Need Help With Telkom, Cannot Get Them To Install Lines In My Complex

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Saidar

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Hello everyone,

I really need some advice right now. I have struggled for the last 5 months with Telkom. Let me explain my situation.

I live in Potchefstroom, Telkom service here is EXTREMELY poor. They usually take about two months to install a line, and that is if it is easy to do it.

I recently moved to a new complex. I bought one of the appartments, without even asking if phone lines can be installed because I always believed that it can be installed anywhere!

So to my suprise after I moved in the developer told me he did not work with telkom to supply the complex with the neccesities to install telkom lines. I almost hit him for being so stupid!

But anyway, fortunately there are pipes in the walls meant for TV antenna cables. Those same pipes can be easily used for telkom wires.

Fortunately, the complex is literally NEXT to the main telkom underground line. 2 meters from a telkom box. It is really easy to connect the complex to the Telkom grid, it will cost some money but everyone living here is willing to pay the extra costs.

I did numerous Telkom applications, but they simply refuse to install lines because it is a little bit more work than the usual telkom installation.

One technician told me it is easy to install lines, and told me he can do it, but the next day the manager came over and simply refused, giving all kinds of rubbish excuses.

I'm really fed up with them, and I need some advice on what to do from here on? Maybe someone in this forum has internal connections to Telkom that can give them a little push?

The thing is I tried literally every wireless provider in Potchefstroom, ALL of them are pathetic. Incredibly bad customer support and their internet almost never work. I tried Screamer, their network in Potch never work, with packet losses of up to 10%.

Currently I'm using Safricom (previously Amobia), they are just as bad. Extremely arrogant, they even steal my bandwidth and straight out lie to me, while their internet is very unstable. Then I'm not evening talking about how they steal your money.

As far as I know there are no other options so I need to get a land line as quick as possible.

I will appreciate any input, thanks!
 
Get an ADSL connection to your office or a frieds place who lives close by, then get a point to point wireless installation using either mikrotik or soemthing similar.

Assisted a mate of mine with a similar installation where I live.

You will have to check legalities, but from what I have heard its easier to install and get caught and pay the fine than to apply for the relevant licenses.
 
thedoc! said:
Get an ADSL connection to your office or a frieds place who lives close by, then get a point to point wireless installation using either mikrotik or soemthing similar.

Assisted a mate of mine with a similar installation where I live.

You will have to check legalities, but from what I have heard its easier to install and get caught and pay the fine than to apply for the relevant licenses.
Click to expand...

Mmm... Good idea, what is the range of those technologies?

Telkom in my town is so pathetic don't think they will be a problem
 
thedoc! said:
Get an ADSL connection to your office or a frieds place who lives close by, then get a point to point wireless installation using either mikrotik or soemthing similar.

Assisted a mate of mine with a similar installation where I live.

You will have to check legalities, but from what I have heard its easier to install and get caught and pay the fine than to apply for the relevant licenses.
Click to expand...

I did EXACTLY this when I lived in bloemfontein. It involved putting up a pole on the roof with the CPE mounted to it. Signal was perfect without ANY packet loss, it worked like a bomb! I paid about R1600 for a CPE at that time, but that was about 5 years ago, they are probably a lot cheaper now... Just google CPE units, I'm sure you will find a supplier close by, and it really does work. The plus side, you share ADSL line costs :)

PS: My CPE worked fine over a 5KM distance... and it wasn't even 100% line of sight..
 
FaNIX said:
I did EXACTLY this when I lived in bloemfontein. It involved putting up a pole on the roof with the CPE mounted to it. Signal was perfect without ANY packet loss, it worked like a bomb! I paid about R1600 for a CPE at that time, but that was about 5 years ago, they are probably a lot cheaper now... Just google CPE units, I'm sure you will find a supplier close by, and it really does work. The plus side, you share ADSL line costs :)
Click to expand...

Thank your for the great idea! What is the range of those equipment?
 
It's a legal issue. Telkom may not install lines in your complex without approval from your body corporate. Normally the developer approaches Telkom before they build the infrastructure in the complex and they supply and lay the pipes. Telkom then pays them for those pipes.
 
moggie said:
It's a legal issue. Telkom may not install lines in your complex without approval from your body corporate. Normally the developer approaches Telkom before they build the infrastructure in the complex and they supply and lay the pipes. Telkom then pays them for those pipes.
Click to expand...

I did sort the legal suff out with them, it is not about the complex developer, he doesn't really care. The fact is Telkom does not want to do any effort to put us on the grid.

I even asked an eletrical engineer to design the plans, it is straight forward. Like I said, it just so be that we are directly next to the main telkom cable, and it just so be that there are facilities installed that can accomodate telkom lines. But they won't listen because things were not done "their" way.
 
Think we are three who applied. It is a small complex, only 10 people live here.
 
I heard of an alternative wireless provider in Potch, called WispWeb (they are on the megasurf network): http://www.wispweb.co.za/

But I'm so scared of wireless providers, I never had a good experience with them before, and the problem is each new wsp wants to install their own equipment that bloody costs R2000 or more.
 
Escalate

Saidar said:
One technician told me it is easy to install lines, and told me he can do it,
but
the next day the manager came over and simply refused, giving all kinds of rubbish excuses.
Click to expand...

Escalate it -- go to your section manager -- then to the local area manager -- then to the regional manager.

Just do not give up

Get a signed memorandum from ALL the people living in your block.

You just have to keep plugging away at the negativity until someone does something.

Go see the guys personally -- talk nicely -- be logical -- be INSISTENT.


MW
 
MidnightWizard said:
Escalate it -- go to your section manager -- then to the local area manager -- then to the regional manager.

Just do not give up

Get a signed memorandum from ALL the people living in your block.

You just have to keep plugging away at the negativity until someone does something.

Go see the guys personally -- talk nicely -- be logical -- be INSISTENT.


MW
Click to expand...

The Telkom centres located in shopping malls are obviously useless, are you saying I should go directly to the technical department and talk with the people there?
 
I think going the CPE would definably be your best option. Try and find someone in your area, I'm sure someone wont mind sharing ADSL line costs, but they probably wont pay for their CPE unit so you probably need to buy both then,
 
FaNIX said:
I think going the CPE would definably be your best option. Try and find someone in your area, I'm sure someone wont mind sharing ADSL line costs, but they probably wont pay for their CPE unit so you probably need to buy both then,
Click to expand...

Yes it is a very good idea, I'm just worried of all the trees, this limit my options to only my neigbours
 
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