Complete Noob (idiot) needs advice on getting Cable Internet

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StefanA

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Hi All

I have always been using Vodacom LTE with my tablet on WI-Fi Hotspot/Tethering, so I can connect my Laptop, 2 x Phones and Daughter's tablet to the net. But it is starting to get expensive buying like 20 GIG's a month, and my daughter is complaining because she wants to download more Android games, music and stream a bit of video/movie/stories/or something like that.

We are not in a Telkom Futurehood or area with Fibre available (Atlasville,Boksburg) so a copper line seems to be the only option.

But I do not know what to take, people are throwing words like DSL, ADSL, VDSL, Uncapped vs Premium Uncapped, Modem, Router etc at me, and I am clueless.

I've looked at a hell of a lot of ISP's websites and a good medium between speed vs cost looks to be about 8mbps.

What would be my best option to have a Uncapped contract for the above use, where I can connect 4 devices through WiFi at an okay speed for the streaming thingy. What Line, ISP or package would you recommend, dumbed down answer please.

My budget is about R800 a month.

Please Help!!!
 
Your landline (voice) is paid separately, then ADSL line paid separately, then data. I have a 4meg line managed by the ISP and pay them R440 p.m. the voice line costs about R200, so total R640 per month. The landline is never used but you have to have it to get ADSL. 16Gig capped.

When visitors come over and 4 or 5 devices are connected the speed drops dramatically.
 
LazyLion said:
"Cable" Internet?

You need to move to the USA, dude! :D
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Hahahah - I told you I am a tech-idiot. I meant DSL/ADSL/VDSL something like that. Hoping to get something where I can use maybe 50 - 80Gigs without need to worry about having to top up my Vodacom line with 5 Gigs at R399 every week.
 
Why not go for Afrihost 20mbps uncapped? R969/month. I would go for that if I were you.
 
"Phone line" from Telkom: R200 incl per month
Web Africa Capped Account 100Gb +(1 000 Gb from midnight to 6 am): R 199 incl per month
Web Africa ADSL Line Management (4Mb): R300 incl per month.

Total: R 699 incl per month

As easy as that.
 
I have 4meg uncapped with telkom. I download a lot but schedule main download for the midnight to 7am time. I would preffer an 8meg line but our exchange is to old. We are 5 people in the house each with our own laptops and phones and also 2 gaming pc's. Also 2 smart tv's in the house. I currently pay R791 all included.
 
Thanks so far guys.

But is 4mbps fast enough for the streaming thing my daughter wants to do?
 
StefanA said:
Unfortunately not, about 2 city blocks outside their coverage. Did send my address to show interest, but no reply so far.
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If you're lucky, you might just still get reception. Try and do a connection test using a friends Telkom-mobile-compatible LTE modem. I believe the R599 uncapped kit comes with wifi router+modem and external antenna. See here http://www.telkom.co.za/today/unlimited-broadband/

Note your current vodacom LTE modem probably won't work. You need a 2300MHz TDD LTE capable modem for the test. Most vodacom/mtn/cell c lte modems & regular LTE phones and tablets support 1800 or 2100 MHz FDD. You can check you tablet specs on gsmarena.com. Be sure to note the exact model, as the supported frequencies and protocols are model/country specific.
 
4mbps will be fine for 720p but remember if anyone else uses the internet at the same time it will get annoying for everyone as streams will buffer and overall it will be much slower. 5mbps is needed for 1080p.
 
If you want to got with Telkom they have a 10meg line plus 100 gig data including line rental for R699.
 
That is another thing that is confusing me, I get 37Mbps Download on my Vodacom Wi-Fi with tablet as hotspot, and 62Mbps on my Vodacom LTE phone at home. Is 4Mbps or even 8Mbps not going to be extremely slow? Or am I missing something..

I have no problem with the speed on Vodacom just the cost works out to R80 per Gig, so I am using as little data as posiible (about 20 Gig per month), I would like to be able to use like 3 or 4 times that, without having 3 or 4 times the cost.
 
User52 said:
4mbps will be fine for 720p but remember if anyone else uses the internet at the same time it will get annoying for everyone as streams will buffer and overall it will be much slower. 5mbps is needed for 1080p.
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Thanks, good to know.
 
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