If I use the Spark Broadband tool, it says that VDSL might be possible for my address. I rang Spark to see if it was possible, but they came back with an email stating: "To receive a reliable VDSL service, line noise is required to be 15 dB or less. Your line noise is at 14.3 - 15.2 dB, unfortunately this means that the VDSL service wouldn't work on your line."If I look at my current modem stats I see:Upstream Downstream Current Rate (Kbps) 1092 10588 Max Rate (Kbps) 1157 10520SNR Margin (dB) 6 11.8 Line Attenuation (dB) 13 27.1 Errors (Pkts) 0 0Shouldn't that suffice? Also my house is about 45 meters from the connection point at the road. The cable running to the house would have been put in the ground in the early 90's. If I replace that cable with CAT6, am I likely to make much improvement? I only have one master connection in the house, coming straight from the road...
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Question on VDSL line noise
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Xtra calendar calDAV
Wanting to set up my calendar on my iPad to sync wit my one on outlook,Can't seem to be able to find settings for calDAv or CarDavAny sugestionsThanks heaps
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Elderly mum requires plan rethink
Good morning,My elderly mum is currently with Spark and i do believe mum needs to change her plan (and/or provider) to save her money.Current monthly charges $120.56Mum's setup currently is broadband/homeline/linked mobile phone(covers texts & calls but no data):Broadband 60gb $84.97 (barely uses 10gb per month but 60gb is the smallest Spark has to offer)Everyday national calling $14.00 (this can go as mum hardly calls outside of her region)Call minder $7.15 (meh can stay or go)Wire maintenance $4.95 (stay)One bill basic $6.99 (i think because of the linked mobile phone?)Paper invoice fee $2.50 (have just signed mum on to mySpark so apparently this goes, bills now via email) There are cheaper broadband plans out there but not with Spark. I think mum could go to maybe a prepay mobile plan of some sort or packaged like above. Also wants to keep the homeline.This has bound to have come up with other elderly in NZ so any thoughts from the wider community as to the best option for my mum?Thank you in advance
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Changing from BigPipe to Spark - can't enter "account number"
When you sign up to Spark online and specify that you are moving from another ISP, you are asked to enter your old ISP account number.The problem is that Bigpipe uses your email address as the account number, but the Spark signup page will only allow letters and numbers to be entered in that field.This results in being unable to enter your BigPipe account details.
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Spark PPPoE MTU these days?
I'm changing back to Spark (fibre connection on Enable fibre).What is the appropriate MTU to use for the PPPoE these days, 1492 or 1500?
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Existing Fibre connection speed upgrade - Easy made hard by Spark!
Almost a week ago I re-signed a 12 month contract with Spark. Got the Netflix deal and a good deal on the Fibre Max plan. Order was put through and the job appeared in my Spark account. I was told that it would take a day or 2 for the changes to go through.After this everything went downhill. 2 days later the job still appeared as Submitted in the Fiber Order Tracker. I contacted Spark and was told that there was an error with the order and that it would have to be submitted again. The order then showed Pending Cancel in the Fiber Order Tracker and apparently the new order cannot be submitted until the Pending Cancel order is removed, which they cannot do as apparently it has "glitched" and cannot be removed and that is where it still sits today. Support has been great but there appears to be a distinct lack of communication between the different departments to rectify this issue.I have been with Spark on and off for over 10 years and this is not the first time Spark has dropped the ball with me (they once lost my landline number for 3 weeks due to a "glitch") and probably won't be the last but they need to definitely up their game in a lot of areas like Support as having queue times of an hour or more is frustrating even with their call back service. They have deteriorated significantly since I first joined them. Mark
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Switching from Bigpipe to Spark, likely to see difference in performance?
I've been with Bigpipe for a couple of years now (ADSL), and never had any issues.Just reviewing plans and it looks like if I switch to Spark I'll get $300 credit + Netflix for 6 months on a 12 month contract, which will save me a reasonable chunk.Is the likes of bandwidth management (any kind of throttling etc.) any different? I'm not sure if they still do that or not, but I've never had any issues getting as good as could be expected from ADSL with Bigpipe.
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Spark Rural wireless Broadband and CGNAT (Yet another thread)
Just trying to get a definitive answer here - Hopefully someone from Spark who actually knows what they are talking about is watching :)I have a client who due to having an office in a near literal black whole is now running Rural broadband to give pretty reasonable speeds. They have an ADSL they use for their VOIP phones and I suggested leaving that dedicated for the VOIP as they were obviously having VOIP call quality issues when the connection was shared (Who would have predicted that? ;) )Then I discovered the issue with CGNAT on these connections.My question is is there really no way for Spark to offer a static IP on this? I actually have a client running a Spark 4G connection where they were specifically told they had a static IP (I didn't request it and they don't actually need it there due to the way they operate everything is cloud based) and I can't see any reason to give a static IP unless you can setup Port Forwarding.I rang customer service and was told outright it can't be done but I suspect the answer was not quite correct - It may be correct for the plan they are on but there must be a service / offering for a 4G Broadband connection without CGNAT??I have spoken to Netspeed and they can do a 3G/4G 200GB plan for $160 per month with static IP and no CGNat but they use Vodafone as their provider and Spark seems to have the better coverage at the site (Although both are very fringe).Can anyone give a definitive answer on whether Spark have a service that is 3G/4G broadband without NAT short of putting a Spark Sim in a 4G router and paying mobile plan prices for Data?Its crazy when Spark are actively calling people (home users) and telling them that Wireless broadband is brilliant and more convenient that getting Fibre installed and selling it to them - I know not many home uses need port forwarding but I can only imagine Console Gaming would be dreadful between the latency and effectively double-nat? I can't comment for sure if its Spark or a 3rd party marketting company but I know of one client and my wifes grandfather both sold 4G wireless broadband even though Fibre had just been installed in their street.
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Online change of SIM card type??
I have an old Telecom SIM that was used in a T-Stick. I want to use it in a phone with a micro SIM as backup SIM. I bought a SIM cutter tool but unfortunately after it cut the SIM the SIM no longer works. I know with 2Degrees and Skinny you can buy a replacement SIM and change the number from an old SIM onine. Can you do this with a Spark SIM?? Yes I would take it to a Spark store to change it but there are non close to where I live.
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Twitch live streams not loading on Spark.
Since Monday night, I have not been able to get any Twitch livestreams to load over our Fiber connection.The usual suspects Ghostery and Ublock Origin weren't the issue (or resetting the modem many times), and I see over on the Twitch subbreddit a number of Spark customers are having similar issues, and also some Bigpipe customers. (Over vodafone and 2degrees mobile its going fine). Vods and all other internet traffic seems fine - just twitch live broadcasts.Anyone else (other providers) having this issue?
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B315 Router Wifi with DHCP on Server
I have a client running a B315 Rural Broadband device, we just requested a Static IP which solved the problem of port forwarding and now that is working well.Speed is a lot better than anything else available to them BUTThe wifi is on but when they connect to it they just get a No Internet Access type message from their devices.I suspect the issue is that DHCP is turned off in the router as they have a local Windows Server doing the DHCP, perhaps the Router isn't forwarding the packets correctly from the Wifi interface back via the LAN ?? Anyone else seen this or better yet solved it - I'd normally just bang in a better A/P anyway but their office is small enough that if it worked the Wifi would be more than enough. Regards,Matt
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Mail being rejected as spam from mx.xtra.co.nz
In the past few days, our domain seems to have been blacklisted by xtra. We are a small business trying to send emails to our customers.Our emails are DKIM signed, and we have SPF records set up.I can send two identical emails from the same server, just with different domains, and only one of our domains is blocked (so... not an RBL problem). I can't see how/who to contact at Xtra to start resolving this issue... does anyone know who to contact? edit: this is the error message:host mx.xtra.co.nz [210.55.143.33]SMTP error from remote mail server after end of data:554 5.7.1 Message rejected due to possible spam content Cheers,Mike.
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123rf on Spark
Could someone on Spark please access https://www.123rf.com/ and let me know if it's loading for you?Someone in my team can't access it from home, everyone else working fine. Restarted PCs and router...Thanks!
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Advice on repairs on faulty phone from Spark and rights under CGA
I've just had possibly the most frustrating experience with Spark imaginable. I bought an iPhone X from them when it was first launched. Ever since it was new, it's had an issue where the upper half of the screen is green when the screen brightness is decreased on dark backgrounds. I've really only noticed it as of late since I've been using it more at night compared to when I got it.So I approached them, who sent it to their repair provider Telegistics, who promptly returned it stating there was no issue (even though an AASP confirmed there was one). I then demanded a replacement phone and was told they couldn't give me one and would have to send it away again "escalated".One employee even put me on the phone with Apple in the store to get them to solve the problem instead!Given the cost of the device and nature of this fault, I think it's reasonable for it to be considered "serious". Apple's warranty page (https://www.apple.com/nz/legal/statutory-warranty/) seems to agree with me, since I wouldn't have bought it if I had known about the green tint issue. Therefore under the CGA I'm entitled to a refund or replacement, and I get to choose what happens right? So I went to a different store and verbally rejected the phone again, demanding a replacement. But they wouldn't budge.So what can I do? I've verbally rejected it twice now at two different stores but they won't accept it. Do I give in and let them send it away again? I believe under the CGA I have the choice as to what happens next as I think this is a serious issue.
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B315 reserved IP - is it possibble
Hi all,Does anyone know of a way to SSH / Telnet into a B315 to create and IP reservation?I have looked but come up blank.TIAJohn
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Spark charged over billing issues and offer to new customers
Just received:The Commission has laid 11 charges against Spark New Zealand Trading Limited (Spark) alleging it made false or misleading representations relating to its billing and a $100 offer for new customers.The charges were filed in Auckland District Court under the Fair Trading Act and cover the period 2 June 2014 to 7 December 2017.The Commission says the charges arose from three separate alleged failings:Spark overcharged customers for broadband data when a fault in Spark's broadband network misrecorded customer data usage. Spark sent letters offering new customers a $100 account credit for subscribing to a particular broadband plan but failed to mention the offer could only be redeemed by phoning Spark. The offers allegedly created the impression that customers signing up online would receive the credit, when they would not. From 2 June 2014, Spark's terms and conditions said charges would stop 30 days after the customer gave notice to terminate their contract. However, the Commission alleges that the customer's final bill included charges for the entire next monthly billing period regardless of when the Spark service stopped. As this case is before the Court, the Commission cannot comment further at this time.
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How many Static IPs can you get on a residential connection?
I'm currently with 2degrees but looking at Spark as they have the cheap sky sports deal plus lightbox. My 2degrees connection has a static IPv4 and IPv6 (/56). I currently host a few things on my homelab that require external access and I utilise both my IPv4 and IPv6 static address to achieve this, I'm aware that Spark has not yet got IPv6 running for residential users, so I'd need more than 1 static IPv4... Question is, how many IPv4 addresses can a residential customer have? I'd ideally need 3 until IPv6 comes online for example.Thanks,Chris
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Spark completes first milestone in voice platform upgrade
Just received:Spark announced today that it has completed the first major milestone in its transition from the ageing Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to a future-ready IP-based voice network dubbed the "Converged Communications Network" (CCN).As part of this first phase, Spark has switched on a new IP Multimedia Subsystem provided by Ericsson which will deliver a better-quality calling experience. While the old PSTN manages landline calls only, the new CCN has the ability to process calls simultaneously from wireless and fibre technologies as well as the full range of devices like smartphones, tablets and laptops, all from one central network.The IMS. Ericsson IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is a key piece of technology which Spark has implemented as part of the first phase of this project. The IMS will ensure a richer, faster communication experience for people making calls over the CCN. It is a key piece that enables the CCN to centrally switch voice calls regardless of the calls origin, whether the calls come from a landline, mobile or data based call. This launch of the new equipment coincides with Spark reaching another milestone: the decommissioning of 10 percent of the old PSTN. To achieve this a dedicated team has been progressively removing 72 automated telephone switches from exchanges around the country, since the project commenced in June 2016. In August 2017, Spark announced in its FY17 financial results that its target was to remove 62 automated telephone switches by the end of June 2018, which the company has now surpassed as of last month. The company has also successfully recycled a total of 33.2 tons of network equipment. Work is now set to ramp up over the next 12 months with the removal of two PSTN automated switches each week.With the first phase of this transition away from the ageing PSTN now complete, all new Fibre and Wireless Broadband customers who sign up for a landline will have their calls processed over the new CCN.Spark's Technology Director Mark Beder said: 'This is a significant step for Spark, and for our telecommunications history as we move away from the legacy telephone networks, to the new more sustainable CCN. It marks the biggest improvement to our voice communications platform that Spark has undertaken since we upgraded to digital switching 30 years ago.'Last month, Spark announced over half of its broadband base had moved off copper onto new broadband technologies, with around 34 % on fibre and 16 % on wireless broadband delivered over Spark's 4G and 4.5G mobile networks.'More of our customers are choosing to upgrade to Fibre or Wireless connections and we see the demand for popular streaming services like Lightbox and Netflix as great reasons to move to faster broadband services with Spark.'Spark's Network Evolution Lead Colin Brown said: 'The CCN will bring all voice communications (landline, mobile, video or data-based) together in one platform, which will provide New Zealanders with a new, stable and robust voice platform that sets us up for the future. It'll also means we're able to deploy future voice services faster, such as Voice over 4G (LTE). Spark will continue to invest in the CCN and the mobile network to support the future of these voice and data services.' When Spark first announced that it was transitioning its voice service onto the CCN in April 2017, many mistakenly thought it meant the end of the landline.'We often get asked if this means that we're getting rid of the landline and the simple answer is no,' said Brown. 'However, the way we use landlines is changing. Less than half the calls our customers make go over the PSTN and it's decreasing daily,' Brown added.
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Fibre connection down 1.15am
Have no internet.Nothing showing on Spark's maintenance page for Christchurch.On ONT power green, pon green, lan1 green, and TEL1 flashing, so have no landline either.Spark applic also confirms no connection to modem, and offered to give 20 GB to a Spark mobile.I don't have Spark mobile :(, I work nights and just got home, no TV before sleep tonight. :(
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Unblocking Port 53
Hi thereI'm attempting to run BIND at home for a domain name I have established and wanting to run a DNS for.I'm on a Fibre Gigatown Broadband & Landline plan and have a static IPJust wanting to know/confirm1) is port 53 blocked by Spark2) how to get this block removed so I can run the service I want toThanks guysBest, Paul
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