Afrihost VDSL and Capped Package suddenly stopped working. Please help!

P

Professor Farnsworth

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2010
Messages
148
Reaction score
0
Location
Cape Town
My wife and I are on an Afrihost 50GB packed package, and Afrihost is also managing our 20Mbps VDSL line. We loved the service we were getting, which was flawless until yesterday.

Yesterday we suddenly had no internet access at all. Upon noticing this, I looked at my D-Link D300 router and took note that all the LEDs were as normal (the expected ones were on, green and not blinking). I logged into the router's setup page, which informed me that I was actually connected to Afrihost. Yet I was unable to browse.

Suspecting a problem with the DNS server, I tried pinging an IP address but this also didn't work. I then also tried with the Telkom guest account and was able to visit the Telkom website, proving that the line was fine. I switched back to my Afrihost login and phoned the Afrihost support number several times throughout the day, and the consultants informed me that the connection was active on their end but that no data was being moved. One of the consultants informed me that there was a problem with the RADIUS server that would need fixing and that this would take 10 minutes.

When after 30 minutes I still was without a connection, I called the support centre again and spoke with a gentleman, who after trying various settings, informed me to re-verify my DSL line with Telkom. I therefore logged into the router using the Telkom guest account. This worked and allowed me to browse to the site www.telkom.co.za/verifyadsl, where I verified my connection. Doing this made the problem worse - now the router is unable to establish any PPPoE connection at all. The PPP LED keeps flashing but never connects, even after about 16 hours. I phoned Telkom and tried all sorts of things, like lowering the line speed, but to no avail. The Telkom consultant informed me that the router was not connecting to the exchange.

I feel very let down by Afrihost. I pay Afrihost to manage my Telkom line so that they deal with Telkom on my behalf. I have had to have several dealings with Telkom and nobody at the Afrihost support team was willing to take ownership of this problem, even after several calls all afternoon. I got the feeling that many of the Afrihost consultants tried to get rid of me by making me do things like turn the router off for extended periods and try again.

Is anyone able to provide any insight or assist with this matter?
 
Sounds like the VDSL port on your local MSAN. I had something similar to what you first experienced, I got an IP address, DNS servers etc for 3 different ISP accounts, but nothing would work. No DNS resolution, no ping/tracert beyond the 1st hop etc.

In the end it was the port configuration on my local MSAN, I'm guessing Layer 3 connectivity wasn't set correctly. Tell AH support that they need to get Telkom to reconfigure your port. Whatever you do don't click "fix my line" in the client zone as I tried that and it made everything much worse i.e. your scenario 2.

Afrihost support did get mine working again after they contacted Telkom. Telkom arrived the next morning and 30 minutes later everything was perfect.
 
See JayKay's response here (post number 19):

First of all, Afrihost did not tell me I needed a new modem. Even when I bought one (Pace), I still could not connect. As far as Afrihost was concerned, the line was syncing and all should work. But I could not connect to any ISP including the Telkom guest account. It was only when Telkom switched me back to 10mbps ADSL that I was online again.

I was down for the whole week and lost days of lost chargeable hours. It seems like I spent most of my life talking to the guys on the Afrihost call center. Cannot remember the number of times I had to unplug/plug the router, reset to factory specs, reboot my PC, type in command level instructions, etc. Every time I called I got someone else and had to go through the whole rigmarole again.
Click to expand...

I had to buy the Pace router. This fixed it. It seems that it worked in the past with the Netgear as they didn't actually apply the VDSL settings until I verified the connection using Telkom's verifyadsl tool.
 
Professor Farnsworth said:
See JayKay's response here (post number 19):



I had to buy the Pace router. This fixed it. It seems that it worked in the past with the Netgear as they didn't actually apply the VDSL settings until I verified the connection using Telkom's verifyadsl tool.
Click to expand...

LOL.

Blaming Afrihost when you didn't think that VDSL requires a VDSL modem.
 
Wrong. I was advised by Afrihost support that an adsl modem would work with vdsl. Furthermore, if you re-read my original post (and also the thread title) you will find thay I was asking for help, rather than blaming anyone. I expressed dissatisfaction with Afrihost's response to the problem. Support yesterday, despite asking what make and model I used, did not advise on a solution and nobody took ownership of the problem
 
Professor Farnsworth said:
Wrong. I was advised by Afrihost support that an adsl modem would work with vdsl. Furthermore, if you re-read my original post (and also the thread title) you will find thay I was asking for help, rather than blaming anyone. I expressed dissatisfaction with Afrihost's response to the problem. Support yesterday, despite asking what make and model I used, did not advise on a solution and nobody took ownership of the problem
Click to expand...

Unfortunately that is the new standard for AH :( At least you're sorted. I would have sold you my Pace modem for R500 as I hate the thing :D
 
This happened to me when I had VDSL as well. It's because the modulation type is for ADSL2+ which gives you over 10mbps speed

ADSL2+ ITU G.992.5

Which is why it'll work with your normal router. Then at some point something clicks on their side and your modulation actually changes to VDSL

VDSL ITU G.993.1
VDSL2 ITU G.993.2
 
S1ght said:
This happened to me when I had VDSL as well. It's because the modulation type is for ADSL2+ which gives you over 10mbps speed

ADSL2+ ITU G.992.5

Which is why it'll work with your normal router. Then at some point something clicks on their side and your modulation actually changes to VDSL

VDSL ITU G.993.1
VDSL2 ITU G.993.2
Click to expand...

Hi Guys

Please can you help me. I am having the exact same problem. Connected to Internet but no browsing. I have a zyxel vdsl router. I have just upgraded from adsl to vdsl. I did a speed test and got 13mbs, then switched the router off and on and got this problem. Afrihist has no idea how to fix other than oh we have had other clients with this problem.
 
I had the same problem.

Reset your Zyxel to factory settings and then set to VDSL.

This should do the trick, worked for me.
 
Jola said:
I had the same problem.

Reset your Zyxel to factory settings and then set to VDSL.

This should do the trick, worked for me.
Click to expand...

Tried that now, still nothing. This is so frustrating!
 
Professor Farnsworth said:
Wrong. I was advised by Afrihost support that an adsl modem would work with vdsl. Furthermore, if you re-read my original post (and also the thread title) you will find thay I was asking for help, rather than blaming anyone. I expressed dissatisfaction with Afrihost's response to the problem. Support yesterday, despite asking what make and model I used, did not advise on a solution and nobody took ownership of the problem
Click to expand...

Unfortunately it seems that Afrihost are a bit understaffed at the moment :( But they say they are busy training new peeps to be tech support people and they should be all good by next year :D
 
Shot in the dark... I also had a problem with a newly installed line (4mb) where I was syncing fine but not browsing (except telkom page on guest account). Eventually got telkom (DSL technical support) to reset adsl verification. Restarted the process and worked fine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X