iburst or Sentech/MyWireless?

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Maxy Powers

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Hello,

I have to choose between Sentech's MyWireless 3Gig package and iburst's 3gig package. Signal strength isn't an issue. Iburst seems cheaper and much faster. But it sounds to good to be true. Can anyone offer any advice? Which is better?
 
IBurst is definately a better choice. Sentech only offers 256kb/s while Iburst offers up to 1mb/s. That's 4 times faster! It's true, high speed wireless Internet.

Get Iburst now! Click the link in my sig.... :D
 
Be aware, decide with care…

I suggest you have a supplier come out and do a signal test (good signal or not), ask if you could use their UTD/modem for a day and see how it goes, after that make your decision.

If he is not willing, get another supplier that will. This way at least you know that you have a supplier that is willing to go the extra mile (you might need this at a later stage) and you get to see what you are in for.

Beware of a supplier that plonks the UTD/modem on your desk, looks at the lights on the UTD/modem, and says it works, the lights signify nothing when it comes to quality of signal reception, it is just to enhance the look of the UTD and or to indicate if there is power and a signal that it is within range.

If you have the option of DSL, rather go for that (with a self-install option), you will be saving yourself a lot of frustration in the end, DSL technology has been around for longer and is more reliable.

Hope this helps.
 
who.is.michael said:
DSL technology has been around for longer and is more reliable.
Click to expand...


And also way more expensive. DSL is not worth the wait for the line to be installed. With R700, you can get a 3Gig cap on Iburst with speeds of up to 1mb/s. With DSL, R700 will only get you a 384K line with the same cap.

IBurst is much better in the end. It's mobile, instant and FAST! :)
 
It is mobile, instant, but for the rest...

It is mobile, instant, but for the rest it depends on a range of factors. Some have had a brilliant iBurst/Telkom/Sentech experience others not.

If it is better or not could be debated, there is quite a few factors that need to be considered, beyond the possible cost saving, i.e. uptime, base station load, signal strength, distance from tower (external antenna might be required, which would add and additional cost), latency, stability of the connection, actual achievable speed (1Mbps – unlikely), shaping, international contention ratios, mobility, etc.

I would suggest PM does his homework and decide what services he intends utilising via his internet connection, before settling for the quickest solution.

It is not an easy decision as there are many factors to consider, the quickest connectivity solution is definitely iBurst.
 
I'd say if Maxy gets a test done and it's fast as well as stable during that test then iBurst is the way to go.
If on the other hand it is a bit erratic and not nearly close to +800kbps then maybe he should give it a miss.

From my point of view iBurst is the only route I want to take as I have in general a very stable fast connection.
When I see what some others have to put up with I really feel their pain, and there is no way in hell I'd stay with iBurst if my connection degrades to that level.
 
It all depends what's best in your area.

I've got very good iBurst reception in Centurion, I don't need wires to make ADSL work & the R599 I pay - is that. No more. No R89 line-rental, no R199 for the 'honour' of having Telkom as my ISP. Enough said.

Also, something that's VERY important to me, is still being able to connect, even if I've reached my cap.

Mywireless has never been an option for me, simply because I don't see many happy campers on the Sentech forum - it says alot about Sentech.

iBurst is my first choice.
 
MYWireless versus iburst

It would be really helpful if I could get an idea of people's average download speeds with iburst. I already know what I can get with sentech, so it would be great to have an objective comparison. I use http://performance.toast.net/ to test my speeds.
Download F16 Jet or the Mars Rover, or both. And please let me know what web host you use for your download.

Thanks guys!

Maxy
 
High-bandwidth web sites I can get 103kb/s, other it ranges from 60kb/s to 30kb/s.

It depends on the site you're downloading from and how busy the server is, but I'm very happy with my download speeds.

Hope it helps.
 
F-16 Fighting Falcons Test Results

Right now...

Loaded 1,396,595 bytes in 60.467 seconds from ADDR.com server.


33.6K Modem: 16-27K
56K Modem: 34-45K
ISDN/I-DSL: 100-120K
Your throughput: 185* K
Cable/ADSL: 229-950K
T1: 1078-1300K
 
Maxy, as have been stated before : One person's wireless experience WILL differ from the next, and is therefor highly subjective, so any info you get is almost meaningless, whether it's MyWi or Iburst. Example : I just did your speedtest (Mars Rover, 1st site) via MyWi 256....29kbps ! I'm sure yours will differ.

Bottomline : You will have to test Iburst where you are.
 
Yah, I take your point on the speed depending on where you are but if I get a lot people from different places to do the test, surely this will tell me about the range of speeds possible. If that range is above the average download speed I experience with sentech, then it would be reasonable to conclude that my experience of Iburst would also be faster. There's a lot of unknowns here but at least I can get an idea of the ball park.
 
You will get up to 1Mbps depending on the quality of your signal and the load on the basestation you connect to. I've downloaded plenty, and the average speeds (for me) are between 90KB/s (720kbps) and 110KB/s (880kbps) local or international, using a download manager.

I suspect that even those Ibursters with poor connections would be in the upper range of MyWireless performance.

Iburst's 3G (R599pm) gives you free 64kbps access after you reach your cap. Or you can buy an extra Gb at full speed for R159, (15.9c per MB).

Sentech's Flexi 3000 (R699pm) charges you R1.00/MB after the cap is reached.

So let's see, cheaper service, cheaper bandwidth, cheaper modem, much faster downloads, better latency, wider coverage, and many times more reliable... Can it be such a difficult choice?

Get your Iburst signal checked out. And if it is half-way decent, there is only one choice.
 
True dat. You really dont need a speed comparison, its the one thing you will have better than Sentech on iBurst. And you will have a better price, and modem price, and a better company to deal with.

Damn it would even matter if iBurst was a bit slower, which it wont be.
 
I've been with Sentech since inception only because of their high cap (which was the only advantage they had - doesn't exist anymore). I am migrating to Iburst.
Sentech has no tech support worth talking about - last year when I complained about the terrible signal and frequent disconnects, I got such fantastic lies like "In S. Africa, there is carbon in the bricks, and this blocks the signal", and " the water in the trees reflects the signal".
When sending emails with Mywireless, sometimes they get through immediately, but most times they take hours and in some cases days to reach their destination.

Mywireless is fantastic if you're half dead and don't mind waiting forever for web pages to open. Streaming video is a complete disaster.

The fastest speed I get on torrents is 22Kb, but the usual is 1-6Kb
 
hahaha, I can totally empathize with that. yah, so anyways. you guys have convinced me. I've taken the plunge and signed up for iburst. good bye sentech!
 
Just remember, Maxy Powers, that we have a little 'initiation' thingie for new iBurst members.

First challenge :

You must drive through Joburg in a white Citigolf, after 10 at night - and if you make it, you get a signed certificate by Jaki Selebi & Charles Nequala & a free iBurst desktop modem.

Second challenge :

Then you must run kaalgat through Auckland Park & afterwards iBurst's MD will shake your hand & welcome you as a new member.
*You also get a free Coke & packet of Marie biscuits.

That's it, hope to see you there!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
kingrob said:
Just remember, Maxy Powers, that we have a little 'initiation' thingie for new iBurst members.

First challenge :

You must drive through Joburg in a white Citigolf, after 10 at night - and if you make it, you get a signed certificate by Jaki Selebi & Charles Nequala & a free iBurst desktop modem.

Second challenge :

Then you must run kaalgat through Auckland Park & afterwards iBurst's MD will shake your hand & welcome you as a new member.
*You also get a free Coke & packet of Marie biscuits.

That's it, hope to see you there!
Click to expand...

roffelz0r
Well, luckily I skipped that one.. the coke and maries sound good though..

Why not try driving through Elsies or Lavender Hill, I bet its worse :D
 
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