I'm so tired of this cr@p

biometrics

biometrics

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Posting my email to Vodacom 3G here as the bloody smtp server is stuffed AGAIN:

This has been a long time and no solution ...

1. Still awaiting the outdoor antenna
2. Signal strength is 1-2/5 bars 2 km away, but also 2 blocks away
3. Regular disconnects 2 km away or 2 blocks away
4. It takes me 6 hours to upload 50 MB, average 2.4 KBps (which means I had to stay up till 1 AM!). I have to watch it all the time because of disconnects or uploads stopping so I can see exactly what is the throughput. I can confirm there is definitely something wrong with the Melkbos site. Here is what I observe: the throughput rises and lowers linearly between 0 and 8 KBps continuously as if there is traffic shaping. Fact is the 8 KBps upload (and 35 KBps download) is sustained for 5-10 seconds. So we know my connection is capable of doing it. It seems to stick to the 3 KBps throughput the longest and there are prolonged periods of 0 KBps. This appears to be by design. I see in the forum that your network engineers have made some changes in Gauteng which made a big difference. That users symptoms sound the same to me. Please check out this site, this is really not working for me.
5. I have been waiting TWO MONTHS for a solution
6. Can we cancel this contract for non performance? At least Telskom's ADSL actually works.
7. If I can't get decent performance then surely users at Koeberg even less so. Are they happy?
8. The mail server smtp.vodacom.co.za is also flaky AGAIN. I could not send email at 1 AM this morning (tried many times, disconnected, rebooted etc). I had to use Yahoo mail - OMG.

I am terribly unhappy ... Please sort this out NOW!

Maybe it's time to get some bad press ... Or do you care as little as Telskom does?
 
3G Problems

I am having the same problems with Vodacom 3G. 2-3 bars max, slow response times, very slow upload / download speeds and many disconnects.

1 Km line of site to the tower.

Sent numerous emails and called helpdesk many times to no avail.

Very scary thought but maybe Telskom's ADSL is a better option.
 
Some feedback on the cables: Found a local supplier for the connectors, so we can now get some of these to put up an external antenna for you.

Will check up what happened to the mail relay, suspect it was a maintenance slot, but need to confirm.
 
bam1 said:
I am having the same problems with Vodacom 3G. 2-3 bars max, slow response times, very slow upload / download speeds and many disconnects.

1 Km line of site to the tower.

Sent numerous emails and called helpdesk many times to no avail.

Very scary thought but maybe Telskom's ADSL is a better option.
Click to expand...

Won't you PM me your details and I'll see if I can help?
 
I noticed the smtp problem at 1 AM this morning. I called 155 and reported it at 10 AM. It is now 5 PM and still not working.

PS: Pings work.
 
biometrics said:
I noticed the smtp problem at 1 AM this morning. I called 155 and reported it at 10 AM. It is now 5 PM and still not working.

PS: Pings work.
Click to expand...
biometrics, in your email client [e.g. Outlook Express || Outlook || Thunderbird], are you using the hostname 'smtp.vodacom.co.za' or are you using its IP address '168.210.129.147'?
 
ic: Tried both. Note dns lookup and pings are fine. And I can send mail through my backup smtp server at our web host.
 
Gee, I can't even mail people in Vodacom:

Your message
Subject: "Please help"
has been delayed for some or all of the intended recipients.

The recipients that were affected are:
< >


Your message was received 15:16:56 Wed, 17 August 2005.
The mail system will keep trying to deliver your message for another
69 hours 59 minutes.


Additional Information
======================
Original Sender: < >
Sender-MTA: <196.36.198.97>
Reporting-MTA: <mfwj024.mfw.is.co.za>
MessageName: <BB028cf8b2.00000001.mml>
 
Day 2, still can't send email via smtp.vodacom.co.za.

As noted before:
1. I can send email though my backup smtp server at our web host
2. I have used the smtp.vodacom.co.za and the IP address
3. I can ping it and dns lookup is fine

Pinging smtp.vodacom.co.za [168.210.129.147] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=257ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=246ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=546ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=564ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=253ms TTL=253
Request timed out.
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=918ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=257ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=905ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=644ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=702ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=251ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=247ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=238ms TTL=253
 
Day 2, 2 PM and still not working. Can you believe this!?
 
Works fine for me - just sent email using smtp.vodacom.co.za and was delivered to the recipient in under 1 minute....
 
Then what must I do? I can send mail to our smtp server in the US!
 
Our CEO also reported last night that he can't send email. He lives in the Strand.

Tried again now. Can't sent. Day 3. It's only a 3 KB email. Note it was working last week and at the beginning of this week. Also note I can send email through our smtp server in the US.

More info:

1. Pings:

Pinging smtp.vodacom.co.za [168.210.129.147] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=377ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=343ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=351ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=350ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=355ms TTL=253
Reply from 168.210.129.147: bytes=32 time=347ms TTL=253

2. Outlook error:

Task 'Vodacom 3G - Sending' reported error (0x80042109) : 'Outlook is unable to connect to your outgoing (SMTP) e-mail server. If you continue to receive this message, contact your server administrator or Internet service provider (ISP).'

3. Outlook email account setup:

Outgoing smtp server: 168.210.129.147 (tried it with smtp.vodacom.co.za as well)
My outgoing server requires authentication is OFF (it has always been)
 
biometrics, would you mind trying a different email client - I'd suggest Mozilla Thunderbird...

Why you ask, well consider it a process of elimination, and apart from a few minutes of your time, and a 5.8MB Windoze version download, there's nothing much to lose by trying it...
 
Will give Thurderbird a try later today.

Btw, I'm on the internetvpn apn? Which one are you using?
 
I have used both - I have a pre-paid sim card which is on the internetvpn APN, but lately I've been using the other sim card which is still on the internet APN...
 
Just so you know I haven't completely lost it ...

Two chaps from Vodacom came to visit and do tests:

1. Area has weak coverage and they will get thair radio people to sort it out
2. Internetvpn APN has got a problem. Can't access smtp.vodacom.co.za. Confirmed and escalated.
 
Ok, that explains it then, good thing you figured it out, and hopefully it will be sorted very soon :).
 
Me too!

Hi Bio

Life in Potch, 50 m from a 3G enabled Vocdacom tower. Cannot send email from smtp.mweb.co.za neither! Did you log call at 082155?

Cheers
 
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