The Great Internet Firewall of Australia

May 17, 2010 by
Filed under: Hubby's Views 

A couple of months ago we decided to buy a NZ Vodafone mobile broadband USB Stick (aka Vodem), so we didn’t spend loads of cash on hotel internet connections. Now I’m contracting, it’s a valuable tool most days of the week, as I can’t always connect my laptop to a clients’ network. It was easy, we went into the shop, paid money, got the stick. Installed it, and it worked. Simple. We were free to roam the internet where ever & when ever we wanted.

So arriving in Australia, we figured the same thing would be a good idea. Rather than pay the hideous data roaming charges from VF-NZ while in Australia, or the hotel internet charges, we decided to buy get an Australian SIM card to use in the Vodem. It should have been simple.

So how hard can it be?

Despite being the same company and exactly the same hardware, an NZ Vodem wont work with an Australian SIM card without the Vodem being ‘unlocked’.

easy-money

So instead you can buy an Aussie Vodem.

easy-money

Only it wont work with the NZ Vodem software either, so you have to uninstall that, and reinstall the (same) software that comes with the (same) make of Vodem only it’s Australian. Annoying, yet workable.

Only when you actually buy a pre-pay Vodem in Australia, you have to provide identification. Drivers license, passport, that sort of thing. All in the name of anti-terrorism.

What the hell?

And you have to sign this form which says that if you fib to the Govt about any of the details you’ve given you will be fined $5,000. Well, I’m sure that the prospect of a $5,000 fine will stop anyone planning a terrorist attack from fibbing about their name, address, email address etc.

Wink

Anyhow.

So the shop takes all these details, and then when you’ve got the Vodem working on your computer, before you can access the internet you have to ‘activate’ your pre-paid Vodem.

What the hell??

Did the free trade agreement with China just make Australia it’s latest colony?

Yep – having provided all the information once to the shop, you have to provide it all again on the Vodafone website to ‘activate’ your Vodem. Of course, none of the information you provide on the website is actually validated against the info you submitted in the store. So you could change it all. The only thing it validates is that your street address is legitimate. Which is easily done, as it wont let you put in an address it doesn’t know about. Which is a little pants really if Vodafone don’t know about your address.

So being an honest sort, I tried putting in my NZ Vodafone mobile number as the ‘contact number’. Since if there’s a problem with any of this info, I figure they will want to get hold of me. So the website accepts this foreign mobile phone number and I’m set to go.

Except I’m not.

After waiting the obligatory 15 minutes, unplugged the Vodem, restarted the computer etc., the Vodem still wont work. And I still can’t get off the ‘activiation’ page.

Can I get to the Vodafone ‘help’ page? – Nope.

Can I get to the Vodafone ‘store finder’ page? – Nope.

Can I get to the Vodafone ‘contact us’ page? – Nope.

I’m buggered.

It doesn’t work, and I can’t get any useful information.

Anti-terrorism is preventing me from getting help from Vodafone to figure out why my new Vodem isn’t working.

What the hell???

So after many hours, some swearing, wine, more swearing, and trying it on another computer I’m still buggered.

So the next day, when I should be sunning myself on the beach, off I trog down to the Vodafone store to get some help. The first problem, my computer is too new (WTH????) So we have to uninstall the ‘old’ software that comes preloaded on the Vodem and install the latest version of the software. Tum de dum de dum.

Then we try getting the Vodem working again. Yep, it still wont get off the ‘activation’ page.

After some head scratching the nice person in the Vodafone store rings her colleague in the mobile broadband team for help. And low, my ‘activation’ is pending, since I’ve put in an invalid phone number. And shock horror, I’ve not put in a valid home phone number either. I committed the sin of using the Vodem number as my mobile, and my NZ mobile as my home number. Both of which seemed sensible at the time. But ho hum, easily identified and fixed. Only that’s not good enough. There’s still a problem.

What else could possibly be wrong you ask?

Well, no one knows. It’s just stuck. The Vodem can’t be activated for some unknown reason. After the best part of an hour and a half in the store, I’m advised to give the mobile broadband team 24 hours to have a look at it. They’ll ring me, so can I stay in the hotel for 24 hours? Since they will only ring the valid Australian phone number (we used the hotel switchboard number) in my customer record, and wont make a call to an NZ Vodafone mobile. (WTH?????!)

You just couldn’t make this up.

To be fair, the lass in the Vodafone store was really good. She identified the problems pretty quickly, and worked patiently with me while we fixed those. Then she worked patiently with her colleague on the phone trying to fix the customer record.

Waiting 24 hours, in the hotel for a call which may or may not come in that time, so Vodafone can get my new Vodem activated didn’t sound like the best use of my time in Surfers Paradise.

So I said, “no thank you”, I’ll just have my money back and I’ll go down to Optus (another telecoms company here in Aus) and get one of their mobile broadband thingy’s.

Again, credit where it’s due, the folks in the store didn’t want to lose a customer. So they gave me a new Vodem SIM for free. Registered it. Got it activated. And we were away with internet access. Inside of 10 minutes, after registering my details against a different mobile phone number.

Wehey!!

If only it could have been that simple in the first place.

If only it could be as simple as it is in NZ.

This is one of those times where I’m grateful for living in NZ. It may have a supposedly lower standard of living compared to Aus, higher unemployment and all that stuff. But at least if I want to access the internet I don’t have to register my details with the Govt.

Just don’t get me started in how pointless the whole ‘activation’ process is. No validation and confirmation that registration details match? I wonder how many $5,000 fines are on their way to Mickey Mouse?

Like what Avalon has to say?

Click Here to buy Avalon's Guide or Click Here to buy the E-Book

Related posts:

  1. Vodafone broadband – carrier pigeon would be quicker!
  2. Crap internet in the city – again.
  3. Everything you need to know about elections in Australia
«
»

Tags:

Comments

7 Comments on The Great Internet Firewall of Australia

  1. Debbie on Mon, 17th May 2010 1:28 pm

    2. Holly Molly! I’d say other words but….!! What a performance. Get down to the beach woman! (with your internet connected laptop!)

  2. Avalon on Mon, 17th May 2010 6:18 pm

    3. Hubby used other words as well – but Mum reads this blog so they got edited ;)

    Beach is clouded over today so sipping coffee on the balcony after a hard morning of shopping. Cos theres – like – shops here :) The novelty is wonderful!

  3. Domestic Executive on Sat, 22nd May 2010 8:26 pm

    4. Gosh, this reminds me of a business trip I made years ago to Oz from the UK when I spent hours getting my laptop reconfigured so I could access the internet. What ever happened to the idea of plug and play?

  4. Andy on Thu, 3rd Jun 2010 4:35 am

    5. BTW – did you know government Internet filtering is already operational in NZ too?
    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1003/S00159.htm
    http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/03/12/0722225/A-Sad-Day-For-the-New-Zealand-Internet

  5. admin on Thu, 3rd Jun 2010 11:39 pm

    6. Hi Andy
    First off thanks for the comment & links.
    Yes I am aware of this – and they are two completely different things.
    Both the technet & scoop articles are (IMHO) inflammatory rubbish – they don’t know what they are talking about.
    I DO know what the new DIA filtering system is about, it doesn’t introduce either single points of failure, or ‘destabilisation’ to the internet. And is acting within the bounds of existing legislation – the complete opposite of the articles erroneous assertion that this is above the law. It is also voluntary.

    It duplicates filtering that US, UK & European Governments already do. Some of which are not voluntary. If anything it’s less secretive since NZ Govt. has announced it’s in place.

    As opposed to Australia – where I have to register my details with the Govt to use mobile broadband. While I understanding the reasoning, it’s an ineffective control. – Actually unlike the NZ Govt. filtering, which is effective as deterrent and detection of illegal activity. Nothing else, just the illegal stuff.

    H

  6. Andy Brandt on Fri, 4th Jun 2010 10:04 am

    7. Well, I don’t believe government should do any filtering of the net at all. When government – any government – starts to decide which sites are “legal” and which are not then we are on a slippery slope towards censorship.

    I think Internet is the first real test of total freedom of speech in humanity’s long history. It looks like the establishment almost everywhere can’s stand it.

  7. Avalon on Fri, 4th Jun 2010 1:07 pm

    8. Andy – you are probably aware of it (if so sorry for teaching you to suck eggs ;) ) but Kiwiblog has some extensive posts on the internet filtering laws. Ive read something about it – but to be honest – as Im censored in this country for talking about immigration – freedom of speech is already out the window in New Zealand.

    David Farar @ Kiwiblog has masses of info (and debate) for anyone wanting to look into this further – more than myself and hubby can ever say on our blog really.

Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!