Contract use getting preference over prepaid!!!

C

capdog

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Hi guys, I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but I frequently get disconnected from the Vodacom network (in Durban, Huawei e220, prepaid with databundles).

On a bad day, where I can't stay connected for more than 3 minutes at a time, I pop in my contract sim (vodacom, talk 120) and get a perfect connection! I've tried complaining to the helpline and raising issues, but it does nothing - nobody seems to be able to explain why contract sims get preference over prepaid!!

Other days (like this morning for example), I couldn't connect on my prepaid, but my contract sim is 100%.

Anyone have any answers? I'm going nuts here.
 
I think it has something to do with the prepaid authentication system, or it did anyway, not sure if that's been fixed yet.
 
Perhaps the one is a 64k card and the other is 128k? I know there were some issues with the smaller ones and a prepaid has a decent chance of being a smaller one.
 
Both sim cards are 32k ... is that bad? does it make a major difference?
 
Thanks everyone,

v3g> any idea if it will get fixed soon?

Maybe I should start buying data bundles on my contract and just swop sims all the time!
 
thanks - need to get a new bundle soon so it would be awesome to know!
 
I've switched onto an old Virgin sim card - it's slow (EDGE) but at least it's stable with no disconnects!!
 
Hi v3g,

I called the vodacom help today again, and they told me that my sim card might be faulty and that I should go off to the Vodacare centre and get it tested.

Being a technical person myself, I can tell when a call centre agent doesn't really sound like they :

(a) understand the problem
(b) understand the solution that they are proposing

So, before I take a couple of hours out of my day to do this, could you advise me whether it will be worth investigating if the sim is broken? Like I said, I can connect fine, but I constantly get kicked off. I am typing this using my contract sim which has been up now for an hour at least and is 100%.

Thanks!
 
capdog said:
Hi v3g,

I called the vodacom help today again, and they told me that my sim card might be faulty and that I should go off to the Vodacare centre and get it tested.

Being a technical person myself, I can tell when a call centre agent doesn't really sound like they :

(a) understand the problem
(b) understand the solution that they are proposing

So, before I take a couple of hours out of my day to do this, could you advise me whether it will be worth investigating if the sim is broken? Like I said, I can connect fine, but I constantly get kicked off. I am typing this using my contract sim which has been up now for an hour at least and is 100%.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

As a technical person, you'll also know well lthat nothing is impossible, so I won't rule a faulty SIM out. But I'd first test a few other parameters, such as the area you're in.

Is it possible to test at another location? Another SIM in the same setup, etc?
 
Thanks for the advice v3g.

A friend of mine came over with his laptop, his e220 and a vodacom prepaid sim card, and got the same results... 5 bars of HSDPA would suddenly drop to nothing, then onto 3g, then disconnect... every 2 minutes.

My solution now has been to buy an MTN sim card for R1, and buy the same data bundle on MTN.

My connection hasn't dropped once all day, and it's been 100% HSDPA, super fast and reliable. Let's just hope it holds!
 
During the Metallica concert at Centurion, those amongst us with voda contracts could send sms's, and make the occasional phone call if they tried hard enough.

Pay-As-You-Go/4U ... They could do NOTHING.

there is definitely a preference thing running.

[well, not definately, but it sure as heck seem'd like it]
 
Last edited:
stoke said:
During the Metallica concert at Centurion, those amongst us with voda contracts could send sms's, and make the occasional phone call if they tried hard enough.

Pay-As-You-Go/4U ... They could do NOTHING.

there is definitely a preference thing running.
Click to expand...
Incidental maybe but definitely not deliberate.

PS: When was there a Metallica concert in SA :confused:
 
ic said:
Incidental maybe but definitely not deliberate.

PS: When was there a Metallica concert in SA :confused:
Click to expand...

:D :D :D

The "Coca-cola Massive mix" festival, March 18 2006. They played Durban and CPT as well: Seether and Metallica, Collective Soul, Fatboy-Slim, Audio Bullys, Stereo MC's, Simple Plan, Collective Soul, The Rasmus, Seether, etc etc...

Perhaps you were out of the country, or snowed under with work?
 
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