VostroNet has expanded its lightning fast network recently by installing a new Juniper MX480 router in the Hurricane Electric Data Centre in San Francisco. The team’s visit to the United States was focused on implementing the infrastructure required to support our growing service internationally.

The expansion saw VostroNet purchase capacity on the Southern Cross Cable (a network cable spanning almost 35,500 km in length); expanding its international network to the United States. Once connected, there was an observable decline in international transit using local providers, as traffic favoured the pathway efficiency of the new connection.

The expansion of the VostroNet network to the United States has also been accompanied by an upgrade to our high-speed network by replacing our core router in Sydney recently; catering for the rapid growth of the VostroNet Network.

Aruba

Taking time out from the installation, the VostroNet team visited the Aruba head office to meet with the head of design for internal/external access points; discussing the next generation of wi-fi access points (WAPS) including the Aruba 802.11ac ‘Wave 2’ range.

VostroNet was briefed on upcoming improvements for current and new generation Aruba wall mounted access points, the new WAPS designed to dramatically increase the quality of connections and are able to transmit big packet rates. A two year road map of Aruba’s projects and feature sets was also discussed.

The team spoke with the Aruba designer regarding the potential new features in WAPs to test and notify if cabling pairs are incorrect or damaged, therefore saving hours of time on deployment.

CES 2018

The VostroNet team had the pleasure of attending the Consumer Technology Association’s showpiece consumer technology event, held between the 8th and 11th of January this year in Las Vegas, NV; identified as the biggest consumer tech show on earth.

CES 2018 was an opportunity for the VostroNet team to explore the latest consumer technology on the market, and discover which products will shape the future of household technology.

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VostroNet expands lightning fast network to the United States was originally published in VostroNet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By VostroNet

VostroNet is excited to introduce our new easy-to-use user portal! Found via the log-in prompts on the VostroNet website, the new layout ensures all your account information is stored in one space, including:

• Your current data plan
• Payment plan
• Renewal date
• The number of devices connected to your plan
• Your personal details

The upgrade to the portal provides VostroNet users access to their information quickly, allowing the account holder to have a mental model of their information; personalising the interaction between the user and the VostroNet services.

The Dashboard

The dashboard is home to all of your account information and is provided to you in an easy-to-read layout:

From here you can navigate to your plan information, add or remove connected devices and keep your details up-to-date.

Plan Information and Billing

At the top of the dashboard you will find ‘your plan information’, providing the details of your selected plan, data usage in real-time and payment options.

You can change your VostroNet plan by simply clicking the ‘change plan’ tab to the right of the screen and follow the prompts:

VostroNet offers monthly no lock-in contracts, with unlimited data for $59 a month.

Devices

Curious about how many devices you have can have connected to your account? The VostroNet portal displays how many you can have connected to your plan as well as the number of devices that are currently connected.

If you want to see when you consumed some data for an individual device, click the file icon next to the device to download a usage report. We have also made the portal background a little fun with it being a live graph of your usage over the last 4 hours.

This can be found at the bottom-right hand corner of the dashboard.

Support

Do you have a question about our new portal layout, or about the services we provide? VostroNet has embedded our 24/7/365 customer support within the portal, answering any questions you have without delay.

Head to https://www.vostronet.com/login/ to meet your new VostroNet user portal.

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For more information about our services contact VostroNet

Meet your new VostroNet user portal was originally published in VostroNet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By VostroNet

Whether you are a new student, or looking at entering the student accommodation market, choosing where you are going to live is a very big decision. There are a lot of different options available, such as living at home, renting a house a with friends, or going solo in an apartment or purpose-built student accommodation. The growing number of domestic and international students in Australia has meant developers are undertaking new projects to cater for this demand, giving more choice to students.

But with so many living options available, how do you know you are making the right decision? VostroNet has composed a list of five criterion to assist you with your choice.

Location, Location, Location

An important factor when choosing student accommodation is location. Whilst living further away from the university can reduce rental costs, it can be time consuming to travel; not to mention tolling on the bank account with high transport costs.

Fortunately, most purpose-built student accommodation is located close to universities. But what about location with respect to other important services? Are you able to walk to the shops, the doctor, to the movies, or the nightlife? We suggest that before you make a decision, spend some time around the local area to see how close the accommodation is to important services.

Bills

Cost of rent is a significant influence to your decision to choose student accomodation. As stated, by living closer to the university, rental costs may be higher. Depending on your budget, it may be worth paying a little bit extra to avoid a longer commuting time to your studies every week.

It is also important when choosing accommodation that you look at the different services that may be included in the rental cost by the building; that is, essential services such as utilities. Usually, student accommodation buildings will offer the package of utilities such as water, electricity and gas. This is contrasted against private renting where you will have to manage these utilities yourself.

We suggest enquiring whether the bills are all included in a single invoice, which will ease the burden on your busy study life.

Maintenance

If the thought of cleaning the pool or mowing the lawns doesn’t appeal to you, then purpose-built accommodation may be the way to go. Student accommodation buildings usually offer maintenance and repair services for the building.

In the event of a fault with the room, the resident is able to contact the building manager to organise repair. This tends to be quicker than requesting maintenance for private accommodation as tenants must go through their landlord.

Internet

Another important criterion for choosing student accommodation is the ability to stay connected. Reliable, fast internet can make the difference as to whether you can study at your residence, meaning you can finish that pending assignment without worry of an internet outage.

Likewise, trustworthy internet with 24/7 support services can ensure you aren’t without Netflix or YouTube for that necessary procrastination.

VostroNet is an internet service provider that provides unlimited lightning fast internet to student accommodation for $59 a month and with many locations our internet package is included in the room cost. Our 24/7/365 customer service ensures you remain connected.

Security

Understanding the security systems in place at the building is a big influence in the decision-making process for student accommodation. We all want our belongings to be safe, that is why security features such as CCTV, FOB keys, intercoms and manned receptions are appealing.

So what is the conclusion?

There are many options available when choosing student accommodation. It is important to note that everyone is different and the option for your friends may not necessarily the option for you. Conducting comprehensive research into the different options available will ensure you are making the right decision.

Contact

For more information about our services contact VostroNet

Five Criteria for Selecting Student Accommodation was originally published in VostroNet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By VostroNet

VostroNet has upgraded our high-speed network by replacing our Core Router in Sydney to a Juniper MX480 recently. The upgrade has enabled high performance, reliability and scalability for demanding carrier and enterprise applications.

The MX480 sits at eight rack units (8U) and contains an impressive capacity of 5.76Tbps. This is in support of high-density 10GbE, 40GbE, and 100GbE interfaces for connectivity to buildings and service providers. The newly installed router contains highly scalable routing, switching, security, and service features that enable revenue-generated applications.

The upgrade comes as VostroNet seeks to meet future client demand, catering for expansion of their lightning fast internet service. Due to the large number of new buildings signing up to the high-speed network, the internet provider has ensured that it able to accommodate for predicted growth, by implementing the required hardware to connect future users.

The Network currently sits at over 20 campuses and buildings with 20,000+ connections, reaching to both Australia and New Zealand. Well on track to reach the goal of 200 buildings by 2020.

The upgrade will allow the company to continue to expand to both residential precincts and student accommodation both in ANZ and internationally.

Prior to this upgrade, VostroNet had been utilising the Juniper MX80, a software scalable and flexible router with a capacity of 160Gbps. The MX80 had met the needs of the network, providing a “pay as you grow” structure. Whilst effective, the capacity was simply not large enough, especially compared to the MX480’s 5.76Tbps and ability to hold multiple full routing tables without concern.

VostroNet’s upgrade to the larger capacity MX480 router ensures that the network is able to accommodate for future demand and growth. VostroNet is excited for the year ahead and can’t wait to see how their network expands to new sites in both Australia and overseas (watch this space for early January).

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For more information about our services contact VostroNet

VostroNet meets future demand with Core Network Upgrade was originally published in VostroNet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By VostroNet

With the rise of the Internet of Things controlling everything from home lights, televisions, watches, or even your latest toaster purchase, a strong network is crucial for everyday life. What users look for in their internet provider is constantly changing, subject to the growing presence of internet in day-to-day tasks.

From video streaming services, the way we purchase goods and services, socialise with friends and family, and conduct work, the internet has defined the very fabric of our lives. It’s the first thing that many of us engage with when we wake up, and the last thing we see before we go to bed.

The importance of a strong internet connection is undoubtable. When choosing a network provider for your tenants, it is therefore important to know the key criterion that meets the needs of your tenants and building managers.

#1 — Unlimited Internet

With the growth of streaming services such as Netflix and Stan, video-sharing sites such as YouTube and a plethora of social media, the need for unlimited internet has never been higher.

Users now look for unlimited data plans to meet high internet downloads, as customers don’t want to be bound by a data limit. The number of devices that rely on data has increased rapidly, with a study from Telsyte last year found that Australian residences have an average of 11 internet-connect devices, predicted to grow in coming years to 29. Just to re-state, that’s 29 devices that are connected to the internet!

The future is ensuring that all devices are connected to unlimited internet. For a project developer, having a network provider that offers an unlimited data plan for tenants will bring value to their brand.

#2 — High-speed Connection

It goes without saying, the number one complaint users have about their provider is connection speed. How many times have you found yourself saying how “slow” your internet is? Fast internet is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity and it’s sought by the whole of Australia.

With a reliance on devices and services that require high-connection speeds, tenants look for a fast, uninterrupted network. But according to Akamai’s annual internet report, high-speed connectivity is not something that every building can enjoy. According to the report, Australia placed far below the usual standard of a developed country: currently residing behind Kenya, a country with GDP per capita roughly 3% of Australia’s.

To accompany this, the annual global advisor survey run by Ipsos, found that Australians are more unsatisfied with their broadband than any of the 27 other countries that participated in the survey. High-speed internet is therefore crucial for your tenants and is a great feature when increasing the value of your brand.

#3 — Month-to-month Contracts

An important feature that consumers look for in an internet provider is that of month-to-month contracts. The most obvious benefit of these contracts is that consumers are not locked-in with any provider, enabling them to leave at anytime. This gives the tenant freedom of choice and ensures they don’t feel locked in into an agreement.

Alternatively, a user may wish to sign a fixed contract of say 12 or 24 months. The benefit to this contract is that the chosen provider may offer broadband bundles and other deals such as access to video streaming such as Netflix and Stan. Likewise, the provider may also waive the setup fees.

VostroNet

The network provider VostroNet offers unlimited high-speed internet to your tenants by offering a 10,000 Mbps pipe to your building. Their 24/7/365 monitored support network will ensure users, and your building, remain connected to the lightning fast network. VostroNet offers month-to-month plans with no lock-in contract or hidden costs, as they believe the high-quality and fast internet service they provide will retain users.

Conclusion

As an important auxiliary service to your building, it is crucial that you choose the right internet provider. Users now look for unlimited data plans, high-speed internet and month-to-month contracts as key features of their connection. VostroNet makes the choice for a provider easy by offering a high-speed service with unlimited $59 month-to-month plans for your tenants.

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For more information about our services contact VostroNet

3 Criteria That Your Tenants Look for in a Internet Provider was originally published in VostroNet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By VostroNet

VostroNet has re-designed the network for River City Labs at Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, to provide a world class internet solution for its users.

River City Labs, a not-for-profit incubator, is a focal point for Australia’s up and coming tech entrepreneurs and had requested VostroNet’s assistance to improve the internet experience at the location.

VostroNet has installed its own fibre and copper cable on-site, accompanied by 14 Aruba Wi-Fi access points to ensure high-speed internet is provided to the many start-up technology companies who use the modern facilities.

The Problem: Connectivity Issues for River City Labs

Having grown rapidly (250+ users during peak times), the previous network infrastructure for River City Labs was unable to support the high demand. There was constant feedback regarding frequent drop-outs, speed issues, interference with other wi-fi in the precinct and others leaching access due to wi-fi password complexity.

As the Labs are an important entity for fostering the growth of entrepreneurs and their companies’, providing superior internet speeds and performance to these spaces is crucial for the facilitation of leading edge ideas.River City Labs CEO, Peta Ellis recognises the need for high-speed internet, and its role in providing ‘state of the art facilities’ for the start-up technology companies who are a part of the ecosystem.

“At River City Labs we are home to over 100 tech entrepreneurs who require superior quality connectivity to operate their businesses on a daily basis,” she said.

With the previous Network layout unable to meet the requirements of the River City Labs, VostroNet was asked to conduct a network and Wi-Fi analysis to provide a solution for the site.

The Solution: VostroNet’s Network

An on-site survey and assessment conducted by the VostroNet confirmed the four access points that were present were inadequate to provide the service that is required.

The assessment identified that 4 access points was simply not sufficient for the density with an actual requirement of 14 Wi-Fi access points needed. New Aruba IAP 215 access points with 802.11ac were installed and clustered together to provide seamless handoff.

New wired infrastructure (Aruba 2930F Switches) has replaced the basic switching to provide Layer 2 separation between each device with Private vLans. This protects individuals from potential broadcast storms, open port scanning and data comm zero day venerabilities.

Lastly, VostroNet then introduced a network appliance for user management, QoS and device management queuing to provide stable sustainable internet to each user, ensuring that there was fair distribution of available bandwidth.

All together they provided significant improvements in the network performance and dramatically increase security.

The solution will ensure River City Labs would be able to experience the required high internet speeds and performance, as well as catering for future client growth.

The change has been evidenced across the site, as evidenced through a twitter post by River City Labs’ chair Steve Baxter, displaying fast connection speeds (pictured below).

The Future: River City Labs’ Network

River City Labs is the latest building to adopt VostroNet’s network services, with Members now experiencing uninterrupted, fast connectivity throughout the facility. This will ensure the Labs will be able to cater for future growth in users, as well as increased events capacity.

“We are looking forward to working with VostroNet as their track record of delivering consistent quality internet and supporting infrastructure is very high,” Ms Ellis stated.

The VostroNet team recognises the importance of ensuring fast internet is provided to the River City Labs, and are excited to meet their future network requirements.

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Cutting edge internet delivered to start-up incubator was originally published in VostroNet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

It’s a lightning fast start for VostroNet, with the 2017 Australian Financial Review Fast Starters List ranking the internet provider #64 in the top 100 fastest start-ups in Australia.

VostroNet’s ranking was attained after experiencing an impressive growth increase of 309% in the 2016–17 financial year, accumulating $2.11 million in revenue coming on the back of successfully expanding the network throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Founded by Jonathon Runge in 2015, VostroNet delivers high-speed optic fibre and in-building wireless internet to over 20 student accommodation and residential campuses, precincts and buildings, with over 20,000 connections on the network. Commercial operations are headquartered in Brisbane and its team and infrastructure positioned in both countries.

Mr Runge has welcomed the results, and believes it is a “great accolade” for the Company, as VostroNet continues its rapid expansion and success.

“We are passionate about offering our users an extraordinary service for high-speed internet, and this achievement reflects that passion. 2017 was a good year, but it’s nothing compared to what lies ahead. Multiple new cities, fibre to new buildings, as well as expanding our international footprint and thats only the beginning”.

Just started indeed, we’re excited for the year ahead for VostroNet and can’t wait to see how the delivery of internet is changed for the better. We’ll be watching VostroNet’s position closely on next year’s Australian Financial Review top company list.

VostroNet ranks in top 100 Australian start-ups in 2017 was originally published in VostroNet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

With an ageing population and an increase in government incentives to downsize, retirement living is a rapidly growing industry in Australia. But why do only 5.7% of Australian seniors enter this market?

The answer may lie in the requirements retirees have when they’re seeking to downsize. In February/March this year, Ellivo Architects conducted a national survey of 514 seniors, aged 50 and over, to discover what qualities of retirement living appeal most to residents.

The results found that respondents are looking for a personalised environment, one that does not feel ‘institutionalised’. Residents want closer proximity to medical assistance, lower maintenance of building and gardens, and independence to cook and entertain family and friends.

With downsizers looking for more choice in living, barriers to entry might hamper the ability to choose retirement living. Scott Whiteoak, Principal at Ellivo architects believes there are a range of concerns for seniors upon deciding to enter into the market.

“There needs to be something that is enticing for you [seniors] to move from your own residence to a better environment. It’s being able to downsize, but upgrade your lifestyle, and not many communities have been established that allows people to do that.”

Respondents also found costs such as deferred management fees, contractual complexity, and general aversion to be barriers to entry. Changes in the requirements of seniors, in conjunction with these identified barriers, has meant market penetration rates have suffered.

This has been reflected through the 2015 PCA Retirement census which found that the penetration rate for retirement living in Australia is set to grow to 7.5% nationally by 2025; lower than the 10% and 14% in Europe and the United States.

Seniors now desire new aspirational features when choosing retirement living. Fast internet speeds and digital connectivity is one requirement that is now seen as a priority for retirees. Traditionally, students and younger residents have valued this living feature, but it is now seen as a necessity for senior residents as a way to keep contact with relatives.

Internet Service Provider, VostroNet, is one company that identifies the need for fast internet to retirement living, offering end-to-end service that meets the demand of this changing industry. With growth from an aging population and increased government incentives, there is an enormous opportunity to offer downsizers the fast, high-quality internet that they require.

This rapidly growing market is undergoing significant changes, subject to the new requirements seniors look for when moving toward the industry. Developers are required to meet the new needs of the market, offering seniors an appealing alternative to living.

Retirement Living: Retirees look for change in a growing industry was originally published in VostroNet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Just like a blockbuster movie showdown, the two heavy weights onscreen line-up for their epic confrontation. Like Apollo Creed vs Rocky Balboa or Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader, the audience is given the two options, in many cases torn between sides.

But only one can start a new era. What about the showdown between microwave and fibre? Both of these network heavyweight alternatives are worthy opponents in their field, and both have respective pros and cons. But only one can be victorious, becoming the future of fast internet services to buildings and end consumers. For that reason, we believe optic fibre is victorious.

But what are these advantages that make optic fibre lines crucial in delivering high-speed and high-quality internet?

Optic Fibre has Better Stability

Fibre technology has the ability to be faster than microwave, particularly when the site is further away from provider’s connection source. Unlike microwave, fibre has the ability to provide fast internet, straight to the end user, without experiencing the strains of distance, weather or line of sight.

Fibre is a more reliable than microwave connection, particularly in the event of a storm and other climate conditions. Microwave may drop-out during a weather event, bringing about interference with the user’s connection. Moisture such as fog, rain, and snow, also weakens the signal’s path. Heavier raindrops and higher velocity of raindrops can further enhance disruption. This sounds good doesn’t it? I mean, who wouldn’t want their internet to drop out suddenly in the middle of the latest Game of Thrones season?

Larger Data Quantities and Speed

Fibre has the ability to deliver a larger capacity of data. This is able to occur as an optic fibre cable can contain over 200 fibres, increasing data capacity significantly over the microwave alternative. A fibre cable ranges between 1,000 Mbps and 10 Gbps (10,000 Mbps).

Microwave on the other hand works off a few hundred Mbps at best, whereby users may receive a limited quantity of data, generally ranging between 1 to 50 Mbps (dependant on the number of users within a building).

In a highly competitive industry, larger quantities are seen as more favourable to consumers.

Potential to Upgrade Capacity

As well as having a larger capacity for data, fibre has the ability to upgrade that capacity in the future. For instance, you receive 10 Gbps of throughput to a building now, which may rise to 40 Gbps or 100 Gbps at a later time. To compare, microwave would require a complete swap out of equipment.

Microwave’s pros over fibre

Microwave’s advantages over its competitor however lie in low initial cost of delivery. Unlike fibre, microwave does not have high costs in running fibre cables down the pavement or a busy road. Deployment is quick and microwave can access environments where there are hills, mountains and buildings, assuming good line of sight and availability of licensed spectrum from the relevant government body. Users can be online within a week or so, even before planning for road closures has begun for it’s fibre foe.

Conclusion

Despite present advantages of microwave over its alternative, optic fibre is the future of fast internet services. Australian’s are sick of slow internet, we all want undisrupted services, larger quantities of data, and the potential to upgrade capacity.

The service provider, VostroNet, delivers super-fast fibre internet for new and existing residential precincts. Their national network offers an end-to-end service as well as high-speed wireless internet within locations delivered by at 10,000 Mbps pipe to your building! In urgent situations we can still look to its lower performance friend as a short term solution to getting users online. The best of both worlds!

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Fibre vs Microwave: The Future of Fast Internet was originally published in VostroNet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

If there is one thing that is constantly conveyed by marketing commentators and academics, it is the importance of strong customer service, and the link it has to customer and brand loyalty. Again and again, studies show how satisfied customers are linked with well-defined customer services.

But these services shouldn’t be limited to the end consumer. What if that same customer service and communication structure could be applied to building managers by their internet service provider? And what reasons would you implement this structure?

1) Ensures that all parties are in the loop

The importance of a strong communication channel between the organisation and a building manager is that the building manager is connected to the various other suppliers, trades, customers and committee. This ability to ensure that all parties are in the loop is key. Having an escalation process in place at each site ensures that managers are aware of who to contact in the event that there is accidental or necessary interference with the service by others.

This is appealing to a project development team, owners, and onsite managers, as there is greater efficiency in communication with the internet provider. This has a positive flow-on effect to the end consumer, ensuring that they stay updated with service information when and if they contact the building manager.

2) Building managers want that quick response time

For a building manager facing an interference in a building’s connection, they would want to know that someone has already identified the issue and is addressing it. In the event of a service issue, a representative of the ISP should be in contact with the building manager as soon as possible.

VostroNet, for instance, has adopted a Support and Networks Operations Teams which are live 24/7/365 to monitor equipment and service. All of the monitoring of performance is in real-time, ensuring an issue can be addressed as soon as it occurs. We also have a dedicated Support Escalation Manager for this particular purpose

3) Happy stakeholders

An efficient communication structure flows onto the building tenants in ensuring they do not experience interference in service. In the event of a connection issue, the end consumer generally contacts the building manager to find out about potential connection difficulties.

By ensuring the building manager knows what is happening and who to contact, they in turn, become an integral part of the success of the product. The manager will be speaking directly to a representative of the company, with the relevant information being passed on to the tenant. This ensures a high quality product as all stakeholders remain happy and informed.

This model works to ensure that the end-consumer stays online and all stakeholders remain happy, complaint free.

What can we conclude from this?

A strong communication channel between an organisation and building managers, ensures that customers remain happy.

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Three reasons why a communication channel to building managers is so important was originally published in VostroNet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.