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Telstra Wireless HotspotsAccess your service when out and about

Access your BigPond® service from designated areas like airports and hotels from as little as $5 per session.

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Why get it?

Telstra Wireless Hotspots are a hassle-free way to stay connected when you're away from home or office - perfect for email, online research or remote access to your office (with appropriate VPN settings. Additional software and/or hardware may be required).

You'll be able to:

  • Achieve speeds of up to 1 Mbps - comparable to broadband access, rather than the 56 kbps of a dial-up connection.1
  • Access your BigPond service when you're away from home or office, and have your usage billed to your BigPond account (excludes pre-paid dial-up accounts).
  • Pay as little as $5 per session, including the first 15 minutes of use.
  • Download a 1MB file in as little as 5 seconds, rather than 2 minutes via a dial-up PoP.

Speeding zones

Telstra Wireless Hotspots feature internet speeds of up to 1 Mbps - and even faster in some locations, such as major airports and selected hotels. However, the actual speed you experience will depend on various factors, including internet congestion and distance from the Hotspot.

  • Current locations
    Telstra Wireless Hotspots are available across the Sydney and Melbourne CBDs*. Hotspots can also be found at selected Hotels and Qantas Club Lounges and Hotels across Australia.

Check exact locations here.

Simply look for this symbol in any of the locations listed

What you need

All you need to access your BigPond via Telstra Wireless Hotspot is your:

  • BigPond Username and Password
  • Wireless adaptor device

If you're a BigPond Broadband Member and have a Home Network Gateway (Wi-Fi modem), you'll be able to use the Netgear Wireless Adaptor included in your kit. Telstra Wireless Hotspots are accessible using any Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b or 802.11g - a wireless transmission standard) enabled laptop, including notebooks with Intel Centrino.

Is it secure?

We treat data security very seriously and take a variety of measures to ensure you can use a public Wi-fi environment safely.

Some of our security features:

  • Our BigPond log-in page is secured by 128-bit SSL, so log-in credentials are encrypted.
  • Local peer-to-peer traffic is blocked, so someone in the same Hotspot can't directly access your device or its contents.
  • We constantly evaluate new enhancements to the 802.11 technology protocol.

You'll be unable to check your POP mail (via Outlook for example) over the Telstra Wireless Hotspot environment. See our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

It's also highly recommended to use a personal firewall to block unwanted traffic on your device. For an easy solution, consider BigPond Personal Firewall.

How to connect

Step 1.Activate your BigPond via Telstra Wireless Hotspot service from your home, using your regular BigPond service to access the appropriate Additional Services pages.

Step 2.

Make sure you're in a Telstra Wireless Hotspot location. (Look for the Telstra Wireless Hotspot logo in any of the listed locations).
Step 3.Launch your web browser and you'll be taken to the BigPond log-in screen. If your browser is configured to open a blank page or company intranet page, you may not be directed to the log-in page until you attempt to browse an internet page.
Step 4. Enter your BigPond email address and password.
Step 5.
Wait a couple of seconds for authentication, then start using the Internet as you normally would.

Remember, to use Telstra Wireless Hotspots, you must first activate the service from home. Also, Prepaid and broadband secondary users are unable to use BigPond via Telstra Wireless Hotspots.

See our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

For help, call Technical Support on 133 933. Choose the BigPond WiFi option regardless of what BigPond service you are subscribed to.

How to disconnect

To log off, use the "logout" button in the pop-up window that appeared when you logged in, and your session will end. If you'd like to view your last session location, fee and duration later, use your primary connection to log in to "My Account", then "Check My Bill".

Dropouts

As you move away from the Telstra Wireless Hotspot coverage area, you'll notice a drop in traffic speeds as the signal strength decreases. If you continue roaming, your Internet connection will finally drop out and the session will end.

To remove or modify existing Telstra Wireless Hotspot access services, go to My Additional Services.

Pricing and Details

Access Telstra Wireless Hotspots for as little as $5 per log-in session. This includes the first 15 minutes of use. After the first 15 minutes, it costs 20 cents per minute (or part minute).

Maximise your Telstra Wireless Hotspot service by combining it with our other products

Global Roaming - Dial-in access to the internet around the world using your laptop.

Domain Names - Buy a BigPond domain name and host it - and maintain the site while you're on the road.

Static IP - Give your online business services extra security.

BigPond Security - Protect your computer from spam, inappropriate content, phishing attacks and viruses.

1 Actual speeds will vary with internet congestion, and a number of other factors.


* There will be areas within the Sydney and Melbourne CBD where Wireless Hotspot coverage may not be available, for a variety of reasons. For example, due to customer equipment, physical structures and signal interference.