Fibre internet in Gauteng on Openserve (Telkom) network

[KantSnyer]

What are the chances the openserve coverage website is wrong?
They replaced the burnt telephone poles along Wingate golf course yesterday and those technicians told me there is fibre. The fibre box and cable is on every pole.

Can I contact someone to check as every ISP follows this website blindly?

Just got the same issue resolved with OpenServe, wanted to order fibre through Axxess but the OpenServe coverage map said I was only covered for VDSL ( even though my area was dark purple ). Logged a ticket on the OpenServe site and was called by a lady ( Palesa ). She subsequently got hold of technical who pushed a button and I'm now covered.

 

[mystic007]

Just got the same issue resolved with OpenServe, wanted to order fibre through Axxess but the OpenServe coverage map said I was only covered for VDSL ( even though my area was dark purple ). Logged a ticket on the OpenServe site and was called by a lady ( Palesa ). She subsequently got hold of technical who pushed a button and I'm now covered.

Where on the Openserve site did you go to log a ticket? The Contact Us page?

 

[KantSnyer]

Where on the Openserve site did you go to log a ticket? The Contact US page?

I used the fibre query section, filled out the form.

 

[mystic007]

I used the fibre query section, filled out the form.

Thanks. Openserve installed fibre infrastructure in my complex back in September 2016 but the map still has not been updated. Hopefully I will have the same result as you had by logging a ticket

 

[KantSnyer]

Thanks. Openserve installed fibre infrastructure in my complex back in September 2016 but the map still has not been updated. Hopefully I will have the same result as you had by logging a ticket

Fingers crossed, haven't tried but it may be quicker to call them ( 0800 673 673 ). They only got back to me a week after submitting the website form.

 

[Rickster]

Just out if curiosity how does openserve implement the fibre? Does it use a bus configuration?

 

[jcheek]

What are the chances the openserve coverage website is wrong?

Not so much 'wrong', probably more an indication that the circuit(s) haven't been handed over from the sub-contractors to Openserve yet.

.. those technicians told me there is fibre. The fibre box and cable is on every pole.

Unfortunately the guys on the ground don't always have the full picture.
Apart from the handover issue mentioned above, Openserve may also be waiting on exchange infrastructure before they can light up the circuits.
It was the same in my area - fibre infrastructure was visible on the ground long before the area showed as 'available', in fact, even before it showed as 'Planned' !

Can I contact someone to check as every ISP follows this website blindly?

Just got the same issue resolved with OpenServe, wanted to order fibre through Axxess but the OpenServe coverage map said I was only covered for VDSL ( even though my area was dark purple ). Logged a ticket on the OpenServe site and was called by a lady ( Palesa ). She subsequently got hold of technical who pushed a button and I'm now covered.

I suspect the positive response that KantSnyer got there was more because there was an actual map error (dark purple indicated fibre coverage, but map showed only VDSL).
But give it a try - you probably won't change the outcome, but you may just get some indication of timelines .. ?

 

[Blubiree]

Hi guys

We had a fibre line installed a few days ago, and while I have no complaints about the up/down speeds, the connection seems to be dropping every 8 hours or so (and then reconnects after 2-5 minutes). Do I log a fault via Openserve, or do I go through the ISP (in this case, Telkom)?

 

[Mr Scratch]

Hi guys

We had a fibre line installed a few days ago, and while I have no complaints about the up/down speeds, the connection seems to be dropping every 8 hours or so (and then reconnects after 2-5 minutes). Do I log a fault via Openserve, or do I go through the ISP (in this case, Telkom)?

What area?

 

[Blubiree]

What area?

In the Silver Lakes area (PTA east)

 

[Mr Scratch]

In the Silver Lakes area (PTA east)

Which ISP?

 

[Blubiree]

Telkom

 

[jcheek]

Hi guys

Hey Blubiree, welcome to the thread.

We had a fibre line installed a few days ago, and while I have no complaints about the up/down speeds, the connection seems to be dropping every 8 hours or so (and then reconnects after 2-5 minutes).

Not cool at all. Definitely something amiss there.

Do I log a fault via Openserve, or do I go through the ISP (in this case, Telkom)?

In a sense, you actually have the "easiest" form of contract relationship, since your line and data provider(s) are one and the same company (Telkom). There's no 3rd or even 4th party involved as would be the case if you rented your line from one ISP and your data services from another.

In your case, the relationship between the retail line provider (Telkom) and the company that provides the wholesale service to them (ie, Openserve) should ideally be invisible to you.
Your first port of call to log the fault should always be the organisation that you rent your fibre line from, ie Telkom. If it turns out to be a line-related issue, Telkom must get Openserve to sort it out. If the issue relates to ISP services, then Telkom Retail must address it.

 

[Blubiree]

Thanks for all the advice, I'll give it another day or so and then log a fault with Telkom. Strange that the disconnects seem to have 7-8 hour intervals each time.

Another question I had about the Openserve website. Do I need other login credentials to access the Fault Noticeboard, etc, or are my Telkom ISP login credentials supposed to work?

 

[LukeKroon]

I ordered fibre through Afrihost 2 weeks ago (9 January) and got a call on Saturday (21 January) saying that they are going to install the line today (23 January). Exactly 2 weeks, hopefully everything works as it should. Quite impressed with Telkom/Openserve, thought it would take much longer. (Located in Brooklyn Pretoria area.)

EDIT:

With the Openserve installations do you only need a WAN enabled router to hop onto the fibre ?

 

[jcheek]

Another question I had about the Openserve website. Do I need other login credentials to access the Fault Noticeboard, etc, or are my Telkom ISP login credentials supposed to work?

You should have no need to register on, or use, the Openserve website, since you're a retail client (I think ?), not a wholesale one. You'd only deal direct with Openserve if you buy connectivity at the wholesale level and/or you're a fair-sized business customer.
If you look through the content on the Openserve website, you'll see many references to 'Wholesale' and Wholesale Fibre Broadband Access (WFBA).
I doubt that your Telkom credentials will get you in to the Openserve site. As an end-user, about the only use for the Openserve website is to check coverage, although even that can be done from the retail (Telkom) website.

As a Telkom customer, your best bet is to log the fault in the normal Telkom way, by phoning 10210 or logging the fault online using the 'My Telkom' service portal on the Telkom website. You could also try the Telkom Fibre Help Desk (see here), but I'm not sure if they handle general support issues.

 

[PsyMon93]

I ordered fibre through Afrihost 2 weeks ago (9 January) and got a call on Saturday (21 January) saying that they are going to install the line today (23 January). Exactly 2 weeks, hopefully everything works as it should. Quite impressed with Telkom/Openserve, thought it would take much longer. (Located in Brooklyn Pretoria area.)

EDIT:

With the Openserve installations do you only need a WAN enabled router to hop onto the fibre ?

Lucky you! I ordered last July. They only phoned in December to install, by which time I was away on holiday, so they installed the ONT in January. I'm in Groenkloof and my street had already been fibre connected for a while.

And yes, you just need to make sure your router has a WAN port. You could even connect the ONT directly to your PC and dial a PPPoE connection in Windows.

 

[jacosmit]

Lucky you! I ordered last July. They only phoned in December to install, by which time I was away on holiday, so they installed the ONT in January. I'm in Groenkloof and my street had already been fibre connected for a while.

And yes, you just need to make sure your router has a WAN port. You could even connect the ONT directly to your PC and dial a PPPoE connection in Windows.

Luckier you. Openserve/Huawei has been working on/off in our area since June/July last year and we haven't even had anything installed on our poles or the backbone to Laudium Exchange.

 

[LukeKroon]

Lucky you! I ordered last July. They only phoned in December to install, by which time I was away on holiday, so they installed the ONT in January. I'm in Groenkloof and my street had already been fibre connected for a while.

And yes, you just need to make sure your router has a WAN port. You could even connect the ONT directly to your PC and dial a PPPoE connection in Windows.

The technician arrived today only to inform me that there is no fibre on the pole at the edge of my property. Im situated in the "dark purple" coverage area in Brooklyn but apparently that is a lie. LIES!!. The technician told me he is going to follow up with his boss and maybe they can get the fibre closer (to the pole where the current ADSL is connected) for an installation "soon".

 

[jacosmit]

Ah!!! I got a reply from Openserve regarding the expected ETA to complete in our area. I am quite flabbergasted/elated. Bit too late for the Ghost Recon Wildlands download, but at least it is (tentatively) there.