ERROR ....there was no answer

[Flanders]

I've been connected via ADSL since September. I do enjoy the speed of ADSL (when it works properly) but I'm reaching the end of my tether.

We run a small business out of JHB and our 'connected time' per month is pittiful considering that we do pay for a permanent connection.

Our network runs as follows and is pretty basic...: ADSL comes in, and after the ADSL router POTS (ethernet) is routed through a small 100mbit switching hub, which runs through another hub to our server (simply because of the 15m distance from the jack to the 'server room' that contains more workstations). Our server provides us with our gateway IP.

Nearly every second day if not every day our connection is spontaneously dropped and we receive a message in the connect box informing us that upon our re-dial-up attempt that there is an 'ERROR *** there was no answer'. I do realise that our IP's are dynamic and that we do have to dial in order to regain connectivity but this is rediculous. Telkom only has answers if our link-light is flashing but if not, we are graced by a familiar "eish." We always follow their advice by switching off the modem AND the hubs for a minute or so and trying to re-connect but more than often to no avail. The weekends are the worst. Sundays for the past 2 months have been INaccessible.

We are also by no means situated in a borderline ADSL registered area. By that I mean rural or even semi-rural. We have been qualified for ADSL since it was available as far as I know yet if it rains, THE CONNECTION IS DROPPED until soonest the following day. The line was very reliable before going broadband (aside from the JHB lightning) Going mad. Any suggestions? because our telecomms guys certainly don't have any.

 

[ProAsm]

Flanders, I had a very similar problem when I first got ADSL and it drove me crazy.
Firstly I changed my network setup as follows:
ADSL comes into modem, from modem goes directly to my Server PC.
My Server PC has 2 Nics, the one connects to the Modem, the other goes to a hub and my network. As with yours, my Server IP is the gateway for the network, and the modem is the gateway for the server PC.
On the server I run a small program called WakeUp which pings some server every 2 minutes and keeps the system alive.
Since I did this I now average about 1 dropout a week.
ftp://proasm.kicks-ass.net/downloads/wakeup.exe

Also what Modem/Router you using as there are some that have serious sync problems with the DSLAMs at Telkom.
I use a Netgear DG814

 

[kaspaas]

If Telkom was a professional customer service orientated company, this thread would not have appeared on this forum.

Reality is that they act like a bunch of amateurs (there are a few exceptions) who consider the customer as a nuisance - apologies to the few exceptions.

This thread is an excellent example.
The bandwidth accounting is another example
The long delays before the helpdesk eventually answers and the frequency of cut-offs when one dares to ask a difficult question.
The absence of a professional web based fault/complaint/helpdesk logging system with tickets for every query is another example. Helpdesk staff simply refuse to provide me with a ticket, and usually don't have the foggiest idea what I'm trying to explain because they are rookies taken of the street and don't know what eg a proxy is.

The list demonstrating Telkom's attitude to professionalism (or rather the lack thereoff) is much longer than this...

Before I forget: The unprofessional way in which they never answered on RPM's letter of many weeks ago and not getting back to RPM on the day promised are other examples.

And ofcourse - the lack of security regarding usernames/passwords for logins which is now abused.

If telkom was the professional organisation it claims to be, none of the above would have been issues.




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