hmm I'm pretty sure they run 4th or 5th down under.

...I've got absolutely nothing of value to add to this story other than to say:

Paris, because she likes to be compromised down under.

Nice......

What kind of monopoly do Telstra have, if they actually compete with a reseller of their own services?

Oh, btw iPrimus, wtf do you mean, "Don't use any international bandwidth sites" ??

Is there a list of international sites that don't use any bandwidth?

I don't think so..

Try 14th!

http://bc.whirlpool.net.au/

#1 Internode

#2 iiNet

#3 OptusNet

#4 TPG Internet

#5 Telstra BigPond

#6 Exetel

#7 Westnet

#8 aaNet

#9 Netspace

#10 Adam Internet

#11 AAPT

#12 Amnet

#13 Virgin Broadband

#14 iPrimus

#15 People Telecom

#16 Comcen Internet

#17 3

#18 Blitz Telecom

#19 Dodo

#20 Spin Internet

The beer is still cold!

Life can go on.

Primus 2nd to Tel$ra......bullsh$t

The only thing primus is second to tel$tra in is bullshit and crap service..the pair of them make wonderful bedfellows

Paris ..... cause she fu#ks everything she touches just like Telstra

yeah right - Optus is the second major carrier in Oz not iPrimus. Optus is owned by SingTel.

Kudos to the bloke above for stealing my Aussie chatup line:

Me: Fancy an Aussie Kiss?

Hottie: *thump* *pause* Whats that?

Me: Like a French Kiss but Down Under.

Hottie: *look of disgust and walks away* *comes back later* onyamate

Whirlpool is not really a good representation of Australia's internet-using population, since it consists largely of tech types and net geeks. Using it to represent real-world broadband-user statistics is a bit like using the El Reg readership to represent popular opinion of UK punters.

Internode is at the top of that list not because they're the biggest ISP, they're there because any techie or geek worth his degree knows that they cater to techies' needs better than any other ISP (e.g. free CGI/PHP availability on user webspace, consistently fast speeds and uptime, local call-centre instead of one in Bangalore etc). And Whirlpool is heavily populated by these types. Incidentally, I'm with Internode myself (mainly because it's locally owned and has a local call centre whose operators KNOW what they're talking about and actually speak Australian English!)

I think you'll find that the majority of Australian punters are on Telstra BigPond, OptusNet, Primus and iiNet, most likely in that order. Since all of those "Big 4" have their call centres in India or China there's no way I'd go anywhere near them, for that reason alone. But most average Joes and Janes seem to have accepted this condition as a norm, and since the sheeple follow the advertising it stands to reason that the big advertisers have the most customers. You and I will both have seen the ads for each of the "Big 4" but when was the last time you saw an ad for Internode?

No. ISP? Yes.

Telstra are the only real "carrier" in Australia, probably much like BT in Britain.

Optus are their only real competition (AKA Singtel) in that market.

Everyone basically resells Telstra for adsl, some companies like Optus and iiNet have their own equipment at the exchange for adsl2+ but they still use the Telstra copper network for the last mile.

My first thought on reading the headline was that HMAS Primus, a Royal Australian Navy aircraft carrier, had been blitzed by cyber warriors! Like something from Snow Crash, or something. But no.

All ISPs in Australia offering ADSL2+ have their own DSLAMs installed in Telstra exchanges. Telstra is our ex-government phone system given away to "privatisation". They do still own the poles and wires and they do run a wholesale and a retail division with separation by regulation. Telstra are the biggest phone provider with their Bigpond ISP giving the most expensive broadband with tiny download allowances. Their smallest broadband plans are 256kbps with 200MB allowance. Widely disliked by geeks and techs. Whirlpool is not representative of the entire community :(

I feel the other one being pulled here...

Disclaimer: I'm on TPG ADSL2+, was previously on BigPuddle cable.

So glad I moved. I mean, metering uploads? There go the torrents...

(Linux images, etc - nothing sick bird about it!)

I do know a company which runs its internet on Primus - didn't hear anything about it, though...

Mine's the one with the cr*ppy internet, no matter what your isp...

Maybe your contact wasn't in an area that was affected

I live in Blighty and have a top notch connection from a top notch ISP so I couldn't give a four x if the country that has only given the wiorld naff soaps and popstars gets knocked off the net.

Maybe it was an anti-neighbours/home and away/Kylie Minogue, etc protest.