8ta Bonus WiFi - How to connect, Telkom clueless

[SteveW]

Anyone out there have a clue how to connect to Telkom WiFi using wireless networking or EAP on Huawei E173. Already lost out on free 20GB because nobody at various Telkom stores or on their helpdesk is able to tell me how to connect.

Tried connecting to Telkom Mobile Connect network with wireless network card at the mall with my self-service user/pass with all of the domain names I can think of. No luck. Also unable to link my laptop MAC address to account. There are all sorts of references to EAP on Telkom's site without any indication of how to use it. The E173 can apparently use EAP.

Is there some software that needs to be downloaded?

This level of ineptitude would be shocking even in a small company with limited resources, but in a company the size of Telkom it's disgusting. I find it disturbingly common in this country that support agents are trained more in presentation than in the product they are supporting. Once had an argument with banking helpline dude who tried to tell me that it takes 2 weeks for a transfer from a UK bank to show up in my account.

 

[SteveW]

I think I can configure the wireless network card to use EAP, but how to get it to read the SIM from the modem? Any way to extract the data to a certificate or config file of some sort?

Surely Telkom must allow user/pass/domain login to their hotspots. Anyone managed that?

 

[ahf]

@SteveW.....yes at Tygervalley Centre they gave me the login details, but its useless as soon as you leave the Centre.
I would like to see Telkom Mobile to put something up on that huge tower in Durban road....dan gaan die ding ruk!

 

[rico112]

i used the eap sim on my tablet and smart phone and it works.
The website makes no mention of username and passwords. Only MAC address addition for a secondary device ( seems that its only available to contract subscribers)

anyways happy with this EAP sim thing cause u never have to do it all the time and connect only the first time.

 

[Telkom]

Anyone out there have a clue how to connect to Telkom WiFi using wireless networking or EAP on Huawei E173. Already lost out on free 20GB because nobody at various Telkom stores or on their helpdesk is able to tell me how to connect.

Tried connecting to Telkom Mobile Connect network with wireless network card at the mall with my self-service user/pass with all of the domain names I can think of. No luck. Also unable to link my laptop MAC address to account. There are all sorts of references to EAP on Telkom's site without any indication of how to use it. The E173 can apparently use EAP.

Is there some software that needs to be downloaded?

This level of ineptitude would be shocking even in a small company with limited resources, but in a company the size of Telkom it's disgusting. I find it disturbingly common in this country that support agents are trained more in presentation than in the product they are supporting. Once had an argument with banking helpline dude who tried to tell me that it takes 2 weeks for a transfer from a UK bank to show up in my account.

Hi SteveW

Please can you send us a PM with your Telkom Mobile cellphone number?

Thanks
Telkom Mobile

 

[SteveW]

If only I had a smart phone. Unfortunately, my laptop network adaptor has no SIM slot so the SIM data is not accessible to authenticate the wifi connection. I wonder if EAP-SIM authentication is possible using a sim reader on the laptop?

 

[ooogz]

Anyone come right with a Samsung S3? I've tried a few times we with no success

 

[rico112]

yes it does work on the s3 and s4. connect to "telkom mobile connect" SSID and change the EAP method from to Sim and connect. works perfectly.

 

[Rabbid dawg]

I tried to get more info From 8ta call center today. After trying unsuccessfully to login on Saturday with my laptop and 3g modem plugged in And they tell me I must go to mug and bean or Telkom direct and get a user name and password. But then I must buy wifi data! Any suggestions?

 

[P1373R]

hey 8ta! share with all of us! I also had no luck trying to connect to a WiFi hotspot with my "free" 10 gig... I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 plus...

 

[P1373R]

Hi SteveW

Please can you send us a PM with your Telkom Mobile cellphone number?

Thanks
Telkom Mobile

hey 8ta! share with all of us! I also had no luck trying to connect to a WiFi hotspot with my "free" 10 gig... I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 plus...

 

[Telkom]

I tried to get more info From 8ta call center today. After trying unsuccessfully to login on Saturday with my laptop and 3g modem plugged in And they tell me I must go to mug and bean or Telkom direct and get a user name and password. But then I must buy wifi data! Any suggestions?

Hi Rabbid dawg

Please note that the Telkom Mobile Wi-Fi hotspots do not authenticate with Username and Password.

It works with EAP-SIM authentication.

Please PM us your details so that we can investigate.

Thank you
Telkom Mobile Social Media Team

 

[Mojo29]

Can you please explain how this works. I've got the 10gig+10 gig data contract. but don't have a 8ta/telkom sim in my phone. will i still be able to use this wifi????

 

[bromster]

When I try to connect to the network, it says that it is connected, however the browser doesn't have any throughput. I phoned 8ta and told them that I do not have an EAP-SIM option available from the drop down menu. I have TLS, TTLS and the closest I see is PEAP.

so after much debate today this is what I discovered for my particular scenario:

1) First register on the 8ta self-service Portal using the details you used to take the contract out.
2) Connect to the Hotspot "Telkom Mobile Connect"
3) EAP-SIM ---> Set your EAP Method to "EAP-SIM". When you use your browser, you should be redirected to the Self-Service Login Page and off you go.
4) NO EAP-SIM ---> Set your EAP Method to "PEAP". Set only your password to your Self-Service Login Password. All other fields remain blank. When you use your browser, you should be redirected to the Self-Service Login Page and off you go.

This is what I have been told by the very friendly, knowledgeable lady at the Call Centre (081 183) today. Power failure at the moment though and the HotSpot is not showing up, so I haven't had a chance to test it yet.

EDIT: The latest is: I can't connect to this particular hotspot because it belongs to a technical callout centre, despite it being listed on the 8ta coverage map as a HotSpot. You have to access your wifi data through an actual 8ta/Telkom Store.

 

[-Kitsune-]

Check the latest from 8ta:

“The internet 5 promo is not eligible for the Secondary Mac address option”

This is really idiotic seeing that it's a data contract so I don't see people walking around with it in their phones (most Android phones don't support EAP-SIM as it is) and 3G modems don't support EAP-SIM as far as I can tell so it's useless for the most of us.

Thanks Telkom, again a great service delivered.

 

[The_MAC]

yes it does work on the s3 and s4. connect to "telkom mobile connect" SSID and change the EAP method from to Sim and connect. works perfectly.

Did the same thing, works perfect. Used Blackberry and S3, just changed authentication to EAP-SIM (only had to do this once). Keep in mind you need to "qualify" for the free Wi-Fi i.e. contract, or prepaid recharge of R50+

 

[Sly21C]

I went to McDonalds today to try connecting to the internet via wifi using my laptop. I couldn't connect. A McDonalds staff member tried assisting me but to no avail. We tested his phone and it connected to the internet without fail. There was a hotspot named "AlwaysOn" and another one named "AlwaysOnSmart" which the staff member said were McDonalds hotspots. It couldn't connect via wifi but I could connect to the internet using my modem.

I've read the comments and you guys are speaking Greek "D. What is EAP and how can I configure it on my laptop? I have 3 days to use up my 10GB of free wifi date and I plan to use it to download stuff. Can you guys please assist? Or should I go to Telkom where they can assist me?

 

[Sly21C]

Hey Telkom Mobile!

How do I register my laptop's MAC address to the Telkom Mobile website so that I can use my free 10GB of data? I am currently connected to the internet using the 8ta sim card via a Vodafone modem. The thing is I can't see the MAC address of the wireless network connection because I am not connected to the internet via wifi. The only MAC address I can see is the Mobile Broadband Connection's MAC address. Should I perhaps go to Mug and Beam, drink coffee and and use their free wifi internet and then look up the wireless network connection MAC address?

 

[Telkom]

Hey Telkom Mobile!

How do I register my laptop's MAC address to the Telkom Mobile website so that I can use my free 10GB of data? I am currently connected to the internet using the 8ta sim card via a Vodafone modem. The thing is I can't see the MAC address of the wireless network connection because I am not connected to the internet via wifi. The only MAC address I can see is the Mobile Broadband Connection's MAC address. Should I perhaps go to Mug and Beam, drink coffee and and use their free wifi internet and then look up the wireless network connection MAC address?

Hi Sly21C

The way you connect all depends on which Telkom Mobile Product you have.

If you have a Telkom Mobile contract, you need to connect to the Wi-Fi access point via EAP-SIM authentication. Please note not all devices are EAP-SIM capable.

Only some post-paid contracts allow you to use a secondary device. If you do have a qualifying contract, only then you will be allowed to add a MAC address (via the Self Service Portal).

If you are using a prepaid Telkom Mobile Product, you can only use EAP-SIM authentication. You will not be allowed to add a MAC address.

Thank you
Telkom Mobile Social Media Team

 

[Telkom]

I went to McDonalds today to try connecting to the internet via wifi using my laptop. I couldn't connect. A McDonalds staff member tried assisting me but to no avail. We tested his phone and it connected to the internet without fail. There was a hotspot named "AlwaysOn" and another one named "AlwaysOnSmart" which the staff member said were McDonalds hotspots. It couldn't connect via wifi but I could connect to the internet using my modem.

I've read the comments and you guys are speaking Greek "D. What is EAP and how can I configure it on my laptop? I have 3 days to use up my 10GB of free wifi date and I plan to use it to download stuff. Can you guys please assist? Or should I go to Telkom where they can assist me?

Hi Sly21C

Please click here to view all our Wi-Fi hotspot locations.
http://www.telkommobile.co.za/coverage/wifi/

“AlwaysOn” is not our Wi-Fi access point name.

Please look for Telkom Mobile Connect and Telkom Mobile Guest

EAP stands for Extensible Authentication Protocol
SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module

EAP-SIM is basically an authentication done with your mobile SIM, so you will not need to enter a username or password.

Thank you
Telkom Mobile Social Media Team