Internet Connection on Farm

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Callabria

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Hi everyone,
My folks live on a farm in the karoo and need to get internet connectivity.
There is no cellphone reception but at least they are on an automatic exhange.

As far as I know they are subscribed to the Telkom closer 3 plan. What would you guys suggest be the best isp to use? They are far from any main centra but I guess all 086 dial-up numbers registered with telkom counts as local calls?

Any advice much appreciated!
 
What's the budget for internet access? Have a look at the Telkom Sat packages. All in all, just above or below R1000 per month, will get you decent speeds via satellite and a 3GB bandwidth allocation.

http://www.telkomsa.net/products/satellite.html

I see they've removed pricing details with exact figures. So it might be more or less than the price I mentioned.

Would definitely be cheaper than dialup, especially with all the disconnects and redials.
 
The usage won't be very high. Email maybe every second or third day or so. No huge downloads. And cost should be minimal. So I doubt that it really justifies a high-end solution like satellite. Though it will work great and is probably the best solution if the usage were higher (can always upgrade later).
So sticking to dial-up, which isp can you guys recommend?
Since they're far from any big town, will the telkom isp number still be billed as a local call so that they can benefit from the closer plan's 60 minute dial-up bonus thing?
 
Callabria said:
The usage won't be very high. Email maybe every second or third day or so. No huge downloads. And cost should be minimal. So I doubt that it really justifies a high-end solution like satellite. Though it will work great and is probably the best solution if the usage were higher (can always upgrade later).
So sticking to dial-up, which isp can you guys recommend?
Since they're far from any big town, will the telkom isp number still be billed as a local call so that they can benefit from the closer plan's 60 minute dial-up bonus thing?
Click to expand...

You will have to find that out from Telkom. My dialup days are long past, so I don't have those details.

Small tip though. Never, never use an ISP based mail account. For instance, if you choose to go with Telkom, Mweb or whoever, don't have a mail account called momanddad@mweb etc.

You will be bound to an ISP that way. You should know about www.gmail.com Sign up an account for them. Configure the account in your email program after enabling POP downloads in the account. If you need help, just google for gmail outlook configure or similar.

There isn't really such a thing as best dialup ISP in my opinion. But if you were looking for the best ISP, you'd search far and wide to beat www.webafrica.co.za They've got dialup accounts as well and almost near instant support options.
 
Thanks a lot for the advice. I'll weigh up the options. I agree on the service provider email account. Will go with gmail since I use it myself and I think it is one of the best if not the best webmail service available.
 
As far as I am aware, the telkom closer options and extra minutes does not work to ISP's. There used to be a footnote in fine print on the telkom closer package pages.
So if this is still true you will need to find an ISP that are closer than 50km for the cheapest internet cost.
 
Found the Exclusions to Telkom Closer options
http://www.telkom.co.za/products_services/telkomcloser/conditions.html

Exclusions to Telkom CLOSER:
Premium Rated Numbers (0862, 0865, 0866 and 0867)
PrepaidFone customers
SupremeCall
ISDN customers (Plan 4 and 5)
DSL Supreme and Premium customers
WorldCall customers
XtraTime customers
SilverLine customers
InfinitCall customers
Surfmore customers
Customers connected to manual exchanges
Public and Private Payphone
Telkom CLOSER only applies to normal fixed line calls and excludes Internet dial-up calls (excluding the first 60 FREE surfing minutes in Plan 1 and 2), Premium rated calls (e.g. competition/voting numbers) and International calls (Plan 1 & 2).

Calls to all Cellular operators will be billed per second for Plan 3, 4 & 5 only.

All fixed line calls (including surfing minutes in Plan 1 and 2) must originate and terminate on Telkom's network to qualify for the benefits of Telkom CLOSER or the optional Internet add-on.

Minutes are not transferable from month to month or between calling plans.

Customers 70 years and older/social pensioners will still enjoy the benefit of the reduced line rental when subscribing to Telkom CLOSER.

Standard DSL terms and conditions to apply.

Plan 4 & 5 benefits only apply once DSL installed.

DSL Modem offering only available on signing a new 24 month DSL contract. Existing DSL customers with contract older than 18 months may upgrade to new DSL contract without paying penalties.

The Internet Add-on is available to Telkom CLOSER customers only.

Only one Internet add-on or surfing plan can be active on each CLOSER plan. i.e. one can not have both Internet add-ons, or a surfing calling plan (e.g. SurfAnytime) with an Internet add-on, simultaneously.
Click to expand...
 
werries2 said:
Found the Exclusions to Telkom Closer options
http://www.telkom.co.za/products_services/telkomcloser/conditions.html
Click to expand...

Eish, Telkom is TELCRAP. The saleslady at the Telkom shop told me that Calls to prepaid phone would be covered by the closer option. So all the calls I've been making the last 2 weeks to my girlfriends pre-paid Telkom phone and all the LONG Calls to my folks who have an infinity call on there phone won't have been free.

So the feeling i'm getting at the moment is Telkom shafting me.
 
Lord Anubis said:
Telkom internet with infinitcall?
Click to expand...

That is what i used to use years back, but one can't get new infiniticall subscriptions, my folks still have theirs from years back when i used to live with them.
 
Hmm, it might be an idea to wait a few months to see if neotel has an impact on dial-up. Probably won't.
So as a different solution I was thinking gprs data bundle. The mtn signal almost reaches the house :rolleyes:

So from all you technically minded people, what options are available to bring the mtn signal to the house. Usable signal probably around 700m away, or 50m straight up.

Looking forward to your response.
 
Callabria said:
Hmm, it might be an idea to wait a few months to see if neotel has an impact on dial-up. Probably won't.
So as a different solution I was thinking gprs data bundle. The mtn signal almost reaches the house :rolleyes:

So from all you technically minded people, what options are available to bring the mtn signal to the house. Usable signal probably around 700m away, or 50m straight up.

Looking forward to your response.
Click to expand...


Try this to improve your MTN signal...

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=136909
 
Look at the following aerials for the respective freq range:
http://www.poynting.co.za/productdisplay.php?id=67&cat_id=2
OR
http://www.poynting.co.za/productdisplay.php?id=162&cat_id=2
Mounted on a pole
Ideally would be to get one of those Linksys Wireless 3G Routers with
a 3G data card and connect the device via Ethernet to you PC in the Home.
Not cheap will set you back, but available on contract.
PM the Latitude/Longitude and I will find out if their is a Wireless ISP
in the vicinity of your folks farm.

From George their is WISP going all the way to Willowmore and Uniondale.
Which is the closest town and are their any mountains in the way looking for Line of Sight.
 
I take it there is no adsl available then?

I would also say look into improving mtn signal. Do you know which tower they work off so one can check what data services are available. EDGE would be fine for them.
 
I am sure adsl is not available. It isn't old copper but the line from the house goes to one of these solar powered radio towers which serves a few neighbours as well and then that radio tower (at a lack of the correct technical term) points to a main receiver tower which then points to another receiver somewhere which is hardwired to the network.
The telkom adsl checker cannot determine dsl availability but in all fairness I haven't yet phoned the dsl call centre though I doubt the answer to be much different :) (next step before phoning mtn).
On the mtn side of things, I am not sure whether it has EDGE or just GPRS coverage at that location. So a few phonecalls to make.

Thanks for the input!
 
Callabria said:
I am sure adsl is not available.

It isn't old copper but the line from the house goes to one of these solar powered radio towers which serves a few neighbours as well and then that radio tower (at a lack of the correct technical term) points to a main receiver tower which then points to another receiver somewhere which is hardwired to the network.
Click to expand...

From your description I would agree with you.

The technology you are reffering to is called DECT and Telkom uses it extensively in rural areas. It uses microwave backhuals to connect to the main network.
It is really crappy technology to boot.
You will NOT get a 56kb/s connection on a dial-up modem. Expect something in the range of 24-33.6kb/s, so it is really slow.

I would explore the cellular option. Would help if you could get the tower names for the two closest mtn & vodacom towers and start going from there with collecting information.
 
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