Contract vs Prepaid

E

evolution

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I'm having an odd issue here. My contract sim which doesnt have a data bundle can connect using the merlin card, but not the prepaid sim, which i normally use. Putting it into my phone doesnt even work (prepaid one)! WHAT on earth is up with that??

Vodacom......explain....
 
evolution said:
I'm having an odd issue here. My contract sim which doesnt have a data bundle can connect using the merlin card, but not the prepaid sim, which i normally use. Putting it into my phone doesnt even work (prepaid one)! WHAT on earth is up with that??

Vodacom......explain....
Click to expand...
What connection settings are you using with that pre-paid SIM Card, when last did you use the pre-paid SIM Card - maybe the number has been recycled, have you tried to make an ordinary call using the pre-paid SIM Card - does that work? - basically details are required here before an opinion can be formed as to the likely cause of the problem.
 
Explanation

Connection Settings: I'm using the standard stuff as far as I know with the APN being 'internet', no username and password. The connection is established with a Novatel Merlin XU870 pc-express card.

Other info to know. This pre-paid card has been in use for about 6 months now and during that time was pretty much used to connect every day. Currently I still connect everyday since 18th of February as its the only internet connection I have until I'm moving to a permanent place.

The funny thing is. The past two days I left the connection on around 10pm and then went off to do other things. When I got back it was still connected with an orange light (hsdpa), but no data gets received at all. So I disconnected and then on the reconnect, it just fails. Immediately after that I used my phone and connected via that, which is only GPRS, but it worked straight away. So I take out my contract sim and put it in the Novatel....*ding* it connects instantly. So I put the pre-paid sim into the phone and tried to connect via phone.... All i got was 'Conn. Error, contact provider if problem persists'. Seeing as its both Vodacom sim cards I didnt bother changing settings as both should use the same stuff not?

Think that covers the story in full. With regards to making a call on it. I havent tried it yet. Any clues on this one?
 
my advise is not to spend any more time on your prepaid sim. Go to Pick-n-Pay, buy a new sim card @ R0.99, load some data bundles and enjoy!

I've been online with a brand new sim card in less than 20 minutes... Sometimes it is just not worth swapping sim cards around and struggling with simplistic issues.
 
evolution said:
Connection Settings: I'm using the standard stuff as far as I know with the APN being 'internet', no username and password. The connection is established with a Novatel Merlin XU870 pc-express card.

Other info to know. This pre-paid card has been in use for about 6 months now and during that time was pretty much used to connect every day. Currently I still connect everyday since 18th of February as its the only internet connection I have until I'm moving to a permanent place.

The funny thing is. The past two days I left the connection on around 10pm and then went off to do other things. When I got back it was still connected with an orange light (hsdpa), but no data gets received at all. So I disconnected and then on the reconnect, it just fails. Immediately after that I used my phone and connected via that, which is only GPRS, but it worked straight away. So I take out my contract sim and put it in the Novatel....*ding* it connects instantly. So I put the pre-paid sim into the phone and tried to connect via phone.... All i got was 'Conn. Error, contact provider if problem persists'. Seeing as its both Vodacom sim cards I didnt bother changing settings as both should use the same stuff not?

Think that covers the story in full. With regards to making a call on it. I havent tried it yet. Any clues on this one?
Click to expand...
Weird is all I can say, the connection settings are correct, not sure about an orange LED but I'm also not familiar with Novatel data card modems.

I suggested making a call to check if the SIM Card's associated MSISDN hasn't been recycled, but it doesn't sound like it could have been recycled.

I recommend that you call 155 or email [email protected], and see what Vodacom's Data Helpdesk has to say about that pre-paid SIM Card - insist on being assigned a reference number for this issue if it cannot be resolved over the phone.
MobileAllOver said:
my advise is not to spend any more time on your prepaid sim. Go to Pick-n-Pay, buy a new sim card @ R0.99, load some data bundles and enjoy!

I've been online with a brand new sim card in less than 20 minutes... Sometimes it is just not worth swapping sim cards around and struggling with simplistic issues.
Click to expand...
True, although I'm the sort of person that insists on knowing what happened and why - often to my detriment.
 
Well as simple as that is. I have 1.4gig left on my data-bundle on the pre-paid :( Don't feel like throwing it away....
 
ic said:
Weird is all I can say, the connection settings are correct, not sure about an orange LED but I'm also not familiar with Novatel data card modems.

I suggested making a call to check if the SIM Card's associated MSISDN hasn't been recycled, but it doesn't sound like it could have been recycled.

I recommend that you call 155 or email [email protected], and see what Vodacom's Data Helpdesk has to say about that pre-paid SIM Card - insist on being assigned a reference number for this issue if it cannot be resolved over the phone.True, although I'm the sort of person that insists on knowing what happened and why - often to my detriment.
Click to expand...

Ok well I'll give that a go in just a minute. The Novatel card just shows different LED colours so you know what speed its connected at. 'Orange/Yellow'=HSDPA, 'Blue'=3G, 'Purple/Pink'=Edge & 'Green'=GPRS.

The really odd thing as well is this... I'm currently connected on the pre-paid one, it NEVER gives problems during the day. At night though its a different story....
 
evolution said:
Ok well I'll give that a go in just a minute. The Novatel card just shows different LED colours so you know what speed its connected at. 'Orange/Yellow'=HSDPA, 'Blue'=3G, 'Purple/Pink'=Edge & 'Green'=GPRS.

The really odd thing as well is this... I'm currently connected on the pre-paid one, it NEVER gives problems during the day. At night though its a different story....
Click to expand...

That is so true!
 
Ok, so I've tested that pre-paid sim and it works. I can make calls and everything so I take it the MSISDN is fine. Apart from that I've sent Vodacom an email... so lets see what they have to say. I'll post the reply here later once I get one.
 
vodacom3g said:
This "8:30pm connectivity problem"; Can I get more details:

1) Pre-paid / Contract?
2) Area?
3) Symptoms?
Click to expand...

1) Prepaid.

2) As per my Location.

3) Well, the last week or so 3G dies at a certain point. DNS Errors, No throughput. Luckily no Disconnections(thanks to 3G Only Profile ;) ), but the switch from HSDPA to 3G is a disconnection within itself, especially when you playing a MMO. Here at work during the day its all good(a odd moment here or there), but it works well.

I'm not really complaining though(my patience is endless), i'm just agreeing with IC that(especially with Prepiad IMO) evenings can become a nightmare.
 
Iam3G said:
I'm not really complaining though(my patience is endless), i'm just agreeing with IC that(especially with Prepiad IMO) evenings can become a nightmare.
Click to expand...
:eek: where did I say that :confused:

Luckily, in my 'hood, I don't have evening headaches from Vodacom's HSDPA - at least not yet.
 
ic said:
:eek: where did I say that :confused:

Luckily, in my 'hood, I don't have evening headaches from Vodacom's HSDPA - at least not yet.
Click to expand...

Well in my 'hood', it can nogal become a pain. Its rare that it gets that bad, but when it does... need i say more.

And my apollogies. You didnt say it perce, but i agree with you about the evenings. Thats what i meant.
 
Iam3G said:
Well in my 'hood', it can nogal become a pain. Its rare that it gets that bad, but when it does... need i say more.

And my apollogies. You didnt say it perce, but i agree with you about the evenings. Thats what i meant.
Click to expand...
No problemo :).

The thing is that there are differences in throughput and number of concurrent users and especially available backhaul capacity and the number of installed & operational base-station - which differ from one region or even area|suburb to the next, so it makes perfect sense that customers in location X are likely to experience something completely different to customers in location Y.

I guess up to now I have been very lucky :p especially considering the abysmal Telkodemonopolies ADSL in my area :( - i.e. not many people can get ADSL and are likely to be using HSDPA instead and overloading the base-stations in my area, but it doesn't appear to have happened yet :).
 
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