Frogfoot Networks - more batteries @ Milnerton Node please

[lightpixel]

Hi @Frogfoot Fibre Milnerton node died 28 minutes before the end of load shedding on 02/09/2020.
Only an issue with stage 3/4.

Please increase battery capacity or use fast charge card in UPS depending on deployment at node.

You can't have a FTTB node die with load shedding. Never happens with DFA.
Your service is awesome this is all that is messing with your stats.

If you want to play with the big boys in FTTB you need to spend the cash on the setup.
Hope you are open to taking this feedback onboard.

thanks Frogs.

 

[cschutte]

Yes, same problem in Somerset West. I use Frogfoot (200/200 Mbps) as main connection, and OpenServe (10/10Mbps) as a backup. The Frogfoot one does not survive load shedding. Yesterday with 2 loadshed occurences, Frogfoot stopped working 1h 45 mins in first occurence, and 1hr 30 mins in second load shed occurence. The Openserve line remained active all the time.

I escalated this to Cool Ideas (#COOL-20200902-503917), who logged call with Frogfoot (FF #677473). Here was Frogfoot's response according to Cool Ideas:
"With regards to backup power at the nodes, I can confirm that we do have nodes that have backup power (UPS) however the Frogfoot Network connects to other vendor networks as well and we can't be certain whether all nodes in that vendor network have redundant power."

Not good... Surely they must be careful on who their vendors are?

In the current South Africa, where Eskom reckons we will have loadshedding for the next 3 years (and they have always been overly optimistic...), a fibre provider such as Frogfoot cannot design their network without proper provision for Load Shedding. Internet, in this age where a lot of us work from home, is a necessity, and the service must be reliable and resilient.

 

[lightpixel]

Yes, same problem in Somerset West. I use Frogfoot (200/200 Mbps) as main connection, and OpenServe (10/10Mbps) as a backup. The Frogfoot one does not survive load shedding. Yesterday with 2 loadshed occurences, Frogfoot stopped working 1h 45 mins in first occurence, and 1hr 30 mins in second load shed occurence. The Openserve line remained active all the time.

I escalated this to Cool Ideas (#COOL-20200902-503917), who logged call with Frogfoot (FF #677473). Here was Frogfoot's response according to Cool Ideas:
"With regards to backup power at the nodes, I can confirm that we do have nodes that have backup power (UPS) however the Frogfoot Network connects to other vendor networks as well and we can't be certain whether all nodes in that vendor network have redundant power."

Not good... Surely they must be careful on who their vendors are?

In the current South Africa, where Eskom reckons we will have loadshedding for the next 3 years (and they have always been overly optimistic...), a fibre provider such as Frogfoot cannot design their network without proper provision for Load Shedding. Internet, in this age where a lot of us work from home, is a necessity, and the service must be reliable and resilient.

Thanks for the feedback @cschutte.

Agreed that lame ass excuse of an answer from Frogfoot is pathetic. That's not good enough. I've seen their Milnerton Node and also a DFA node in Aderne Gardens. Frogfoot spends less cash, a lot less on their infrastructure. Yes they are cheaper but they really should get through Stage 4. Your point with regards to Telkom is very valid. Knock Telkom all you want but their backup power is damn good. One can't fault them on that at all.

I have logged a fault with Cool Ideas FTTB asking that Frogfoot provide us with details as to why our link failed.
Once I get feedback I will post it here for you to see.

 

[ld13]

Interesting.

@Frogfoot Fibre your ability to keep links up, is critical. Even your FTTH clients will take one look at the excuse about vendors etc, and simply go with the alternative on the table.