NeoGo from Neotel.

We've all been waitng for this review for awhile, so make it an interesting one.

Good Luck!
 
gdiza said:
Hi all... and mr Neotel ;)

Marius has dropped off the device, I wasn't here to meet him, but I have received it.
I tried to call him but he didn't answer his phone.

I plan to try and play with the device this weekend and take pictures where need be, write and test etc etc.
Click to expand...

Great stuff :)
 
Okay guys, I've done some tests, obviously, all from my flat.

I have a busy weekend ahead of me with me going to Westlake to do 2 heavy days of First Aid Level 3, but I want to try and do some tests in that area or on the way to First Aid, I'll post my finds about that in the document.
 
Note!

One of the tests I wanted to do is testing the device 'while on the go' which I'm going to do this morning.

I have a First Aid Level 3 training class in Westlake, so I'm going to do some tests driving from town to Westlake and back (GF driving incase people think I'm lapping and driving! haha)
 
gdiza said:
(GF driving incase people think I'm lapping and driving! haha)
Click to expand...

Oh no! Now you took the excitement out of it....:D

Thanks for the update...;)
 
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My mate applied for this in the CBD and they would not give it to him cos he does not have any accounts to show a credit record, despite a very good salary and secure position. :(
 
My Neogo experience so far…

Background: I'm a mac user and I wanted a secondary connection for when I'm in the office in the Jo'burg CBD. I have access to a guest internet connection (wifi), but its slow and has the email ports blocked.

So I decide to get the Neogo around end of August. It takes three days before the call centre can take my application. But when they do, I call at about 10:00, spend about 15min giving details and getting approved. By 14:30 I'm at the Neotel office with FICA docs and 20min later I leave with a data stick.

It's a Huawei EC168C. EVDO Rev.A with a rotating USB connector, micro SD slot (SDHC capable), USB extension cable.
Welcome doc from Neotel gives your phone number, connection and password details, email and password details and setup details.

So I read the docs and connect the stick. Data partition mounts showing two files, a help PDF and MobileConnect installer app. Read the doc, it's standard fare, the Japanglish isn't too bad, with minor discrepancies between the welcome letter, printed manual and electronic manual.

Mac's running 10.5.8. Running the installer app installs MobileConnect into Applications, a modem driver and three new network adapters.

To get MobileConnect to work you need to configure each of the three network adapters with the telephone number (#777), account name (<[email protected]>) and password. Make sure you apply the settings. Now launch MobileConnect and check the settings. The connection and password details should be pulled through from the network adapters.
Select your mode (CDMA,EVDO,Hybrid) and hit connect.

Now head on over to myadsl go to the neotel speed test and be totally underwhelmed by the results.
Do a little digging and realize that:
MobileConnect has no purpose beyond allowing you to select connection mode
The modem driver is a poorly hacked copy of the generic apple v92 dialup driver
The stick runs hot after a while
The included Sierra Wireless CDMA modem driver and Generic dialup driver seem to run the data stick faster than the hacked neotel version
Neotel put absolutely ZERO thought into mac support for this device

But the adventures have only just begun. Uninstall MobileConnect and run using modem settings in menu bar. Use data stick at home, use data stick at work. Coverage and speed seem about the same.

Now upgrade to Snow Leopard and find that neotel modem driver is no longer available. No problem, just re-install MobileConnect right… WRONG.
MobileConnect no longer launches. OKAAAY! Time for some work arounds.
Show package contents on MobileConnect, poke around, find installer app. Run installer app, now MobileConnect installs, but not the neotel modem driver. Play around with available modem drivers and find that the data stick connects using the generic dialup driver. Hmm, overall a way too much work and a totally F@$%ed up situation.
The pain is only about to start. I call the helldesk. Takes over an hour to get through cuz there is a country wide network problem and only ONE person on the entire callcentre - someone from ACCOUNTS! Insist on a call to be logged - takes about 20min to achieve nothing. Get told… we'll call back.
Wait a day, no call back (SURPRISE). Call helldesk. Get told to reboot. Yeah right!
Data stick DIES. Call helldesk to report problem. Get told to reboot. Ask for escalation. Get promised techie will arrive with new data stick and new software, supervisor will call back with update. Weekend comes, no call, Monday comes, no call, no techie. Call helldesk, toss toys all over the place.
Tuesday comes, courier arrives with new data stick. Pretty good turnaround (<18hrs). Wonders why test unit for GDIZA is taking forever to deliver.
Insert new data stick, try and install MobileConnect. Still doesn't work.
Re-apply work around - stick connects.
Call helldesk, complain.. ho hum… they gonna send techie. Now its Friday and techie finally arrives… never seen a mac before, but has used LINUX. Can't get anything to work. Tries to close call. Hell no - you gotta get this fixed, promises feedback.
That was the 12th September. Guess what… no call, no follow-up, not expecting anything to happen.

So how does the service shape?
Besides the total lack of support, software that doesn't work and device that crapped out in the first week, its NICE. Sorta like getting a peck on the cheek from your aunt.
Coverage seems NICE, works at home, works at the office,
Speed is NICE, (700kbps average, nowhere near 3.1mbps peak) or in layman's terms - NICE for email and light browsing, but you can get a cup of coffee waiting for youtube to buffer.
Latency - don't care, I'm not gaming.
Reliability - dunno, worked whenever I needed to connect.
Value for Money - cost is a no brainer, 3G can't compete, but the trade-off for now is coverage.

Overall verdict - will keep your grandma out of trouble, but probably not for the average forumite.
This could never be my main connection, but YMMV.
 
Thanks for the detailed review of your experience BobJones.
Gave me some insight especially into the support (or lack thereof) you received from Neotel and speeds attained.
Thanks for the detailed hardware, OS and driver issues reported as well.
Would be nice to get gdiza's review on this device and service as well.
 
Gekco said:
Thanks for the detailed review of your experience BobJones.
Gave me some insight especially into the support (or lack thereof) you received from Neotel and speeds attained.
Thanks for the detailed hardware, OS and driver issues reported as well.
Would be nice to get gdiza's review on this device and service as well.
Click to expand...
You gotta give Neotel a little credit. There are a couple of people trying their best, but overall they are not equipped to handle anything beyond the simplest problem. If a reboot doesn't fix it, you're pretty much up the creek without a paddle.
Seems to me they are entirely internally focussed. Their internal stats are probably telling them that they are meeting the SLA KPIs.
Problem is this keeps them happy, but the customers are left literally screaming for real service.
They gotta fix this or they will tank, especially on the consumer side.
 
NeoGO

BobJones said:
You gotta give Neotel a little credit. There are a couple of people trying their best, but overall they are not equipped to handle anything beyond the simplest problem. If a reboot doesn't fix it, you're pretty much up the creek without a paddle.
Seems to me they are entirely internally focussed. Their internal stats are probably telling them that they are meeting the SLA KPIs.
Problem is this keeps them happy, but the customers are left literally screaming for real service.
They gotta fix this or they will tank, especially on the consumer side.
Click to expand...

BOB,

WOW that was a good write up and some very useful info. Having never used a MAC and having gone to a client once for an issue they had on the MAC. I have to admit Mac rules.... The graphics were power... which I would love for games... the pc was all wireless (+1 on wifes approval) only issue they dont support many of the games I play. Anyway, Thanks again for the write up.
 
Good Madhawk, I've pretty much completed my tests, the only problem I've had is that I've been insanely busy at work.
I must phone Neotel and get them to come fetch the device.
 
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