My Fibre install diary

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Former member 61586

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15 December 2016

Placed my order for fibre today. Using Axxess. The Fibre is being installed on Telkom infrastructure. According to Axxess installation and setup is free to the value of R2850.

They did however just send me an e-mail stating they are busy acquiring quotes from the best vendors for installation. I responded querying this, but honestly don't expect an answer.

The router is for my account. Will pick one up from Makro during the month.

I ordered a 20MB line with 20GBx2 capped data but free data from midnight to 6AM which is what I want. Cost is R639 per month. Bargain in my opinion as I can pull about 1TB during that free time. Axxess has assured me that NO shaping or throttling occurs during the free time (or during normal time as I am in a capped account) on any protocol. Yes I know I am probably going to get burned as I have heard them backtrack on promises like this before.
 
SharkBait said:
Good luck, hope it gets installed quickly. You forgot to mention your location?
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Think the install will only happen early to mid February as I heard from another ISP (Adept) that all install teams go on leave/close shop from 15 December to 12 January.

I am Universitas-Ridge in Bloemfontein.
 
Mine:
100Mbps vi CW
Applied at 23h30 on Thursday, 8 Dec 2016
Monday the Openserve techie came to scope the property.
Tuesday the Openserve contractor was on site to scope and make appointment.
Wednesday afternoon he called and asked to move from 3pm to 8am on next day.
Thursday 8am, on site, conduit buried along back wall and then into ceiling. Fibre pulled through from pole to my PC and 5m coiled pending final installation by Openserve on Monday.
 
ambroseg1 said:
Think the install will only happen early to mid February as I heard from another ISP (Adept) that all install teams go on leave/close shop from 15 December to 12 January.

I am Universitas-Ridge in Bloemfontein.
Click to expand...

Nice, I'm in Universitas-Ridge as well. Next year though I'll need to say goodbye to my fibre connection (getting married will probably move to new suburb). Hopefully the fibre gods will bless me with a new fibre connection wherever I move to next in Bloem :(

PS: BTW, feel free to support the Bloemfontein Fibre thread I made back in the day.

https://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/726288-Bloemfontein-FTTH-Thread

A bit burried underneath other posts here, but still, we have our own little area :)
 
Last edited:
17 December

Received an automated email this morning from Axxess stating that my fibre installation application has been submitted to Openserve (Telkom) and that I should expect a call from them to arrange for a site inspection. They also informed it takes +-30 days to install and that I may receive an additional invoice for installation which I can choose to accept or reject depending on the work that needs doing to get the install done.

My email on the 15th regarding who pays for the installation is still unanswered.
 
MickeyD said:
Mine:
100Mbps vi CW
Applied at 23h30 on Thursday, 8 Dec 2016
Monday the Openserve techie came to scope the property.
Tuesday the Openserve contractor was on site to scope and make appointment.
Wednesday afternoon he called and asked to move from 3pm to 8am on next day.
Thursday 8am, on site, conduit buried along back wall and then into ceiling. Fibre pulled through from pole to my PC and 5m coiled pending final installation by Openserve on Monday.
Click to expand...
Monday, 2pm, received call to confirm installation date --> Wednesday
 
MickeyD said:
Monday, 2pm, received call to confirm installation date --> Wednesday
Click to expand...

Still quite a process I see. :p

This makes me want to sort out the conduits and stuff myself beforehand this time round. If everything is ready for Telkom I hope they can do the installation in a single day. I'm just concerned about the conduit that they placed on the Telkom pole for the previous installation - I'm not touching a Telkom pole obviously. Perhaps if I just leave them a length of loose conduit and be on standby with a drill it won't be a delay. I know which pole they'll be using so I'm strongly inclined to go this route, especially considering how tricky the route to the study is.
 
Bryn said:
Still quite a process I see. :p

This makes me want to sort out the conduits and stuff myself beforehand this time round. If everything is ready for Telkom I hope they can do the installation in a single day. I'm just concerned about the conduit that they placed on the Telkom pole for the previous installation - I'm not touching a Telkom pole obviously. Perhaps if I just leave them a length of loose conduit and be on standby with a drill it won't be a delay. I know which pole they'll be using so I'm strongly inclined to go this route, especially considering how tricky the route to the study is.
Click to expand...
I could have sped up the process but the test is to see how long a normal installations takes - no favours.

You can definitely stick your own conduit onto the Telkom pole... it's done by a contractor anyway. When they scope it you simply point them to your conduit!
 
MickeyD said:
I could have sped up the process but the test is to see how long a normal installations takes - no favours.

You can definitely stick your own conduit onto the Telkom pole... it's done by a contractor anyway. When they scope it you simply point them to your conduit!
Click to expand...

That's nice to know. I can't remember how far up the conduit goes on the pole though. Whenever convenient, do you mind posting a pic of the top of your connecting pole?
 
MickeyD said:
Wednesday 11h30 - on line!

View attachment 407536
Click to expand...

That upload speed. What an improvement.


1594.gif
 
21 December

In a shocking turn of events, I was called this morning by Openserve. They wanted to know if I was home as they want to come and install fibre connection to my home (no need for site inspection and they were not closed for the holidays as some idiot ISP told me). They arrived just after 9 and finished just before 11. Connected my home from a pole in the corner of my back yard which I think supplies me and the 3-4 houses around me. Very nice gentlemen who showed me lots of the intricacies of fibre and the equipment they use. Was a hell of an interesting morning. Learnt a ton. They tested my line and it got -16DB or something like that. Apparently anything higher than -32DB is acceptable so mine is very good and will handle 100MB speeds easily. Guy even ran a speed test, and I got 19.8something download and 9.8something upload with a 12ms response time.

So I had to quickly rush to town to get a router as Axxess does not supply one free of charge. Settled for a TP-Link TD-W8968 from Matrix warehouse for R599. Incredible connection is such a rip-off. I left the store as I didn't want to vomit on their tiled floors. For the "high end" routers I was actually after like the TP-Link AC1750, they were charging DOUBLE what most online stores were charging. I had my phone open on price check comparing their prices and in some instances they were charging triple. YES TRIPLE! Proof that this education system is keeping many businesses alive and very well.

Anyway, got home with my router and called up Axxess as instructed by Openserve people. Must admit, they were very quick and efficient in getting me up and running. Very lovely lady in technical support helped me step by step in getting connected as Fibre is completely new to me. Told them what modem I have, and its as if she went and got the exact same model and walked me through every screen in the setup process.

So yeah....I am connected. Within 3 business days. That is pretty damn impressive as far as I am concerned.
 
MickeyD said:
Wednesday 11h30 - on line!

View attachment 407536
Click to expand...

Very nice!! You must be enjoying that?

My Fibrehoods experience so far has been anything but satisfying!! I've had Telkom reps ring my doorbell twice in the last 5 days wanting to sell me a fibre connection but Fibrehoods are already in with their ONT, for weeks already but line will only be live mid February!!!

They basically secured the site with the ONT but since then no urgency to actually activate the line...??
 
sand_man said:
Very nice!! You must be enjoying that?

My Fibrehoods experience so far has been anything but satisfying!! I've had Telkom reps ring my doorbell twice in the last 5 days wanting to sell me a fibre connection but Fibrehoods are already in with their ONT, for weeks already but line will only be live mid February!!!

They basically secured the site with the ONT but since then no urgency to actually activate the line...??
Click to expand...
Surely you can cancel due to breach of contract?
 
MickeyD said:
Surely you can cancel due to breach of contract?
Click to expand...

Possibly! Telkom reps didn't make it past the front door though, so I'm not actually sure if the Telkom fibre node on the edge of my property is actually live or not. There has been so much activity in the hood lately. Openserve have been tearing up roads all over the place and Fibrehoods have their aerial fibre everywhere too.

I have a Fibrehoods pole and fibre node literally outside my front door and a Telkom one between me and my neighbours property!

I should have let the Telkom reps in, but the first time they came knocking was Friday the 16th, public holiday, I was a bit suspicious and brushed them off but they came back again on Monday 19th around 1pm. I was at work till 3pm. Wife asked them to return then but they never did...

I've heard horror stories of Openserve laying cable only to go live months or even years later, another reason I hadn't been so open to negotiations with them...

Anyway...
 
sand_man said:
Possibly! Telkom reps didn't make it past the front door though, so I'm not actually sure if the Telkom fibre node on the edge of my property is actually live or not. There has been so much activity in the hood lately. Openserve have been tearing up roads all over the place and Fibrehoods have their aerial fibre everywhere too.

I have a Fibrehoods pole and fibre node literally outside my front door and a Telkom one between me and my neighbours property!

I should have let the Telkom reps in, but the first time they came knocking was Friday the 16th, public holiday, I was a bit suspicious and brushed them off but they came back again on Monday 19th around 1pm. I was at work till 3pm. Wife asked them to return then but they never did...

I've heard horror stories of Openserve laying cable only to go live months or even years later, another reason I hadn't been so open to negotiations with them...

Anyway...
Click to expand...
If your area is dark it is ready: http://www.openserve.co.za/open/fibre/
 
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