When trying to compare broadband plans, most people start at the wrong place – they start with price. Although price is undoubtedly an important factor in the comparison – and may be a deal breaker or clincher – you’ll be far better served by leaving price to the end and first looking at the features that you need and want.
Once you have found plans and providers that have the features you are looking for, if the price is right, then you’ll be ready to connect. If you focus on looking at price first, you can go through an exhaustive process of comparing providers and plans only to find out that the options you are considering are not available in your area or don’t have an essential feature that you need!
The Essential 5 Step Guide to Comparing Naked DSL Plans
1. Availability
You need to know what Naked DSL or broadband services are available in your area. The best place to start is by entering your phone number into the Naked DSL Number Checker. If you don’t have a phone number or your number is not returning any results, then drop us a line with your address and we’ll do a manual check for you.
Sometimes an ISP does have Naked DSL at your phone exchange but all the ports are full or there is limited capacity. We’ll try and let you know as much information as we can when you are checking for availability.
2. Phone Features
Firstly you need to decide if you want a VoIP account to make phone calls. If you have been using the landline a lot or already are a VoIP user, then this will be important for you. If you plan on using your mobile for all calls, it will be less important – you might just be interested in seeing which ISPs can also offer a bundle deal with your mobile phone.
Secondly, if you want a VoIP service it will help you to know what type of calls you will be mainly making. The best VoIP plan for you will vary depending on if your calls are going to mobile phones or mainly to landlines.
Thirdly, do you have an existing phone number you want to keep? There are providers who can port your number to VoIP if you want to keep your number.
3. Connection Features
Naked DSL providers like TPG and Exetel will not connect a service if you don’t have an active phone line. For me the option of connecting a landline to be able to get a Naked DSL connection was out of the question. We hadn’t had a landline connected at our house for years and it was going to cost $299 to be hooked up. This wasn’t worth it and so I had to choose from ISPs that could connect internet without a phone line. In many houses it will only be $59 to connect the landline, so you may be happy to connect it if it means going with a provider line TPG or Exetel.
Also consider how quickly you need the service up and running – some providers can get your service done quicker than others. Here are some extra tips on getting it connected quickly if that is important to you. Some transfers will require downtime, so look for a provider that suits you in this regard.
4. Price and Data Allowance
There may seem like a lot of information in the above steps, but it can be done within a few minutes. Because you have thought about these issues of Availability, Phone Features and Connection Features, you’ll be far better equipped to see the best plans for you when comparing price.
When looking at price, set a realistic budget range. Then start looking at and comparing Naked DSL plans and you’ll get a good idea of what data allowance is being offered in your budget.
If you are unsure of exactly how much data you are going to need, I suggest usually starting with a lower amount. If that amount of data works out well, then you are saving money by being on the cheaper plan. If it turns out that you do need more data, then most ISPs are more than happy for you to move up to the next plan to get more data.
5. Plan Features
Looking at the plan features (or ‘fine print’) is something that needs to be done once you have started looking at pricing and narrowing down your options. Some of the key plan features to look out for are:
- whether uploads are counted in the data allowance. This won’t matter for most people, but if you are a bit torrent user then you’ll want a plan where only downloads are counted.
- whether there are peak and off peak periods. What times will you be using the internet and will you have enough data allowance at the times when you need it?
- contract lengths. Every Naked DSL ISP has different options for contract length, usually with some financial benefit for committing for a longer period. The most common benefit of the longer contract is a reduced set up fee.
You don’t have to consider all of these points, it is intending as a guide only. But following these steps will allow you to take a well-considered approach to your new Naked DSL connection. You’ll be able to narrow down suitable options quicker and more easily find the best Naked DSL plan for you!
Get Started With A Phone Number Check!
