Getting Neotel Tuesday

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furnic

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So after passing the Spanish Inquisition, AKA Neotell call centre, I am getting Neotels basic light product setup on Tuesday - I am not too keen, but as Telkoms lines cut once again, I need them as backup.
It sounds like a crappy service, as there is currently no ethernet, so you can't share across a network and the speed isn't great - but as they were not sure if the prime service is available in my area, I opted for the cheapest backup option to Telkom I could find.
Anyhow will kepp you all posted to how it works, hopefully will able to upgrade to prime unlimited with ethernet one day.
 
furnic said:
So after passing the Spanish Inquisition, AKA Neotell call centre, I am getting Neotels basic light product setup on Tuesday - I am not too keen, but as Telkoms lines cut once again, I need them as backup.
It sounds like a crappy service, as there is currently no ethernet, so you can't share across a network and the speed isn't great - but as they were not sure if the prime service is available in my area, I opted for the cheapest backup option to Telkom I could find.
Anyhow will kepp you all posted to how it works, hopefully will able to upgrade to prime unlimited with ethernet one day.
Click to expand...

Why don't you delay for a while becuase I heard the new REV/A devices will be out soon. I was told that if I want to upgrade to this I must pay outright the cost of the current device - but thats another fight altogether - at the moment I'm waiting for a technician to explain why my speeds have dropped significantly.
 
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Can't delay, I have no Telkom lines and I am dying without phones or decent internet, 3G is rubbish
 
The Lite package will not be any better than 3G at all. Use it as a backup until you can get the Rev A device.
 
no please, dont say it wont be better than 3G pleez. whats the Rev A device, is that ethernet? I can still cancel if I must...so should I just back off from Neotel, its just at the moment no phones, no internet, my cell phone has gone through the roof and 3G gobbles data and is finicky...
 
furnic said:
no please, dont say it wont be better than 3G pleez. whats the Rev A device, is that ethernet? I can still cancel if I must...so should I just back off from Neotel, its just at the moment no phones, no internet, my cell phone has gone through the roof and 3G gobbles data and is finicky...
Click to expand...

If you don't cancel rite now, and you want to upgrade to a prime related package, you will have to get a new device. The speed is determined by the device. Since you signed a 2 year contract with them, you are liable to pay for the device. So you will have to buy out the device and buy a new device to go to a prime type package. It is up to you in the end of the day. The Lite will not go faster than 150kbits, where as 3G can go up to 512kbit, depending on signal strength and low interference/noise. I'm not refering to HSDPA which can go even higher.

On 3G, go for prepaid data bundles with Vodacom, expires after 30 days, but best control and cheapest startup option. Buy a prepaid sim for R2, slap on R389 for 2GB use before 30 days expire. While you wait for Neotel Prime or Neotel with the Rev A device.
 
Thats good advice given, and judging from other comments about speed I would wait a while, I'm on unlimited prime and the past week my speeds are worse than 3G.
 
neotel arrived

ok, received my neotel today - day early, sweet, not what I expected, but cool anyhow.

So delivery, I was expecting a techie to rock up, set it up etc, instead I get some courier guy rocking up and says where’s the faulty unit - I go like what, he goes oh whatever, and then he says maybe some papers inside, so I like sign them all, and look at the box with the torn seal which says don’t accept this if seal is broken, but whatever, too late, courier dude gone.

So, instructions fairly simple, and in 5 minutes all working, cool, so far ok, sometimes frustrating slow, reminds me of the days of 9600 modems and other times connection not to shabby..I am on the lite, would have preferred prime, but not available in my location.

Anyhow I have found when its slow, best to try one function at a time ie only email or only one browser window open, it can be very frustrating at times, but at least it works - now in my 11th day of no Hellkom due to cut lines (4 times in 3 weeks, I knew they would give up repairing them).

I wasn't expecting it to be dial up, so the phone is fairly useless, as it can't take calls when online, so phone will probably only be used in emergencies.

Also bulky unit, but it has the battery which can be useful during power failures.

so as a solution when no ADSL or telkom down, 10 zillion times better than 3G, which is total crap.
I am on the lite package and can play poker, surf, email, skype etc and generally browse, sometimes it is painfully slow but most other times better than I was expecting.

I don't download music/movies so the lack of speed for that is ok.

Overall first day impression is about 7.5/10.

Now I just need to read some manuals and see how the phone works, how to sms?? And if there is a way to check usage anywhere..

Ps: hate the fact the damn phone number starts with a 0 after the 011 but they say nuffin can be done about that
 
And with the Lite device you cannot receive calls while on the net... but then Limewire works pretty well though it takes ages...

other than that I think it will do well especially if you do not have a line where you are...
 
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