements are:

Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7, with Pentium 166 MHz Processor OR
Apple Mac OS 10 and above
Internal Memory 64MB RAM
Hard Disk 40MB Available Space
Ethernet card with RJ-45 connector (100 Base T).

NOTE: USB connectivity is not compatible and a wireless connectionmay reduce speed performance with this plan.
If you are using Microsoft Windows XP, a software download is required to achieve maximum speed performance.

How fast is it compared to dial up?

A typical 5MB MP3 track takes approximately 15 minutes to download on a dial up connection, 5 seconds on TelstraClear's LightSpeed plans and 3 seconds on a WarpSpeed plan.

How am I charged for TelstraClear's Cable Broadband service?

TelstraClear Cable Broadband Service is billed as part of a package and is charged on the same phone bill as a TelstraClear Phone Line and Digital TV.

Can I check my Internet usage online?

Yes. Simply go to the usage meter on the TelstraClear website. Log in with your account number and account password and you will be able to check your usage.

Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan?

You may Upgrade or Downgrade your plan at any time however only one change is allowed per complete billing period. An "Upgrade" is a change in your plan for the Services involving:

• an increase in speed, regardless of usage allowance; or
• an increase in usage alowance and no change in speed.

A "Downgrade" is a change in your plan for the Services involving:

• a decrease in speed regardless of usage allowance; or
• a decrease in usage allowance and no change in speed.

The charges payable by you for the Services will be increased or decreased (depending on whether there has been an Upgrade or Downgrade) from the date the Upgrade or Downgrade takes effect.

Can I watch Digital TV at the same time as using the TelstraClear Cable Broadband service?

Absolutely. The TelstraClear Cable Broadband service uses different frequencies on our cable network that don't interfere with the television signals. You can have one TV and one cable modem connection in your home from your single cable however multiple TV and Cable Broadband connections on a single cable are possible but may require further engineering work. Our installation technician will make recommendations in conjunction with our engineering department on each unique case.

What is the difference between TelstraClear Cable Broadband and DSL?

They are both high speed technologies but:

DSL utilises telephone modem technology that runs through the existing old copper phone lines in your house. Verifying the speed and availability of DSL is sometimes complex and is dependant on the telephone exchange and household wiring. (Poor household wiring can result in slow DSL service).
TelstraClear Cable Internet utilises state of the art Cable Modem technology that is available to any household where the TelstraClear fibre-optic/coaxial Cable network passes.

How fast is the TelstraClear Highspeed Internet service?

The speed you receive depends on what plan you choose:

• LightSpeed 2G/10G/20G/40G/60G/90G - Downstream can obtain burstable speeds of up to 15Mbps (15360Kbps) and your Upstream can obtain burstable speeds of up to 2Mbps (2048Kbps)
• WarpSpeed 120G - New Zealands fastest home broadband! Downstream can obtain burstable speeds of up to 25Mbps (25600Kbps) and your Upstream can obtain burstable speeds of up to 2Mbps (2048Kbps)

Other factors that influence speed are:

• Number of users connected to the Internet and the time of day
• How many hits the website you are visiting is getting
• The computer equipment you are using - generally speaking, users meeting the recommended requirements rather than the minimum requirements tend to experience faster speeds.

What does the term "usage" in my plan mean?

Cable Broadband plans are based on "usage allocation" which means the amount of data transferred to and from your computer. This is measured in units called megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB).

What usage is counted toward the usage allocation for my plan?

All usage (both upstream and downstream) is counted towards the monthly usage allowance limit for the plan you choose. This includes all usage sent to and from the TelstraClear servers, including any usage rejected by security software or hardware (such as a firewall) on your own equipment. We do not recommend using peer to peer services (file-sharing programmes) as these services use considerable usage. Any usage exceeding the usage allowance will be charged according to the plan.

Is there any difference between National usage and International usage?

All usage is measured equally and there is no split between national and international usage.

Who is responsible for protecting my computer?

You are responsible for protecting your computer against any spam, virus or malicious software or unauthorised access. We recommend that you install spam/anti-virus and internet security software and use a firewall.