Getting ADSL

R13...

R13...

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So my place can finally get ADSL. Having never had DSL, what is the current process? Is there an installation cost? How long does it take, if I say ordered today?

Does that Closer Package workaround still work? And oh, Telkom's coverage says I can get up to 10Mbps, do I go for this max speed or do I take something lower or can they pretest? I'd like 10Mbps if the line can sync at that speed reliably going forward.
 
Call up 10210 and ask them to add ADSL to your landline. Assuming you already have a landline (must be regular monthly billing not prepaid) then if you opt for the self-install option no engineer visit should be necessary, they'll simply log your order and off you go. I opted for a self-install because I have an IT background and a spare modem so I paid no installation fee. I doubt you'll get it for Christmas though. I placed my order last Tuesday and it is still showing as "Order is currently being processed" on my online account but then last Wednesday was a public holiday so counting both the day I placed the order and today it's been 4 working days so far.

My landline that was ordered 2 week before took 7 working days to install including the day I placed the order, and that did involve an engineer's visit, so I am hoping that getting the ADSL applied will take no longer than that, i.e. 7 working days or less. It probably varies by location; I'm in Cape Town CBD.

Why didn't I order ADSL at the same time as my landline? Don't ask! :mad:

When you do place the order I would log onto your MyTelkom account regularly or use the Telkom phone/tablet app to regularly check the status of your order. I have had orders that I placed cancelled 3 times in the past because of entry errors (incomplete info or some issue with the address) and in none of those cases was I told about it by Telkom, I only found out when I chased why my order was taking so long. I've seen someone else in the last couple of days also complaining about Telkom silently cancelling his order so you do need to check regularly that it's still in the system and being processed.

- Julian
 
Thanks Julian. I have no active telephone line. There's a line but it was obviously disconnected by previous residents.
 
R13... said:
Thanks Julian. I have no active telephone line. There's a line but it was obviously disconnected by previous residents.
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In that case, if you don't make the mistake I did and put in the landline+ADSL on the same order, you will need an engineer callout and if it's an apartment block they will need access to the place (usually in the basement) where the lines come in because they check they have a connection by putting tone onto the line and making sure it appears in your apartment so make sure you know who has the key before the Telkom visit, they assume you are on top of that and would have gone away without doing anything if I hadn't been able to track down the building manager.

I was in the same situation as you, perfectly good Telkom grey box in the apartment that needed re-activating. If your area is anything like mine as far as waiting time is concerned then I was quoted 7 to 14 working days but, as I mentioned earlier, it actually went live after 7 working days.

- Julian
 
Took them 6 days the other day to install my service. Also consider another ISP for your data. That procedure is quick as the ISPs simply give you an account upon receipt of payment. It's just the Telkom side that takes a little while.

Once your ADSL is active (line side) you can check your router stats and gauge potential speeds so it may be better to start off with a 4Mbps line for example.
 
netstrider said:
Took them 6 days the other day to install my service. Also consider another ISP for your data. That procedure is quick as the ISPs simply give you an account upon receipt of payment. It's just the Telkom side that takes a little while.

Once your ADSL is active (line side) you can check your router stats and gauge potential speeds so it may be better to start off with a 4Mbps line for example.
Click to expand...

Just did my morning routine of firing up the Telkom app on my iPad and checking the status of my ADSL order. Still showing as "in progress" :(. Telkom's order tracking systems seem to update from about 10pm each night. If I try to check the status of my order in the late evening I always get a "cannot process your request" message, I assume because the database has been taken offline to do the status updates for the day. I see this in both the iOS app and if I try to check via the "My Telkom" section of the web site.

I did exactly what you suggest, placed the initial order for 4Mbps and might upgrade if my line is good enough and I find 4Mbps too slow. How quickly do Telkom process speed change orders? I realise that to put ADSL on a landline in the first place involves an engineer doing something to my connection at the exchange end of my line but once I'm connected to an ADSL port in the exchange are speed changes simply a matter of someone editing a setting somewhere to tell the port that it's allowed to connect me at a higher speed? If so then are speed changes ever done within hours rather than days (provided it's not a jump from ADSL to VDSL which I assume involves another physical port swap at the exchange by an engineer)?

- Julian
 
netstrider said:
Working days.
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Thanks again and.......

YAY! Connected!!!!!:D:D:D

Order is still showing as being processed on Telkom order tracking, will probably be changed in tonight's overnight update, but just did my usual daily switch on of my modem to see if it would sync and it did. Now typing over ADSL and Crystal Web premium uncapped data. So happy.

For R13's benefit that was ordered last Tuesday, connected today, but don't forget that last Wednesday was a holiday so, not including day of placing order, that's 4 working days including today. Not too bad really.

- Julian
 
Jullian, did you order online and what is the cost. The Telkom website says something like,
+Line installation fee of R620
+DSL Installation fee of R792

Is the line installation the cost if they need to run a new line from the post to your house?
 
R13... said:
Jullian, did you order online and what is the cost. The Telkom website says something like,
+Line installation fee of R620
+DSL Installation fee of R792

Is the line installation the cost if they need to run a new line from the post to your house?
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Not sure what the line installation fee is for but your guess seems a good one. I certainly paid no installation fee for the engineer to come and re-activate my existing grey jack. When he turned up he did have a brand new jack with him but didn't need it since my existing one was OK. Maybe if he'd needed to replace the jack I had already they might have charged me but I'm guessing and honestly I don't think so, I think your right that it would be if they needed to run a new line.

For the ADSL bit I also paid no installation fee but there I did my own self-install otherwise there would have been a fee. I think it's essentially a fee for the consultancy service of an engineer coming to your home to set up the modem for you. If you buy a modem from Telkom (not sure if that is a requirement if ground for full-service install) then presumably the price of the modem is also added to the installation fee, I can't see R792 covering a modem plus the engineer's time.

I ordered everything via the 10210 number.

- Julian
 
They tend to put you on some caller plan which bumps up your R189 p/m phone line rental to R206 p/m in order to save you from forking out R600 odd for installation.

Just check your bill at the end of the month to make sure. Then wait another month and you can cancel the fancy caller plan and they'll bring you down to R189 again.
 
netstrider said:
They tend to put you on some caller plan which bumps up your R189 p/m phone line rental to R206 p/m in order to save you from forking out R600 odd for installation.

Just check your bill at the end of the month to make sure. Then wait another month and you can cancel the fancy caller plan and they'll bring you down to R189 again.
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I can confirm that is exactly what happened to me. Being a dumb foreigner I thought the R206 per month Evening & Weekend calls package was the lowest cost and that the R206 was because prices had gone up since I last checked. Since I don't even have a phone to plug into the line I'll definitely drop it down to the bare-line R189. Still, they did save me the installation fee so ultimately the Telkom rep did the right thing for me but I wouldn't have known to do the downgrade without the help here. Thanks yet again Netstrider.

- Julian
 
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