GWISA=SCREAMER

[rebel998]

Yes thank you very much!! Jacques from Amax came around late this afternoon. Turns out a setting was wrong on my router.

I have been getting a lot of disconnects but its probably too soon to say.

 

[wow4life]

btw is anyone else noticing a throttling a bandwidth in the "peak" hours? Time varies for me but usually between 6pm and 10pm where my international pings jump from 250ms to 1500ms.

I have confirmed this using traces, pings and speedtest. This degradation is between Telkom locally and Telkom internationally ... everything on the Screamer network is fine. See the following trace from hop 8 to hop 9 (confirmed with independent pings as I mentioned earlier):

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.2.1
2 40 ms 40 ms 39 ms 10.0.64.253
3 41 ms 39 ms 44 ms 10.254.248.10
4 58 ms 44 ms 44 ms 172.17.0.1
5 48 ms 115 ms 59 ms 41.154.0.26
6 111 ms 50 ms 49 ms 41.161.56.1
7 60 ms 55 ms 49 ms 41.160.0.244
8 66 ms 44 ms 50 ms if-1-8.bb1.JSO-Johannesburg.as6453.net [216.6.55.41]
9 1426 ms 1424 ms 1414 ms if-1-7.bb2.JSO-Johannesburg.as6453.net [216.6.55.10]
10 1434 ms 1424 ms 1454 ms if-3-7.core2.LDN-London.as6453.net [216.6.59.34]
11 1424 ms 1414 ms 1409 ms if-9-1.mcore3.LDN-London.as6453.net [195.219.195.5]
12 * 1391 ms 1429 ms ldn-b4-link.telia.net [213.248.74.1]
13 1354 ms * 1306 ms google-118150-ldn-b4.c.telia.net [213.248.104.58]
14 1304 ms 1309 ms 1315 ms 209.85.252.40
15 1329 ms 1339 ms 1314 ms 209.85.250.216
16 1329 ms 1304 ms 1305 ms 72.14.232.241
17 1304 ms 1309 ms 1314 ms 216.239.49.126
18 1319 ms 1289 ms 1229 ms 216.239.59.104

 

[wow4life]

Not sure what changed but was really good last night.

 

[wow4life]

oh and btw kudos to Screamer ... when there was a problem at Mount Rd yesterday they sent me a sms text and called me to let me know. Keep it up guys ...

 

[Rocket-Boy]

I dont mean to be an ass, but what I dont get is that most of these WISP's seem to be down more often than they are up. I see the problems in this thread and I think to myself that I love my adsl line.Its *never* down, ever!
I would not be able to stand for a service that might be up when you need it or maybe it wont!

 

[wow4life]

... sometimes we don't have a choice.

 

[rebel998]

oh and btw kudos to Screamer ... when there was a problem at Mount Rd yesterday they sent me a sms text and called me to let me know. Keep it up guys ...

I think its a good way of keeping customers informed. Problem is they do not always send you one.

 

[rebel998]

I dont mean to be an ass, but what I dont get is that most of these WISP's seem to be down more often than they are up. I see the problems in this thread and I think to myself that I love my adsl line.Its *never* down, ever!
I would not be able to stand for a service that might be up when you need it or maybe it wont!

True, wireless is less reliable but its much cheaper than ADSL. And in some places (like where I live) cables don't last.

 

[Playoff]

I dont mean to be an ass, but what I dont get is that most of these WISP's seem to be down more often than they are up. I see the problems in this thread and I think to myself that I love my adsl line.Its *never* down, ever!
I would not be able to stand for a service that might be up when you need it or maybe it wont!

I don't think you are an ass but what you dont get is that you have become used to the astronomical price of piss poor communications in this country. There is the old story about the frog that gets put into a pot of cool water which is placed on a stove and slowly boils to death.
The only Telekoms options that you South Africans have been exposed to is:
Telkom - A completely state run monopoly that has raped you
Vodacom - A 50% state owned monoploly that has raped you
I -Burst - Influenced, and now owned, by Vodacom
NeoTel - A company that grew out of Eskom and Transtel and was granted monopolistic rights to Spectrum that is screwing you
MTN - A company that got it's monopolistic licence at the same time as Vodacom but had to be dragged kicking and screaming into making a profit.
Cell C - Probably the only company with true entrepreneurs because nobody expected them to survive but, despite its protectionist licence, has.

The bottom line is that you have become so used to being held hostage by telecommunications monopolistic policies in this country that when your captors throw you a bone you thank them for it.

OF COURSE Telkom can provide you with a solid ASDL service. They have accumulated vast wealth from screwing you all these years and have access to unlimited spectrum and cable rights. And when they provide you with your half decent service(compared to the rest of the world), still at astronomical rates, you bow down and say things like "I love my ADSL line".

Private networks like Screamer don't only have to risk huge private funding to even enter the market, they have to compete with anti-capitalisitic protectionist policies like interconnect agreements with the monolpolies that force them to pay huge rates that they have to subsidise to offer an attractive alternative to the now thoroughly screwed and tamed SA consumer. And yet even so they still manage to provide a great service. I am a Screamer client!
Don't get me wrong. I will not accept a bad service. I have had my problems with Screamer but once they get it right it runs like a dream and I have often posted my performance speed tests on this forum.
If you look at the posts on this thread it is only one or two clients who continually whinge, obviously stay in areas that Telkom could not give a **** about, and say that the only reason they stay with Screamer is because they have no alternative.
If I was the Screamer management I would have got rid of them long ago and concentrate on their happy clients!! But then again I don't have the balls to put my money into a brainwashed society who don't know any better. Although, even though I say that, I was one of the first to support Screamer when it launched its WiMAX network while the rest of my South African colleagues looked on with the typical African complacency that made Zimbabwe the basket case it is today.

You have the opportunity to change the way the South African telecommunications market is today. You have learn't by now that writing to your minister isn't going to help. The only way you can change the status quo is by supporting companies like Screamer and the WUG's who will, one day, provide us with an alternative that will force the communistic monopolies feeding the present day governement with untold sidelined wealth, to change or die.

Support the independents like Screamer and the WUG's or one day your only option will be to rail against the incumbents who, quite frankly, will still not give a damm.

 

[wow4life]

"Crossing the Digital Divide" comes to mind ... we are the Early Adopters that are somewhere in the chasm and I hope we make it to the other side.

I will remain optimistic ... and agree with you Playoff ... we should not bow to the established and unacceptably uncompetitive incumbents; nor should we accept poor service.

 

[acidrain]

The only way you can change the status quo is by supporting companies like Screamer and the WUG's who will, one day, provide us with an alternative...

I hope you are not trying to compare WUG's with wisps? Even so, i doubt WUG's will ever get to that point where we provide an "alternative". We are a community network, not a commerical one.

 

[rebel998]

No internet for two days now! Screamer internet that is

 

[buffalobill]

Private networks like Screamer don't only have to risk huge private funding to even enter the market, they have to compete with anti-capitalisitic protectionist policies like interconnect agreements with the monolpolies that force them to pay huge rates that they have to subsidise to offer an attractive alternative to the now thoroughly screwed and tamed SA consumer. And yet even so they still manage to provide a great service. I am a Screamer client!
Don't get me wrong. I will not accept a bad service. I have had my problems with Screamer but once they get it right it runs like a dream and I have often posted my performance speed tests on this forum.

Well, I was a Screamer (GWI) client for a few years and I gave them their chance, again and again and again. I got tired of the c***py and unreliable service, the promised improvements that never materialised after a year, the total lack of communication and the completely useless support. I've got a small business to run where quality of internet service is vital. It doesn't have to be quick, but it's got to be reliable. Screamer didn't provide that and broke its promises, to boot.
I've now got ADSL, not by choice but necessity. And no, Screamer is not cheaper.

 

[rebel998]

Well, I was a Screamer (GWI) client for a few years and I gave them their chance, again and again and again. I got tired of the c***py and unreliable service, the promised improvements that never materialised after a year, the total lack of communication and the completely useless support. I've got a small business to run where quality of internet service is vital. It doesn't have to be quick, but it's got to be reliable. Screamer didn't provide that and broke its promises, to boot.
I've now got ADSL, not by choice but necessity. And no, Screamer is not cheaper.

I have been a Screamer client now for more than a year. I have also had lots of problems with my connection. (I'm about 10-13 Kms away from the tower)But when they changed over to Mikrotik equipment things were much better.

I think most of the problems currently experienced is caused by the network upgrade. But speed in general has increased and even though one would say speed does not matter, it's strange how quickly one gets used to it.

My latest problem was with my router. And the local tech was buried in work. But everythings running smoothly again and I swear the settings on the new router makes it even faster. Now let's hope the lightning stays away.

ps. I will remain with Screamer. Even though wireless internet is not as stable as wired or fibre it is more readily available. And Rand for Rand it's the least expensive option available.(to me anyway) The only way WISPs will improve their service is through healthy competition and Screamer seems to be the only player confident enough to expand their infrastructure. Most other WISPs operate in small concentrated areas.

 

[wow4life]

As for me - I have had problems with Screamer whilst they built out their WiMAX network - but I can honestly not fault them at the moment. Their latest network upgrade has resolved all my disconnects (well except for the occassional dc but that happens with "wireless anything") and the latency/speed is fantastic.

I can connect to all my international business applications without an issue and playing games like World of Warcraft is silky smooth (except when there is data packet storming during some events and then 1mbps just isnt enough).

I am also getting SMSs and calls when they have a problem with the network or are planning a change ... so even this is a lot better.

Well done Screamer and keep up the good work. It is fantastic to have alternatives to the incumbents. Solving the last-mile will always be a challenge and with the new options for back-haul, the future for communications in South Africa looks good.

btw: which router are you using rebell998?

 

[rebel998]

btw: which router are you using rebell998?

Mikrotik rb411 at the moment, had a 433 but somthing wasn't right and they changed it and what a difference!

I am hoping to upgrade to Wimax. Much less interference as it's licensed spectrum.

 

[rebel998]

Seems I had a problem on my internal network. Soorrrryyyyy Screamer.

 

[acidrain]

Mikrotik rb411 at the moment, had a 433 but somthing wasn't right and they changed it and what a difference!

Did you pay for the kit and get a 433 or was it one of your own routers.

 

[rebel998]

I paid for the initial CPE but eventually ended up with a 411. That got struck by lightning and I used my own router. Now I'm going to use it to connect to the WUG!

 

[rebel998]

Connection running like a swiss clock. What a joy to surf and download like this!