Cool Ideas or Home Connect

I am in exactly the same boat at the moment: choosing between Cool Ideas and Home-Connect.

Now, it's obvious that most people here recommend Cool Ideas. However, nobody has commented on why not Home-Connect.

I have read good things about Home-Connect too. All else being equal, why would I want to go with Cool Ideas when Home-Connect is cheaper?

I am looking at the 50/50 packages:

Home-Connect -> R958pm plus R999.00 activation fee.
Cool Ideas -> R1069pm no activation fee.

The R111pm saving with Home-Connect is negated for 9 months to make up for the activation fee. However, after that its R111pm cheaper for ever.

It is a cut-throat business I know, but in the end if I don't see the value of paying R111 per month more for a service, why do it? Since both ISP's have Vumatel as fiber provider, I ASSUME the fee they pay Vumatel is the same. This means Cool Ideas is making R111pm more profit. Does that equal R111pm better value to me as the customer?

I know there will be some of you that'll say, "It looks like you've made up your mind. Why are you asking us?". Valid question. BUT, like I said in the beginning, nobody here has said anything about Home-Connect. I would like to know why it would be a bad idea to go with Home-Connect.
 
Giro said:
I am in exactly the same boat at the moment: choosing between Cool Ideas and Home-Connect.

Now, it's obvious that most people here recommend Cool Ideas. However, nobody has commented on why not Home-Connect.

I have read good things about Home-Connect too. All else being equal, why would I want to go with Cool Ideas when Home-Connect is cheaper?

I am looking at the 50/50 packages:

Home-Connect -> R958pm plus R999.00 activation fee.
Cool Ideas -> R1069pm no activation fee.

The R111pm saving with Home-Connect is negated for 9 months to make up for the activation fee. However, after that its R111pm cheaper for ever.

It is a cut-throat business I know, but in the end if I don't see the value of paying R111 per month more for a service, why do it? Since both ISP's have Vumatel as fiber provider, I ASSUME the fee they pay Vumatel is the same. This means Cool Ideas is making R111pm more profit. Does that equal R111pm better value to me as the customer?

I know there will be some of you that'll say, "It looks like you've made up your mind. Why are you asking us?". Valid question. BUT, like I said in the beginning, nobody here has said anything about Home-Connect. I would like to know why it would be a bad idea to go with Home-Connect.
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I cannot comment on Home-Connect personally, but think about this, Why would so many people, even with the information about in front of them, be willing to pay that much more, and go with cool ideas. There must a reason why so many people keep raving about them.

Cool Ideas.PNG

Next, lets see what Cool Ideas offer:
Cool Ideas 2.PNG
I looked all over Cool Ideas website, and nowhere could I find anything that defines Uncapped as anything other than being Completely Uncapped.

Now, lets see what home connect has to say about uncapped.
Home Connect.PNG

Those are the same guidelines, that all ADSL providers use to offer soft caps, and reducing line speed etc.

And that line right there, is why most people are will to pay more for Cool Ideas
 
Cool Ideas no fup. Fastest isp on steam and netflix consistently, home connect hardly features.

Plus personal support from PBCool here on the forum, no other isp offers his kind of personal support.
 
Thanks Koosie, this is what I was looking for. The issue of transit providers is something I have not thought of before and now that I know about it, it is a very important consideration. Something well worth R111pm.

Up until now I have not seen any reason why Home-Connect would not be as good a choice as Cool Ideas.

I.t.o. limiting/throttling this what the Home-Connect site says (emphasis mine):

Choose Home-Connect powered by CipherWave and get Superfast, Unbeatable fibre internet to your home. There is no limit on how you use your internet and our offer is based on All You Can Eat bandwidth, which provides access to the superfast fibre Internet in SA. Sign up today and be part of the Home-Connect HomeYs and get connected instantly.

and:

Home Connect is pleased to announce the removal of bandwidth limitations on down-load and up-load on the following networks:

Vumatel, Octotel, MFN, WAN, SADV, Link Africa, DFA, Mitsol & Frogfoot

Customers can use the bandwidth without the concern of being throttled, shaped, contended or capped in anyway. Home Connect reserves the right to limit customer’s usage or speed based on our Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) which can be found on the Home Connect website.

Their AUP/FUP speaks to illegal or nefarious use. Not bandwidth abuse.

I would assume so, but is Cool Ideas' offering also uncontended?

Thank you all for the info. I think my mind is made up! ;)
 
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.... at least we have a cool ideas rep on this forum ..
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This...

And Paul is super responsive... Even sometimes at night and over weekends. Really goes the extra mile.
 
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Either are good. But Cool Ideas seem to be the best bet at the moment. Support and performance appear to be top notch.
 
Im with home connect... And it's outstanding. No peek time throttling, great ping, no dropouts.... However cool ideas is also amazingly rated


Cool ideas and home connect is probably the best rated ISP's
 
I signed up today after a massive struggle for Cool Ideas to find my complex on the Openserve portal. I had to ask them to call Openserve directly to get my order sorted out. If i didn't persist, I would still not have an order placed.

The lady that "helped" me ( name not disclosed ) also came across as impatient and borderline rude - and all this after singing their praises wherever i go and advising colleagues and neighbours to sign up with them if they are looking for an ISP.

So I'm left with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth after my first engagement at CISP.

At least my line is ordered now , and I hope things will look up from here.
 
Fjorko said:
I signed up today after a massive struggle for Cool Ideas to find my complex on the Openserve portal. I had to ask them to call Openserve directly to get my order sorted out. If i didn't persist, I would still not have an order placed.

The lady that "helped" me ( name not disclosed ) also came across as impatient and borderline rude - and all this after singing their praises wherever i go and advising colleagues and neighbours to sign up with them if they are looking for an ISP.

So I'm left with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth after my first engagement at CISP.

At least my line is ordered now , and I hope things will look up from here.
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Thanks for the feedback, this kind of order can be tricky as the Openserve map and the map ISPs get from Openserve are actually different maps. So we often have to place manual orders like this, please PM me the time and number you called from and I'll have our GM listen to the call.
 
I have been with home connect since mid June, have downloaded close to 3TB per month on a 20meg line. Only had 1 speed issue but was sorted out immediately. They are unshaped, uncapped and unthrottled. Customer service is also good.
 
Sandman1 said:
I have been with home connect since mid June, have downloaded close to 3TB per month on a 20meg line. Only had 1 speed issue but was sorted out immediately. They are unshaped, uncapped and unthrottled. Customer service is also good.
Click to expand...

thats 13 days 21 hours 20 minutes of constant downloading at that speed
 
PB Cool - It is also a toss up between Home Connect and yourselves and I am busy seeking information from both providers before I commit.

However and disappointingly, your Connect Team do not answer specific questions and only request my exact street address etc. Do they assume/presume that I have not done my homework and that I have not checked to see if fibre is available before asking specific questions??

I asked about the router you provide (FTU) and, as I already have a B618, whether I can use that. No reply to the second part.

I currently have a LTE-A package which I need to give notice on. I asked whether I can have the fibre activated on a specific date being 01 November 2018 i.e get the Vumatel line and process going in the mean time etc and only activate the line/service on that date so that I don't have to pay uneccesarily for 2 lots of data. No response to that query.

Thanks
Ken
 
Cool Ideas amazing service and zero billing issues would def recommend cool ideas
 
It depends on your needs. This has been discussed before. Cool Ideas is not the cheapest and in fact I can't even find them before the 4th page where most ISPs already had their entry level packages. They are basically the Vodacom of ISPs so you mostly get what you pay for but it's expensive although not as expensive with all the competition in the space.

A lot of people go for capped packages which are just as good but cheaper. You might think it defeats the purpose of fibre but many people prefer the speed and reliability of fibre but don't need uncapped so will rather choose to pay less. Cool Ideas doesn't have that option unfortunately and heck, even Vodacom beats them with uncapped.
 
It is a pity there is an activation fee with HC, I can get a 50/50 with them for almost the same than I pay for a 20/20 with CISP.

Will definitely keep an eye on them in regards to up time and support. If the economy keeps putting pressure on us, I will have to look at them.
 
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