question: HSDPA versus ADSL

B

bergy

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hi there

im thinking of getting high speed internet

are 3g a good option?(money and speed wise) or is adsl the better choice?
 
Really depends on what you want to do. Are you planning on leaching the internet dry or do you simply need a reliable connection to check mail and surf the net? 3G is really expensive if you are a high bandwidth user. The gamers also tend to complain about ping times if that is your thing.

Before you even look at 3G you should check the coverage map for your area and if you really want to be safe rent a 3G card from a Vodashop for a few days and check it out.
 
yo dude. if i were you i would go for 3G.

reason why?

if you don not have an existing fixed line in your home, then you need to let those telkom parasites install it for you at a cost of about R385. on top of that you need to apply for adsl on that existing line. then you need to pay that same existing line to rent it on a monthly basis for about R115. you then need to get an isp and pay them for your amount of data you purchae including your adsl rental on that line. depending what you are going to pay on a monthly basis at +-R500 a month. to go through that and begging those suckers to do all of that will take sometimes 1 month to 3months if you lucky.

your best bet would be to go wireless.very easy to use and to setup. i don't think you will need a book called "wireless for dummies" to get you connected. if you use a laptop, either get a usb or pcmcia card and install it with the relevant software. use your existing sim card or purchase a prepaid 1 for R2,R5,etc. get it activated for 3G internet. purchase R189 of 500mb data bundle and there you go. simple as that. you can go anywhere you want and be connected with the world. if you have a bad signal, just buy you a aerial for better coverage.

i have downloaded a few hundred megs of data with ease.

the only catch to wireless is the unreliable coverage and its a bit more pricy then adsl. you can get 500mb for R189,1gig for R289 and 3gig for R389(but will now be reduced by vodacom)

if i were you, you can rent out a 3G card and test your reception in your area for a week or so before you get 1.
 
I connected via 3g 3 years ago,upgraded(for free nogal !!)TO HSDPA and will again upgrade to the 7.something speed HSDPA when it becomes available.
Im mobile when I want to be and use a Linksys router when home based.
The purchase of an antenna from Pyonting just sweetened the pot for me and Im a very happy wireless internet user!
I go through 2 Gig a month and it costs me R400 odd bucks a month.
 
Hew Big Kriss

where can i purchase an antenna in cape town that will give me the best reception for my Globetrotter 3G card.

leme know so i can get the best out of the antenna for optimal speed.

how much does it improve the speed and stability. must it be on the outside?
 
Stevie G said:
Hew Big Kriss

where can i purchase an antenna in cape town that will give me the best reception for my Globetrotter 3G card.

leme know so i can get the best out of the antenna for optimal speed.

how much does it improve the speed and stability. must it be on the outside?
Click to expand...

Hew there Stevie G...!
A good starting point in my opinion would be to get hold of an existing HSDPA card and test your reception from where you would be using it.
If your up and running the high gain antenna from pyonting will definitely
improve your reception.
Its available from Pyonting direct or from one of the stockists near you..
Someone in Cape Town was advertising one for sale on this forum at R600.00 with pigtail and 7M cable..A very good buy imo.

What ever you decide on,test and test again..Weak reception will frustrate the **** out of you..
 
Thanks for the info you provided me. i have tested my Option Globetrotter 3.6 (can take 7.2) and i normally get 2 bars out of 5. as i am sending you this message i have 3 bars, which tells me that my reception is good, but i my connection stays idle for up to a minute or more, then when i continue browsing it takes a few seconds to start doing something, which is very frustrating. sometimes i get only 1 bar and get very bad signal strength and keeps losing my connection. the other day i only had 2 bars inside the house. i decided then to go outside to the front and to the back in a 10m-15m radius and it drops from 1 bar and then go to 2 bars and visa versa. i also think that the "peak times when ppl are using the net is between 5-9pm. so that maybe why i get a slow connection. in the evenings i always get 2 bars, with slow speeds. for hsdpa its pathetic.

I know that HSDPA is unreliable, but i always want the best and most reliable speed possible. there is a tower about 50m or so away from my place. do you think i definitely need 1 or will it be a waste of cash getting 1. give me your opinion.

will that antenna work with my option card. it does have a aerial built-on the 3G card itself that looks like butterfly wings to boost my signal for the card. will that antenna work and how will i be connecting it on my card.

the guy that was advertising that aerial, how do i get hold of him and what is his nick on braodband or does he have a contact number.

would appreciate your feedback



Big Kriss said:
Hew there Stevie G...!
A good starting point in my opinion would be to get hold of an existing HSDPA card and test your reception from where you would be using it.
If your up and running the high gain antenna from pyonting will definitely
improve your reception.
Its available from Pyonting direct or from one of the stockists near you..
Someone in Cape Town was advertising one for sale on this forum at R600.00 with pigtail and 7M cable..A very good buy imo.

What ever you decide on,test and test again..Weak reception will frustrate the **** out of you..
Click to expand...
 
Stevie G said:
yo dude. if i were you i would go for 3G.

reason why?

if you don not have an existing fixed line in your home, then you need to let those telkom parasites install it for you at a cost of about R385. on top of that you need to apply for adsl on that existing line. then you need to pay that same existing line to rent it on a monthly basis for about R115. you then need to get an isp and pay them for your amount of data you purchae including your adsl rental on that line. depending what you are going to pay on a monthly basis at +-R500 a month. to go through that and begging those suckers to do all of that will take sometimes 1 month to 3months if you lucky.

your best bet would be to go wireless.very easy to use and to setup. i don't think you will need a book called "wireless for dummies" to get you connected. if you use a laptop, either get a usb or pcmcia card and install it with the relevant software. use your existing sim card or purchase a prepaid 1 for R2,R5,etc. get it activated for 3G internet. purchase R189 of 500mb data bundle and there you go. simple as that. you can go anywhere you want and be connected with the world. if you have a bad signal, just buy you a aerial for better coverage.

i have downloaded a few hundred megs of data with ease.

the only catch to wireless is the unreliable coverage and its a bit more pricy then adsl. you can get 500mb for R189,1gig for R289 and 3gig for R389(but will now be reduced by vodacom)

if i were you, you can rent out a 3G card and test your reception in your area for a week or so before you get 1.
Click to expand...

...sounds like a biased answer to me this one....

All the costs of ADSL are clearly laid out with a little bit of rounding up but no mention is made of all the costs for wireless. A PCMCIA card is mentioned but no cost indication at all....... then an aerial is mentioned but again no cost.

Please I am all for reading opinions but please make them unbiased and show the costs of both correctly. Much for useful to all of us if you do....

Thanks
 
Last edited:
Hew Stevie!
I got 1,at most 2 bars and had disconnects etc...It was most frustrating at the time..That was when I bit the bullet and got the antenna from poynting..5 full bars,set up on my roof and about 8 meters high..
The antenna and the pigtail cost me R1200.00.The damn pigtail alone was R400.00!!
Every cent was well worth it !

I would simply search the for sales here..probably go back 10 or so pages and check it out.I remeber the guy was from SLAAPSTAD..

Hey,as Lancelot says,check out adsl as well..Im simply giving you my HSDPA experience..
 
As for the antenna and 50 meters...I think your probably "under the lobe"..Guru`s,am I correct??
Call up poynting and speak to them,fabulous people and very helpfull..They will give you good advice...
 
Hi Big Kriss

I had problems last in sending you a mail as i could not getting any response on the download link. i got so frustrated that is just disconnected and watched the soccer.

There was a guy in Centurion selling an antenna with bout 10m cable for R750. i called ihim and he told me that the antenne works only on Sentech's frequency. Did you maybe get hold of that guy on the forum.

I have 2x 512mb ddr2 and 2x 256mb ddr2 and a tv tuner card up for grabs. i need an aerial to fit on my Option Globetrotter 3G card.

Anyone interested can contact me if interested.

Where can i get a battery for my laptop, Dell Inspiron 6000 for a nice price.

Any suggestions?
 
Thats the antenna I have bUD..iTS not GOING TO SPEED UP DATA TRANSFER,BUT WILL GIVE YOU CLOSE TO IF NOT MAXIMUM CONNECTIVITY.
.

(Got to look up when I type....soz for the caps..)
Ive not done any speed tests but really dont need to..Im happy with my downloads and stuff..
 
Yo man

Check this 1 out tooooooooo!!!!!

http://www.poyntingdirect.co.za/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=K-LPDA-A0020-01

Its the same but its a 3G Medium Gain Antenna for OPTION Card and why is it R1200 almostr double the price.

I don't see any difference. maybe you can see the difference between the 2.

Is is worth it 2 buy me the R650 one or do you think its a waist of moela.

will it give me 5 out of 5 bars. what % improvement will i get and the difference when i will be using it.

the reviews what the ppl say is very good even from a 4.5 km raduis.

is there any other choices where i can have a look or are poynting the best in the country.

:rolleyes:
 
@Stevie G, there is one major obstacle that interferes with signal, and that is the walls, windows & roof etc that separate you indoors from the outdoors, this is why I usually advise forumites to do indoors on-network-speed tests and then repeat them outdoors for comparison purposes. An external outdoors antenna pointing in the correct direction, will alleviate the signal interference from the structure that separates you from the outdoors environment.

The less expensive external outdoors antenna might well do the trick, but there is no guarantee.
 
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