iiNet announces bonded DSL for business

iiNet, Australia’s third largest ISP has announced support for bonded DSL, which can double broadband speeds compared to a standard ADSL2+ connection.
iiNet’s business GM Steve Harley told CommsDay that the technology would be of benefit to the almost 42,000 businesses already using iiNet ADSL broadband connected through iiNet’s own DSLAMs.
Business users signing up for iiNet’s bonded DSL service can expect to pay from $99 per month for the service, plus a one off setup charge (if you are an existing iiNet customer) of $150 if currently using Naked ADSL or $79.95 for Broadband 2+ customers. iiNet’s bonded DSL modem costs an additional $419 on top of the setup costs.
Bonded DSL differs from other approaches that look to load balance two separate ADSL connections, in that it combines to twisted pair connections at the exchange end, creating what is described as “one big pipe” by iiNet’s Steve Harley, rather than two separate pipes pushing information to your business. This eases administrative problems at the business end, by simply having one modem connect to your network in the same way as your current ADSL connection.
iiNet currently offers a range of fibre optic connections to businesses, but many see the step up to a fibre connection cost prohibitive, with monthly costs in the range of $1,000 or more, in addition to set up costs in the range of $20,000-30,000. iiNet’s bonded DSL solution brings this prohibitive price point down for small to medium businesses that need more bandwidth than ADSL2 offers, but at a significantly more attractive price point. Bonded DSL is also more likely to be available to businesses, with 85 percent of iiNet’s current customers in areas capable of supporting the technology.

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iiNet’s BoB Modem/Router Is The Best Named Gadget Ever

It looks like iiNet has actually put a little bit of effort into their latest modem/router offering, and we don’t just mean the awesome name ‘BoB’.

The device, manufactured by Belkin, features your regular modem/router bits, including support for 802.11n, 4 ethernet ports on the back and a couple of USB charging ports. It’s a pretty stylish piece of kit, with lots of fingerprint friendly black glass. But the big selling point is the inclusion of a phone handset for VoIP calls.

You can get up to five additional DECT handsets, and BoB can support up to three separate phone lines as well, making it a great option for small businesses.

The base unit will set you back $369 outright including a single handset, or you can get it for 269 if you sign up for one of iiNet’s 24-month BoB contracts. Additional handsets cost $69 each, although if you happen to have a compatible DECT phone already, you should be able to pair it with BoB.

BoB (which apparently stands for “Broadband in a Box”, although it’s one of the weakest acronyms I’ve ever seen), is also OS agnostic, working with Mac, Linux and Windows flavours of software. It sounds like a pretty complete solution, so long as you’re with iiNet, that is.

[iiNet via Lifehacker]

iiNet BoB wireless modem

Upside

In an attempt to simplify home networking and internet telephony, ISP iiNet has partnered with Belkin to launch an Australian developed modem/router/VoIP phone device to be marketed under the name of BoB. (The name is apparently a play on "Broadband in a Box"; but why, given its Aussie genetics, could they not think of an appropriate acronym for BRuCE we ask?)

BoB's got four Ethernet ports and wireless b/g/n capabilities to connect up to 16 wireless devices, so networking whatever you want to in your household should be no problem. It also serves as a base station for standard phone or VoIP calls when teamed-up with either a BoB handset or your existing DECT-compatible handset. It can support up to three separate phone lines and five telephone handsets at once.

If you have an ADSL connection and a normal PSTN phone line, BoB works as a normal phone. If you have a VoIP service, BoB will by default use VoIP to make and receive calls when your broadband connection is active with failover to PSTN if the connection drops out for any reason. And if you're on iiNet's Naked DSL, all local and national calls will route through your internet connection.

iiNet claims that BoB's very easy to set up. Once the power and phone cables are connected, the rest of the set up can be managed remotely by iiNet using your specific broadband account and settings.

It also has two USB ports on-board. One "charge" USB port can charge mobile phones, iPods or any other USB-charge device. The other USB port is designated as "storage/3g" for network sharing of files stored USB hard drives and flash drives. It is planned that this same port will also be able to support 3G (mobile broadband) dongles; however, its 3G functionality is not currently available and will have to be enabled via a future firmware upgrade.

Downside

If you're using another internet service provider, you'll have to switch, as BoB is exclusive to iiNet.

And sorry, a router with the same name as my father is just weird.

Outlook

The pricing structure allows you to buy the unit for AU$369 outright (including a handset) or AU$269 if you sign up for a 24-month contract. You can connect up to five additional BoB phone handsets at AU$69 each.

Depending on how much you're spending on broadband and telephone charges, BoB might be a simple way to get your home network up and running as well as cut the cost of your landline telephone, providing you're willing to sign up with iiNet.

http://www.cnet.com.au/iinet-bob-wireless-modem-339297865.htm