High Speed + Low Cap Connection vs Low Speed + High Cap Connection

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Riggidig

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Hi guys. I'm currently rocking a very basic 1 Mbps line with 20gb data cap with Axxess. It's unfortunately all I can afford at the moment. Line is really slow, as after 3 months the cap is over 70gb (due to 3 month rollover from the line not being fast enough to use the data). Will lose it next month as I doubt I'm going to use up 70gb of data before October 1st. At the moment I mostly use the data for some after hours design work, streaming low quality videos/music and (trying) to play some games online now and then (sometimes it works, sometimes not). Also I tried to download a basic game from the Windows Game Store last night (only 800mb) and it was SLOW. Took nearly an hour. Also downloading updates seems to take forever. I know you get what you pay for, but it's still rather annoying.

However, I will be starting a new job with better salary soon, and want to get a better connection. I can either go with a 2 Mbps line with a 60gb cap, or a 4 Mbps line with a 20gb cap, both for the same price. Which one would you guys recommend I get?
 
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Go with the 4Mbps line and use After-hours data with other providers capped accounts.
CrystalWeb and Afrihost are currently offering zero-rated midnight to 6pm data, so only data used from 6pm-midnight counts.
Use a scheduler for any downloads, e.g. uTorrent and Steam have it built in, or use a tool like Netlimiter which can also shut down as network traffic reaches a desired limit (be it throughput or data).
 
What is your budget, excluding the telephone line rental?

Requirements for DSL:
1. Telephone line
2. DSL rental
3. Data
 
Johnatan56 said:
Go with the 4Mbps line and use After-hours data with other providers capped accounts.
CrystalWeb and Afrihost are currently offering zero-rated midnight to 6pm data, so only data used from 6pm-midnight counts.
Use a scheduler for any downloads, e.g. uTorrent and Steam have it built in, or use a tool like Netlimiter which can also shut down as network traffic reaches a desired limit (be it throughput or data).
Click to expand...

Thanks. I actually forgot Axxess also has the after midnight data thing going on. Think that's another reason I've accumulated so much data, as a lot of times I'm online after midnight.
 
MickeyD said:
What is your budget, excluding the telephone line rental?

Requirements for DSL:
1. Telephone line
2. DSL rental
3. Data
Click to expand...

I currently pay R200 for the Telkom landline rental, as well as R99 for the Axxess DSL + data, therefor R300 every month. The 4 Mbps line + 20gb / 2 Mbps line + 60 gb are both around R280, meaning R480 in total every month then.
 
Riggidig said:
I currently pay R200 for the Telkom landline rental, as well as R99 for the Axxess DSL + data, therefor R300 every month. The 4 Mbps line + 20gb / 2 Mbps line + 60 gb are both around R280, meaning R480 in total every month then.
Click to expand...

The axxess 2Mbps uncapped deal is R215/m + your telephone line = R415/m in total.

https://www.axxess.co.za/dsl/home-uncapped
 
I'd go with the faster line, 4mbps @20gig option. Use free data periods as much as possible.

Few things worse than a slow line. If its too slow I'd rather not ever even use it.
 
Ry4n said:
Data is fairly cheap these days - I believe it's harder to obtain higher speeds in certain areas due to infrastructure. 2Mbps doesn't cut it these days unless you're very patient and are a limited user. I use about 600gb a month on a 500g package because downloads after hours are capped at 2500gb separately - this @ 200-400Mbps for R999pm. Uncapped 100Mbps isnt nearly as stable or affordable depending on your infrastructure provider obviously. Unless you need 800+ gig per month you probably wont require uncapped my 5 cents.
Click to expand...
Budget is >R300/m
 
So it looks like it's R200 for the Telkom landline + either:

A) 2 Mbps line + uncapped data for R215 = R415 per month in total (R115 more than I'm currently paying) or

B) 4 Mbps line + 20gb capped data for R289 = R489 per month in total (R189 more than I'm currently paying).
 
Riggidig said:
So it looks like it's R200 for the Telkom landline + either:

A) 2 Mbps line + uncapped data for R215 = R415 per month in total (R115 more than I'm currently paying) or

B) 4 Mbps line + 20gb capped data for R289 = R489 per month in total (R189 more than I'm currently paying).
Click to expand...

If you can stretch your budget, go for (B).
 
MickeyD said:
If you can stretch your budget, go for (B).
Click to expand...

Well the salary is R1500 more than I'm getting now, but I don't want to go crazy and blow it all on luxuries. Want to put more money away into my savings account for emergencies (car has been giving issues the last year), plus maybe get a better plan with my medical aid (on a very basic plan at the moment).
 
Does your internet budget allow an additional R29 a month? If yes, sign up Afrihost 20GB data package.In this way you don't have to change anything.

In September you only pay the promotional fee of R1 for the entire month and regular R29 a month thereafter. You will get free internet from midnight to 6pm and 20GB data for hours btw 6pm to midnight.

https://www.afrihost.com/site/product/adsl_capped

Last Friday I spent R1 on that Afrihost package (am on a very tight budget as well), so far I downloaded about 25GB a day (4mbs line).
 
xln said:
Does your internet budget allow an additional R29 a month? If yes, sign up Afrihost 20GB data package.In this way you don't have to change anything.

In September you only pay the promotional fee of R1 for the entire month and regular R29 a month thereafter. You will get free internet from midnight to 6pm and 20GB data for hours btw 6pm to midnight.

https://www.afrihost.com/site/product/adsl_capped

Last Friday I spent R1 on that Afrihost package (am on a very tight budget as well), so far I downloaded about 25GB a day (4mbs line).
Click to expand...

Ta man.
 
MickeyD said:
What is your budget, excluding the telephone line rental?

Requirements for DSL:
1. Telephone line
2. DSL rental
3. Data
Click to expand...

@MickeyD sorry, I misread your question. Currently, not including the Telkom line rental, I pay bare bones for internet R99 (for the 1 Mbps line + 20gb cap). For the increased line speed and/or data I'd be looking at paying R150 - R200 more for Axxess what I'm currently paying.

Btw I had a look again at the upgrade options and saw that they also offer a 2 Mbps line + 20 gb data combo for R189 (R90 more than what I'm currently paying). Wondering if that would be too little of an increase, or enough for my needs for now. I mean, I can always get more data (either via Axxess themselves, or Afrihost, or whomever) when needed, or go on after midnight when the data is free, but the speed will always be fixed then. Decisions, decisions...
 
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