Shaped or Unshaped?

[doc_msk]

Hello,

Currently use MWEB as my ISP, using their 3GB account.

Been debating whether to switch to an unshaped account. My thinking is (and I stand to be corrected since I am not an expert) that with an unshaped account i will be able to use applications such as Skype and online gaming much more productively. Right now on a shaped account my Skype calls to the UK/USA are of poor quality.

I have looked on the web and through these forums. It seems WebAfrica offer a fairly good service for 4Gb at R499. I am not a big user of bandwidth normally only about 2Gb/month.

Can any one recommend an ISP that is cost effective (I know that is relative, since I am here from the Uk on contract and miss my R170 a month cable internet connection running extremely fast)? Customer service must also be excellent.

Many thanks for your suggestions.

Regards
Doc

[doc_msk]

Amazing that no one has any inputs for me with this question.... :(

[Bjorn]

I have an SAOL unshaped account aswell as a Mweb account(i know, i know)
using skype on unshaped is smoother than the shaped, but not by alot. Is skyper all you are looking to do with this unshaped account? if so go and check out webafrica's pre paid unshaped, you can use it till its finished, so it doesnt expire at the end of the month, and you will be able to see wether unshaped is the better option for yourself

[JAS]

I have moved to ADSL because in the last couple of months Skype has become totally unusable on Sentech, even for calls to other Skype users in SA. I have signed up for an Imaginet shaped account, and Skype is orders of magnitude better. Imaginet offer various shaped and unshaped "Freestyle" accounts, with different base sizes (2GB, 3GB etc), and thereafter you pay a very reasonable amount per 100MB extra, so you are never really "capped". You you can move between options by sending them an email just before month end. Have a look at www.imaginet.co.za.

[doc_msk]

Thanks guys, will experiment a little with the options.

Regards
Doc

[doc_msk]

Update:

Been experimenting with a PAYG unshapped Web Africa account, and Skype does seem to work better. I am hoping it will work even better when Telkom get round to upgrading my 192 line to a 1024.

Regards
Doc

[bwana]

Update:

Been experimenting with a PAYG unshapped Web Africa account, and Skype does seem to work better. I am hoping it will work even better when Telkom get round to upgrading my 192 line to a 1024.

Regards
DocSeeing as upgrading is free (unlike downgrading) why not go up one level to 384 or two levels to 512 instead of going straight to 1024?

[Silent_Bob]

^^^then there is more chance of telkom stuffing it up, so rather dont make them work hard

[BrianB]

I think im one of the lucky ones, i got a SAOL shaped account and skype works perfectly to Uk, my torrents also go at max speed, 51k on a DSL384 line. :)