HSDPA crad swop to 3G Card. what gives?

[martin]

I thought you could limit the connection speed by creating a 3G only profile?

 

[vodacom3g]

I thought you could limit the connection speed by creating a 3G only profile?

You can select between a 2G / GSM or 3G / UMTS profile.

When it was just GPRS and 3G on the first generations cards, the profile names made sense. GPRS-only would connect at GPRS (no EDGE support on the card) and 3G-only would connect at 'normal' 3G (384Kb/s) as there was no HSDPA capability in the card.

With the new cards, that support GPRS, EDGE, 3G and HSDPA, the card will now select either GPRS or EDGE when you use the GPRS-Only profile, depending if EDGE is available or not. If you use a 3G-only profile, the card will auto select 3G or HSDPA.

 

[CeeBee]

3G/HSDPA connection

Hi Vodacom3G, perhaps you could help with some advice?
I received my MTN E620 HSDPA card, but I have a query about it....
I'm using my VodaCom sim in the card, as there is no MTN 3G where I live in PTA. I should be right smack in the middle of 3G (and therefore HSDPA) coverage, but when I connect the speeds I get are between 350kbps and 370kbps consistantly. (this very urly in the morning, so there shouldnt be many other user online), and WITH the external antenna.
Why the speed so s-l-o-w? I know there could be many reasons, but could it be that it's only connecting at 3G? In the control panel it shows 3G/HSDPA, but there is only a setting 3G prefered, not HSDPA prefered, or HSDPA only....
Is there an update to give the option of HSDPA prefered/HSDPA only?
It's quite bad having a modem that 'can' connect at HSDPA's 1.8Mbps, but only gets about a third of the speed... might as well just use normal 3G phone - same speed.
Any advice?
If it shows 3G prefered, will it still connect at HSDPA if it can....surely even a poorer HSDPA signal should be faster than good 3G???
Even though VC said all 3G towers are upgraded to HSDPA, is it still two different signals,... 3G stronger than HSDPA?
How can I 'force' the card to attach to HSDPA?
Keep up the good work updating us with VC info

 

[vodacom3g]

Hi Vodacom3G, perhaps you could help with some advice?
I received my MTN E620 HSDPA card, but I have a query about it....
I'm using my VodaCom sim in the card, as there is no MTN 3G where I live in PTA. I should be right smack in the middle of 3G (and therefore HSDPA) coverage, but when I connect the speeds I get are between 350kbps and 370kbps consistantly. (this very urly in the morning, so there shouldnt be many other user online), and WITH the external antenna.
Why the speed so s-l-o-w? I know there could be many reasons, but could it be that it's only connecting at 3G? In the control panel it shows 3G/HSDPA, but there is only a setting 3G prefered, not HSDPA prefered, or HSDPA only....
Is there an update to give the option of HSDPA prefered/HSDPA only?
It's quite bad having a modem that 'can' connect at HSDPA's 1.8Mbps, but only gets about a third of the speed... might as well just use normal 3G phone - same speed.
Any advice?
If it shows 3G prefered, will it still connect at HSDPA if it can....surely even a poorer HSDPA signal should be faster than good 3G???
Even though VC said all 3G towers are upgraded to HSDPA, is it still two different signals,... 3G stronger than HSDPA?
How can I 'force' the card to attach to HSDPA?
Keep up the good work updating us with VC info

How do you buy data on the VC sim, do you have a data contract, ad-hoc bundles or pre-paid data?

If contract or ad-hoc, which one and how much do you pay?

 

[ic]

How do you buy data on the VC sim, do you have a data contract, ad-hoc bundles or pre-paid data?

If contract or ad-hoc, which one and how much do you pay?

I thought Vodacom had not yet implemented the backend speed-shaping according to bundle-type?

 

[vodacom3g]

I thought Vodacom had not yet implemented the backend speed-shaping according to bundle-type?

Can never keep anything from you!

It's rolling out. I did not really want to post about it yet as it's not complete, but we might be running into situations where (for whatever reason) someone with a HSDPA card might be on the 3G tariff and thus will not get HSDPA speeds.

I suspect CeeBee might fall into this category. Since he never bought a VC HSDPA card, the system probably put him on the 3G-tariff.

 

[CeeBee]

How do you buy data on the VC sim, do you have a data contract, ad-hoc bundles or pre-paid data?

If contract or ad-hoc, which one and how much do you pay?

Hi, no I just have a Super6 4u Prepaid sim that I use. I just add money, and use it for data, so its the standard VC R2/Mb (VC 3G and HSDPA same price prepaid)

About 2/3 weeks ago, when I tested one of these MTN data cards with the VC sim in, I managed to get about 590-600kbps, so that was probably HSDPA, but now that I have my own, I can't manage faster than +-420kbps, but mostly it looks like just 3G speeds, 350-380kbps... which is similar to what I get with normal Nokia 6680 3G phone.

Just wondered if there isn't a way to force attachment to HSDPA signal, as I feel that even a bad HSDPA connection should be faster than standard 3G?

U probly wondering why I got the MTN card instead of VC Card, especially since I don't have MTN 3G/HSDPA coverage...? Twisted situation actually, I have been pondering about getting the VC card for a long time, then recently I managed to get the HSDPA card PLUS IBM R52 Laptop for +- R160pm on a MyChoice 150 contract, from iTalk Cellular (MTN only unfortunately!)... but R3840 over 24months for the modem plus laptop is hard to beat.... so I let wife use the MyChoice talktime, so reduce her other account (u know how women can 'kuier' on the phone) and I use the datacard with VC sim for data connection, browsing & downloads.
Pity VC doesn't have data bundles for prepaid users though....

 

[CeeBee]

Could the problem with the modem only getting 3G speeds not also be related to the software only having 3G Preferred, and not HSDPA prefered?
It makes sense to me, if 3G Preferred is set, and the 3G signal is stronger than the HSDPA signal, that the modem would attach to 3G.
That's why we need that option in the software dashboard, of HSDPA prefered, or only, as the 3G signal might be the stronger, but if the HSDPA signal is still good enough to use, then it would still be preferable, and faster than 3G.

But it is a bit confusing though... if the 3G towers were upgraded to HSDPA to provide both, then my thinking is, that consider that there are no users at a particular time, then both 3G and HSDPA signal should be equal in strength.
And apart from that, considering that HSDPA is still rather new, and there are way more 3G users than guys with HSDPA modems, and the assumption that the more users, the lower the speed, then shouldn't HSDPA be the better connection??? Or is my logic on this screwed up?
Isn't HSDPA signal a 'better quality' signal, not just faster?

Does the VC system check what connection package u're on, and then decide what connection to give you? Still on prepaid, it should connect to HSDPA?

 

[ic]

Could the problem with the modem only getting 3G speeds not also be related to the software only having 3G Preferred, and not HSDPA prefered?
...

No, it could not.

HSDPA is actually an extension of 3G. HSDPA is still 3G, just faster, which is why there is no separate option in the software for HSDPA [it's still all 3G].

 

[CeeBee]

aaah yes, somebody also just explained that to me... not a completely different type of connection, more an enhancement.

Still, if VC has 2 different tarrifs to charge 3G and HSDPA on contracts/bundles, they must have (and do) have a way to allocate which network (3G or HSDPA) to connect you to when logging on...
Being on prepaid then, with the same price, you should be able to connect to the HSDPA signal, if we're told all the 3G towers are upgraded to do HSDPA???
Or do they check that u are on prepaid, and not contract/bundle, so penalise you by putting you on 3G, not HSDPA? Not fair since u'r paying much more.

I know there should be HSDPA in my area, since I have (rare occasions) managed +-600kbps, but recently, only (what seems like) 3G speeds.

Maybe I AM connected to HSDPA, BUT the network is SO swamped that I only get 350-380kbps?
This would be very bad if this the case, since guys paying more (HSDPA subscribers, prepaid), deserve a faster, better connection, and should the network capacity / towers be increased.
Dunno what to think of this, as I have learnt from experience, that companies' ethics don't always come before profits.....

 

[vodacom3g]

Could the problem with the modem only getting 3G speeds not also be related to the software only having 3G Preferred, and not HSDPA prefered?
It makes sense to me, if 3G Preferred is set, and the 3G signal is stronger than the HSDPA signal, that the modem would attach to 3G.
That's why we need that option in the software dashboard, of HSDPA prefered, or only, as the 3G signal might be the stronger, but if the HSDPA signal is still good enough to use, then it would still be preferable, and faster than 3G.

But it is a bit confusing though... if the 3G towers were upgraded to HSDPA to provide both, then my thinking is, that consider that there are no users at a particular time, then both 3G and HSDPA signal should be equal in strength.
And apart from that, considering that HSDPA is still rather new, and there are way more 3G users than guys with HSDPA modems, and the assumption that the more users, the lower the speed, then shouldn't HSDPA be the better connection??? Or is my logic on this screwed up?
Isn't HSDPA signal a 'better quality' signal, not just faster?

Does the VC system check what connection package u're on, and then decide what connection to give you? Still on prepaid, it should connect to HSDPA?

AS you use a MTN data card, we had no purchase record that you're on HSDPA, so the systems automatically put you on 3G. I've asked for your profile to be migrated to HSDPA.

Let me know if it did not happen. Or you can call 155 and get them to do it.

 

[CeeBee]

thanx a lot! I will try the connection asap tonite when I get home, here where I work there's no VC signal whatsoever, not even GPRS.

 

[CeeBee]

Is this profile change supposed to take some time?
Now I can't connect at all
Well... the dashboard shows, connected 1.8Mbps, but I can't do ****.
It's like, being connected, but any page/site u try & connect to shows as unavailable.... or like not being connected at all, but the connection shows as connected....(?)
Even setting up an additional dialup connection, not using the card's dashboard software, shows it connects, 1.8Mbps, but I still can't get any webpages.
Any idea what's the cause (and fix), or is it just a time thing to be set up on the network again?

 

[vodacom3g]

Is this profile change supposed to take some time?
Now I can't connect at all
Well... the dashboard shows, connected 1.8Mbps, but I can't do ****.
It's like, being connected, but any page/site u try & connect to shows as unavailable.... or like not being connected at all, but the connection shows as connected....(?)
Even setting up an additional dialup connection, not using the card's dashboard software, shows it connects, 1.8Mbps, but I still can't get any webpages.
Any idea what's the cause (and fix), or is it just a time thing to be set up on the network again?

This sounds like another problem. If the profile is not active you'd get a constant 619.

Maybe report it to 155 in the mean-time. I'll also check up.

 

[CeeBee]

thanx 4 u'r help.
I waited about 30 mins, tried again.
At least now I can connect, and view web pages, but the speed is still no better than 3G, getting speeds from 140-261 kbps, ave +-190
will contact 155 to hear if they have any advice on the connection to HSDPA.

 

[CeeBee]

Hi V3G,
I contacted 155 this morning (from my MTN cell phone, )
After about 17 mins listening to the recorded message (I know this by heart now, if anybody wants to know about VC adverts...), I managed to get thru to a consultant.
They dunno about profile changes, according to them, if on Prepaid, and using an HSDPA modem, you 'should' connect to HSDPA.
I have managed 600+ kbps a few weeks ago, so I'm confident that the (MTN)HSDPA modem I have is capable.
Its just recently, no more faster than 3G speeds.
But the lady says they'll check.
Is there perhaps an e-mail adress I can use for further enquiries?
I know the guys at the help desk don't sit around waiting for my call, but these looong calls are gonna cost a fortune, apart from the time it takes during office hours.
Or can I call them in the evenings, (will phone from the VC sim)?

But, it will be sad, if now I can't use HSDPA, coz it's an MTN datacard...
its still a VC sim, and I'm paying the R2/mb entrance fee...

 

[vodacom3g]

Hi V3G,
I contacted 155 this morning (from my MTN cell phone, )
After about 17 mins listening to the recorded message (I know this by heart now, if anybody wants to know about VC adverts...), I managed to get thru to a consultant.
They dunno about profile changes, according to them, if on Prepaid, and using an HSDPA modem, you 'should' connect to HSDPA.
I have managed 600+ kbps a few weeks ago, so I'm confident that the (MTN)HSDPA modem I have is capable.
Its just recently, no more faster than 3G speeds.
But the lady says they'll check.
Is there perhaps an e-mail adress I can use for further enquiries?
I know the guys at the help desk don't sit around waiting for my call, but these looong calls are gonna cost a fortune, apart from the time it takes during office hours.
Or can I call them in the evenings, (will phone from the VC sim)?

But, it will be sad, if now I can't use HSDPA, coz it's an MTN datacard...
its still a VC sim, and I'm paying the R2/mb entrance fee...

I have asked for them to fix it, but will follow up. PM me your ail addr. and I'll include you in the loop.

 

[CeeBee]

V3G, thanx for y'r help in organising the profile change to HSDPA. even though the average speed achieved in 12 tests spread over several hours, with different websites, has still only resulted in a "3G"-like 321kbps, at least the 'rare' bursts of 'high speeds' to 400+ shows that HSDPA is now achievable, when available.
I would still like to know where the VC tower in my area is, so I can check the connection closer to it (if u cud PM/email very much like appreciate it)