The board has a lot of info scattered all over, some even duplicated. It has a lot of information, but for a newbie it takes time to dig in. I notice the same types of questions pop-up all over.
Maybe one can set-up 1 or 2 topics where the core issues are summarised (maybe the link to the a posted item where something is discussed in more detail?) to assist the newbies to this forum as a quick checklist. Perhaps lock that discussion topic so that it stays a 1 or 2 post topic. Something such as a Glossary of Terms, and then one such as a FAQ. The Moderator can maintain the topic in a condenced form.
Glossary
======
ADSL – Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line
….
Here is a stab at the issues/questions:
Where do I start with getting ADSL?
==========================
Q. Do I first apply at Telkom?
Q. Do they first test my line?
Q. Once they say my line is OK for ADSL, do they convert at that stage? What happens if I don’t have my preferred modem yet? Can I still use my normal phone if I converted my existing number?
Q. What is the sequence of events, i.e. from applying to be finally connected as well as time-line?
ADSL router selection
================
Q. What are the available ADSL modems/routers that one can make use of, with Pro’s and Cons?
Q. Where do I buy these and what is a reasonable list price?
Q. What is the support like for these brands? I know one can take the Telkom selected modems back with in 14 days, but what about the ‘other’ brands?
Set-up issues
==========
Q. What are the things one needs to do to? I.e. configure, connect and so on?
Q. ……
Telkom issues (I hope Telkom will be able to fill in the answers to some of these questions)
==========
Q. What are the issues regarding Telkom? (I think a summary would be nice. Let’s leave the emotional factor out – facts only please.)
Q. How is the 3GB cap calculated?
Q. Why can’t the 3GB cap only be determined by the International usage alone? Why can’t the local traffic thus be ignored in terms of contributing to the cap, after all, once one has reached the 3GB cap it doesn’t impact local usage anyway?
(I can understand that we are very remote from a lot of the other countries where Internet content is published and that would impose a cost that those countries don’t normally have to contents with.)
Q. Why are customers being ‘dictated’ to what the preferred usage of their Internet usage should be? Surely one wants to attract as many happy customers as possible?
Online gamers make out a fair amount of the Internet users – they probably contribute a reasonable amount revenue for Telkom. Why try and penalise them? ADSL is marketed to aim at the person that spend more than 4 hours a day online, well, that is probably the online gamers…? (Everyone pays the same amount for his/her 3GB cap. If my preferred ports are given lower priority, it implies I get less value for money, alternatively, I should pay less?)
Q. Why only have one brand (if one may take the liberty of calling it ‘brand’) of modem approved? Can’t there be some attempt to have the more well known brands included? I.e. Netgear for starters? Surely this will show that there is still some good will in Telkom or should one read into it that the model of dictatorship/monopoly behaviour is just perpetuated in one’s choices? One don’t mind if a company stick to one brand for it’s own internal usage (unless they feel they ‘own’ us too?) but in a democratic society one would like to have choices.
Ok, I can carry on and waffle more….but I am sure get the idea. Yeah right, my questions didn’t stick to simple straight forward ones and I did get a little emotional, but who wouldn’t.
Please edit, comment or reject it outright or even delete.
[?]
Maybe one can set-up 1 or 2 topics where the core issues are summarised (maybe the link to the a posted item where something is discussed in more detail?) to assist the newbies to this forum as a quick checklist. Perhaps lock that discussion topic so that it stays a 1 or 2 post topic. Something such as a Glossary of Terms, and then one such as a FAQ. The Moderator can maintain the topic in a condenced form.
Glossary
======
ADSL – Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line
….
Here is a stab at the issues/questions:
Where do I start with getting ADSL?
==========================
Q. Do I first apply at Telkom?
Q. Do they first test my line?
Q. Once they say my line is OK for ADSL, do they convert at that stage? What happens if I don’t have my preferred modem yet? Can I still use my normal phone if I converted my existing number?
Q. What is the sequence of events, i.e. from applying to be finally connected as well as time-line?
ADSL router selection
================
Q. What are the available ADSL modems/routers that one can make use of, with Pro’s and Cons?
Q. Where do I buy these and what is a reasonable list price?
Q. What is the support like for these brands? I know one can take the Telkom selected modems back with in 14 days, but what about the ‘other’ brands?
Set-up issues
==========
Q. What are the things one needs to do to? I.e. configure, connect and so on?
Q. ……
Telkom issues (I hope Telkom will be able to fill in the answers to some of these questions)
==========
Q. What are the issues regarding Telkom? (I think a summary would be nice. Let’s leave the emotional factor out – facts only please.)
Q. How is the 3GB cap calculated?
Q. Why can’t the 3GB cap only be determined by the International usage alone? Why can’t the local traffic thus be ignored in terms of contributing to the cap, after all, once one has reached the 3GB cap it doesn’t impact local usage anyway?
(I can understand that we are very remote from a lot of the other countries where Internet content is published and that would impose a cost that those countries don’t normally have to contents with.)
Q. Why are customers being ‘dictated’ to what the preferred usage of their Internet usage should be? Surely one wants to attract as many happy customers as possible?
Online gamers make out a fair amount of the Internet users – they probably contribute a reasonable amount revenue for Telkom. Why try and penalise them? ADSL is marketed to aim at the person that spend more than 4 hours a day online, well, that is probably the online gamers…? (Everyone pays the same amount for his/her 3GB cap. If my preferred ports are given lower priority, it implies I get less value for money, alternatively, I should pay less?)
Q. Why only have one brand (if one may take the liberty of calling it ‘brand’) of modem approved? Can’t there be some attempt to have the more well known brands included? I.e. Netgear for starters? Surely this will show that there is still some good will in Telkom or should one read into it that the model of dictatorship/monopoly behaviour is just perpetuated in one’s choices? One don’t mind if a company stick to one brand for it’s own internal usage (unless they feel they ‘own’ us too?) but in a democratic society one would like to have choices.
Ok, I can carry on and waffle more….but I am sure get the idea. Yeah right, my questions didn’t stick to simple straight forward ones and I did get a little emotional, but who wouldn’t.
Please edit, comment or reject it outright or even delete.
[?]