iiNet must be really proud parents right now. In addition to their recent win in court against Hollywood giants DFACT,
Australia’s number 2 DSL provider has relaunched the BOB brand with the ‘iiNet BoB’.
The BOB re-invention, which could do with a better name (so people won’t confuse it with the original) adopts a sleeker design profile with a full colour screen imbedded into the telephone handset, a feature lacking from the original BoB model.
BoB 2 (as we prefer to call it) is FetchTV compatible and comes with a built-in answering machine. Some reviewers were critical of the original BoB for it’s average phone reception quality and awful design. It’s hoped that the new BoB will put to bed some of those phone issues. The ADSL2+ modem was designed as all-in-one solution for non-IT folk like my grandmother. Even still, the phone would regularly de-register from its base and the modem was prone to crashing from time to time.
However, given its well-published problems, the original BoB was a huge success for iiNet, selling over 70,000 units in Australia and featuring in a notable TV and cinema advertising campaign.
The new improved BoB is due in April. Pricing, which is likely to include an array of different bundles, is yet to be finalised.
Have you ever owned a BoB unit? Share your stories below.
Rebecca Moynihan
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 5:51 PMI have had a Bob for a couple of years. Great modem, crap phone. I was thinking of going for the smaller Bob lite and getting a separate handset but an upgraded version might be interesting…
Namarrgon
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 6:33 PMI got a BoB Lite, and apart from some initial sluggishness under load (which mysteriously evaporated after a couple of weeks and hasn’t come back), it’s been fine, particularly at the price.
No problem with the VoIP, stability is fine, and the features are good (can’t comment on the wifi as I use a Netgear for that). All it’s really lacking is Gigabit ethernet ports, as without those it could limit your wifi performance a little.
Andreas Koepke
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 6:05 PMIs this another new product from their R&D lab (like BoB Lite) or was it produced in partnership with Belkin like the last one?
Seamus Byrne
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 6:14 PMYes, this is a new product developed in their new internal ‘iiNet Labs’ unit.
I’ve been chatting with iiNet folks today and will have more interesting stuff about what they’ve been up to tomorrow.
Iain Graham
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 6:30 PMIts ‘iiLabs’
Don’t you know it’s cool to put a double ‘i’ before everything? Cooler then Apple anyway. Twice as cool.
iiCool.
Paul
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 6:06 PMYes. Alright Modem. The phone is rubbish and now doesn’t even sit in the charger anymore. Very poor product in my eyes. I was one of the fools who bought it outright. Wish I rented it would have sent it back in 6 months. Bob lite seems a better product.
Hope Bob 2 is better. Will wait until some reviews.
Jonathon Hayward
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 8:01 PMWonder why they include an answering machine when iiNet’s VoIP service comes with free cloud-based voicemail anyway? Why would I go for an answering service limited to one machine when I can have voicemail automatically emailed to me as an audio file?
Bob Glover
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 8:35 PMiinet are very strong on the promise and not the delivery.
Setup was a nightware (the support guy: You’re bnot suing the setup CD are you? Its rubbish)
Phone is like connected to Indian call centre. Drop outs.
Modem OK but not much fatser than the Optus service I had before.
Wireless is rubbish. I had to run a cable to lounge and put in another wireless router to get whole of house coverage (Medium house).
The Bob makes me want to change my name.
As a service provider iinet should concentrate on delivery rather than sprouting howe good they are.
For me, Amnet which I have at work is senataional and would have at home but not avaialbe.
So only choice iinet or Telstra… I agonized over which oen to use and after a day with iinet I regretted my decision…only 16 months of contract to go.
mbryant
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 10:35 PMWhat the hell is a BoB? The article never bothers to explain what it actually is.
Daniel Long
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 9:36 AMSorry if it wasn’t clear enough:
Peter Zaharis
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 9:37 AMHave to agree with what others have said.
Ok modem. Absolutely awful phone.
It won’t last 30minutes. The sound quality is terrible. It regularly drops out and trying to use the phone is an exercise in futlity.
I am just glad I get good mobile reception where I am since I use my mobile instead.
It has actually really soured my opinion of iinet.
Vladimir Popov
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 8:50 PMWhy would anyone bother with iiNiet?
TPG is unlimited and get your CISCO gear, it works.
iiNiet is becoming next Telstra/Optus.
Cheryl Anderson
Friday, March 9, 2012 at 12:28 PMVladimir, I haven’t decided on iinet but I looked at the fine print with TPG and will never give them my money. Unless you want to pay an added $45 per month on top of their advertised price you have to agree to waive the Customer Service Guarantee, something I am not willing to do no matter how trustworthy the product or provider. I can just see me signing with TPG then in a months time having a problem, then oh look… they don’t have to help me.
Mark Louw
Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 11:04 PMTotally concur- love the broadband,value for money but the phone is absolute rubbish. Have had to replace it once before and no difference. Everything about it is crap.We have to resort to using our mobiles. Overall I love iinet but cannot recommend it because of the phone.