Cell C Network Issues: Disconnects, Coverage, Throughput Problems - Report Here

amazingly I have an in building antenna directly above my desk yet I cannot get a single kb of data on Cell C.
Unfortunately the antennae on the base stations are normally arranged to radiate outwards to provide maximum coverage, not point straight down.
 
Sat waiting at the barber earlier. full H+ signal but could not even facebook. Cell C, you have 21 months to fix this otherwise I am porting back to Vodacom. ( I can hear them laughing from here: We gave him 1GB of data per month but he can't use it!")

I feel your pain. I first had the speedstick from Cell C, eventually gave it away to my brother (Doubt he's using it). Foolishly went and got a contract with Cell C months later, thinking the signal was better, Now I can't use the 1GB of data I get monthly at home or at work. Refreshing my twitter feed is frustrating!

I've complained 3 times and still nothing has been done, they had the nerve to tell me to try connecting during the early hours of the morning. Stay away from Cell C.
 
Location: N1 City, Cape Town
Date & Time of Issue: 2013-08-23 16:30
Device Manufacturer & Model (e.g. Huawei E1820, ZTE MF190, Not: Black Modem, White Modem): Huawei E3276
Contract Type (pre- or post-paid): pre-paid
Existing reference numbers from Helpdesk: not yet
RAT (2G/3G/HSPA+): HSPA+
www.speedtest.net results (if possible): not possible
Cell ID (if possible): 40541
RSSI (if possible, see How to check signal strength (RSSI)): -61dBm
Any other information relevant to the problem: connected, but hardly any throughput

Code:
$ traceroute mybroadband.co.za
traceroute to mybroadband.co.za (41.203.21.137), 30 hops max, 60 byte packets
 1  * * *
 2  10.228.223.70 (10.228.223.70)  1103.364 ms  1205.201 ms  1541.286 ms
 3  41.48.16.1 (41.48.16.1)  1699.246 ms  1925.320 ms  1925.756 ms
 4  41.48.0.3 (41.48.0.3)  2367.197 ms  2367.658 ms  2483.300 ms
 5  41.48.253.38 (41.48.253.38)  2483.731 ms  2591.251 ms  2825.099 ms
 6  197.96.77.129 (197.96.77.129)  2947.025 ms  2183.698 ms  2193.958 ms
 7  168.209.1.179 (168.209.1.179)  1973.800 ms  2075.828 ms 196.26.0.130 (196.26.0.130)  1981.597 ms
 8  41.208.29.126 (41.208.29.126)  2131.327 ms  1690.992 ms  1817.373 ms
 9  196.44.0.223 (196.44.0.223)  2023.852 ms  2659.301 ms  2807.734 ms
10  196.44.31.99 (196.44.31.99)  2825.819 ms *  2911.947 ms
11  ge10-1-1sub0.te3.jnb6.za.mtnbusiness.net (196.31.220.8)  3339.931 ms 196.31.220.6 (196.31.220.6)  3224.428 ms 196.30.1.53 (196.30.1.53)  3307.794 ms
12  tengigabitethernet9-1.gw20.jnb6.za.mtnbusiness.net (196.31.220.25)  3616.015 ms tengigabitethernet1-1.gw21.jnb6.za.mtnbusiness.net (196.31.220.21)  3789.868 ms tengigabitethernet9-1.gw21.jnb6.za.mtnbusiness.net (196.31.220.27)  4130.805 ms
13  tengigabitethernet5-2.hr9.jnb6.za.mtnbusiness.net (196.31.63.150)  4175.800 ms  4025.805 ms *
14  * * *
15  core-access-switch1-vlan1001.jnb.host-h.net (41.72.136.53)  320.018 ms *  879.747 ms
16  mybroadband.co.za (41.203.21.137)  1159.689 ms  1079.687 ms  1279.608 ms

Update: it was working late last night. This afternoon it is still working, but barely.
 
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I used to use cell c in my 3g modem but switched to 8 ta. Waaaayyyy better coverage and much more reliable internet connection. And with their recent promo better prices 2.
 
Thanks Cell C for fixing connection to our local tower !!!! Took one not responded call to 140, a message left on their website, with response, a PM to the Cell C rep on MyBB and three visits to the local tower over about 10 weeks by 3 different techies, but at least we can move again.
Last Result:
Download Speed: 4743 kbps (592.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 1704 kbps (213 KB/sec transfer rate)
Latency: 70 ms
9/11/2013 10:50:01 AM
Location :Fouriesburg, FS
 
been having increased number of dropped calls and total "loss of network" since yesterday from PTA to JHB. Any others experiencing this?
 
been having increased number of dropped calls and total "loss of network" since yesterday from PTA to JHB. Any others experiencing this?

With our router reporting full signal, our connection has been spotty all day, from great to nothing.

Model Name: B683
Modem Software Version: 1196.11.455.01.112
Modem Hardware Version: WL1B683M002
IMEI: 867889005501182
Ecio: -6 dB
RSCP: -66 dBm
RSSI: -60 dBm
Cell ID: 23041
Service Status: Circuit & Packet Switched Capable
APN: internet
SIM Card Status: SIM Ready
WLAN Status: On
 
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With our router reporting full signal, our connection has been spotty all day, from great to nothing.

Model Name: B683
Modem Software Version: 1196.11.455.01.112
Modem Hardware Version: WL1B683M002
IMEI: 867889005501182
Ecio: -6 dB
RSCP: -66 dBm
RSSI: -60 dBm
Cell ID: 23041
Service Status: Circuit & Packet Switched Capable
APN: internet
SIM Card Status: SIM Ready
WLAN Status: On

Same problem the entire day at the office in Sandton. Then on n1n back to pta, no service until old jhb rd.
 
Almost impossible to make a voice call on CellC in Onder-Papegaaiberg, Stellenbosch for the last few weeks.
I can hear the other party fine, but the other party always complains that I am breaking up. Calls often drop.
Data speed on HSDPA is about 400kbps Download & 250kbps Upload.
Signal varies from fair (-90dBm) to poor (-105dBm). CID/LAC 26389473 42
 
Cellc seems to have got their act together. The data network seems to be fine now. 4 2 months I could always connect with stick but after 10-20min it disconnects in a strange way that the PC cannot even see the stick to re-connect. One had to remove it and re-load the configuration when the stick is put back in. After a lot of calls cellc indicated they will look into it. Without coming back to me it seems ok now.

While at the South Coast recently I had the same problem as in Centurion. I spoke to a owner of a cell phone shop there and he indicated some evenings he cannot connect at all. So I count myself lucky that I could at least connect :)
 
There is a huge problem in Central Stellenbosch during the last 2 -3 weeks. Between 10.00 and 17.00 the service is so sporadic that it is effectively unusable. The connection drops continuously and when it is connected it is unusable due to high pings and low speeds. There is no problem with the signal strength. The problem is consistent across 4 ios devices and 2 modems using a router and a pc.
 
Been struggling with my data connection at home at night for about a year now. Logged a call with Cell C in the beginning of the year. Ref# 1730495

Been with them for about 3/4 years now. I started using them with the prepaid data promos in the days of Lars Reichelt, it used to work well back then. Ported my number/contract on Saturday to Telkom mobile.

So long Cell C, its been a roller coaster ride.

Edit: here was a speed test for old time sake:
http://www.speedtest.net/android/615198362.png

Speed test on Telkom:
http://www.speedtest.net/android/616898093.png
 
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Limited throughput in Cape Town - Cell C helpline unavailable and no response to Twitter or FB messages. All that advertising spend and they are not paying attention to the basics that could mean so much more than TV campaigns in creating customer loyalty and building the brand...

3046969087.png

Device
Device name: E3276
Application port: HUAWEIMOBILE-Pcui
Serial number: A2F5TC92B2102752
IMEI: <<removed>>
Hardware Version: CH1E3276SM
Firmware Version: 21.192.13.00.00
Software Version: 23.009.05.00.368

SIM/USIM
Own number(MSISDN): Unknown
Messages in SIM/USIM: 0/25
Contacts in SIM/USIM: 6/250
Message center number: +27841000000
PIN code status: Ready

Network status
Network name: Cell C
RSSI: -71dBm
Cell ID: AAC2
CS network registration: Registered
PS network registration: Registered
PS network attachment: Attached

Network settings
APN: internet
Network selection mode: Automatic
 
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no internets in amanzimtoti (i'm guessing everywhere else too?) due to dns failure.

i tried resetting my phone to refresh, but that didn't help. the chrome browser just says nothing, but the standard browser gave me a dns lookup error. i connected my laptop and tried to ping tock.meraka.csir.co.za (time server and the first one that auto-completes on start -> run) and it didn't resolve to ip.

i changed my laptop's dns to 8.8.8.8 and 196.25.1.1 and it's all good. doesn't help me on my phone though...
 
no internets in amanzimtoti (i'm guessing everywhere else too?) due to dns failure.

i tried resetting my phone to refresh, but that didn't help. the chrome browser just says nothing, but the standard browser gave me a dns lookup error. i connected my laptop and tried to ping tock.meraka.csir.co.za (time server and the first one that auto-completes on start -> run) and it didn't resolve to ip.

i changed my laptop's dns to 8.8.8.8 and 196.25.1.1 and it's all good. doesn't help me on my phone though...

Hi "Easter Bunny", Please let me know if the problem persist. *DM*
 
I'm having huge data issues with my Galaxy S4 in Jhb.

After speaking to Cell C's it dept I still had issues so put it on Hello Peter and now they respond. We will see what happens now.
 
We are having some serious network problems in Edendale (PMB) 3G is non existant today /cry.
HELP this is not life
 
After months of being patient I finally decided to give Telkom mobile a try and I can say that I have had none of the data connectivity issues I have been having with cell-c the past couple of years. Sorry to say but you just lost a customer cell-c!
 
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