Telkom ADSL info raises concern

[rpm]

Telkom ADSL info raises concern (http://mybroadband.co.za/news/ADSL/3373.html)


Telkom’s automatic access to ADSL information – which consumers and businesses believe should be protected - raised concern recently among both consumers and ISPs.

[Mephisto_Helix]

On the issue of potentially using some ADSL information to benefit its own retail division, Telkom says that “being a good corporate citizen, Telkom will not engage in anti-competitive behaviour.” ... Who are they trying to kid with that. Telkom and Anti-Competitive behaviour? .... never! :(

[Garyvdh]

Telkom says that “being a good corporate citizen, Telkom will not engage in anti-competitive behaviour.”

*** throws up in mouth *** :sick::sick::sick:

[Grouter]

Ja, well... Just go to http://userstats.adsl.saix.net/ and enter a username - no need for the password. Access user stats for any DSL account you can think of...

[Glordit]

Ja, well... Just go to http://userstats.adsl.saix.net/ and enter a username - no need for the password. Access user stats for any DSL account you can think of...

Woot! time to have fun!! :D

[bekdik]

I had to enter a password ...

[Grouter]

I had to enter a password ...

Yes, it seems a bit haphazard. With mweb accounts it doesn't seem to want a password, with @lantic it does. Telkom usernames are no problem either. Discovered this recently when trying to locate a mysterious "third user" who'd been stealing a clients bandwidth.

[mancombseepgood]

Yes, it seems a bit haphazard. With mweb accounts it doesn't seem to want a password, with @lantic it does. Telkom usernames are no problem either. Discovered this recently when trying to locate a mysterious "third user" who'd been stealing a clients bandwidth.

Doesn't work with my 2gb telkom user name

[AntiThesis]

“being a good corporate citizen, Telkom will not engage in anti-competitive behaviour.”

Thanks to this sentence, I had tea coming out of my nose :D

Awesome!

[Moederloos]

Thanks to this sentence, I had tea coming out of my nose :D

Awesome!

It is true though - but only since Telkom have no actual competition, thanks to our favourite independent group.

[CathJ]

Yup. They have access to your username and password, and even if you change the password you have to do it through them, and they can see the new password anyway.

Even worse, they tell customers NOT to change the default password on the modem - because if someone forgets the new password, they won't be able to help them.

[stoke]

Being a good corporate citizen, Telkom will not engage in anti-competitive behaviour

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAH.
OMS
My sides hurt.

Is it comedy friday or april fools friday or something?

[DblD]

Pls folks this is the least of our worries.

Access to affordable, unrestricted, true broadband capacity product/service is what should concern us.

NEOTEL allegedly has DIRECT (Telkom infrastructure) INDEPENDENT access to ample international bandwidth. Their corporate distribution network is making money already.

Use this as advantage over Telkom dirty marketing games, fight them with prices.

Given those factors why are we still struggling with having affordable, unrestricted, true broadband service?

[gdiza]

Come on guys, Telkom is trying to turn over a new leaf... *giggle*

[pjj]

On the issue of potentially using some ADSL information to benefit its own retail division, Telkom says that “being a good corporate citizen, Telkom will not engage in anti-competitive behaviour.” :(

HA HA HA HA HA! WHAT A GOOD LAUGH THIS FELLOW GIVES ME! You can fool some of the people some of the time Telkom, but you can't fool all the people all the time.

[Juice]

I knew it was already going to be here the moment I read it, but I just need to add my BWAHAHA for the:


Telkom says that “being a good corporate citizen, Telkom will not engage in anti-competitive behaviour.”

[thesuspect]

That 0800375375 number supports all of us, no matter what ISP we come from. Now remember that these ISP's are wholesale customers of Telkom SAIX. so 375375 is actually doing support for the ISP's and then we complain that they can see our details and actually help us. Imagine waiting 45 minutes to be answered and then they tell us they won't help us because they don't have the resources. What they can see is RADIUS connection logs, not top secret documents. ;)

[mancombseepgood]

Right, and you think that's by the choice of the ISP and client that one has to use the 375375 number...
If Webafrica, for example, were coining what Telkom are, they would be able to answer your call within two minutes - of that I'm pretty sure.

Serioulsy - you are suspect thesuspect... do you work for saix/telkom? :D
i won't flame you for being ignorant if you do...
if you don't well eish... sorry man...

In your defence, I agree that this is nothing new - it's been the case as long as Telkom and Saix have been around. But it's still a concern IMO with the bandwidth theft on the go in this country.

The Telkom techies I have known all admit to using the phone to call their missus out of town when up the pole to fix something on a client's line...

Uh... that was supposed to come out different - but you get the idea ;)

[ic]

“The Company is forced to have limited access (to the type of information in question) for ADSL customers whose ISP's do not perform first line support functionality, since the EBSC (Electronic Business Solutions Centre - 0800 375 375 call centre) has to perform certain interrogations that are applicable to first line ADSL support,” says Nabintu Petsana, Telkom’s Acting Group Executive for Corporate Communication. (http://mybroadband.co.za/news/ADSL/3373.html)Interesting choice of words there - Telkodemonopolies truly believes in interrogating its ADSL hostages as a means of gaining useful intel that, as """a good corporate citizen (http://mybroadband.co.za/news/ADSL/3373.html)""", it will not abuse...:rolleyes:
“ISP's that do not run their own first line support are fully aware of the reasons for the limited access to the basic information required for testing. It is important to note that Telkom welcomes the advent of ISP's performing their own first line ADSL support as this will negate the need for EBSC agents to access this information,” Petsana concluded.Under what circumstances does Telkodemonopolies' EBSC actually need to know a customer's ADSL username? - surely guest@telkomadsl is sufficient for the purpose of testing whether or not an ADSL line is working properly.

Surely ADSL customers calling Telkodemonopolies' EBSC, about any problems specifically related to ADSL ISP Accounts, e.g. authentication issues, should be advised by Telkodemonopolies' EBSC, to call their ADSL ISP [whether TelkodemonopoliesHindernet or other ISPs].

In the case of authentication problems, is it not usually a Telkodemonopolies EDGE router failure that causes the problem, and calling 0800DSLDSL is usually a waste of time since the operators don't investigate whether or not an EDGE router has fallen over or not. I just don't see why Telkodemonopolies' EBSC needs to have access to ADSL usernames when guest@telkomadsl can be used for testing & diagnostic purposes related to the actual ADSL line.

[thesuspect]

Hey IC, you make valid points, then why does everyone still call EBSC if they should be calling their ISP, are they like moths to the flame. I've worked at an ISP in the UK and 70% of the users couldn'd remember their usernames or passwords, so setting up their router with a guest account will help squat coz they won't know how to change it to their own account. Our broadband community (present forum excluded) should beef up their own knowledge. I know of people who call Telkom every month and hold for hours just to be told to restart their router and get a new uncapped IP address...............:confused:

[mancombseepgood]

Wonder who's fault the lack of education is...
I say follow the money trail from the consumer and see who's responsibility it is before you expect an ISP making 5% markup to wipe the clients butt as well...
just my 2c worth

[ic]

Hey IC, you make valid points, then why does everyone still call EBSC if they should be calling their ISP, are they like moths to the flame.I'm not convinced that all ADSL customers [i.e. everyone] call 0800DSLDSL for ADSL Account issues - regardless of the ADSL ISP(s) that they use, and those that do call 0800DSLDSL for ADSL Account issues, are likely to be 99% TelkodemonopoliesHindernet ADSL ISP account customers.

Those ADSL customers that do use ADSL ISPs other than TelkodemonopoliesHindernet, are more likely to be in the minority, and be calling as a result of their ADSL line being dead or otherwise not synching with the DSLAM Port Card. Sure there might be some ADSL customers using non-TelkodemonopoliesHindernet ADSL ISPs that will call 0800DSLDSL for anything that goes wrong, but honestly how many such ADSL customers exist since TelkodemonopoliesHindernet has more ADSL customers than all of the other ADSL ISPs put together.

In my case, I have never ever been a customer of TelkodemonopoliesHindernet, and when my ADSL line dies or is unable to synch, I don't call my ADSL ISP, I call 0800DSLDSL - partly bcos it's a tollfree number, and partly bcos I know that only Telkodemonopolies has access to the exchange building where the DSLAM and port card are situated, and I pay Telkodemonopolies directly every month for the line rental.

If and when we have an unbundled local loop in SA, and I still have ADSL [unlikely], and I pay my ISP directly for any line rental, I would probably contact my ISP instead of 0800DSLDSL.
I've worked at an ISP in the UK and 70% of the users couldn'd remember their usernames or passwords, so setting up their router with a guest account will help squat coz they won't know how to change it to their own account. Our broadband community (present forum excluded) should beef up their own knowledge. I know of people who call Telkom every month and hold for hours just to be told to restart their router and get a new uncapped IP address...............:confused:In theory that is true, but do you know how many times I've heard Telkodemonopolies' 0800DSLDSL agents say "reset your ADSL router" - lots of times, and the significance is that the router loses one's ADSL ISP Account username & password when the router is reset, at which point it is the same effort to access the router's config and enter in the username guest@telkomadsl and password guest, as it is to enter in the lost ADSL account username and password.

[Abe]

My wife just waited for over an hour on the phone for 0800DSLDSL to answer. I actually don't care what they know about customers as long as the provide a bloody service. Oh, and it's a DSLAM problem, again!

[mancombseepgood]

Yep! Telkom are their own problem!

[ic]

See also...

[Tns]

My wife just waited for over an hour on the phone for 0800DSLDSL to answer. I actually don't care what they know about customers as long as the provide a bloody service. Oh, and it's a DSLAM problem, again!
be thankful they actually answered