ADSL Top up. Best solution?

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LancelotSA

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Hey guys,

I have recently changed the way I use my ADSL at home. I have purchased the cheapy Nashua Mobile solution, together with 30Gb of local from OpenWeb and am using RouteSentry to split them. Prior to this I was using OpenBrowse to allow me to surf internationally once my cap was used but now I realised I can buy a Gig and a half for the same price as this service!

I use the international for browsing only and perhaps some chat on Skype. Now I realise that often the 1Gb international will not be enough for a month, so what I am wondering is what do you reckon the best solution is to top this up when I need some more international?

My thoughts thus far are :

OpenWeb 1Gb fibre ADSL at R65 per Gb - is this shaped? If so does this make a difference to Skype etc? A negative of this is that it does not carry over, so if purchased on the 29th, I'll only have a few days to finish it. I know you need to get the log in during office hours and it can take a few hours.

Axxess 1Gb Now! Shaped ADSL at R69 per Gb - this is shaped. Again will it make a difference to Skype? This does carry over and my understanding is that you have 6 months to use the cap. Is this true? Anyone know how long it takes to receive your log in details from them once you request 1Gb? Can it be done at any time of the day or night?

Actually while typing it the answer seems obvious but I would appreciate input and experiences and answers to some of those questions I have. Anything cheaper out there?
 
Wa Prepaid R70 a GB.

You can top up anytime of the day or night from the WA Console (which looks pretty sexy BTW) and your account is active immediately. It's shaped though (not that it actually makes a bloody difference anyway) and rolls over indefinitely (or some arbitrary long period of time :D).

I usually buy the account and pay a day or 2 later by EFT. I love WA.
 
feo said:
Wa Prepaid R70 a GB.

You can top up anytime of the day or night from the WA Console (which looks pretty sexy BTW) and your account is active immediately. It's shaped though (not that it actually makes a bloody difference anyway) and rolls over indefinitely (or some arbitrary long period of time :D).

I usually buy the account and pay a day or 2 later by EFT. I love WA.
Click to expand...

What does shaped affect? I know it affects p2p but where else would I be able to see the difference? Skype?

I can get extra gigs from Nashua but they charge R95 per Gig, probably because it is unshaped!
 
Well I think unshaped would mainly affect gaming [-]and P2P.[/-]

I don't really use Skype so I can't really give you a personal account of whether it affects VOIP or not but I doubt an unshaped account would really make a big difference to VOIP. Best way to see is just sign up with WA and test drive one of their prepaid accounts.
 
feo said:
Well I think unshaped would mainly affect gaming [-]and P2P.[/-]

I don't really use Skype so I can't really give you a personal account of whether it affects VOIP or not but I doubt an unshaped account would really make a big difference to VOIP. Best way to see is just sign up with WA and test drive one of their prepaid accounts.
Click to expand...

What is the full name for WA? Trying to find their site now and not having luck as all google searches link to this forum and reference is made to WA! :)

I am going to compare it to Axxess as I like the look of their offering too. Might give each a chance over time and see whose service I prefer. With top up it is all about how quick I can get back online when I need more cap!

EDIT : Ok got it... must be Web Africa.
 
Full name is Web-Africa. Go to www.webafrica.co.za.

I've been using Web-Africa 1gig top up for the previous year. The accounts are activated immediately and you can pay by credit / debit card (and eft, though i haven't used this). Never had a problem and support is excellent.

Can't speak for Axxess though.

Cheers.
 
LancelotSA said:
Hey guys,

I have recently changed the way I use my ADSL at home. I have purchased the cheapy Nashua Mobile solution, together with 30Gb of local from OpenWeb and am using RouteSentry to split them. Prior to this I was using OpenBrowse to allow me to surf internationally once my cap was used but now I realised I can buy a Gig and a half for the same price as this service!

I use the international for browsing only and perhaps some chat on Skype. Now I realise that often the 1Gb international will not be enough for a month, so what I am wondering is what do you reckon the best solution is to top this up when I need some more international?

My thoughts thus far are :

OpenWeb 1Gb fibre ADSL at R65 per Gb - is this shaped? If so does this make a difference to Skype etc? A negative of this is that it does not carry over, so if purchased on the 29th, I'll only have a few days to finish it. I know you need to get the log in during office hours and it can take a few hours.

Axxess 1Gb Now! Shaped ADSL at R69 per Gb - this is shaped. Again will it make a difference to Skype? This does carry over and my understanding is that you have 6 months to use the cap. Is this true? Anyone know how long it takes to receive your log in details from them once you request 1Gb? Can it be done at any time of the day or night?

Actually while typing it the answer seems obvious but I would appreciate input and experiences and answers to some of those questions I have. Anything cheaper out there?
Click to expand...

Axxess works like a bomb, I have a 2GB Axxess voucher and it works like a charm. I recommend them 1000%, just buy it and type in new username and password. Couldn't be simpler
 
Linoman said:
Axxess works like a bomb, I have a 2GB Axxess voucher and it works like a charm. I recommend them 1000%, just buy it and type in new username and password. Couldn't be simpler
Click to expand...

How do you buy from them? Via their web interface using a credit card? If so then how do they send you your log in details? Via email? Or do you physically buy it from Engen etc?
 
LancelotSA said:
How do you buy from them? Via their web interface using a credit card? If so then how do they send you your log in details? Via email? Or do you physically buy it from Engen etc?
Click to expand...

Physically but it from either Pnp or an Engen,, go there ask for an Axxess Internet voucher.. Then they print a slip with a username and password on it. Type that in and all works well.

Really fantastic
 
HavocXphere said:
pnp axxess is R68 not 69 btw. Carries 12 months.
Click to expand...

Cool. I'll probably end up buying online as I usually tend to find I need it after hours and also prefer being able to not move from in front of my computer.

Just out of interest this is what the Axxess website says :

Prepaid vouchers

Buy from Engen and PnP.

There is a 3 year time limit to any bandwidth purchased on PREPAID vouchers. If you use part of your bandwidth this month, then the balance is carried over to the following months until the full bandwidth has been used up or 3 years has elapsed.
Click to expand...

Now! Instant Access

ADSL Now Accounts - These accounts are mainly meant for:
1) Don't want to signup for a full account with Axxess and just need a
bit of bandwidth to tide you over.
2) Can't get hold of your present ISP and need to supplement your
bandwidth requirements immediately(Now!).
3) You want to try out our service before you subscribe to a full
account.

There is a 6 months time limit to use up all the bandwidth before the account is de-activated.
Click to expand...

Prepaid account

ADSL PREpaid Accounts - Do you like to purchase bandwidth in bulk then the PREpaid accounts will be just fine for you. You will not be billed monthly for this account.

There is a 12 months time limit to use up all the bandwidth before the account is de-activated.
Click to expand...
 
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What is the catch with the Nashua Mobile offer? I can't see how they can offer the 384K line plus 1GB unshaped together with a Billion 7300G for R139 per month and allow you to use your own ISP for additional bandwidth. The router alone is worth R700+ i.e. ~R60 per month which leaves R80 for both the line and the bandwidth. Are you supposed to return the router at the end of the contract? What happens after 1 year, does the price suddenly increase? Are you supposed to give 3 months notice after the contract expires to disconnect the service effectively increasing the contract to 15 months? Are there any setup costs involved? Personally I would combine it with a 2GB All Access account to give 5GB international plus 20GB of local for a total of R288 per month or R228 if you factor out the cost of the router. This sounds too good to be true. Maybe they will start to restrict the optional ISP very soon?
 
Yotch said:
What is the catch with the Nashua Mobile offer? I can't see how they can offer the 384K line plus 1GB unshaped together with a Billion 7300G for R139 per month and allow you to use your own ISP for additional bandwidth. The router alone is worth R700+ i.e. ~R60 per month which leaves R80 for both the line and the bandwidth. Are you supposed to return the router at the end of the contract? What happens after 1 year, does the price suddenly increase? Are you supposed to give 3 months notice after the contract expires to disconnect the service effectively increasing the contract to 15 months? Are there any setup costs involved? Personally I would combine it with a 2GB All Access account to give 5GB international plus 20GB of local for a total of R288 per month or R228 if you factor out the cost of the router. This sounds too good to be true. Maybe they will start to restrict the optional ISP very soon?
Click to expand...

Well so far I cannot see a catch! It is a 12 month contract, so that is the only catch. But at only R139 per month I feel this is not very long at all. If things are really that bad I can suffer for a few months and get another ISP in the interim.

Not sure what happens after one year in terms of cost. It does not say anything so if the price does go up you merely unsubscribe. You are only tied in for 1 year, so they would be stupid to increase it by too much otherwise they lose all the people they have gained. This is a special and the usual price is R195 per month.

The notice period is only 1 month and you can give that in month 11 if you want and get out after 12 months. I have read the terms and conditions.

No upfront costs at all. I had an ADSL line already through Telkom and switched it across to Nashua with no interruption.

I cannot see how they would restrict your use of another ISP? You put the new ISP settings on your router or via PPPoe so not sure how they would limit your ability to do this? If they do they lose me and I am sure many others....

Who is 2Gb all access with? My situation is R139 to Nashua for 1Gb, R130 to OpenWeb for 30Gb local (or thinking 1Gb international with 30Gb free local for R139 is a better option but with RouteSentry I need seperate international and local accounts) , and then looking at R69 per Gb with Axxess if I need more international. This is a total of only R278 but for only 1Gb international.
 
OK I just checked out the 2Gb All Access account and I am having a rethink about how I do things... Thanks Yotch :)

I am now thinking I have my Nashua account which pays for my ADSL line and gives me a stand by Gig to use in emergencies but I may get me a Telkom 2Gb All access account (as much as I hate giving Telkom money but at least I took the line rental away from them!).

Am I correct that this will then usually give me well in excess of 2Gb if needed due to the "collective threshold" policy they have?

After this I will then be switched into the local only cap which is 20Gb on top of this, or is it 20Gb less what you have used already?

My thought process is when this happens then I will let Route Sentry kick in and use this Telkom account for my local and the 1Gb Nashua account for my international! Anyone know what your ISP does or says when you do not use any of your cap in a month? As this will be the case if I don't use all my Telkom in a month.

This will mean costs as follows :

Telkom phone line rental R110 odd
Nashua account with 1Gb and 384k ADSL rental R139
Telkom 2Gb (+) all access with 20Gb local R139

Total R388

As opposed to :

Telkom phone line rental R110 odd
Nashua account with 1Gb and 384k ADSL rental R139
OpenWeb 30Gb local only R130
2 x Additional Gbs from Axxess R138

Total R546

The only thing that worries me with this is the question over the local with Telkom being "promotional"! But as far as I am aware there is no need to sign an account so if it stops, I move!
 
I think the 2GB AA is R149 not R139?

Two months ago I managed to get around 7.5GB of international out of my 2GB All Access account. Recently it has been regularly capped at just over 4GB though but sometimes I try to stay uncapped so I don't test the limit. In your case you should be able to test the limit every month and use the NM 1GB as a topup. Some months after you are capped you may be uncapped again at some random time so you just need to keep checking regularly after restarting your router.

You can't accumulate any bandwidth on the Telkom account - use it or lose it. I'm not sure if you would still get the 10 X 30 minute free T-Zone hotspot access or whether this is only for customers with lines from Telkom. I would personally give it a try and let us know. I think I also read that unofficially the 2GB AA allows 2 concurrent sessions (on the website it says 1) - if you have a second line from NM you might be able to share some of the bandwidth with the second line if necessary to further reduce the overall cost i.e. 2GB All Access bandwidth costs around R37-25/GB (R149/4) as against R69+ if you need to purchase an additional topup for the second line.

I personally rarely use much of the local bandwidth but I think you are supposed to get a full 20GB - that's according to the advert I received with my bill this month. Telkom's bandwidth monitor separates your use into blended and local access -https://secure.telkomsa.net/titracker/ - the local access counter only appears to start incrementing from zero once the international component (blended access) has been capped. Currently my local access consumption is zero and the local access is being counted together with the international as blended access. Lots of customers are still using more than the specified local limits and nobody has been charged yet as far as I am aware.

Did you manage to get a free months' line rental from Telkom when you disconnected the ADSL part of your line? I remember a hefty bill when I first got ADSL.
 
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LancelotSA if you have a telkom adsl line enabled, then you could just use an axxess voucher. I mean for a 2 rand more you could get 2GB Axxess voucher (no worries about a contract etc) than paying R139 for 1GB from Nashua.

Personally that is what I would do, although if you get a 2GB telkom package (thats what I use)+ Axxess its cheaper
 
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